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CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 30, 2009

Kevlar Helmet deflects bullet for Construction Supervisor
Filed under: Construction Superintendents,safety — Tags: — nedpelger

I saw this inspiring article and thought you might enjoy it as well. Since it’s government written, it’s in the public domain so I copied the entire piece. As you go about your work today, think about the men and women serving at risk all around the world. I have a challenging meeting coming up this morning, but I doubt anyone will be shooting at me as we review the issues. I count my blessings and hope you count yours.

Purple Heart Recipient Saved by Helmet

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs RSS

Story by Sgt. Rodney Foliente
Date: 03.28.2009
Posted: 03.28.2009 05:30

Purple Heart recipient saved by helmet

CAMP ECHO, Iraq – A 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Soldier, whose life was saved by his Advanced Combat Helmet, received a Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge here March 20.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Harvey, construction supervisor with Company E, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, and attached to Special Troops Battalion, received the awards after being shot and continuing to return fire during an enemy attack in Najaf, Feb. 10.

The attack came during a route clearance mission when Harvey, who was truck commander of the lead vehicle, dismounted to clear debris that became tangled underneath his vehicle.

“As I was leaning forward, I saw three rounds hit by my feet,” the Houston native said. He added that he quickly turned and identified the enemy shooter partially concealed behind a berm. “I returned fire and yelled back up to my driver and gunner.”

He continued to return fire until he saw the enemy go down. He then stood up and scanned the area.

“I saw something to my five-o’clock and called up to the gunner. As soon as I turned, I got hit. The round went through my Kevlar,” he said, pointing to a point above and behind his right ear.

The Kevlar altered the course of the bullet, channeling the bullet around his head and down the back of his neck.

Harvey said the force of the impact slammed his head into the vehicle, cutting a gash on his cheek. He went down and noticed blood flowing from his left cheek. In his shock, he said he thought the bullet had passed through his face.

“I yelled up that I was hit,” he said.

As Harvey lay on the ground, he said he continued shooting at the enemy, becoming increasingly disoriented.

“I was trying to shoot the guy. [All of a sudden] I thought I was at a pop-up range, because I couldn’t hit the target,” he said.

“I could see my rounds impacting. Pow! Pow! Pow! I remember thinking: Man, this pop-up target won’t go down. I’m going to get a bad score,” he shook his head with a laugh.

“I thought: this is probably it. I kept shooting and shooting and yelled up to my dudes and told them, ‘Sorry’ and told my wife, ‘I’m sorry,’” he reflected with a smile.

His Soldiers continued engaging the enemy and another vehicle in the convoy pulled around to cover him and load him into their truck.

“They pulled off all my gear and the medic came up and checked me out,” he said.

Other than minor shrapnel wounds, cuts and a possible concussion, the medic told him he was fine. The other Soldiers downplayed the incident and told Harvey that he was probably just hit with shrapnel from bullets striking the vehicle and ground.

“I told them, ‘No, I’m pretty sure I got hit,’” Harvey said. “That’s when their squad leader picked up my Kevlar and said, ‘Hey man, you’ve got a bullet hole through your Kevlar!’”

“I still had my adrenaline going, so I wasn’t really in that much pain,” he continued. “I still wanted to [command] my truck.”

However, his platoon leader made him try to relax and rest. They limped the vehicle back to Forward Operating Base Endeavor on a flat tire.

“I smoked a cigarette and drank a Rippit. By that time, my adrenaline stopped and I started puking and got dizzy,” said Harvey. “I was kind of going in and out of it. The [medical evacuation helicopters] came in and medics checked me out and gave me [intravenous fluids].”

“I came to as I was going into the hospital at Balad. They checked me out and told me I was lucky,” said Harvey. They gave him additional tests and treated him for minor shrapnel wounds, cuts and a bad concussion.

After a few days of tests and evaluations, he was sent back to Camp Echo and saw his Soldiers for a day before going on his pre-planned environmental morale leave.

“I was already scheduled for leave, so I went home and hung out there,” said Harvey. He said his wife Crystal, whom he has been married to for more than a year, was shocked when she found out, but also strong and supportive.

“She’s pretty strong. She got through it and understands … but she told me to stop getting hurt,” he laughed. “I get hurt too much,” he added with a shrug.

About a month after the attack, he said his headaches began to subside and have now almost completely stopped. But the headaches are a small price to pay for his life, thanks to his helmet.

Harvey has been in the Army for more than seven years and has deployed to Iraq four times. He said he has been shot at or hit by roadside bombs during each deployment and has been saved a number of times because of the equipment and armor provided to him by the Army.

This is Harvey’s second Purple Heart. He received his first during a deployment to Iraq in 2003 after a roadside bomb explosion injured him in the head and neck. In that incident, his older-style helmet stopped or hampered the destructive passage of shrapnel. He said he feels his helmet helped save his life then as well.

He said the incidents increased his confidence in the equipment he uses. The members of his command and his fellow Soldiers are also more confident after seeing the deadly effects of a bullet thwarted by the helmet that many of them once complained about having to wear.

“You guys looked at that Kevlar and saw the direction that [round] was going and where it went out. It did exactly what it was designed to do,” said Lt. Col. Leo Caballero, commander, STB, to the company formation during the award ceremony.

Harvey received his awards from Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, deputy commanding general for operations, Multi-National Division – Center.

“[The Purple Heart] is a significant award,” said Buchanan, during the award ceremony. “It’s in recognition of the American people and the sacrifice that you personally made. It’s in recognition of your selfless service.”

For Harvey, his Purple Hearts are reminders of the sacrifices he has made and is willing to make for his country and his people. They are also reminders of how close he came to dying and how precious life is.

“I feel lucky. This wasn’t the first time I’ve been hit, but it kind of opens my eyes a little more,” he said”

He said he appreciates life and what he has more than ever.

“I wasn’t married for my other deployments. We’ve been married a little while and are trying to have kids,” said Harvey. “It kind of made me think more, but I still plan on staying in. This is what I do. They’ll probably have to kick me out after 30 years.”

However, he said he hopes, as does his family, that he receives no more Purple Hearts.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 26, 2009

Are You Living All In?
Filed under: People Skills — Tags: — nedpelger

My good friend, Architect Bob Hoffman invited me to a breakfast yesterday. Bob had arranged for Forrest Guth, one of the original members of Easy Company, 101st Airborne in WWII, to speak about his time in the service and particularly about serving under Major Dick Winters.

If you’ve read the Band of Brothers book, or seen the HBO mini-series (which has been broadcast more than 10 times), you’re familiar with Dick Winters. If not, I think of Dick Winters like Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in the Civil War. Chamberlain just happened to be in the hottest spots in several key battles and acted well, amazingly well, in each instance. Similarly, Winters and Easy Company jumped into Normandy on D-Day and took out a German gun position that saved many lives. They also jumped into Arnham, Holland and fought in critical location during the Battle of the Buldge. Marching into Germany, they liberated both the Dachau concentration camp and Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. In short, they were called on to be in the toughest spots many times and continually proved themselves up to the task.

Bob Hoffman is a good friend of Major Winters and has given me the opportunity to speak with him a couple of times. Since Winters hails from Ephrata, PA and lived most of his life in Lebanon County, PA, he’s not just a hero but a local hero as well. When Dick signed a copy of Band of Brothers for me, he inscribed it with his motto for living:

  1. Walk straight
  2. Be positive
  3. Hang tough

I think that’s some of the best advice I’ve ever received.

Yesterday, though, I heard Forrest Guth, an 88 year old man, recounting his life. He joined the paratroopers because it paid $50 more per month. He stayed because he liked being with the best, he liked the challenge. When Forrest spoke of Dick Winters, his voice choked as he said, “He was tough when he had to be and kind when he had to be. He was religious, he didn’t really fit in with most of us.”

When Forrest was injured on his jump into Holland, he was waiting in a make-shift field hospitals for a doctor to move up to the front. When the doctor finally came to treat him, Forrest realized his family doctor from the little town of Fogelsville, PA was also going to be his doctor in Holland. He loved that wild coincidence.

Forrest fought through the Battle of the Buldge, for the first time really thinking that he was unlikely to make it back home. But of course, they held, Patton burst through and Forrest marched into Germany with the rest of Easy Company. Forrest came home and became an industrial arts teacher, a soft spoken man who, I’m sure, inspired many.

As I contemplated this old man, I thought of our current dilemmas. Are you taking the easy way or are you living all in? When you get to be an old man or old woman, will you be able to look back with joy at the times you really lived? Or will fear keep you from accomplishing anything beyond ordinary? I challenge you today to take the first step toward all in living.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 23, 2009

A Tea House Treehouse
Filed under: Uncategorized — nedpelger

The Japanese have a tradition of tea houses. The traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony can occur in these personal structures, as well as being just a cool place to hang out. Terunobu Fujimori,  a professor and architect, has observed that a teahouse is “the ultimate personal architecture.” So Fujimori built the tea house pictured below with his own hands.

treehouse_teahouse1

The access comes from climbing the ladder pictured below. The article in DeZeen Design Magazine provides more photos and info. For example, the two chestnut tree supports were actually cut from a nearby mountain and brought to this site.

treehouse_teahouse2

treehouse_teahouse3

When you look at this tea house, what do you think? I wonder where in the world is the lateral stability? I don’t see any cross braces and can’t imagine that moment resisting connections could really be achieved either in the ground or in the tea house. So I think, “A strong wind is going to bring this baby down!” But then, I’m just a conservative old structural engineer.

I posted this partly because I thought the photos were stunning, partly because I was intrigued by the lack of lateral stability and partly to encourage you to consider doing something different if you find yourself with extra free time these days.

treehouse_teahouse4

Whether you build some fun inexpensive structure, take some time to make some tea and meditate on the beauty of the process or do whatever, don’t let found free time go to waste. A buddy of mine got laid off last week and was telling me about his plans for the Spring. I was just a little jealous of the opportunity to have a chunk of free time.  Life goes fast, if something unexpected comes at you, make the most of it.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 18, 2009

The Horror of a Drug Test Gone Bad
Filed under: Construction Superintendents — Tags: — nedpelger

Drug tests are a part of the construction business these days, but did you ever think what you’d do if you wrongly tested positive? Jim Parker, a Construction Supervisor in Idaho, has been going through that experience, as reported in the Idaho Mountain Express. A mistaken reading on a pre-employment drug screening test cost him his job, reputation, $6,000 of debt and almost put his family onto the street.

Parker took a new job as a superintendent for an insulation firm, then the drug test came back positive for morphine or heroin. Not being a drug user, Parker proclaimed his innocence and requested the second sample be tested. The drug lab reported that their original results had been correct. Parker lost the job, lost the ability to file for unemployment and couldn’t find another job. “It’s really hard to get a job when your last job lasted only two days and you failed a drug test,” Parker said.

Eventually, Parker found that his second sample had never been retested, the drug lab simply sent out the results from the first test again. He got another lab to test him and they reported opiate levels consistent with eating poppy seeds on a bagel, which he had done. The first lab finally tested the second sample from the original urine and found the same acceptable level of opiates. That lab, though, still denies any wrong-doing, probably anticipating a law suit headed in their direction.

Parker eventually convinced another firm to hire him. Gary Storey, of Storey Construction, listened to his explanation, believed him and decided to give him a chance. Parker says, “I’m on the way to fixing my life, but I have this big situation and I’m not going to let it go until I make it right. We almost got kicked out of our home, we had to sell most of our furniture, my kids didn’t even have Christmas. When the fight’s the right fight, I’ll fight it to the death.”

What are the lessons learned from Parker’s experiences? Don’t assume that the system will work justly, or even correctly. If you see yourself getting caught in a squeeze, understand that it’s totally up to you to manage your way out of it. Act swifty.

In the specifics of Parker’s case, I would have recommended:

  1. Besides demanding a re-test of the sample, offer to give another sample to another lab immediately, at your cost.
  2. Take hair samples immediately, in the presence of the new boss, and store for future definitive samples.
  3. Don’t let a single day go by without pushing forward on every front, make yourself a pain in their neck.
  4. Realize the stakes are high and be your own advocate, get expert advice (early and often) from as many other sources as you can

We will all have some unfair things happen in our lives, hopefully not to the level described above, but it happens. Be prepared to respond well in those tough times.

If you’ve had some interesting or funny drug test stories, post them below or on the ConstructionKnowldedge.net Forum. Other people really do enjoy reading them.

If you want a laugh, check out this previous post about a drug testing story involving my nephew called “What’s Mine is Urine”.



CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 17, 2009

Bored? Design a Floating City Block
Filed under: Ned Weirdness — Tags: — nedpelger

With the continued challenges of consumer confidence and bank financing, many folks in construction are looking for work these days. If you are one of those souls looking for a job that’s rather hard to find, here’s a wierd idea for you to think about. Win $1,000 by submitting the best design concept for a 400′ x 400′ platform that floats on the ocean. The photo below illustrates the basic structure.

seastead_platform

Wouldn’t that be fun to help build? Can you imagine a bunch of these floating city blocks out in the ocean? What would you put on it? Well, that’s the basic question of the Seastead Design Contest.  A Seastead is a permanently floating platform that lets people settle the ocean as they do the land. The sample photo below gives one sense of what could be done.

seastead_sample_design

The options can overwhelm. Patri Friedman, the Institute’s co-founder, spoke at a conference in San Francisco last fall and, “notes that some enterprises – like euthanasia clinics – would incense local authorities, but almost all the ideas attendees [at that conference] come up with would capitalize on activities that skirt existing laws and regulations: Fish farming and aquaculture. Prisons. Med schools. Gold warehouses. Brothels. Cryonics intakes. Gene therapy, cloning, augmentation, and organ sales. Baby farms. Deafeningly loud concerts. Rehab/detox clinics. Zen retreats. Abortion clinics. Ultimate ultimate fighting tournaments.”

I suggest entering the contest a bit facetiously, since most of us don’t know how to use 3D drawing software. As I was researching this post, though, I came across Google SketchUp and Google 3D Warehouse. These are both amazingly powerful and free.

If you are out of work, consider learning how to use these programs. You can have some fun, maybe get something productive done, and learn some valuable skills. If you give these a try, let me know how it works for you.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 14, 2009

The Gift of Enthusiasm
Filed under: People Skills — Tags: — nedpelger

I got an email update from a friend of mine yesterday, a young woman finishing her teaching degree at American University in Washington, DC. Danielle wrote about how much she loves student teaching, how much she learns from the kids, how much effort and creativity she puts into connecting with the kids. She even blogs about it occasionally. The enthusiasm that poured out from this email filled me with joy.

If I read the above, I’d think, “Sure, another naive college kid who’s been given everything and has no real experience.” Yet Danielle doesn’t fit that mold. She’s lived through some serious challenges. She also paid her way through community college and managed to get accepted at American University. Now she works several jobs, gets excellent grades and continues to pay her own way, while having a great time. Danielle loves teaching and  it shows. She already has a couple of tentative job offers from elementary school principals and hasn’t even applied yet.

So what does the enthusiasm a college senior has for teaching (and for life), have to do with Construction Supervisors? We also work in an amazing industry. We get a chance to build things every day. We solve unique problems all the time. What’s your attitude about your job? Do you grit your teeth and endure? Or do you relish in all the challenges and fun of the jobsite?

I know it seems cool to be cynical, but that’s a bunch of hooey. Any fool can be cynical, any dope can mock and ridicule. Give yourself the gift of enthusiasm. Learn to enjoy the challenges of construction and express that enjoyment. Dereck and I often talk about how fortunate we are to be building the projects we build. The day goes much better when you learn to feel and  express that enthusiasm, both to yourself and others.

Give it a try, you’ll like it.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 11, 2009

The Great Opportunity to Save Energy in Buildings
Filed under: Electrical,HVAC — Tags: — nedpelger

As WC Fields was fond of saying, “It’s time to take the bull by the tail and face the situation.” Buildings have a terrible record for efficient use of energy. The design and construction process for mechanical and electrical systems doesn’t work…well, it does work, but it works to get the lowest first cost and to avoid litigation.

We should be striving to provide systems that cost less to operate and maintain, as well as cost less to install and work well. We need to be looking at life cycle costs, not just what happens in the one year warranty period.

Why are we in this situation? For one, mechanical and electrical (MEP) consulting engineers can’t keep up with all the new technologies. Most of them use the simple design approach they learned when starting in the business and that approach doesn’t handle the complexity of current MEP options.

Also, the goals for building energy use are vague because measurement and reporting has never been focused upon. Search for good standards on how much energy a certain type of building should use and you’ll not find much decent information. This lack of standards for building energy use means no one quite knows what to measure or where the benchmark is.

This disappointing state of affairs presents opportunity. If you are involved in that aspect of the business, you should be learning more about this topic. I guarantee the situation will change dramatically in the next few years. It’s good to be aware of coming trends and position yourself accordingly. If you want to read more about Performance Based Design and Construction, go to AutomatedBuildings.com and read the interview with Tom Hartman.


CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 10, 2009

The Explosive Nature of Opera
Filed under: Ned Weirdness — Tags: — nedpelger

My son forwarded me this wonderful video from the Virginia Department of Transportation, which shows many of their bridges being demolished to the sound of opera music. If you have a few minutes, watch the video, not just to be entertained, but to learn about the intricacy of explosives. Watching several of those bridges drop intrigued me, particularly when only a portion of the bridge was demolished and the rest needed to remain in service. The small, precise charges worked exactly as they were designed. It’s a joy to watch.  I encourage you to watch the entire clip, it may seem that it repeats, but some of the best parts are near the end.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJJo8CJpGWo]

And now for something completely different, yet still transportation related. Test Your Awareness with the simple test in the next short video.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4]

How did you do? Since a good friend of mine was whacked by a car last fall while cycling and I had a truck with a construction trailer miss me by inches a week ago, I hope you heed the message and pay attention for cyclists while driving.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 9, 2009

The Power of Hydraulics
Filed under: Sitework — Tags: — nedpelger

When I started in construction, hydraulic excavators were just starting to become popular. I remember my boss purchasing a Cat 225 hydraulic excavator when I was foreman on the Conowingo Dam approaches project in 1983. It seemed to me that piece of equipment could do just about anything.

These incredible photos prove it. Can you imagine being the operator for this endeavor? He really had to trust the engineers that designed this crazy climbing tower. These photos visually show the amazing power of hydraulics.

hydraulic_excavator_climbing1

Of course, the standard admonition applies, “Don’t try this on your jobsite.”

By the way, thanks, Rick, for putting this in the ConstructionKnowledge.net Forum. If you enjoy this blog, please pop over to the Forum and have a look around, maybe post something and connect with your fellow construction aficionados.

CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE BLOG

March 5, 2009

A Terrorist No More
Filed under: People Skills,Uncategorized — Tags: — nedpelger

As you may recall, my first attempts at producing some ConstructionKnowledge.net instructional videos were described as terrorist quality level…without the exciting parts. Well, with the help from a couple of amazing video guys from the LCBC Church project that we’re building (Thanks Brian and Ryan), the video quality level has skyrocketed.

Please have a look at this video below and give it a YouTube rating (it only takes one second and they don’t hassle you or lead you to any other screens):

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUhWjv2Dli4]

Let me know what you think in the comment section below. I’ve got two other videos I’ll finish editing and will also be posting soon. I’m just at the point of putting a big push onto the ConstructionKnowledge.net site, to see if we can get more interaction and benefit. This will be fun…stay tuned.