1. New Construction Technology

2. GPS Can do all earthwork using GPS attached to bulldozer blades, excavators, scrapers, etc – Cost: GPS equipment including receivers and base stations, digital mapping of project – Benefit: faster, more accurate, less surveying – Can be done with less experienced operators BUT you need good operators for non-GPS jobs

3. Modular housing Factory built house – Can be completed faster than a stick built house – Need excellent quality control on foundation Must be square and level – Estimating and scheduling are a large part of the modular home industry – Workers work piece work – Need to move houses so many stations a day

4. Modular housing No change orders – lowers cost Each house has individual set of plans Limitations on size of house – 16’ wide sections

5. New waves in home building Sustainability – Using renewable resources OSB, Wooden I beams, trusses, finger jointed products Use less wood, use smaller size trees Building with load transfer in mind Building smaller, more efficient houses Bamboo Blue jeans insulation

6. Energy Star Costs: more insulation, high efficiency heat and water heater, high e windows and doors Benefits: supposed to use less energy Problems: Architects and contractors not clear on the concept – Counts bulbs, efficiency of furnace, insulation, windows, – http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_ho mes.nh_features http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_ho mes.nh_features

7. LEED certification Looks at whole project – Impact on environment Waste, carbon footprint, recycling – Energy usage – Water/Storm water http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMS PageID=220 http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMS PageID=220

8. Teaming & Leadership CTC-470

9. Peer Review When does Peer Review start? – College Projects – Your boss asked for your opinion of a fellow worker – Your Annual Review – your boss wants you to succeed – You become the boss

10. Peer Review Should not be confrontational Need to be able to give honest critique – Feedback is essential to a good project – A good project depends on people doing their job -> how do you help others? – Words to avoid Stupid Idiotic 3 year old could do better

11. Peer Review How do you get to the point where people know that your opinion is valid? – Honesty – Ethics – Knowledge base – Reputation

12. Peer Review How do you move up in Company – Based on ability – Based on interaction with others – Based on peer review – Based on ability to work and lead a team

13. Peer Review 2 career paths – Senior Engineer – can’t communicate, works well alone, very competent – Management – can communicate ideas to others, works well with others, team player, competent Which do you want to be? – Your peers will review you and put you in a niche based on competency and need

14. Team Leading What makes a person a good leader? Give some examples

15. Team Leading How do you get people to follow your lead? – Have a plan Everyone has input (ownership) – Have milestones – Work harder than everyone else – Be fair – Celebrate project completion

16. Team Leading Get people to want to work for you – Give praise for good work Thank You Cards – Take all the hits Recognize personality types – You need to know how to react to people and why they are reacting to you

17. Meetings Can be huge time sink – Ex: Weekly meetings for company How often? – Depends on project Keeps coordination between people at meeting Lets everyone know what is happening More complicated -> more meetings – Only when necessary How do you know? Must have information to present or pass

18. Meetings – Only for those who need to be there Everyone at meeting is costing Company $ Efficiency = (Billable hours)/(Total hours) Meetings are a good place to chat – People have coffee, a seat, and other people around table – Can formalize meetings No coffee urn No chairs

19. Calling Meetings Who needs to be there How long is it going to take – No more than 1.5 hours without a break What is going to be discussed Give people as much notice as possible so that they can be productive and participate in meeting

20. Leading Meetings Keep on time – use the agenda Keep on track – don’t let side discussions into meeting – You can always schedule a meeting End on time You want people to come to your meetings – Run a meeting that you would want to attend

21. Agenda Most important part of meeting – Tells participants What will be discussed How long a topic will be discussed What they should bring to meeting When it will end Don’t try to crowd items – Have 2 meetings or increase time

22. Agenda Send out preliminary agenda – What do you think is important Get feedback – Do some items need to be discussed – Do some items need their own meeting Finalize agenda

23. Agenda Are meetings a place where people catch up on other people’s lives? – Schedule time in meeting to do that Call it announcements, old business But stick to schedule Takes away from productive meeting time