Executive Summary: Defining concrete and cement. The common misconception. Once a month or so it seems I’m watching the news or listening to the radio and I hear about the guy who fell on the “cement sidewalk” or crashed into the “cement wall” with his truck. It’s concrete people, not […]
Cake Batter and Concrete Mix Design: Same Thing!
Executive Summary Knowing how to read a concrete mix design is helpful for the project management team: from project manager to foreman. Here are some basics. What is concrete? Concrete is arguably the most common construction material used on the globe. It is a mixture of cement, aggregate, and water. […]
Ways that Engineers Manage Failure: Deflection
Executive Summary In construction, or after the fact in the permanent structure, engineers are predicting structural behavior and trying to either control a failure or minimize it. Herein are ways engineers engineer failure in both instances – via deflection. Goal of the Engineer It is the goal of an engineer […]
Bridges 101: What Makes up a Bridge
Executive Summary There are several types of bridges, but herein presented are the basic bridge components. What’s a bridge? Basically, from the dictionary, a bridge carries a road across an obstacle. On top it could be a railway, or it could be a walking path, or it could be a […]
Estimating: Theoretical versus Production History
Executive Summary Many approaches exist for estimating – two of them being a theoretical approach versus a production history approach. One is based on what you think, the other on what you know. These terms may not be familiar to you, but the difference in execution may be. What is […]
Going “Legit”: Lose the Brown Paper Bag
Executive Summary If you’ve been running the accounts receivable and accounts payable out of a brown paper bag and want to go “legit”, here are the first steps. The Background Perhaps you have a successful and operating company – you have for a year or twenty years. But each time […]
Jet Grout in Five Minutes
Executive Summary Jet grout has been, and continues to be, a successful means of ground improvement. It can serve many purposes – two of the most common are structural support and groundwater control. Definition of Jet Grout Jet grout is a method of ground improvement wherein a drilling machine injects […]
Tech Tricks for Computer Efficiency
Practice implementing these tech habits into your daily routine and you’ll become more efficient at your computer & other tech devices! Laptop / Desktop Tech Use a Mouse If you don’t already: Use. A. Mouse. Even with a laptop. While the mouse is technically the slowest part of the computer, […]
How to do a Job Cost Projection: Cutting through the Fog – Part 1
Executive summary. An accurate job cost projection is vital to Company survival. And it’s not too complicated if you know the budget, the timing of your costs, and can do a little bit of estimating. It’s NOT about blindly relying on quantities completed! What’s a projection? It also carries different […]
Letters to the Owner Need to Tell, Not Ask
Executive summary. Most contractors use letters to communicate significant events in a project. Use letters to tell. Use RFIs to ask. Letters for when and for what. Generally speaking, during a construction project, letters are used by contractors to owners at significant or milestone-type events. Common reasons for letters include: […]
Cracks in Construction
Executive Summary Cracks in construction provide information to a superintendent. We identify what you’re seeing and what it could mean in specific scenarios. Where are Cracks Seen? Cracks are seen in naturally occurring materials and construction materials used in the building process. These can occur in Timber Concrete Soil What […]
Davis-Bacon, OSHA, Jones Act, and Buy American
Executive Summary. A quick background on terms you hear every day in federal construction contracting: Davis-Bacon, OSHA, Jones Act, and Buy American. The terms. Each of the items in the title were introduced by the federal government. Here’s a quick background on each of them. Davis-Bacon Act – Senator James […]
Embedding Cost Control Culture into the Project Cycle
By Scott Jennings, P.E. This article was originally published in CFMA’s Building Profits April 2019 Sometimes financial situations can cause a contractor to fail. But these mishaps can likely be avoided. Forecasting and managing the timely implementation and execution of cost controls can considerably impact effective bidding. In fact, cost […]
About Us
Scott Jennings, P.E.sj@sjcivil.comCV Mr. Jennings has over 25 years of experience from entry level field engineer to estimator to the sole owner of a heavy/civil construction company. Scott has extensive top to bottom hands-on operational and executive experience in projects exceeding $100 million in contract value. Scott has experience […]
Spearin Doctrine – a Landmark Construction Law Case
Have you ever had a project you were building according to plans and specifications and it just couldn’t be built the way they drew it up? George B. Spearin did in Brooklyn, New York. He sued the federal government in 1918 and won – click here to see it in […]
Inventory Tracking: A Money Saver
Executive Summary Construction companies have inventories that should be managed to improve efficiency and, in turn, improve the bottom line. Consider a mobile solution or at least one that gets away from the clipboard. How it was. My parents ran a small and successful construction company which provided well for […]
The Difference Between a Good and Great Estimator
Executive Summary Estimators are difficult to find, but one way to determine whether you have a good or great estimator on your staff, or in the interviewee chair, is whether or not they talk productivity rates or unit prices. What is construction estimating? A construction estimator has many skills – […]
Top 5 Countdown: Things to Look for in Vendor Quotes
Executive Summary Each quote on bid day, whether from a subcontractor or a supplier, needs to be thoroughly reviewed before incorporating into the bid. Here’s a Top 5 countdown! #5 Math Errors Often times subs or suppliers will quote a certain quantity of an item and then a unit price. […]
Small Tools Tracking Software – Get It!
Executive Summary Estimates vary on the financial loss suffered by contractors due to lost or stolen tools. Pick any number you want, it’s certainly worth a discussion at any value. The direct cost loss is most obvious, but consider also the inefficiencies suffered by crews not having the tools they […]
Best Way to Save Money is to Not Spend It
Executive Summary: When in a changed condition situation, the best way to minimize loss or to survive, depending on the case, is not to spend less, it’s to not spend at all. Take advantage of situations where you can spend zero. We’re going down. We’ve all been in a situation […]
Software Designed by Construction Professionals
Runjob Software is not like other construction management software – it’s designed by industry professionals. And because of this, we will always be on the cutting edge of ideas and improvements in the software. Runjob’s founder and designer, Scott Jennings, has been designated as a Certified Construction Manager (CCM No. […]
The $5 Casio: Your Best Tool
Executive Summary: With all of today’s fancy and complex tools available in the marketplace, nothing is more important than simple calculations (and common sense). Rely on simplicity and basic math to check your work. The Message: I travel the country frequently helping contractors. I help clients one-on-one in dirty old […]
SJCC Toolbox Terms & Glossary
Listen to our podcast for new terms and check out our glossary below. Click on a term to find articles that reference that term. Glossary of Terms A Aggregate – Coarse material such as sand, gravel, or other crushed rock. Often used as a substrate or base course. Artics – […]