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The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a highly accurate satellite-based navigation system that has been available since the 1980s but has recently increased in popularity. This sophisticated system can be used to determine the time and location of a receiver based almost anywhere on earth, with locational accuracy between 100 and 10 yards for most equipment. Owned and operated by the United States Department of Defense, this system is available for anyone to use for free.

How does it work?

GPS satellites transmit low powered radio signals to receiving equipment on the ground.

Complex calculations are performed to determine the receiver’s position, but in layman’s terms, the position of a receiver is determined by the time it takes a signal to be transmitted from a satellite to the receiver. In order to obtain a good degree of accuracy, the receiver must receive signals from at least four satellites (although this number varies between receivers; generally, the more satellites, the higher the accuracy).

Normally, an unobstructed view of the sky is required for optimum reception, so most receivers function best outside and in non-wooded areas.

How useful is GPS in the construction industry?

GPS offers a host of useful applications for the construction industry. A few of these are summarized below.

Navigation Systems

The benefits of GPS for vehicle navigation are immense. Satellite navigation can virtually eliminate the problems of unfamiliarity with the location to be visited and bad road signage.

The benefits of using GPS as a vehicle navigation system include:

• Getting to meetings in unfamiliar locations on time
• Efficient delivery of products to unfamiliar areas
• Ability to find alternative routes in urban areas from maps
• Enabling delivery to specific geographic locations, e.g. junctions on motorways

Personnel location

GPS coordinates can be used to identify the location of personnel without ambiguity. This is of particular importance when people are traveling in remote locations. For example, if somebody has not responded appropriately, the ability to transmit a GPS coordinate of their last known location to the emergency services can be life saving.

Equipment tracking

A number of devices are starting to emerge that combine mobile phone technologies with location equipment. By adding digital and analog inputs, not only is it possible to show where an item is, but to trigger alarms and activate controls using direct dial or SMS techniques.

The investment in GPS to monitor vehicle usage and to track and recover stolen vehicles gives a rapid return when set against the losses and penalties that occur without this technology.

Location of fixed equipment

By associating a unique ID with a GPS coordinate, it is possible to allow maintenance to take place on fixed items of equipment. A GPS coordinate may take you to within three yards of a unit, or less than one yard with more sophisticated equipment.

Mapping and surveying

Techniques of mapping and surveying have changed over the years, but never so much as now. With ever-increasing sophistication, GPS is now becoming more commonplace as an element in the presentation of geographical information.

Whereas the location of cables, pipes and services has previously been estimated, data can now be gathered more quickly, and more easily.

Choosing GPS equipment

The huge number of GPS devices available on the market today can make deciding which unit to buy overwhelming.

Factors to take into consideration when purchasing a device should include:

• Your budget
• The type of receiver - whether you require a fixed, vehicle, marine or handheld device
• The main purpose of the receiver - location, navigation or guidance
• The environment the device is to be operated in - the likely weather conditions and how durable the equipment will have to be to function in them
• Your battery life requirements - availability of batteries, how easy they are to change, and cost
• The size and weight of the device

A noisy job setting can be annoying and aggravating to employees. It is also a very serious threat to your health and safety. When exposed to loud noises for an extended period, you can permanently lose your hearing.  Your ears will not simply adjust to loud noise. Once hearing loss has occurred, you will not be able to repair the damage done.

After consistent noise exposure, loud noise can destroy the delicate hair particles in your ear which operate as sound receivers. These hair cells WILL NOT grow back. Contrary to the hearing loss that older people acquire, neither an operation nor an aid can correct this type of hearing loss.

Loud noises can also cause partial hearing loss, high blood pressure, ulcers, headaches, loss of appetite, irritability, and sleep disorders. Other work related injuries could be the result of being exposed to a loud setting. When there are problems communicating with co-workers or hearing warnings and other announcements on the jobsite, accidents will more likely happen.

You are exposed to dangerous levels of noise at work if you experience any of the following…

• If there is any ringing or humming in your ears after you leave the workplace
• If you must yell to be heard by a co-worker that is less than three feet away
• If you need to turn the volume on the TV up louder after work than you do on weekends
• If you are frequently told by your family or friends that you started to have trouble hearing

When Noise Becomes Dangerous

Noise is calculated in units called decibels. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that, noise levels of 85 decibels or more are dangerous when workers are exposed to it for 8 hours. OSHA protects workers' hearing saying that your employer MUST protect your hearing at work. Your employer must evaluate the areas of the jobsite where noise levels seem high and determine what their actual levels are. The Union's Health and Safety Committee can get copies of these tests.

In areas found to expose workers to noise levels over 85 decibels, employers have to:

• Perform annual hearing tests for employees.
• Hold free hearing exams to all workers every year to make sure none of the staff is losing their hearing.  
• Provide free hearing protection for employees. Ear plugs and ear muffs should be fitted for specifically for each worker. Workers must have a choice of hearing protection and training in its use and care.
• Enforce that hearing protection is worn by all employees exposed to high noise areas

For areas found to expose workers to noise l0evels above 90 decibels, in addition to the above, all employers are required to try to make changes to tools and equipment so they are less noisy, such as:

• Putting equipment on rubber mats  
• Enclosing equipment in a booth
• Reducing the speed of moving parts
• Keeping machines in good working order.

Making appropriate changes to tools and equipment is the best way to reduce dangerous noise on the job. If these changes fail to reduce sound levels then the employer can use earplugs and ear muffs to protect workers. Some employers overlook the source of the noise to reduce loud noises--they require workers to wear ear plugs without looking at the causes of the noise and possible ways to control it.

Warmer weather signals the beginning of construction season. For the construction industry, it’s time to finish preparations for the busy time of the year. Workers need training, signs that identify hazardous areas and specify which personal protective equipment (PPE) is required need to be ready, and PPE itself needs to be selected for proper fit and inspected for signs of wear and tear before work begins. Here’s a head-to-toe listing of construction PPE.

HARD HATS

The service-life guidelines supplied by manufacturers may vary, but the average, life of a hard hat shell is three years from time of issue. Shells and suspensions should be checked every day for cracks, dents, brittleness and fading in color. If there is any change that might compromise the effectiveness of the hard hat or suspension, it should be removed from service and replaced immediately. Suspensions are not interchangeable, so care should be taken to replace with the size and style that matches the hard hat shell.

EYEWEAR

Safety glasses should be worn whenever potential hazards to eyes may be present. Only eyewear clearly marked with ANSI Z87.1 or ANSI Z87.1+ (high impact) should be worn. Glasses or other protective eyewear should fit snugly enough to not slip while performing normal work activities and should allow air circulation between eyes and lens. Safety glasses that incorporate prescriptions are available, but workers who need prescription eyewear but don’t have prescription safety glasses must wear safety glasses over their regular prescription glasses. Before using any kind of safety eyewear, the lenses should be inspected for scratches or pits. Because these tend to impair vision and diminish impact integrity, if any are found the eyewear should be replaced immediately.

HEARING PROTECTION

Ear plugs are the most common kind of hearing protection. They are easy to carry, almost never interfere with other PPE, and most are disposable. For proper fit and protection, ear plugs should be inserted into the ear canal until approximately three quarters of the length is inside. They can be kept clean with mild soap and water. They should be replaced when they become hard or visibly damaged. With a proper fit, earmuffs can provide better hearing protection than ear plugs, but facial hair or facial movements or wearing other PPE can prevent a proper seal around the ear and reduce the effectiveness of ear muffs. Ear muffs should also be inspected before each use for cracks, holes or abrasions. The cushion or the entire ear muffs should be replaced if any are found.

FALL PROTECTION

Like all PPE, proper fit is essential with each component of fall protection equipment. Service life of components varies greatly depending on materials and design. Manufacturer’s guidelines should specify service life for each component. Fall protection equipment is designed to prevent one fall, not multiple falls. Any equipment that undergoes a fall should be removed from service immediately. All fall protection components should be visually inspected before each use for fraying, broken fibers, broken stitches, cuts, burns or chemical damage. If any are found, remove that equipment from service.

GLOVES

Gloves are available with materials and designs that defend against specific hazards such as cuts, chemicals, electrical shocks and persistent vibration. But no glove can provide protection as intended if it is not intact. Tears, punctures, and stiffness can not only reduce the effectiveness of protection but increase dangers by creating snag points. Any glove with visible wear signs should be discarded and immediately replaced.

BOOTS

Again, inspect daily. Protective footwear should be replaced if there are any indications of cracks, holes, separation of materials or broken buckles. Soles should be inspected for embedded material that could present electrical or trip hazards.

Looking for a way to sell houses in a bad market? Green building is a powerful weapon to differentiate your shiny new product from all those existing homes sporting "for sale" signs or the bland sea of sameness in competitive new-home subdivisions.

Green-built houses, neighborhoods and master-planned communities meet an emerging market head-on with a product that really is different. The best green home builders and developers find buyers — even when they're hiding — with marketing concepts that create urgency to buy out of America's fear of economic peril, health hazards and impending environmental calamity.

Why Green Is Different Today

Building a green home has been around for more than a decade, but it's only in the last few years that it found real traction in the marketplace. Why?

It might be one more example of a fundamental change in American lifestyles caused by the continuing upward spiral of energy costs. And the epidemic of asthma and allergies afflicting so many Americans might have something to do with it. Whatever the reasons, green-built houses are becoming almost as hot as hybrid cars. And green communities are attracting mainstream home buyers all across the country, not just tree-huggers in Boulder.

Successful green builders hang their marketing efforts on energy cost savings. The payback from reduced monthly heating and air conditioning bills overtakes the higher upfront cost of building green in only a few years. Improved indoor air quality is the other attribute that virtually all green builders tout. For the thousands of families fighting allergies or asthma, it's probably the most important factor driving their decision to buy a new home. What price do you put on the health of a child? But there's more behind the recent upswing in green home building than those two lynchpin attributes: bushel baskets of marketing dollars, for one thing.

Some states are establishing their own green building programs to encourage local builders to embark on this growing market. EarthCraft House is the Atlanta Home Builders Association's landmark green building program, developed in conjunction with the NAHB Research Center. Based on a point system, it allows builders to qualify for certification by piling up points in categories ranging from site planning to tightness of the building envelope, from HVAC systems to water conservation. Home builder associations in neighboring cities and states are now adopting EarthCraft.

There's a third-party endorsement aspect to this. It's a self-certifying program, but the standards are set across the local industry. Energy Star falls out of EarthCraft, and that is certified by the (federal) Department of Energy.

EarthCraft is not a tough bar to reach; the standards were designed to allow 80 percent of production-built homes to qualify. When you focus on installation and craftsmanship of construction techniques, it doesn't add a lot of cost. Buyer surveys show customers believe the value added by green building is worth the investment they make. It pays for itself over time.

A large segment of the population has loved the idea of buying green right from its inception. However, until recently people were unwilling to pay for it.

Large-scale green building programs like EarthCraft, combined with the urgency created by rising energy costs and indoor air-related health issues, are responsible for the new traction of green building in the market. EarthCraft has become a brand in Atlanta, like Energy Star in other parts of the country. When a builders' association gets behind such a program and then harnesses the marketing clout of major product manufacturers as sponsors, you can develop advertising budgets big enough to get identity in the market so that people will shop looking for that logo. The amount of money it would take for an individual builder to achieve that branding impact would be excessive.

There's another benefit from large-scale advertising of programs like EarthCraft in Atlanta and others taking root in cities across the country. They allow communities to draw like-minded buyers, interested in green, from across a broad geographic market.

These principle-based buyers make up a significant, growing, but underserved niche. They are receptive to bundling all these attributes like energy efficiency and indoor air quality and sustainability under the label 'green.' They will sacrifice square footage to have a higher quality home, and for them, a brand like EarthCraft becomes almost like the Good Houskeeping Seal of Approval. They equate green to a broader concept of quality.

This is not just an Atlanta phenomenon. Architects, builders, and contractors across the country are having success as sustainable-only businesses that are totally focused on creating green communities.

Branded Green

Many builders and developers are branding themselves as green, and many master-planned communities now require four-star certification as the entry level for a home builder to be allowed in the community. It's much easier for a large community to market green than it is for an individual builder, especially when you get beyond energy efficiency and healthy house attributes and into sustainability.

The Sales Challenge

Probably the biggest marketing challenge green builders face — especially those in the production building arena — is training a sales force to sell the complex attributes of green. Often, even the best sales people struggle with explaining the science of home systems performance. The solution is having model homes with really good displays that sales people can use to stay on track, and collateral materials for shoppers to take with them when they leave. Large boards with bullet points can show how the construction process; heating and cooling equipment; moisture management systems; fresh air ventilation; and pressure balancing work together.

If there's a shortcoming of the EarthCraft program in Atlanta, it's probably that too few builders are giving their sales people the training they need to discuss these issues with shoppers. The issues and some of the technology can be complex, but all the sales people really need to focus on are the benefits. Then the customers will start using that benefits list for comparison shopping.

Salespeople would benefit from keeping it simple. Sell the benefits to the buyer rather than features of individual components of a system. A safe, healthy, energy-efficient home is easier to sell than a tankless water heater or foam insulation.

Salespeople may need to be educated about healthy-house technology and energy savings. Anything that creates an advantage for new homes over existing homes is really important now. The key is going to be how good they get at creating an emotional attachment to greenness when people visit the models.

Marketing materials and a Web site can do a good job of getting the green message out, but it's a long way from a curious interest in green building to an eager signature on a sales contract. And it takes salesmanship to cover that distance.

Bottom Line

This year, there has been a mass tipping point toward green. You can't pick up a shelter magazine without seeing an article about some aspect of it. Even code standards are now creeping closer and closer to green.

With home builders in many markets desperate to find any advantage for new homes over the glut of existing homes on the market, going green is a logical step. But keep in mind that the great successes for green building seem to come in those markets where a builder's individual corporate branding and marketing are enhanced by HBA-led certification programs with big advertising budgets underwritten by sponsoring manufacturers, and by green communities and developers that also have money to spend on marketing and advertising.

If you have to go it alone, it's still great to be seen as green. Builders of every size ought to be making speeches at HBA dinners to rally the troops behind a green flag. Going green is obviously much easier with a green building certification program active in the market. The ranks of people who want to buy green are growing fast: they don't want to buy commodity houses.