$3.00
Published Nationally ®
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.”
Western Edition
www.constructionequipmentguide.com
November 15, 2014 • Vol. IX • No. 23 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215/885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215/885-2910
Inside
Seismic Retrofit to Strengthen Oregon Bridges By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
Permian Basi n Oil Show Honors Industry...8
Kobelco Opens New HQ in Texas...18
Kenworth Heads t o Capitol Wit h Tree...31
Table of Contents ................4 Attachments & Parts Section .................................... 12-17 Truck & Trailer Section ........ ......................................31-33 Recycling Section ........37-45 Auction Section ..........48-55 Business Calendar ............49 Advertisers Index ..............54
Most of Oregon’s bridges were built before modern seismic design specifications were developed in 1990. Five of them along the Interstate 5 corridor in the Portland metropolitan area are undergoing an upgrade in order to meet those specifications so that they may remain passable if Oregon experiences a powerful earthquake. That likelihood was documented in research conducted by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, which reported that there is a 40 percent chance that an earthquake similar to the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake in Japan will take place along the Oregon coast sometime in the next 50 years. The last
“megathrust,” or subduction zone, earthquake in this region was the Cascadia earthquake in 1700, which had a magnitude 8.7 to 9.2. (The 2011 Japanese earthquake, also a megathrust earthquake that included sustained shaking of the ground, was a magnitude 9.0.) As a result of that study, ODOT conducted a seismic vulnerability study of state highway bridges to assess the risks to Oregon’s only north-south interstate highway. Only a small portion of I-5 would remain passable if the state suffered a substantial seismic event. The study determined that most of the older bridges would either collapse or experience severe damage and become impassable without major, costly repair work.
Oregon’s Resilience Plan The combination of strong and prolonged ground shaking, followed by a powerful and destructive tsunami, as well as see BRIDGE page 36
AGC Reports…
Industry Adds Jobs in 236 Metro Areas in Past Year Construction employment expanded in 236 metro areas, declined in 53 and was stagnant in 50 between September 2013 and September 2014, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released Oct. 29 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that as firms expand their payrolls, many are finding a limited supply of available qualified workers. “It is good news that construction
employment gains have spread to more than two-thirds of the nation’s metro areas,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist of the association. “But there is a growing risk that contractors in many of these regions will have trouble finding qualified workers to complete the rising volume of projects.” Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas, added the largest number of construction jobs in the past year (13,500 see AGC page 50
Interstate 5 is expected to be the main corridor of traffic flow after a Cascadia subduction zone event because U.S. 101 is expected to be impassable, due to its location and capacity. I-5 will be the main route for emergency response.
Most Firms Report Trouble Finding Qualified Workers Most construction firms report they are having trouble finding qualified craft workers to fill key spots as the industry recovers from its years-long downturn, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released Oct. 22 by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials called for new career and technical school programs, as well as other workforce measures to offset the labor shortages. “As the survey results make clear, many construction firms across the country are having a hard time filling available positions,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist of the Associated General Contractors. “Considering how much the nation’s educational focus see EMPLOYMENT page 50