PileDriver magazine: Managing the Unmanageable

March 4, 2020

Workplace safety in a cannibas revolution
By: Bob Morgan, Esq. and Rick Kalson, Esq., Benesch Law
Photo credit: openrangestock/123RF

There are now 33 states that have legalized medical cannabis and 10 that have legalized recreational cannabis, with more soon to come. Many of these state's laws have employer protections for safety-sensitive jobs, and generally allow an employer broad discretion to enact and implement zero-tolerance policies. For example, Arizona allows employers to discipline an employee for possessing or using marijuana on company premises or during work time, even if that employee is authorized to use medical cannabis (A.R.S. Sec. 36-2814(B)). However, note some contradictory caselaw in states such as Rhode Island (See Callaghan v. Darlington Fabrics, C.A. No. P.C. 2014-6680, where an employer was found to have violated the state medical cannabis law for failing to hire a job applicant that had a medical cannabis card and stated she could not pass a drug test) and Connecticut (Noffsinger v. SSC Niantic Operating Company, LLC, 2018 WL 4224075, at 1, D. Conn. Sept. 5, 2018, where an employer was found to have violated the state medical cannabis law when refusing to hire a medical cannabis patient who tested positive on a pre-employment drug test).

Notably, the vast majority of cases have ruled in favor of employer discretion regarding whether to discipline or terminate medical cannabis users. Even when anti-discrimination provisions were implicated, courts have consistently left open the possibility for an employer to take action against medical cannabis users in safety-sensitive positions (See Barbuto v. Advantage Sales and Marketing, LLC, SJC 12226; July 17, 2017).

On its face, these decisions make sense. There are some industries where workplace drug testing is increasingly rare such as in the technology sector where millennial workers are more in-demand and others where the employer approaches cannabis as a substance scientifically less harmful than alcohol or more dangerous drugs. Yet, safety-sensitive positions such as construction sites, medical facilities and large warehouses will always require more stringent workplace standards.

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PileDriver magazine: Taking Better Project Photos with your Smartphone

March 3, 2020

By: Brian Fraley, Fraley Construction Marketing
Photo Credit:

So you want to capture high quality photographs, but you lack the budget for a professional photographer or high-quality camera equipment? There has arguably never been a better time for amateurs to capture decent shots because of that little high-powered gadget in their pocket, the smartphone.

While the importance of high-quality photographs has not faded, it's better to capture an acceptable photo of your work in progress than to have no photo at all. The following will serve as a foundation for aspiring smartphone construction photographers.

1. Buy a smartphone with a quality camera
When it's time to buy a smartphone, make sure the camera functionality and photo resolution are among the criteria you consider. Today's smartphone cameras are competing with actual cameras when it comes to quality. In fact, Samsung has an ultra-high 64Mp to 108Mp smartphone sensor, which has a resolution equivalent to that of a high-end DSLR camera.

2. Adjust the settings
You're not aiming to become a professional photographer and the smartphone doesn't have as many settings as a traditional camera, so your best bet is to use the auto setting, which is usually the default. The only settings you might consider changing are High Definition Resolution (HDR) and flash. One of the benefits of digital photography is that you can compare shots using each setting right on the jobsite.

3. Get closer to the subject
One of the most common problems with construction photos is that the shot is taken from too far away. Zooming in with the smartphone is as simple as touching the screen with two fingertips and sliding them away from each other. Reverse the motion to zoom out. Getting closer to the subject can also help you to overcome lighting challenges.

4. Experiment with lighting
Lighting can be tough on construction sites, especially when you're down inside of a deep excavation. There are some situations where you simply can't get good photographs without supplemental lighting. The best you can do is to take your shots in the best lit portion of the site. You might also alternate between flash and no flash to see which delivers the best photos.

5. Edit your shots for perfection
One of the best things about digital photography compared to traditional photography is that you can edit your images. There are dozens of software brands on the market, but most will find the Photos app in Microsoft Windows 10 to be a perfect option. You can easily straighten, crop and lighten the photo to improve your results. For a quick fix, you can use the option "Enhance Your Photo" under Filters.

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A Pile of News - March 2020

March 3, 2020

A Pile of News: March 2020

A briefing on news and information from the pile driving contractors, associated manufacturers and suppliers and affiliated engineers who comprise the PDCA.
by Matt Bisbee, PDCA

From the Association & Chapters

Mark your calendars! 2020 Events

Deep Foundations Dynamic Testing & Analysis (DFDTA), March 1113 in Orlando, FL
PDCA 2020 Annual Conference, May 69 at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix, AZ
- Project of the Year entries due March 13
  DOWNLOAD ENTRY FORM
- Deadlines: Early Bird Registration is March 17; hotel block reservations due April 17

South Carolina Chapter Driven Pile Technical Seminar, March 19, The Citadel, Charleston

2020 leadership slate installed at 1Q dinner meeting, 2Q meeting May 14th

Pacific Coast Chapter sets 10th Annual Scholarship Shoot, registration open for April 17 event.

Coming to your city: PDCA will be hosting The Houston Social on April 9 and The Midwestern Meet-Up: Chicago on April 23. Both are FREE networking and social events for members and non-members; PDCA will give a short program about forming new Chapters in both regions.

Northeast Florida Chapter Luncheon Meeting, May 19, World Golf Hall of Fame, St. Augustine

Recap of February 7 quarterly Luncheon Meeting in Jacksonville

PileDriver magazine, Issue #1 for 2020 is now live; click here to read the digital edition.

Rep the industry PDCA swag and educational resources are available at The PDCA Store. Always include #PDCAdriven on your social media for your chance to win free merchandise.

Activate! If you haven't already, bring your 2020 member dues current. Or join at the same link.

News from PDCA Members

Acquisitions

American Engineering Testing, Inc. of St. Paul, MN acquires Strata, grows western footprint
ECS acquires Atlanta Environmental Management, Inc., incorporates into ECS Southeast LLP
Sunroc expands pile driving operations with purchase of Salt Lake City-based DDF Corporation
Terracon has acquired Skelly and Loy of Harrisburg, PA
Universal Engineering Sciences merges with GFA International, adds six more Florida offices

Anniversaries

Frank Black Pipe & Supply Co. in McPherson, KS celebrates 65 years in business
Service Steel Warehouse reaches 55 years in distribution from its Houston home

Is it football season yet? At their Super Bowl-themed potluck, GeoStructures, Inc. employees wore their favorite NFL jerseys. Winning the Best Jersey Contest was Paola Sequeira, who sported a throwback Buffalo Bills #32...do you remember who made that famous?

Football Part II: When the Chiefs returned to Kansas City, MO (or is it KS?), the Super Bowl Champs paraded before legions of loyal fans. Sunbelt Rentals also got to strut their stuff during the event.

Rock On: Among celebrity deaths this year was Neal Peart of Canadian rock band Rush, which dominated radio in the 1970s. We share a music video from Louisiana's Deep South Construction and Salvage showing their team in action to a soundtrack featuring Rush's 'Working Man.'

Goat Yoga in 2021? Employees at GeoEngineers in Redmond, WA compete in a planking challenge.

Starring with ScarJo: Last month, we wrote about Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers (MRCE)'s domination of New York City intramural volleyball...now, we learn they were in an Oscar-nominated movie. See how an MRCE instrumentation installation appeared in a film called Marriage Story.

Scott Bridge Company of Opelika, AL contributed to what is described as "the largest project in Birmingham's history" a reconstruction of downtown's I-59/I-20 interchange. The ribbon is now cut and the new interchange is open to traffic. Company VP Bill Scott participated in the grand opening this winter along with other contractors and VIPs, including Congressman Gary Palmer.

People on the Move

Greg Fischer, PhD, PE becomes president at Seattle-based Shannon & Wilson, effective this spring; he succeeds Gerard Buechel, PE. At GeoEngineers of Redmond, WA, Ty Graham is the new CFO and Rick Heckel, PE is the new principal in Nashville. Golder appoints Andreas Rothe as Global CFO to succeed Lee Anne Lackey, who retires. Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. names new vice presidents; Michael Derr, PE in Pennsylvania and Donny Sousa in New Jersey. Syed Raza joins EXP as VP in California.

More: Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) appoints Andrew MacLeod, PE geotechnical department manager in Baltimore; Michael Venezia, PE and David Anderson, PE become principals. GZA Environmental, Inc. adds Gustan Taylor to the Detroit office. Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering of Columbia, SC expands, names 300th employee Fred Wright to oversee the new Lake City, FL office. Allan Korte tapped to lead new Florida Junttan office serving the Southeastern U.S.

New PDCA member, Shout-out 1: Baton Rouge-based Coastal Contractors, Inc. is a newly formed marine and bridge builder serving Louisiana. Industry vet and CEO Devon Overall opened in January.

New PDCA Member, Shout-out 2: Dallas-based Calsak Plastics named Scott Williams director of market development and Sean O'Leary manager in Los Angeles following the retirement of Steve Hankammer.

Other notes of interest:

Aradaman & Associates announced employee milestones, including Thomas Leto reaching his 50-year anniversary with the firm and Ethan Drew's receipt of his PE license in Florida.
John Haupt of AET is a Future City mentor in a Minnesota middle school; his team has designed a state champion sustainability project and qualified for Nationals. Help them get there!
Jim Dash of CarlsonDash in Chicago is named to the 2020 Illinois Super Lawyers list.
Clark Construction VP Megan Calhoun earns recognition from the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of the region's Outstanding Women in Construction and Design 2020.
Dewberry CEO Donald Stone, Jr. will be inducted into The Citadel School of Engineering's Academy of Engineers. Also, EVP Craig Johnson, PE at the Fairfax, VA-based firm makes South Jersey Biz Magazine's 2019 Executive of the Year list.
Jannifer Anderson of ECS named to Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources workgroup on solar developments.
Reem Tanta of EXP achieves Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) designation.
Roy Morioka of Hawaiian Dredging Co. named to leadership series in Pacific Business News

Policy Matters

Trump Tackles T&I: The new budget from the White House proposes a hike in infrastructure spending

ARTBA releases analysis of Trump Administration FY 2021 Budget Request.

Decision 2020: Meantime, Presidential hopefuls appealed to voters on infrastructure policy during a Nevada campaign forum.

Investors take note: With new American infrastructure spending proposed by both President Trump and the Democratic U.S. House, there is renewed optimism for public revitalization dollars. InvestorPlace forecasts the top three infrastructure stocks for investors to consider.

State News:

A look at which states across the U.S. are best and worst for business, by USA Today
Illinois commits $25M to diversify construction, building trades, and NY Gov. Cuomo introduces $275B infrastructure plan by ConstructionDive
Restore Pennsylvania aims to rehabilitate state's infrastructure by Transportation Today

Philanthropy

Matt Fogleman of ECS in Ashville, NC voluntarily judged the NAWIC Block Kids Building Competition.

Fugro in Houston volunteered with "Meals on Wheels" to assist immobile and senior residents.

Sealevel Construction Inc. wins the BIG Achiever Award from the Bayou Industrial Group, which recognizes the company's active involvement in the Thibodaux, LA community.

Terracon awards $67K in grants to universities and non-profits; the recipient list is here.

Tammy Taylor and Rick Kushner, both from the Jacksonville, FL office of Universal Engineering Sciences, participated in the Fight for Air Climb in support of the American Lung Association.

Iain Laing from the John Lawrie Group is an avid fisherman. Due to rapidly decreasing levels of Atlantic salmon in the U.K, he joins the campaign of The River Dee Trust to reverse the trend.

Look Who Made the News!

American Journal of Health Promotion includes an op-ed by American SpiralWeld Pipe Company wellness manager Sheri Snow about the value of investing in employee health and wellbeing.

ENR includes Jim McLamb of Clark Construction as a Top 25 Newsmaker. In the interview, Jim talks about meeting an arena project deadline, just in time for a Metallica concert and the NBA season!

Geostrata magazine publishes Big Reputation, a poem by Katherine Zadrozny, PE, M.ASCE of AET.

HGTV's Extreme Makeover begins new season, which features action-footage of Sunbelt Rentals.

Investing in California Small Business names Forefront Deep Foundations Face of High-Speed Rail.

News4Jax regularly covers increased flooding mitigation and adaptation efforts in Northeast Florida; 25 states experienced record flooding in 2019. Terracon senior manager Tony Pooley provided the TV station expert analysis on tidal data and stressed aquifers in the Jacksonville region.

Pacific Business News prints photos of a Hawaiian Dredging Construction Honolulu condo project.

WBUR Public Radio-Boston features a story on a wetlands restoration project by GZA Environmental.

Thanks for reading 2020's third installment of A Pile of News; please keep sending and posting your company announcements. And don't forget to include #PDCADriven on your social media, you might be randomly selected to win PDCA logo merchandise from The PDCA Store.