The Innovation Issue
Transcription
The Innovation Issue
The Employee Magazine for Skanska in the U.S. 2008 / Issue 04 coasttocoast The Innovation Issue How to Curabitur Get a Great Idea sed Lefani Sand page 10 page XX Works of Art Lorem Ipum Doler Sit page 14 page XX All in a Dey's Work page 16 The Real Key is Innovation The world has changed a lot in just a few short months. The financial system nearly collapsed and the world economy has been severely impacted. It appears that the financial markets are now stabilizing but we are faced with dealing with a tough recession. This means fewer projects, tough competition and pressure in profit margins. If we want to continue to outperform, and we do, we are going to have to reduce costs. The alternative, accepting lower profitability, is not the Skanska way. Of course we have to manage overhead downward. But that by itself will not get us to the outperform targets. Competitive pricing will require us to do more. The real key is innovation. Develop new and better methods and tools to reduce costs and improve performance. There are lots of great innovative ideas being implemented on Skanska projects all over the world. Innovation includes everything from creative contracting and purchasing, to the use of new technology, to clever means and methods, to new design concepts like the energy efficient data centers being built by USA Building. I recently saw an example of a simple alternative weld testing process on one of our water treatment plants that will save an enormous amount of time and money. The definition of innovation is very broad, but the goal is simple – separate us from the competition and add to the bottom line. I suggest we look at innovation with the same passion and commitment that we do in safety. Set a target on every project for adding to our margin through one or more innovative concepts. We don’t need a fancy program or bureaucratic process – but we do need action. There are thousands of opportunities to be innovative and a lot of profitability that can come from it. Like safety, it takes a positive mindset and the discipline and commitment to make it happen. Finally, don’t overlook ideas developed on projects years ago that may be applicable on your projects now. Remember 60,000 colleagues are out there with an awful lot of know how; so connect the dots in your search for profitable innovation. Contents 2008 • Issue 04 Page 02 Page 04 Page 10 Page 16 Page 14 Page 19 Safety 02 Improving Safety Records How a hand protection policy can reduce injuries. 03 Pre-Task Planning Makes Perfect 03 How to Keep Your Jobsite Safe 03 Do's and Don'ts Our People 04 Sal Mancini Tribute See how Sal has affected fellow employees during his time at Skanska. 05 05 06 06 07 08 Editorial: Innovation in Construction Day in the Life Standing Strong with Skanska Panel Question Community Timeline Examples for the Future Our Projects 10 How to Get a Great Idea Ten innovations and the stories of how they came to life. 14 Real Works of Art 16 All in a Dey's Work Stu Graham, Chairman, Skanska USA Focus Editorial note: Our last issue featured the article "It IS Easy Being Green," in which we incorrectly stated that the featured image was of our Seattle office, when in fact it is a shot of the architect's office in the same building. Also, the office overlooks Lake Union and not South Lake Washington. We apologize for the misinformation. 18 Setting the Tone Our leaders set a course for navigating the financial crisis at the management meeting in Orlando. 18 19 20 20 Dashboard is Quick on the Draw Safety First—in Financing as in the Field Building Blocks for Diversity Global Trainees Hit the Road coasttocoast Publisher Stuart Graham Editor Cole Ruth Editors/Writers Caroline Bucquet, Karen Diemer, Allyson Orfan, Shana Bitterman, Mary Humphreys, Shelby Adams, Jessica Murray, Marshall Jones, Jay FSC STAMP TO BE PROVIDED BY PRINTER Weisberger Photography Michael Macioce, Per-Anders Pettersson, Gamboa Photos Printer Dolan Wohlers coasttocoast is the quarterly employee magazine from Skanska USA. Subscribe free of charge by sending an email to: [email protected]. coasttocoast is printed on FSC certified environmentally friendly paper. Feel free to copy from the magazine or quote us, but please name the source. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited material, though you are welcome to send your ideas and suggestions to the editor at: cole.ruth@ skanska.com. If you have a story you’d like to see covered in coasttocoast, or one that you’ve written and want to see published, contact the editor at: [email protected] Proper Proper Attire Attire Dos Dos and and Don’ts Don’ts Practice Makes Perfect Safety Week 2008 was dedicated to reinforcing the significance of pre-task planning, a simple activity that is part of the way of life Do! Do! Proper attire is a must when Improving Safety Records One Glove at a Time you areattire working on orwhen visiting Proper is a must ayou jobsite. Make sure you are are working on or visiting wearing your safety vest and a jobsite. Make sure you are glasses, your hardhat, steel wearing safety vesttoed and boots and hand protection at allhand times. glasses, hardhat, boots and protection at all times. It’s been over a year since USA Civil Northeast’s safety department initiated an in-depth incident reporting and automated analysis program of company injuries that tracks worker safety training. Opting not to use third-party software saved the office approximately $500,000. The first course of action to be initiated as a result of the analysis system was a hand protection policy. Upon reviewing incident reports over a three year period, it was found that 24 percent of all injuries were finger and hand related. “We estimated that 104 finger and hand injuries out of 132 could have been prevented with proper personal protective equipment (PPE),” says Paul Haining, Safety Director. "We initiated the program at the end of February and it's now mandatory on all projects." A cost/feasibility study also determined that an allowance of $150/year per employee for the purchase of hand protection was significantly lower than the $146,000 spent on direct medical and workers compensation costs last year. Armed with this information, the safety department launched an action plan. “We initiated the program at the end of February and it’s now mandatory on all projects,” explains Paul. “The unions are fully supportive of any measure that helps keep their guys safe. Initial effects of the policy have been very positive.” In fact, finger and hand injuries have decreased and the new gloves have saved a life. At the Second Avenue Subway project, a laborer was chopping through concrete that had live utilities in it. He hit a 13-Kilowatt line that would have killed him had he not been wearing the protective gloves. “We’re leading the industry with our hand protection policy and our overall reporting and analysis,” Paul continues. “All of our workers and subcontractors are less resistant to our safety programs than in the past. They’re slowly realizing that we’re trying to protect them.” ◆ throughout our company. Simply put, pre-task planning is assigning safe work. Rather than trudging onto the jobsite every morning and going about the daily grind, pre-task planning gives new tradesmen direction and support in their work, and reminds those who are more experienced just how dangerous their jobs can be. Typically a subcontractor foreman or superintendent conducts a short meeting each morning at which the foreman divides up and assigns the work amongst the team for the day. He then asks the workers to explain the potential hazards they may face. The intent is to get the team to take responsibility for their own safety, and consider the dangers facing them that day. At the Gulf Coast Hospital project in Fort Myers, FL, our team does a great job supporting the subcontractors' pre-task planning efforts. Everyday, following an energetic Stretch and Flex session, everyone on the job heads to an assigned meeting point to plan for the day ahead. The workers, sometimes in spite of a language barrier, are engaged by the foremen and willingly participate before taking on their tasks at hand. As Environmental, Health & Safety Vice President Paul Settle says, “You can plan work without safety, but you can’t plan safety without the work.” ◆ Hub Survey: How do you keep your jobsite safe? • At the Turtle River I-95 project in Brunswick, GA, we’re asking employees to point out unsafe acts in order to promote a safe working attitude. • Taking an active role in the project's Safety Leadership Team. We audit pre-task plans and conduct walk-throughs to look for safety violations. Don’t! Never wear office attire on Don’t! the jobsite. Make sure you are dressed in aoffice shirt attire that covers Never wear on theyou entire jobsite.upper Makearm sureand youboots wear for walking on covers unleveled a shirt that yourground entire and debris. Saveboots the fashion for upper arm and for walking the office. ground and debris. on unleveled Save the fashion for the office. • Talking with the foreman during the design and bid package process to incorporate the safest installation practices and designs. • On the Tampa Museum of Art project, we are holding a structural steel pre-erection meeting with the steel company owner, erectors, our account managers and safety directors to welcome them into the injury free environment (IFE) culture and review our requirements for fall protection and pre-certification of the crane operators. • Making sure all new employees received a hardhat, vest and safety glasses before stepping foot on the site to enforce that they must be prepared. • Mandatory 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration training and refresher courses. • Enforcing company policy by issuing reprimands and re-training not only to crew member found in violation, but also the foreman, superintendent and project manager. 2 coast to coast coast to coast 3 “Throughout the 20 years that I have had the privilege of working with Sal, I have admired his passion for the construction business and the respect and loyalty he gets from the people that work with him." Innovation in Construction An Editorial by Vince Tirolo —Bob Koch “What I feel stands out about Sal is how much he genuinely cares about the people that work with him. Sal has always been supportive and really made me feel as though I were important to him personally as well as to the company. He is truly one of Skanska’s Great Bosses.” —Camille D’Alessandro Sal Mancini: A Tribute Sal Mancini, President of USA Civil, will be retiring at the end of the year after 41 years of service to the company. We took the opportunity to ask some employees what made Sal the exemplary leader that he was and what they would miss about him. “Sal has shown me over and over again that if you want people to perform at a high level, you must first find the right people, treat them with respect and dignity, show them your loyalty, be clear of your expectations, point them towards the end zone and they will score touchdowns. The good ones never disappoint.” —Richard Cavallaro “Sal is not only a leader of Skanska but also of the construction industry. One of the things that I learned from him was to treat the craft people with respect and fairness. He always recognized their effort and what it means to the company’s bottom line. Many of our foremen begin and end their careers only working for Skanska.” —Mike Attardo —Stan Merjan “Sal was always a square shooter; strong family values while being passionate about his work ethic. He tells it like it is–no sugar coating. He once told me, ‘the superintendent is the general in our army. Only if he has the right mix of love, discipline and intensity will he be able lead the field forces to victory. If the work is not executed efficiently in the field then the result will be less than anticipated’.” —Gary Winsper “You always had the feeling that Sal truly cared about you. He always asked how you were doing before he asked about how your business was doing. He presided over the consolidation of all of our individual companies into a unified team that makes up one of the largest single construction entities in the USA. I think this legacy will stand for a very long time here in the U.S.” “On the day Sal asked me to consider relocating to Boston for work he prefaced the request with these words ‘Do you have any sick parents, brothers or sisters that you’re caring for?’ These compassionate words and his teachings are engraved in my heart and have helped shape my ideas and approach to life and business. His legend as a man of integrity and sensibility will stand tall along side the great structures that he built.” —Salvatore Taddeo —Lino Floretta 4 Safety, Health and Environmental Manager, USA Civil in Cortez, CO 5:30am “About fifteen years ago Sal issued a companywide directive regarding charges to our jobs for usage of company-owned equipment. This continues to have a considerable impact on how management looks at our fleet of equipment costs versus income. Having dealt with the charges for equipment usage for many decades, I firmly believe this was the best decision ever made regarding this subject.” —Eric Taylor Clark Peterson According to philosopher Deng Ming-Dao “problems cannot —Curtis Broughton “Four years ago when this operating unit was going thru a very difficult time, Sal was always supportive and displayed great leadership during a very tumultuous time.” A Day in the Life… “I knew when I hired Sal to work for Underpinning (40 or so years ago) that he would do well. I obviously underestimated how well. Sal started in the trenches (literally) and rose to the pinnacle of our industry. Horatio Alger, step aside.” coast to coast be resolved at once. Slowly untie knots. Divide to conquer.” Innovation in construction is not work for amateurs. You need to know the business and your project. Experience and understanding are at the core of innovation. This mastery gives you the ability to break down complex operations into more manageable activities. Within these manageable activities you can focus on the kernels where innovation can make a real difference. "Innovation in construction is not work for amateurs. You need to know the business and your project." Innovation in construction is only meaningful if it reduces risk and the better we manage risk the more likely our projects will be successful. Risk may include physical hazards to employees, damage to third parties or facilities adjacent to a project and business risks associated with subcontractor performance, relationships with unions, equipment availability, lead times material delivery and the financial markets. While new ways of working can be initiated within engineering, estimating, during the bidding process or in the office, the combined limitations of time and constantly moving targets can inhibit innovation. So, inventive ideas often originate within field operations. Since field personnel live and breathe a project for months and even years, they know its ins and outs, which is how most innovative designs are conceived. Engineering then takes those often undeveloped original ideas and expands them into computations and drawings that can be presented to our clients and engineers. An engineer practicing under those circumstances is part scientist, part constructor and part snake oil salesperson. Most often, our teams are successful because our clients know the reduction of risk that comes with innovation is in everyone’s best interest. ◆ coast to coast 7:00am 7:10am 8:00am 8:30am 10:30am 12:30pm 1:00pm 2:30pm 2:30pm 3:30pm 4:30pm 5:00pm Wake up and get ready for work. Arrive at the office. Meet with estimators to discuss safety needs for upcoming proposals. Sometimes these projects require special safety training or have environmental issues that must be addressed during the proposal stage. Catch up with four safety managers to discuss lessons learned and follow-up on corrective actions that must be taken. We review the project’s schedule to examine upcoming assignments that could require special training. Work on developing the safety sections of our bid proposals. Visit one of our projects to meet with the management team to discuss their safety concerns. Time for lunch. Do a site walk-around with the site safety/ environmental manager to ensure that safety protocols are being met. Review the project’s environmental issues with the site engineer and safety/ environmental manager. Time to head back to the office. Develop safety training programs with input from senior executives. Meet with SVP Curtis Broughton to review my schedule and upcoming training needs. Leave the office to travel home. 5 Our Community Timeline What does innovation mean to you? Priyanka Shingore Global Trainee, Alexandria, VA landmark anniversaries as well as those who had previously celebrated anniversaries. This Boca Raton, FL: Drawing blood Alongside Project Executive Maria Houle, the project team at the Lynn Cancer Center collected 62 units of blood. time around we are saluting those who are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. Thank you for all of your hard work Zollie Privette Walter Duggan John Saunders Dennis G. Cox 30 Allan J. Caliman Stephen W Best Francis Lavery Eric Nylund Gary Winsper Charles W. Askins David D. Eseltine Jack S. Liles Jr. Richard A. Shipley Chris C. Eastin III Todd Collier Bob Babitsky Matt D. Edwards Mark E. Mcquater Ricky Clayton Robert J. Moore Frank J. Young Jr. James K. Bradford Donald H. Bullock 6 Robert Annino Victor Caiazzo Derrick Chance Frank Falco Frederick Jost Arthur Kaiser Thomas Karas Jr. Timothy Klein Dennis Yat Lam Brian McGuinness Enrico Perez Sandy Primiano David Rosenbaum Angel Santiago Matthew Schwartz Roi Smith Thomas Smith Alfred Spitzer Sr. Douglas C. Ellis Sean Wall Edward J. Damm Jacques S. Yeager Jr. Ramon R. Beltran Joel B. Johnson Steven G. Olson Kevin Barrett James D. Corriveau Michael K. Smith Earl Douglas Hall George J. Fadool Michael F. Leondi Robert W. Losch Harleysville, PA: Charity challenge The Blue Bell office held its first annual Skanska Charity Challenge Golf Outing during which $15,500 was donated to local charitable organizations. Randy Smith Senior Superintendent, Durham, NC “ Philadelphia, PA: Paddling away – again The Skanska Hammerheads paddled their way to a silver medal again at the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival. Proceeds support the Fox Chase Cancer Center. At the Raleigh Convention Center we created a 3D model to show how the structure would be built, to create site logistics plans and to provide coordination drawings. We also had tablet computers to write notes, review contract drawings and shop drawings. To stay competitive and remain valuable to our customer, we must embrace technology to build safer, cheaper, faster and better. Virginia Beach, VA “ With today’s large-scale and highly technical projects, efficiently managing job-related information is a monumental task that relies heavily on technology. In many cases, application of new technology enables our people to have quick access to quality information, which ultimately enhances our ability to outperform. coast to coast coast to coast Orlando, FL: Educating our youth The office sponsored the ninth annual Foundation for Orange County Public Schools’ golf tournament benefit, which raised more than $100,000 for schools in the district. Parsippany, NJ: Walking for a cure Our Smart-Walkers team participated in a 5k walk for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, raising around $33,000, which is more than double from last year. Boston, MA: United way The office participated in a United Way campaign and raffle, which raised $20,000. Parsippany, NJ: Making strides against cancer Our Countdown to the Cure team participated in and sponsored the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k walk. The team raised around $5,000 including our $2,500 sponsorship. Valhalla, NY: A+ for effort Our project team at the Cat/Del UV Treatment Plant made a donation to the Yonkers School District to help a needy school within the region. Rockville, MD/Blue Bell, PA: Denim day The offices participated in National Denim Day sponsored by Lee Jeans. More than $1,300 was raised to support this campaign Stephen Van Essendelft Manager Project Controls, “ Richard Redmon 25 At Skanska ID, we're challenged with developing new strategies that mitigate and share risks among stakeholders of PPP projects. Also, I'm participating in our Global Trainee Program, which exposes me to other business units and regions to learn and share our best practices. “ 45 40 35 “ Tampa, FL: Light the night The Skanska Hammerheads competed in the Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races to benefit the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Research Center and the Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation. “ and commitment! OCTOBER Last year we listed our employees who reached New York, NY: Race for the kids Employees participated in “The Race for the Kids” 4k run to support the Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York. The team raised more than $2,500 for the program. New Bern, NC: Along for the ride John Yunker, Anthony Faranda, Erin Flynn, Chris Reeder, Andreina Perez-Greene and Frank Conversano from the Durham office participated in a bike ride benefiting MS. SEPTEMBER Panel Question New Haven, CT: Walking for heart health Members from the office gathered with family members to participate in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) 2008 Start! Fairfield County Heart Walk. Seattle, WA: Seattle’s got heart Workers and subcontractors from the office partook in the Start! Puget Sound Heart Walk, raising $54,642 in support of the American Heart Association. NOVEMBER Standing Strong with Skanska Alexandria, VA: Promoting literacy Skanska ID is promoting literacy by donating books to “Everybody Wins!” The books will be used in an elementary school nearby the office. 7 Strong leadership is the key to success At Skanska ID, a twist of fate marked the start of Financial Analyst Doran Bosso’s relationship with his mentor Bid Director Chris Guthkelch. “I ‘borrowed’ him from my good friend Amando Madan who was introducing Doran to the complexities of Project Finance,” Chris explains. “Having studied Public Private Partnerships for his master’s degree at Virginia Tech, Doran was an ideal candidate for putting theory into practice as we developed the Midtown Tunnel PPP project in Norfolk, Virginia.” With the company just six months, Doran says working with Chris has already opened doors to all aspects of the business. “Chris has included me in every decision and meeting he has made regarding the Midtown Tunnel,” he says. “Rather than focusing on just finance, he has exposed me to the legal, construction and proposal development activities. It’s really helped speed my development as an employee, and hopefully will make me an important part of the team going forward.” Hailing from London, Chris has learned a great deal about local rules and regulations while working with Doran. “He’s definitely expanded my knowledge of Virginia’s PPP laws and procurement process,” Chris admits. And the schooling hasn’t end with just professional guidance. “As a tri-athlete, Doran is disciplined with his work-life balance and has given me some excellent advice on my diet!” Chris’ outlook on teaming up with young, new hires is nothing but optimistic. “Clearly each generation thinks and works differently from the previous one. But the impact of globalization, sustainability and climate change concern every generation, so if we pool our experiences and learning then we’ve got more chance of getting things right.” Mike Attardo, pictured in the foreground with Domenick Dinizo (left) and Pete Mesbah (right). Serving Up Examples for the Future On the right track We're constantly being made aware about the lifestyle and career differences between Baby Boomers and Generation Yers. But at Skanska, we've found that when employees from these two generations join forces, both the new employee and the experienced mentor stand to benefit. Team spirit Upon joining the ranks in USA Civil’s Core Competency Training Program, Domenick Dinizo was promptly assigned to the Dey Street Concourse project where he met Mike Attardo. Mike is currently Vice President of Operations and the first recipient of the Stuart Graham Dirty Boots Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received at this year’s Management Meeting. Domenick’s first encounters with Mike were when he was an assistant superintendent on the R/W Concourse at Dey Street. “I observed how Mike interacted with team members, the client and the engineer and took note of how he built a team atmosphere,” Domenick explains. After moving on to the Second Avenue subway job, Domenick’s first joint-venture project, he saw how Mike’s philosophy of treating people with respect resulted in a spirit of cooperation. “Employees 8 really like him,” remarks Domenick. “You understand what he wants because he’s very clear and he’s so easy to work for that you don’t want to disappoint him.” Mike’s several decades of experience in heavy civil construction also helps as he passes along his know-how to new employees. “Aside from his knowledge, he also knows many people in the agencies we deal with,” Domenick says. “He knows who to contact to get things done.” Living by the mantra, “If you work hard, you will be rewarded,” Mike instills this behavior in younger employees. “Mike taught me to always put myself in a position to succeed and not undertake something I can’t handle,” says Domenick. Although Domenick is relocating to Sweden in January as part of the Skanska Unlimited program, he’s confident that Mike’s invaluable instruction over the last two years won’t be forgotten. coast to coast Operations Manager Mark Maloney’s relationship with his mentee Matt Pirolli began before Matt officially joined the company last year. “I interviewed him at the Blue Bell office before he was hired as a project engineer,” Mark explains. “He portrayed confidence, purpose and selfawareness and was excited to start a career in construction.” “The first time I met Mark, I was impressed with his knowledge of the industry and passion for his work and the company,” Matt counters. “I knew right off the bat that I could learn a lot from him.” Since then, Matt says, everyday has been a new learning experience. “Mark takes the time to share past experiences and provide insight on his current projects. I’ve learned that hard work and determination can get you anywhere, but to always be cognizant of how you got there.” Mark has gained a lot from teaming up with young, new hires too. “They are educated in the latest technology. Matt and the rest of Generation Y bring the innovation and questions. We need to embrace the innovation, accept the questions and continue to challenge our existing processes and systems so that we don’t fall behind our competitors.” With the company for 17 years, Mark wants to continue attracting a bright, diverse workforce that can strengthen our culture. “There are differences in working and ways of thinking between the generations,” he admits. “The key is channeling these differences in a positive direction instead of dwelling on the lack of experience." ◆ coast to coast Doran Bosso and his mentor Chris Guthkelch. Matt Pirolli and his mentor Mark Maloney. 9 The new Route 1 was built on top the old one. 2 GPS-controlled dozers in Colorado. The flying forklift. 1. Take a bird's eye view In November 2007, the team at the Route 1 project outside Washington, D.C., faced a dilemma. They had started moving traffic off of a section of beltway in order to demolish the asphalt and put down new road. Then, with cold weather about to hit, they learned that the soil underneath the road had been swampland, making it unable to carry the load of the new traffic. The team would have to dig another 2-5 feet deeper and replace the soil before they could put new road down. Looking at the DOT’s aerial photographs, they realized that the new road could sit on top of the footprint of the old one. “The phasing on this job was so challenging that we were always investigating new ways to save on the schedule,” says Senior Project Engineer J.J. Moegling. The DOT saw how much time could be saved by putting the new road directly on top of the old one. And, thanks to a break in the weather, the team put down 35,000 tons of asphalt that winter. After five years, the project is drawing to a close, gaining accolades like the #4 Road Project in the country for 2008 as nominated by Road and Bridges magazine. How to get a Great Idea 2. Be open What conditions are necessary for a new idea to take shape? Where do new ideas come from? To find out, Coast to Coast investigates ten innovations. Satellites controlling your dozer? It may sound like science fiction, but in Colorado, the team is using Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) in order to make exact cuts into the earth. The team has taken a standard GPS surveying technique and tied it into the hydraulics of four bulldozers and one motorgrader. The GPS/machine controls package is provided by Caterpillar and Trimble as an option on the equipment. The GPS coordinates the location of the receivers on the blade of the dozer. The computer 10 coast to coast coast to coast 1 3 knows what elevation it needs to be at and controls the hydraulics. “We used to have to put down wood reference stakes and the driver had to hit an imaginary line between them. It was hit or miss. Now, if you move slowly, you can get within a half an inch of accuracy,” exclaims Gary Shrewsberry. The technology cuts down on re-work and improves safety since they no longer need someone on the ground. “Acceptance can be the tough part,” Gary continues. “When there are no sticks in the ground you have to trust the technology and the AutoCAD guys. We are lucky to have a guy like George Adams, one of our superintendents on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal project. He had seen the survey technology before and was excited about using it as machine controls.” 3. Think around the problem Working against the clock on a concrete frame high-rise in Seattle, Brian Thomas and the team were frustrated with the formwork sticking out past the perimeter of the building, keeping them from using the tower crane to access the floors below. But safety was too important to jerry-rig the formwork. At the time Brian had an ironworker working with Skanska who had come up with other inventions, so he and his team asked for the man’s input. The result is the Flying Forklift, a patented technique that is now used on all vertical high-rise projects in the northwest. “By attaching a forklift to the tower crane with a sliding counterweight, we can pick up to 18,000 lbs. and reach up to eight feet underneath the formwork,” Brian explains. “It enables us to erect precast panels underneath the working floor that is cantilevered out from the existing building edge, which allows the external facade to chase the formwork system up the building." As a result, the work is completed quickly and generally ahead of schedule. In fact, in the case of this project, the Flying Forklift saved two months off the original schedule. 11 8. Using Google Earth for surveying. 4 5 Increasing mass concrete pours in New York. Using team sites for reviewing drawings. 4. See beyond the limitations At the Croton water treatment plant in New York, the team is pouring a daily average of 300-400 cubic yards of mass concrete. This concrete contains only 30 percent of the cement content of regular concrete – meaning that it gains strength a lot slower, and stays in liquid state much longer, putting extra pressure on the formwork. “Because mass concrete hasn’t been used on this scale before, there wasn’t enough data to confirm safe pour rates for walls while using this mix design. The ACI building code requirements for structural concrete also had limited information concerning these types of mix designs, so the form designers couldn’t provide a maximum pour rate. We were therefore limited to a maximum wall pour height of 15 feet for certain form systems,” explains Project Engineer Robert Hansen. That’s when the team found a section in the ACI code that allows for experimental testing to determine pour rates and Carpenter Superintendent Scott Spencer suggested asking Rutgers University for help. Using the test results, the team has been able to increase the heights to which the walls can be poured, and speed up pour rates, saving time and money. “Now we can do one pour instead of two pours over three days,” Robert concludes. 5. Experiment In Cortez, Colorado, dealing with remote locations is part of daily life. In the past, putting together a bid on large, private jobs meant sending someone out with a hand-level or a GPS. So when the software, Civil 3D, added the Google Earth Pro feature, lead estimator James Melvin and his colleagues, Keenan Willbanks and Shad Peabody, couldn’t help but play around with it and see what they could do. “We can get the elevation, longitude and latitude of a specific area from Google Earth and then import it into Civil 3D,” says James. “With these points we make a 3D drawing of the existing ground also known as a digital terrain model. This allows us to get extremely accurate digital terrain data without doing an actual survey.” 12 6. 6 Use your tools TeamSites are picking up steam as a great way to centralize information and hold teams accountable for staying informed. At the Meadowlands, Brian Tighe thought of a new way to use their TeamSite to streamline the steel shop drawing review process. “Each piece of steel has its own document – that’s a total of nearly 15,000 documents,” Brian explains. “With several people reviewing and collaborating on one document, we had to make the process more efficient.” So they moved the process online. By embedding review stamps on the submittals, the reviewing engineers did not have to print them out. Reviewers provided drawing comments on the electronic files, rather than using a traditional red pen. When a document was saved with a new file name, an automatic email alerted the team that action was required. “We cut the approval time and got everyone on the same page – and saved on printing, packaging, and shipping costs,” says Brian. 7. Information is power When you’re buying 1.8 million gallons of diesel fuel a year, it helps to know where that fuel is going.* “Fuel is a huge part of our equipment costs,” says Lloyd Smith, USA Civil’s SVP for Equipment, “and with the right tools, we can monitor and compare fuel costs.” The quest to find those tools took months, covered many miles and involved many hands: from Garry Merrifield in Colorado to Jeff Buckmaster and Mason Ford in California. Today they are perfecting a solution with a company called OEM Data Delivery that involves attaching tracking devices to the equipment. As the machines are fueled, the amount pumped, and meter hours are recorded onto a PDA. Then the data is uploaded into the CGC cost accounting system which helps drive the maintenance schedule. “Now that we can track the fuel usage, we know how much fuel each piece of equipment uses per hour of operation,” says Lloyd. “This helps us compare fuel consumption between two pieces of like equipment and provide better estimating information for future work.” *Amount of fuel purchased by USA Civil in Riverside, California, in 2007. coast to coast Follow your gut Michael McGarry knew that the fan coil would fit. They had one sitting around the office for months and one weekend, he took it home and went at it with a set of metal shears. Michael works at the Harbor Towers renovation project in Boston, where the team is running a $75-million program to replace the HVAC and electrical systems in two 40-story residential towers. Everyone said that it was impossible to find a manufacturer today with a fan coil that would fit the existing box. But the alternative meant ripping out millions of dollars worth of custom finishes. “It didn’t fit perfectly,” says Michael of his mock-up. “But I proved it was possible.” Then he challenged three suppliers to create a solution. “By making a simple alteration, they stood to gain an order of 1800 coils.” The team saved $2.5 million on the fan coil installation, but the bigger savings - about $10 million - was what the unit owners saved on not having to re-do their finishes. With this and other innovations, the team is seven months ahead of their 22-month schedule. 9. A fuel monitoring device. The fabled fan coil. 7 8 Aim for perfect The next time you go to Washington, make sure to examine the precision of the paver stones outside the Lincoln Memorial. According to the architectural plans, Giancarlo Bulfon and his team needed to lay stones around the monument - but on one side of the memorial, the stones needed to take an elliptical shape, while on the other side the formation was more circular. “The two radii were not equal to each other,” Giancarlo explains. “So every ten feet we had to measure in order to maintain a nice radius. At first we wasted two weeks cutting the stones by hand with a free saw, but it just wasn’t working. We couldn’t get a straight line.” The team took a step back and with help from Andreas Chrysostomou of the National Park Service, and Carlos Otero from their subcontractor, Metro Paving, they found a solution. They mounted the saw on a platform and put the platform on rails. The result was a perfect cut. “When you walk through now, you don’t see any wiggles or jumps,” says Giancarlo enthusiastically. “Just a perfect line.” This innovation enabled them to re-coop the time they’d lost – and put them two weeks ahead of schedule. Cutting paver stones. 9 10. Ask for help When Superintendent Hank Timme ran into Josh Kanner from VELA Systems at a conference, Hank asked if VELA could improve the tracking of incomplete work at the UNC Cancer Hospital. “Handwriting punchlists can turn into a daylong process with editing and revisions,” says Hank recalling the old way of working. “VELA has helped us make that process instantaneous. I can go through a room in five minutes rather than 20.” The other improvement is the amount and quality of information the system can hold. Hank worked with the owner, architects and engineers to create a joint punchlist, and now all of the documentation is attached and synched up. “I’ve got all the cut sheets loaded for the owner’s equipment, like cyberknives and x-rays. If I’m doing an in-wall inspection, I can ascertain whether the plumbing and electrical are correct on the spot,” he exclaims. “As I walk though I can pull up a room number and assign repairs to floors, ceilings or walls. I can even open a drawing, apply a digital push-pin and enter a repair code. It’s fabulous.” ◆ coast to coast Electronic punchlists in action. 10 13 Real Works of Art Stick to a fixed budget and schedule? Sure. Keep humidity levels constant and execute complicated architectural plans flawlessly? All in a day's work for our museum projects across the country. Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum. In many of our markets, we’re building museums that will serve as unique parts of each city’s cultural mosaic. Owners tend to turn to complex architectural designs to create a recognizable regional icon and our project teams must determine how to make those sketches become reality. The job we’re doing, though, makes it seem like no trouble at all. Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum Aerial shot of the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Set in a picturesque location on Miami’s Florida International University campus, the Frost Museum is a new hub of cultural life. Clad in granite and featuring a three-story glass entryway, the building sparkles in the Florida sunshine. The trick was getting the artwork to do the same. Artwork looks best in natural light, but direct natural light destroys it over time. So, for three of the museums' galleries, we had to devise an elaborate light diffusion system that allows natural light to illuminate the galleries without harming them. The result looks like palm fronds. “When the fronds arrived, the quality of their painting and manufacturing was not acceptable,” says Senior Project Engineer Vincent Collins. “So we hired a subcontractor to repair and repaint every petal before installation. This required us to turn 40 percent of the second floor into a temporary painting booth.” The diffusion system wasn’t the only challenge for the team. A “floating” cantilevered stairway in the lobby had to be flown in piece-by-piece by a crane over the building’s curtain wall. To ensure a good job, the team tested each step to hold 25,000 pounds. “We felt this testing, though not required, was necessary due to the unique design,” Vincent says. “We also performed an x-ray of the stair embeds to ensure proper placement.” Despite all these challenges, we were able to minimize any effects on project schedule. Brooklyn Children’s Museum Project Engineer Andy Burch at the University of Michigan Museum of Art. 14 Just over eight million: that’s how many people live in New York City. And that’s how many yellow tiles cover the facade of this new museum. “You’ve got Rafael Viñoly, a world-renowned architect, not bound by cost and schedule and an owner who wants a signature building,” says Project Executive Michael Dolecki. “It’s up to us to manage these different needs and conclude with a beautiful product that everyone loves.” coast to coast Michael and our team couldn’t start from the ground up; they had to start underground. The old museum was completely below grade and accessed from a vintage subway portal. Now, the museum is one of the most visible landmarks for pilots approaching LaGuardia Airport. Additionally, with a city full of visitors, all work had to be done while the museum remained open for business. “The site had to be safe and secure at all times,” explains Michael. “We never had an issue because our team had a tremendous communications process with the museum. We had to remember we were a guest in their place and be flexible.” As for that façade? The team built a mock-up in Pennsylvania to learn how it would hold up to everything from searing heat to ice and snow. “When you’re dealing with a building of this age, you have to consider asbestos abatement, lead paint on existing walls and undiscovered field conditions that come to light,” says Senior Project Manager John Biaglow. “The team had to be aware of these challenges while creating the proper protocols to handle them.” While that kind of behind-the-scenes work will get little consideration from future visitors, the use of polished concrete on the basement level and first floor and white oak wood flooring on the second and third floors should get plenty of attention. John notes that polished concrete is unusual for the upper Midwest. The project’s complex design – including the cantilevered second and third floors of the new building – added to the challenges. As the museum’s addition is completed, the team must keep the new area at 50 percent humidity throughout the finishing phase. “We have to monitor temperature and humidity levels in the building for a six month period, which started in September” John says. “Collected data will be used to certify the facility as being acceptable for displaying artwork.” Like the Frost Museum, the new galleries also employ a system of skylights and shades to allow the sun to light the upper-level galleries without harming the artwork. ◆ Tampa Museum of Art Situated on the Hillsborough River and in a highly-visible downtown location, this museum will be a showpiece for Florida’s Suncoast. We are not only building the museum but also the park that will surround the structure. And when complete, the exterior metal skin will include a complex LED lighting system that will serve as a “canvas” with thousands of options for lighting designs. “There’s a heightened sense of responsibility with this project,” says Project Manager Oteman Delancy. “The press, the community and public officials are constantly tracking progress.” Again, complicated designs require extreme attention to detail and none more so than the cantilevering of the building’s upper floors. Execution of the design requires the project team to understand the challenges and approach them properly. “We’ve had numerous workshops to reiterate the importance of detailed coordination and performing work with the greatest care and quality with regards to the architect’s intent,” Oteman notes. “Every subcontractor has been contractually bound to recognize the building’s heightened aesthetic requirements.” The result is that the team is having fun with the challenges and numerous compliments from public officials have bolstered morale even more. The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) Alumni Memorial Hall Addition and Renovation Many of the challenges faced by our other teams have been tackled for this project’s 56,000-square-foot addition. Renovating the 100-year-old existing space made this more of a historical renovation. coast to coast Stat Shot: Museums Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum Size: 46,000 square feet Completion Date: November 2008 Brooklyn Children’s Museum Size: 53,000 square feet Completion Date: September 2008 Tampa Museum of Art Size: 85,000 square feet Completion Date: June 2009 The University of Michigan Museum of Art Alumni Memorial Hall Addition and Renovation Size: 98,000 square feet Completion Date: October 2008 Harvard's Fogg Museum Size: 200,000 square feet Completion: In preconstruction 15 The Dey Street Concourse, or passageway, is part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA’s) program to rehabilitate the downtown area after the September 11th attacks. According to Project Manager Norman Hirsch, “It was the most challenging project that I’ve ever worked on.” Early challenges Before the team could begin work, they had to replace and move a 100 year-old steam main. But there was no place to put it – so they hung it from the decking covering the street above. Then, when they started constructing the 80-ft-high secant walls, they found steel and concrete obstructions everywhere that had to be removed from 26-ft-deep pits. “There was also a two-level sidewalk vault from an adjacent building that we were initially supposed to demolish,” Norman explains. “But plans changed and we had to support it as we dug down.” Excavation under two fully operational subway lines was another puzzle piece. “We had to support the structures while digging and the bottom slab had to be replaced to accommodate excavation,” says Norman. “And the excavation wasn’t easy. It required dewatering, use "We had a very experienced and skilled team. I don't think another contractor would have been able to complete the job." of jet grout and mini-piles, which we’ve never constructed in the U.S. However, by working closely with Underpinning and Foundations Skanska, we were able to install the mini-piles successfully.” In spite of the challenges at every turn, work never stopped. “We often had to keep working to discover what the problem was,” says Norman. A host of engineering feats All in a Dey’s Work Engineering and logistics were just a few of the challenges on the design-build Dey Street Concourse Project in lower Manhattan. 16 Norman and his team worked closely with Dennis Lam and Vince Tirolo in Skanska’s engineering department as well as DMJM Harris and the MTA. For the engineers, the challenges began when they first looked at the project and noticed that the structures would be very expensive and difficult to build according to the proposed means and methods. So Dennis and Vince devised new plans to support the subway structure using almost 60 percent fewer mini-piles than originally called for – saving both time and money. “In New York City, you never know what you’ll run into,” says Dennis, the project’s assistant chief engineer. “The old plans are often incorrect.” This was the case when it came to working under the 4/5 subway station. Upon excavation, the team found that the footings supporting the station’s old cast iron columns were not continuous, as the plans indicated. So they had to come up with an alternate means of excavating that would support the footings and the surrounding area. coast to coast The project team on the Dey Street Concourse job [pictured clockwise from back]: Gino Morales, Lek Boonpektrakul, Joe Mannino, Mike Bruno, Nir Golan, Ed Pucciarelli, Jay Harrison, Tom Maxwell, Nick Baldassarre, Steve Vick, Norman Hirsch, Al Bonura, Antoinette Brown and Sam Genovese. To throw another wrench in the plans, a surveyor noticed that an adjacent building had leaned a few inches due to construction. “We had to perform compaction and fracture grouting around the building’s foundation to alleviate the problem,” Dennis explains. Always learning In such a complex and unique job, there are always lessons to be learned. “In the future, we should do more field investigations so we have a better understanding of conditions surrounding the project instead of making assumptions,” says Dennis. “It’s important to have enough staffing to stay on top of change orders and continue to manage the project,” Norman adds. “I’ve also learned how important it is to work with the owner. With so many technical problems to resolve, a good relationship with the owner is coast to coast what keeps the work moving.” Yet all the research in the world may still not be enough to prepare for the complicated logistics of working downtown in the city that never sleeps. There are traffic restrictions and space issues to name just a few. Dennis concurs with Norman that Dey Street was his toughest job, “This project utilized all of my experience and knowledge and really required creative problem solving.” This November, the Dey Street Concourse reached substantial completion. “Seeing the job progress has been our reward,” Norman concludes. “We had a very experienced and skilled team. I don’t think another contractor would have been able to complete the job. We’ve also been awarded the next project in Lower Manhattan, a $70 million foundation job, and we can’t wait to get started.” ◆ 17 Safety First - in Financing as in the Field Three employees have crossed the Atlantic to support our U.S. business in becoming financially more efficient and effective. In 1998, Skanska created a support unit called Skanska Financial Services (SFS) to serve and support the Skanska group in financial matters such as project finance and treasury. After having supported Skanska’s U.S. operations for several years, SFS established a branch presence here in 2008 with three representatives based in New York: Magnus Paulsson, Nils Lundberg and Monika Sandberg. All three have worked at Skanska for many years, primarily with SFS at our company headquarters in Sweden. Their task in the U.S. is two-fold: to help manage financial risk and arrange project finance solutions, as well as to provide expertise in treasury matters, including efficient management of the cash generated by our U.S. operations. Setting the Tone The 2008 management meeting coincided with the news that banks all over the world were failing. The Senior When should a project turn to SFS? Executive Team used this gathering to create a sense of urgency and stimulate action. Rather than proceed with the planned agenda, they adapted it to the situation at hand. CEO Johan Karlström set the stage: “Our strategy is the same as in 2008,” he said, “Long-term we will begin to grow our project development side of the business. We are not just a construction company – we are a project development and construction company. In construction our focus remains on the bottom line.” Then CFO Hans Biörck spoke about the market situation. He illustrated his point by turning off the lights. “We do not have a full picture of the extent of this crisis,” said Hans. The rest of the Senior Executive Team then gave a combined picture of our business units and markets, (the PPP market, Construction, Commercial Development and Residential Development), emphasizing Skanska’s cash-rich and diversified business portfolio. Johan then turned the onus on the managers, asking the Business Unit Presidents to take their management teams into breakout sessions where they would set proactive measures to prepare for the stormy economy. When they returned, he called on them to stand up and share their plans. The afternoon session included a report on green construction and plans for implementing the fifth zero. On day two, the conference host, Latin America, brought in Nando Parrado, a survivor of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes. Nando told his desperate story of survival, of how leaders surface in crises by rising to the challenges of the new situation. He left the audience certain of what matters most in life: family and friends. It was a hard act to follow, but Tor Krusell, Global Head of HR, played a video of Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford University. “Live life as if each day is your last,” Jobs cautioned. “Because one day, it will be.” Tor told stories of several managers who had left strong legacies at Skanska, and then asked, “One day, we will all leave Skanska. What mark will you leave behind?” ◆ For full presentations and videos from the event, go to: www.skanska.com/orlando2008 18 Dashboard on the Horizon A project to match our outperform strategies with project health indicators is in the works. This tool, which a national team has spent the last year developing, is called a Performance Dashboard or performance management strategy. Tying strategy to performance helps effectively match our day-to-day activities to the things that matter to our success. Key health indicators will be presented in the online dashboard to provide more reliable project information with less effort. Managers and project teams can then easily view key indicators and make informed decisions quickly, thus reducing the burden of project reporting. Drawing data from existing systems including finance, safety, human resources, client satisfaction and our project management information system, the dashboard will allow teams to observe performance across many aspects of their projects in order to make proactive choices. A plan to launch a prototype dashboard and corporate performance management strategy in 2009 is currently being developed through focus groups with more than 75 team members across the country. ◆ coast to coast “SFS can assist in project assessments and provide pre-ORA/ORA assistance and bid/marketing support,” says Nils. “The earlier we can get involved, the more we can contribute. We can also tailor-make financing to fit the needs of Skanska and our clients. One thing we need to make clear, however, is that we don’t lend or invest money ourselves,” Nils explains. Skanska Financial Service's Nils Lundberg and Monika Sandberg Rest-assured: the money is being managed. Much for the same reasons that SFS started in Sweden, the goal of SFS in the U.S. is to efficiently manage the money so the construction units can focus on making it. “Realizing that about a third of Skanska’s turnover is generated in the U.S., efficient cash management is essential. Over time, more active handling of the cash flow and cash balances will yield a greater benefit to the company,” says Monika. The goal of SFS in the U.S. is to efficiently manage the money so the construction units can focus on making it. “One way to think of it is that money that is earned at USA Building and USA Civil is gathered centrally. We then oversee the flow of that money – coordinating all of the procedures, systems, risk exposures, bank relations and administration that go with it,” she explains. As with all activities at Skanska, risk management is key. During times of financial turmoil, SFS’s role as manager of financial risk becomes increasingly important. ◆ coast to coast Magnus Paulsson leaves U.S. to head up SFS This November, Magnus Paulsson was named President of SFS. He succeeded Anders Årling who was named President of Skanska Infrastructure Development. Magnus has been with Skanska for more than six years, most recently as part of SFS’s New York team. “I’m very excited about taking on this inspiring new task with an ambition to further develop SFS’s important role within Skanska. The presence we’ve established in the U.S. is a step in that direction as it enables us to enhance our services for the American business units.” 19 Building Blocks for Diversity Through our diversity program, we continue to look for innovative ways to rise to the challenge of strengthening relationships between women, minority and small business contractors and opportunities with potential construction projects throughout the country. “There is an advantage in offering potential owners an added-value benefit by proposing creative solutions to assisting minority vendors in their efforts to bid successfully,” explains Director of Diversity James Threalkill. With this in mind, the Building Blocks Program was developed to provide women, minority and small business contractors with access to a multitude of industry topics designed to strengthen and promote their business expertise. of Held in classroom settings creating a new mindset throughout the U.S., sparticipants learn about estimating, contract in the documents, submitting bids, marketing and public relations, field management, bonding and insurance and legal and compliance issues. The classes are presented by employees from our various departments as well as industry experts. To acknowledge the participants’ completion of the program, a graduation ceremony is held at which owners are recognized for their support and familiarity among business owners is enhanced to encourage joint venture partnerships. “The Building Blocks Program represents our commitment to ensuring that minority businesses are included in contracting opportunities that traditionally have been beyond their grasps,” says James. “It’s our way of creating a new mindset in the construction industry.” ◆ "It's our way construction industry." Glen and Yvonne Garth with Garth Solutions and Director of Diversity James Threalkill at the Building Blocks Program. Global Trainees Hit the Road When the second round of Global Trainees met in Stockholm this fall, six Americans were among them. During the 20-month Global Trainee Program, the trainees will rotate between different tasks in the field within four business units around the world. Beginning the first assignments in their home markets, the American participants are Nyime Brown, Ryan Prime and Megan Heugle with USA Civil; Priyanka Shingore with Skanska Infrastructure Development; and Natalie Djurovski and Heather Gough with USA Building. Ryan Prime, who is assigned to the Second Avenue Subway project in New York City, previously worked as a legislative analyst for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Washington, 20 DC. Looking for a change of pace, he applied for the Global Trainee Program. “I wanted to learn about a new industry and how to achieve goals in a versatile and complex environment like construction.” Priyanka Shingore is working with ID in Washington, DC, to develop Public Private Partnership management strategies. “I was interested in working with this team because I’m studying PPP projects for my master’s thesis at Virginia Tech,” she explains. “This program is an avenue to realize this ambition while gathering international experience and opportunities to learn from diverse people.” The trainees will remain at their current assignments for eight months before going abroad. ◆ Clockwise from top: Heather Gough, Megan Heugle, Nyime Brown, Natalie Djurovski, Ryan Prime and Priyanka Shingore. coast to coast coast to coast 21 The Skanska Top 10 124 U.S. managers joined in our global Management Meeting 2008 in Orlando. Our Durham office is providing construction services for three separate buildings on Virginia Tech’s campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Durham Performing Arts Center completes 1 million injury-free man-hours. Mike McNally has been appointed EVP of Skanska AB, member of the Senior Executive Team and President of Skanska USA. USA Civil's Corona Maintenance Shop & Car Wash project and USA Building's Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital Consolidation project win big at the Design Build Institute of America's annual awards dinner. coast tocoast The Employee Magazine for Skanska in the U.S. Safety Week 2008 was a great success, with 149 executive site visits and only one lost time accident involving a wrist injury to a sub-contractor employee. Making Green Real website goes live at GreenBuild 2008 : www.makegreenreal.com Our Ft. Lauderdale office is performing a $5 million renovation of the Broward County Schools Dillard Museum. Following 22 years with our company, Bill Flemming has been appointed the new President of USA Building. Mike Attardo becomes the first recipient of the Stuart Graham Lifetime Achievement Award (aka., The Dirty Boots).