Monthly Archives: June 2014

Construction Industry, Hospital Construction

Hospitals Across the Country are Starting a Construction Boom

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Presbyterian HospitalAccording to a recent article in Fierce Healthcare, US hospital construction is booming. States including Ohio, Kansas, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Maine are all planning hospital construction projects, many which will begin in 2014. The construction and growth is due to assessing the needs of the population and finding a changing demand in healthcare services.

According to the article, New Jersey’s population is aging more rapidly than the rest of the country and is therefore focused on building more outpatient services. In Ohio the state is upgrading its hospitals to better reflect patients’ needs as well as updating to keep pace with advancing science. And other hospitals are expanding to keep up with a growing population.

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At Macuch we’re always excited to hear about more construction projects and we suspect that as the economy continues to improve more hospitals will be able to start construction projects, even our neighboring county, Columbia County, is starting the process to build a new hospital. As a full-service steel provider we have helped build hospitals from the ground up, whether it’s providing rebar or our installation services our Family of Steel can handle it all. To learn more about steel services and to view past projects, visit our website.

Construction Industry, Steel Manufacturing

Industry Voices – Don’t Let Roof and Floor-Opening Frames Create Discord

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Welcome to the first post in our “Industry Voices” series, where experts from Macuch Steel will address topics that are relevant to the steel industry. This blog is from our President, Gary L. Cowart, who discusses the importance of cohesion between General Contractors and Subcontractors.

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Most contract documents are clear on the requirements for roof and floor-opening frames. The documents will identify the structural shapes that make up the frame, the general configuration of the frame, and how the frame attaches to the structural framing.  What is not commonly found in the contract documents is the dimensional location and size of the frames.  This information is generally not available at the time of the structural design, and, for the most part, is dependent on the suppliers and subcontractors chosen by the project’s “General Contractor”.  Long story short: at the time a building contract is awarded, the information required for the floor and roof-opening frames is simply not there.  As a subcontractor, we receive a contract that has some language (and I paraphrase) along these lines: “you must coordinate with other trades”.  On the surface, this sounds great.  Have you ever heard an orchestra without a conductor?  It just does not work!  I have seen the construction progress on very large structures such as high schools, hospitals and office buildings come to a screeching halt because of the lack of floor and roof-opening information.  So what is the answer?

It’s simple!  Someone has to OWN the problem before a solution can be found.  I believe that, as a team with the General Contractor coordinating the input from subcontractors, the issue could be resolved.  But until someone acts as a good conductor and pulls it all together, it is nothing more than noise.  Floor and roof-opening frames should never be a show stopper on construction projects.

Call Macuch Steel…we can help your orchestra make beautiful music!

Gary L. Cowart

President

Macuch Steel Products, Inc.