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Information Technology September/October 2008 Portable Manager New tablet PC makes jobsite reports easier to do By Debra Wood
A growing number of construc- tion firms have abandoned paper checklists and are using Vela Systems mobile software to inspect sites for safety issues. "You can save a couple of hours a day, almost a full workday in a week, by not having to re-enter the data and print out reports to hand out to the subcontractors," says John Gillis, an assistant superintendent with Suffolk Construction Co., Boston, which began using the software from Vela Systems, Burlington, Mass., about a year and a half ago for safety inspections, punch lists and job management. Before employing Vela, Suffolk superintendents and project managers would walk the job with a checklist on a clipboard, mark off items needing correction, return to the construction trailer and enter the information into a desktop computer. Transferring the data presented opportunities for transcription errors and took a lot of time. Now, they walk around with a tablet PC, check off problem areas and electronically send subcontractors notifications of work lists. William A. Berry & Son Inc., Danvers, Mass., uses Vela to manage its safety reviews. Field staff make inspections daily, while superintendents or managers inspect weekly and executives monthly. "Vela allows us a uniform system," says Michael Willett, project director for Berry. "We are all looking at the same database of important things to look at on our project sites." Vela’s safety module comes with a complete listing of all federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. It enables the person completing the inspection to take photographs or record a voice message and add those to the file, along with a reference to the appropriate OSHA regulation. Safety officers at Berry track trends, such as multiple unsafe conditions by one individual or subcontractor. They can use Vela to send notifications to each subcontractor outlining what needs to be improved. "The question of who saw what when—and who was notified—is removed from the issue because it’s all recorded," Willett says. Berry also uses the Vela software to perform punch lists and authorize extra work. If a project manager gives the OK for overtime to certain individuals, he or she enters that in the system, where it is available to the accounting department and field superintendents in real time. Vela Systems software also can run on a desktop or laptop computer. It offers various modules, including Worklist, Punchlist, Field Report, Extra Work Order, Safety Inspection and Materials Tracker. Construction firms can load plans and drawings in the system and take them electronically to the jobsite for reference. "They can bring up mechanical detail or a structural detail and make decisions fast in the field," says Josh Kanner, cofounder of Vela Systems. "They are basically carrying their office with them." Contractors also can use the software to track back-charges over the life of the job, quality issues and requests for information. Kanner says standardizing processes and empowering staff with field-based electronic solutions can decrease risk, improve productivity and accelerate projects. "Because you are doing things in new ways, you can save money in new ways," he adds. "The cost of Vela Systems’ solution varies depending upon the scope of the project, implementation, number of users and the length of the term," Kanner says. "A typical project solution can cost $15,000 to $30,000 and will return more than four times that in cost savings and days accelerated on a typical project, according to our customers." Between 30 and 50 construction firms are using the Vela System to date. Vela Systems
Exact Science New GPS system offers enhanced accuracy for paving projects Precise positioning technology with Millimeter GPS from Topcon Positioning Systems, Livermore, Calif., allows for more accurate and faster grading, layout and paving from one GPS system.
Topcon GPS+ systems feature real-time kinematic, dual-frequency tracking using two satellite constellations to decrease the amount of downtime from lost signals. Millimeter GPS, a laser-enhanced global navigation satellite system, combines the security of Topcon GPS+ dual tracking with a zone-beam laser transmitter to offer millimeter accuracy. This LazerZone system sweeps a 2,000-ft-dia area with a 33-ft-high wall of laser light. Four transmitters can be linked on larger jobs to cover an 8,000-ft dia area or a 142-ft vertical change. The equipment continues functioning at multiple elevations. "We enhanced the GPS and brought it into tight vertical accuracy," says Murray Lodge, Topcon vice president of sales-construction, who estimates the technology is up to 300% more accurate than standard GPS. Contractors can use multiple machine- or pole-mounted rovers with the Millimeter GPS system. Barnhill Contracting Co., Tarboro, N.C., recently employed the Millimeter GPS system on a 60-hour runway project at Albert J. Ellis Airport in Jacksonville, N.C. The company used two sets of asphalt pavers, spaced about 20 ft apart, to pave the airport’s sole 7,100-ft-long, 150-ft-wide runway. It employed four laser transmitters and four receivers placed with LazerZone sensors on the mast toe arms of two of the pavers. Barnhill used Topcon HiPer Lite+, integrated GPS+ RTK receivers, following behind each set of pavers to check the grade. "Using [this system] was the only way we knew to hit the grades we needed in the timeframe they gave us," says Mark Collins, senior product manager for Barnhill. The Federal Aviation Administration demanded tolerances within .5 in. "With Millimeter GPS on it, we knew if the grade was a quarter of an inch high or low," Collins adds. "The system works, and it does a good job." The Millimeter GPS system costs about $10,000, and the receivers used on the pavers also are priced at about $10,000 each. One transmitter can control multiple machines. Lodge says using the Millimeter GPS System can produce smoother grading at correct design grade, and by adhering to tighter tolerances, contractors may be able to use less concrete or asphalt. "Millimeter GPS gives the contractor the ability to go out and do precision grading or paving," Lodge adds. Topcon Positioning Systems Inc.
Green Trailer Sustainable jobsite trailer uses 30% less energy LEED-proponent McCownGordon Construction, Kansas City, Mo., has built a jobsite trailer that in- corporates sustainable features.
"It’s nice, comfortable and airy," says Kenneth Bonin, senior superintendent at a 79,000-sq-ft office project in Kansas City, Kan., that McCownGordon is building to house the State of Kansas Dept. of Social and Rehabilitation Services. "I think there is a huge benefit to anyone working out of a trailer like this. Any time you are in better surroundings, you are happier." Bonin says many other superintendents stopped to check out the trailer and have liked its functionality and features. McCownGordon is considering building more. The idea for the trailer grew out of a recommendation from the company’s sustainability committee to make its jobsite trailers greener in an effort to save energy and improve the work environment. Standard trailers, which operate 24/7 and have minimal insulation, typically use enough electricity to power about 10 homes. "Sustainability is one of our core values as a company," says Brad Hardin, building information modeling manager for McCownGordon. "A green trailer puts our money where our mouth is and says a lot about what our beliefs are." McCownGordon obtained a used trailer and began readying it for a jobsite. It reused the wood studs and purchased reclaimed flooring to clad the interior walls. A vinyl composite tile with highly recycled content covers the floor. McCownGordon used a spray-foam R-30-value insulation. "That fills in the cavities in the wall and makes a super-tight weather barrier," Hardin says. The highly reflective metal paneling on the exterior is Energy Star–compliant, as is the roofing. Six large windows with double-pane, insulated, low-E glazing line the south side to let in three times more natural daylight than in a standard trailer. "We implemented a passive-solar design," Hardin says. "In the summer, when you don’t want the heat, we can block it at the exterior using solar shades." Reversible fans allow users to exhaust heat in the trailer or bring fresh air into it. A propane heater warms the trailer. Eight solar panels harness the sun’s energy. Combined with a 4-ft wind generator, they completely power the trailer and all the computer equipment, except when the air conditioner is running. A propane-fueled generator powers that system, so the trailer stays off the grid. Bonin says the exhaust fans work so well that he rarely needs to use the air-conditioning.
A composting toilet is self-contained and rated for 24 uses per day. Weekly, users add a cup of water and an enzyme product that breaks down waste and turns it into compost that can be used in the garden. It must be cleaned out twice each year. The toilet will save 1,600 gallons of water annually, and Bonin says there are no odors associated with it. "It’s a pretty clean, self-sufficient unit," Hardin says. "It has a heater that helps the compostng product and a fan. We added a ventilation fan at the roof, which keeps negative pressure in the tank and brings in fresh air." The trailer also features WiFi, a surround-sound system and an LCD monitor. The furniture is made with 100% recycled tree fiber. "The natural light provides an inviting atmosphere, but the biggest difference is the noise level," Bonin says. "It’s much quieter." Placing the green trailer at a jobsite will earn an innovation credit on a project seeking LEED certification. McCownGordon spent more than $100,000 developing and building the eco-friendly prototype trailer. The company estimates that if it mass-produced trailers with similar elements, they would cost $75,000. A traditional trailer costs about $20,000, according to McCownGordon. McCownGordon Construction
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