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April 6, 2013 • Vol. IX • No. 7 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910
Inside
Soil Conditions a Constant Concern...
Contractors Washington State Contractors Find Work Face Massive Seattle Landslide Around U.S.
of 34 others. The homes were built on a fault line, which occasionally shifts due to seismic activity, and because of the topography and impact that rain and snow has on the soil, the land and homes were exposed to additional risks that could lead to landslides. No injuries or fatalities have been reported from the event, which occurred before 4 a.m. “We do heavy underground construction — typically drilled foundations, earth retention systems, and quite often we’ll do remedial work that is
Construction employment expanded in two-thirds of all states in January as the industry showed signs of emerging from a six-year slump, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials cautioned however that the industry’s recovery remains fragile and that current and looming federal budget cuts threaten to drag down construction employment in numerous states. “These results show that contractors are finding work in more parts of the country than they have for many months,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Further gains appear likely but could be derailed if lawmakers continue to make indiscriminate cuts to key construction and infrastructure programs.” From January 2012 to January 2013, 24 states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs, 25 shed workers and one — Wisconsin — had no change. D.C. jumped to the top ranking for percentage of new construction jobs (9.4 percent, 1,200 jobs); followed by North Dakota (9.0 percent, 2,500 jobs); Hawaii (8.0 percent, 2,300 jobs); Alaska (7.2 percent, 1,200 jobs) and Washington (6.0 percent, 8,200 jobs).
see LANDSLIDE page 28
see EMPLOYMENT page 10
Gold Gate Bridge Replaces Human Toll Collectors...10
World of Asphalt Features Sold-Out Show Floor... 16
Before any project is approved, municipal officials in Washington State require thorough geotechnical investigations and reports, which include slope stability analysis and soil studies.
Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT
Ritchie Bros. Hosts OCA Meeting...48
Table of Contents ................4 Attachment Section ....11-15
The dangers of landslides in Washington State is a given for construction companies and something that San Francisco-based Malcolm Drilling Company Inc. and Seattle-based Anderson Construction Company Inc. deal with on a daily basis. On March 27, a huge landslide along the coastline of Whidbey Island (north of Seattle) caused a massive slice of land near Coupeville to collapse and with it one home. It also forced the evacuation
Truck & Trailer Section-23-25 Business Calendar ............30 Recycling Section ........31-41 Auction Section ............44-51 Advertisers Index ..............50
Can’t be at bauma 2013 in Munich, Germany, from April 15 to 21? Well, Construction Equipment Guide (CEG) has you covered. Beginning Friday, April 5, CEG’s Web site, www.constructionequipmentguide.com will have a dedicated page to all the news that breaks at the big show. There, you’ll find all the latest equipment unveilings, trade show
happenings, breaking business news and much more. Also on this page you’ll be able to watch ongoing video coverage of bauma 2013 as it unfolds. And getting to the bauma 2013 coverage is easy: simply click on the bauma 2013 logo at the top of CEG’s Web site, between our name and the search box. It’ll be like actually being there — without the really long flight.