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SMACNews March/April 2021

Volume 55, Number 2

New Technologies Promise Improved Safety and Efficiency

New Technologies Promise Improved Safety and Efficiency

By now, many of us have seen the videos on the internet of industrial robots traversing warehouse obstacle courses like contestants on American Ninja Warrior. 

SMACNews Apr 30 2021

Technology and the Future of Contracting Work

The economic recovery continues as we manage the new jobsite reality of additional processes and procedures to help combat the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. My virtual and now in-person visits with members have revealed that there is more focus on the jobsite, especially through two lenses: what keeps our people safe and what can help keep projects on time and on budget.

SMACNews Apr 30 2021

UV-C for HVAC Air and Surface Disinfection

Despite decades of research and thousands of applications in hospital emergency and operating rooms, urgent-care centers, universities, and first-responder locations, UV-C has not been widely leveraged. 

SMACNews Apr 30 2021

Improving Upper-Room UV With Ceiling Fans

Studies show that, in spaces with limited air mixing, natural convection generated by heat gains from occupants and equipment at the floor level can reduce the effectiveness of upper-room/air UV systems.

SMACNews Apr 30 2021

The Harder Work: Reputation Management and Trust Building

We continue the series on the “harder work” of leadership — important but not urgent responsibilities that are easy to put off, in some cases for decades. In this installment, we’ll examine the responsibility of owners and senior leaders to incessantly enhance their organization’s reputation, refusing to believe it will stand untarnished without constant attention.

SMACNews

Deteriorating Backlogs: Responding to a New COVID-19 Reality

When 2020 kicked off, the construction industry was flying high. With a steady flow of work and bidding opportunities, large infrastructure projects on the horizon and sureties offering a seemingly endless supply of bonding, most contractors were hitting all-time-high revenues and profits, with healthy backlogs to keep the momentum going.

SMACNews Apr 30 2021

The Bidding Hack: 5 Ways to Increase Your Bid Win Rate

The pandemic led to one of the most difficult years in memorable history for the construction industry — one in which specialty contractors were hit particularly hard. According to a recent report from Autodesk, project bidding dropped roughly 34% in the 60 days following March 19, 2020, the day the first U.S. stay-at-home orders were mandated.