By OE Construction Corp.

Some great FUN was had at the October 12th NUCA 5th Annual Equipment Rodeo and BBQ at the Wagner Equipment location in Aurora, CO.

Each year, NUCA members here in Colorado have an opportunity to participate in this event and help sponsor the lunch and prizes.

There are equipment areas setup at the Wagner Equipment yard with a variety of machines in use. For example excavators, backhoes, loaders and skid steers. Everyone is given a chance to perform certain tasks with the equipment (like moving a basketball from one area to another using a bucket or forks) and the winners are based on both time and accuracy.

This event is made up of excavating and underground utility contractors and their equipment operators. It is a great way to not only have some fun, but the operators can show off their skills with the equipment.

What a great way to bring attention to our industry and to the incredible men and women who are the backbone of what we do for a living.

A big shout out to NUCA, the Colorado Chapter of the National Utility Contractors Association and Wagner Equipment and Wagner Rents, the Colorado Caterpillar equipment dealer and service provider.

Check out an OE video of the event –

NUCA – www.nucacolorado.com

Wagner Equipment – www.wagnerequipment.com

OE Construction – www.oeconstruct.com

OE Construction Corporation – USING CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO SAVE OUR CUSTOMERS TIME AND MONEY AND DO THE JOB RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

OE Construction Corp

Reflections on the Inaugural Construction Appreciation Week

September 27, 2018September 27, 2018 oeconstruct

The 3rd week in September brought a new holiday observance into our midst, one that touches the lives of every single person in America: Construction Appreciation Week.

Construction Appreciation Week 2018

September 17-21, 2018 was the inaugural Construction Appreciation Week, established and organized by I Build America. As an organization dedicated to showing the importance of construction in our modern life, we are proud to get involved in this initiative and foster a national conversation about the value of construction!

The impact of our work extends far beyond the job site. As members of the construction community, we are creating homes for families to grow up together, businesses to make our country’s economy thrive, and roads to connect us all together. Even if you’re not directly involved in the physical element of construction work, your life is being shaped by this growing industry.

Here at OE Construction, we love seeing how our completed projects affect our clients, partners, and the community at large. As our crews come in to prepare the foundation of a job site, we’re very aware that our work is also laying the foundation for an integral new piece of this flourishing region. It’s why we are laser-focused on every facet and detail of a project to ensure it’s done right, on time, and to budget.

We were thrilled to get involved online to share our story for Construction Appreciation Week and express how OE Construction is helping to build a better, safer environment for our employees.

A Family Approach to Business

Much like the military, construction is a dangerous job. We’re working with large, heavy machinery that requires knowledge, experience, and training to operate effectively. As a result of this reality and how we started our business, our company feels like a family. We have to trust and rely upon each other to stay on top of our game and live our philosophy: get the job done right the first time.

We believe in utilizing innovative technology to pave the way for both our company and the construction industry. We have partnered with tech and software companies like Trimble and AGTEK to utilize their inventive tools to make our job sites safer for our clients, employees, and the neighborhood in which we’re all working.

We continue to expand our use of cutting-edge technology, collaborate with associations, and increase our safety resources in order to improve our processes and effectiveness. We look forward to the day when more companies join in on this innovative approach, because we believe in a safe environment, first and foremost.

The Future of the Construction Industry

Construction Appreciation Week has been an opportunity for us to honor our employees, but it’s also a reminder to look towards the future. Our industry is ever-changing, shaped by new technologies and more dynamic systems. It is the next generation that we need to look to as the future of this industry.

We’re proud to partner with Associated General Contractors to provide free vocational training through Construction Careers Now. Programs like this provide opportunities to the youth of this country and those shifting their careers to get involved in our beloved industry. It’s why we donate our time and resources to local schools and colleges to educate students about the opportunities available in construction.

It is through these partnerships and collaborations that we have a chance to share our experiences, educate the public, and create awareness for our industry. Construction is often times misunderstood, which is why events like I Build America’s Construction Appreciation Week are great moments to share why we got into construction and what it means to us.

Why We Love Construction

Our founder, Chris Olson, along with our VP and CFO, Terri Olson, have set the tone for OE Construction. Chris started this company with a skid steer, a mini excavator, and a passion for working in the dirt. Terri joined this company with a vision of what it could become and a strong work ethic to make it happen. In just a little over a decade, OE Construction has transformed from a small player in the local industry to an innovative leader – always improving – with the same mission from day one.

Construction Appreciation Week has been a time for us to share our values and mission with the public and start a conversation about the impact of this industry on the entire country. Though it may occasionally go unnoticed, we’re ecstatic to see awareness has been growing. We have enjoyed seeing stories of the men and women who have recently begun their construction career, those who have made it their lifetime career, and those who’ve triumphed over challenges along the way.

The bottom line for many of these stories is that there’s plenty of work for all. As our nation grows, so does our industry, creating jobs along the way. As an industry, we’re all looking forward to more growth and new faces, but we’re also excited to see public awareness about the importance of our work growing.

While we loved having an entire week to engage in meaningful discussions about the construction industry, we’d love to make this a year-round affair. So, let’s continue the conversation!

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to learn more about how OE Construction impacts our community, uses innovative technology to make job sites safer, and creates opportunities for the next generation.

OE Construction Corp, Recent News and Events

Job Site From A Drone Aerial View

September 22, 2018September 27, 2018 oeconstruct

USING AN AERIAL DRONE IN SITE PREPARATION
By OE Construction Corp.

When OE was asked to capture our progress on a large 40-acre site preparation job site recently, we said “sure, let’s get the drone in the sky and show them what we got”. Well, take a look, it’s pretty impressive when you look from above.

Learn more about us on our website!

OE Construction Corp, OE Safety Topics

Safety First – New 811 One Call Law

September 22, 2018September 27, 2018 oeconstruct

NEW 811 COLORADO ONE CALL LAW STARTING AUGUST 8, 2018
By OE Construction Corp.

Did you know the new Colorado law for 811 is changing? OE Construction is a part of the 811 process since we have to verify existing underground utilities on a daily basis. This new process will help bring more accountability to the industry and KEEP MORE PEOPLE SAFE.

The new law, effective on Aug. 8, 2018 will give everyone involved in the One Call process a voice in how the law is followed and implemented here in Colorado. Read more below…..

The 2018 One Call legislative changes focused on four areas:

The new law eliminates any distinction between Tier One and Tier Two members. This means Colorado 811 will be a true “One Call System”. The new membership structure is mandatory on January 1, 2019 and existing Tier Two members will have until January 1, 2021 to convert their membership status to Tier One and update their underground facility registration with CO811. All Tier Two members are encouraged to transition to Tier One membership prior to 2019 (Tier Two members will be required to submit a registration form for Tier One membership).
The 2018 law created a Colorado Damage Prevention Safety Commission. Once established, the Colorado Damage Prevention Safety Commission will be responsible for reviewing complaints from stakeholders and enforcing the provisions of the new One Call Law which can include imposing penalties for violations of the law and advising stakeholders on best practices and policies to enhance safety while improving efficiencies. The Commission will consist of 15 appointed stakeholder representatives who will meet at least quarterly to review and resolve complaints filed by stakeholders. A new penalty schedule has been defined in the One Call Law and the Commission has the power to fine any stakeholder who does not comply with the state One Call Law, except for Home Rule cities. Home Rule cities can choose to accept the Safety Commission guidelines and rulings or establish their own Commission for local enforcement.
Excavators have a voting representative on the CO811 Board of Directors. Under the new One Call Law, excavators will have three seats on the Commission; two through the CO811 excavator membership and one through the Colorado Contractors Association. Excavators are encouraged to immediately join CO811 as a member to gain representation and have a voice on the Commission. Elections for CO811’s commission seats will be held from July to September. The excavator membership fee is $100 per year.
Implementation of a Subsurface Utility Engineering ticket will provide the design and engineering community with more consistent information and responses from Facility Owners (FOs). FOs will have up to ten days to respond directly to the design/engineering firm with documentation, which may include facility location information, maps and/or a facility locate. The design/engineering firm must pay the FOs directly for these services. As with the current Engineering Ticket, excavation activities cannot occur with this ticket type.

OE Construction Corporation is an Excavator Member with Colorado 811.

OE Construction Corp, OE Expert Series

The Expert Series #3 – Machine Control Technology Delivers 30% Efficiency in the Field

September 22, 2018September 27, 2018 oeconstruct

A Business Case for Construction Technology that Delivers 30% Efficiency Improvements

By Chris Olson

Here’s how it all began.

Equipped to Perform

The Trimble Rockies Campus earthworks and utility portions of the project included moving approximately 27,000 cubic yards of dirt and approximately 6,000 cubic yards of borrow material. The building pad was over-excavated by 5.5 feet below finished grade and backfilled in 1 foot compacted lifts. The operations plan called for stripping the site by approximately 0.5 feet and stockpiling the material in the southeast corner. The idea was to cut from the north side of the lot to fill the building pad and south side of the project. Our crews would need to borrow material from an offsite borrow pit to compensate for the material shortage on site. They would also carry out the utilities work for storm, sanitary and water, build the retaining walls, grade the parking area for the curb laying operations and trim the parking areas and roadways in preparation for the paving operations.

The machine fleet on the project consisted of a motor grader, dozer, wheel-tractor scraper, soil compactor, excavator, wheeled loader, and a skid steer loader.
HPIM3011
The use of the 3D grade control systems allowed the OE crew to skip rough grade and cut the site directly to finish grade in a single activity. The full adoption of 3D site work design and management techniques further helped the team develop an optimized plan for cutting, soil distribution and placement and ultimately place finish grade within one quarter-inch of the specified elevations.

All earthworks machines were equipped with Trimble^® SNM940 Connected Site^® Gateway hardware and 3D grade control systems. The Trimble Connected Site Gateway brings the office and the machine together with remote machine support, and integrated data flows for machine and off-machine activities. Field crews would also capture information from their soil compactor, using the Trimble CCS900 Compaction Control System.

In addition, the sitework crew relied on Trimble’s Connected Community to track project progress and site activity in real-time and online with greater efficiency and ensure all information was readily available to all team members on and off the site. Business Center–HCE office software from Trimble was used for data preparation and takeoff, and to prepare and manage all the design files for the Trimble project.

Operational Objectives

As is typical on many earthwork projects, the sitework team received 2D CAD design files from the project engineer in advance of project go-ahead. One of the main challenges in working with the information provided by the engineering team is that there is often insufficient information in the CAD files especially with respect to the development of the subgrade model.

For example, the building area sidewalks and drainage swales had too little information to model in detail, with incorrect contours and too many nodes, which created problems with subgrade surfaces.

The OE project team used Business Center-HCE to import and clean up the 2D CAD design files. A PDF document was draped over the surface model to identify areas where more information was needed from the plans. Then, CAD linework, elevation labels (curbs and walls), contours for landscaping, and the plans were used to infill missing details such as island walkway slopes and drainage swales. For subgrade adjustments, the finished grade model was adjusted for material thicknesses. Parking bays were designed to 6-inches, heavy duty parking 7-inches, concrete slabs 6-inches, walkways 4-inches, topsoil re-spread 4-inches, riprap, and machine test areas 12-inches.

The Business Center-HCE’s data preparation capabilities made the models viable for construction and greatly improved the information used by the machines and controllers in the field.

The team documented some valuable lessons learned during the process:

Have a solid project template to start
Read the plans in addition to the CAD files as they contain information to help solve most issues that arise.
Using the software takeoff capabilities on the final model will drive the greatest efficiency in the data preparation functions.

With Business Center-HCE, the team was able to build 3D models that accurately represented the Trimble site in just three days and identified problem spots such as areas of poor drainage and pooling areas—before ever turning on a machine.

Multiple Models

Three-dimensional models were developed for excavation, subgrade and finish grade as well as a trench and pipe model to mark utilities.

Mass earthworks and over-excavation – Using the design specification documents and provided drawings, a subgrade adjusted model showed asphalt, concrete, topsoil, and other construction material thicknesses. The model was used in all of the earthmoving machines for the bulk earthmoving and excavation operations. In addition, the building needed to be over-excavated and backfilled with compacted material, so an over-excavation model was created to allow the machines to cut out the building area and backfill to grade.
Subgrade model – the finished design surface model is adjusted for grading operations. It allows for seven inches of asphalt in main traffic areas of parking lots, six inches of asphalt in actual parking spaces as well as 4-6 inches of concrete in island walkways and concrete pad areas for the loading bays and buildings.
Finish grade model – shows all of the finished surfaces on the project including roads, parking, walkways, islands, loading bays, and all landscaping and retaining walls. The 2D CAD files and PDF plans were imported into Business Center- HCE where it was clean, sort and elevate the provided information, creating a digital 3D model. Three-dimensional linework for curbs, walkways, islands, drainage swales, retaining walls, ponds, building foundations, landscaping, and concrete loading bays are used to create a 3D surface model.
Trench model – This model shows coordinated, location, depth, width, and size of pipes drainage inlets and manholes for the job site. Precision in this pipe and trench model is important to meet OSHA requirements for accurate cutting of trench slopes and for setting pipes and manholes or inlets at the correct elevations and slope.

To the Field

In the early days of the project, a professional survey firm established six permanent control points across the project. A GPS base station located on top of the old Trimble building across the street would run 24 hours a day. OE calibrated the site GPS to 0.02-foot in 3D.

During the six-week earthworks process, grade control systems were used on the dozer, excavator, motor grader and scraper. The system utilized dual GNSS to measure the exact position, cross slope and heading of the blade for rough grading and mass excavation on steep slopes and complex design surfaces.
Trimble Tablet Pic
The excavator was used to cut trenches and trench slopes, while a dozer equipped with the grade control system displayed design information and live cut/fill indications in the cab for machine operators. The system gave the operators real-time warnings for prevention of operation or movement into avoidance zones. It also collected as-built data as the machine cuts to grade.

For grading with the dozer, the machine control system allowed the operators to grade faster, without a single stake in the ground. The on-board control box determined the position of each tip of the blade and compared it to the design elevation to compute cut or fill to grade. The operators then used cut/fill data to drive the valves for automatic blade control, with light bar indicators providing visual guidance to the operator.

During earthworks operations, the OE team used the Trimble Tablet and the Trimble SPS882 GNSS Smart Antenna to check the machines and monitor progress in the over-excavation areas and grading areas of the parking lot. On completion of an area of grading or a utility line installation, they used the rover to carry out as-built measurements to prove and record completion to the required tolerance.

Prior to using the Trimble Tablet, we kept 3D models on a central computer in the office or onsite trailer but were rarely able to update shared models and files during construction planning or to identify problems during actual construction. With the Trimble Tablet, we can measure points, widths, and tolerances, and then go back to the plans immediately to check the specifications from the field.

The Trimble Tablet running the Trimble SCS900 Site Controller Software was used to pull up plans, submit approvals, access as-built measurements, compute stockpile volumes and check finished grade.
HPIM3061
The OE job site supervisor believes that having all of the models prepared and in the machines from day one allowed his team to work anywhere on the job site at any time without having to wait for surveyors to come and set stakes – a flexibility that saved time and kept machines and operators operating at a high productivity rate. He reflected that it was the first time that he had time to run a machine to help complete work.

With Business Center- HCE and machine control, the OE earthworks team was able to cut the excavation schedule on the project by more than 30 percent. They were also able to monitor and track the level of earthworks progress happening onsite by using Trimble’s VisionLink software.

Managing the Fleet

On the Trimble project, OE also used a web-based fleet, asset, and site productivity management tool called VisionLink to compute site productivity, material quantities, and materials movement. We were able to track and monitor machine location, usage, fuel and hours for scheduling, and see precisely how much dirt was being moved each day. We were also able to monitor asset utilization and minimize idle times of machines, reducing unnecessary and costly fuel burn. In addition to using machines more efficiently, we captured data for 3D project monitoring.

The asset tracking will allow the company to increase the productivity of the entire machine fleet.

We were able to monitor and record 3D earthmoving, grading and finishing operations, create a near real-time 3D surface model, delivering both elevation and cut and fill maps to show progress towards completion.

In the future, we plan to use even more detailed information about cycles and loads to gain greater insight into material quantities and materials movement to make informed decisions about production efficiency.

Delivered with Impressive Precision

During the six-week excavation phase of the Trimble project, the OE team achieved significant productivity gains thanks to construction technology. Trimble Connected Site solutions, including data preparation, asset management, and collaboration software, provided the foundation for a more integrated and effective operation. The site positioning and machine control systems worked within this streamlined framework to provide a high-level of workflow integration that delivered significant improvements throughout the construction lifecycle.

The finish grade work was completed four and a half weeks earlier than scheduled and to within one quarter-inch of the specified elevations, allowing the parking lot curb and gutter to be installed at the same time the foundations were poured. Early completion of curb and gutter allowed the base lift of the parking lot asphalt paving to be installed concurrent to steel erection.

Happy with the productivity gains enabled by Trimble technology, OE has fully adopted 3D project design and management. We purchased the excavator and compactor systems from the project as well as a second Trimble base and rover system with the Trimble Tablet field computer. Rounding out our portfolio of products, we now have eight 3D machine control systems as well as two seats for Business Center- HCE.

Construction of the Trimble Rockies Campus began on April 24, 2012, and finished on April 25, 2013. On May 6, 2013, approximately 500 Trimble engineering, marketing and sales team personnel moved into the new headquarters – several weeks ahead of the 13-month planned schedule.
Pic of Scraper for Blog Article
For more information about the Trimble Westminster Building Project, please download a whitepaper here.

Author

Chris Olson, owner of OE Construction Corp., can be reached at chris@oeconstruct.com.