Construction Brothers

Millions of tons of lumber goes to landfills every year. Eric Law is out to change that. Eric and his team at Urban Machine have designed a machine that automates the removal of nails and screws from reclaimed lumber, making that lumber usable again.      Eric explains how he settled into this niche. He spent 20 years working in various parts of the technology and construction industries. He was leading a sustainability initiative when he noticed that steel and concrete get recycled but the lumber was all going to the landfill. What kept it from being reused or recycled? Well. It was the nails, of course.    He approached Andrew Gillies and Alex Thiele about using automated robots and computer vision to address this problem. The three of them decided this was a solution worth pursuing, and they launched Urban Machine.    Here’s the process: 

• Humans take out the big, ugly fasteners.
• They polish up the remaining fasteners to help the machine spot them.
• A device resembling a bird beak removes those remaining fasteners.
• The piece goes through a metal detector to ensure that the piece is clean.

  Eric shares about the first few iterations of the machine. After a mishap with the first large stationary model, they decided to make the unit mobile. It is now mounted on a 40’ flatbed truck.   Computer vision enables the operator to see a cross-section of the wood and provide several data points not usually available for individual pieces purchased from the lumber yard. The team is working toward the inclusion of a QR code that will share this info with the end user and take them to a website that shares the wood’s back story.    Eric explains that their equipment enables them to do extensive examinations of reclaimed glue-lam pieces in order to ensure its structural integrity.    We discuss Urban Machine’s business and pricing models. Sometimes they work with owners who want to reuse lumber during a remodeling project. In this case, they receive a dollars-per-board-foot rate to process lumber to be reused onsite. In other cases, they partner with demolition companies and then resell the lumber.    The machine has an impressive design volume of 2.5 million board feet per machine per year. That’s 16,000-20,000 board feet or about a truckload a day for each machine.   As the team handles more projects, they’re working toward formulas to more accurately estimate the amount of reclaimable lumber in particular types of buildings based on the building’s construction and age.   We discuss Urban Machine’s future. By 2024 they plan to have 12 trailers ready for different markets around the country. Beyond that? Well, it would take 6,000 of their machines to capture 50% of the wood that’s thrown away in the US each year.    We discuss the massive sustainability benefits of reducing dependency on virgin lumber that needs to be kiln dried. Then it needs to be trucked across the country. We also touch on the possibility of carbon credits. “Every metropolitan area is a forest for us,” Eric explains.    Eddie asks about how the demolition process needs to change in order for the wood to remain intact enough to be run through the machine.    We wrap up with some speculation about the ripple effects of this kind of reclamation into peripheral businesses for distributing and using reclaimed wood.   Eric’s Megaphone Message: We can create a circular economy for wood. And we can do it in a way that doesn’t just save money but also reduces environmental impact and includes the back stories and historical connections of wood.   Find Eric Online: LinkedIn - Urban Machine’s Website  Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we welcome you to join us as we revisit some family drama. Tyler shares about reaching the point in the family company where he felt like he had no more room for growth. This resulted in him losing a sense of purpose.   This experience is not an unusual one. In fact, it’s almost universal. If you’re a leader, it’s important to recognize this reality and figure out how you’re going to address it.   Titles are a part of the picture, but title bumps and even pay bumps without substance can leave people feeling unmotivated. Most people want new challenges and new opportunities.    Talk to your employees–those who are joining your team and those who have been around for a while. Get a sense of the trajectory they’re picturing for themselves.   (And, since Milton was mentioned, here’s a highlight reel.)   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedInSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For several years now, the shift toward a design-build approach has been gaining momentum. Today we talk to Brian Skripac, the director of virtual design and construction at the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).   Brian’s training is in architecture, but he has worked as a BIM leader for almost 20 years now. He enjoys the opportunities to collaborate and share with the goal of increasing efficiency.    Brian lived through the shift from 2D with AutoCAD to 3D with Revit. He shares about a couple large projects that epitomized that shift and its effects on the relationship between owners and design-builders.    This shift is still underway, of course. You may have observed or experienced the array of concerns that people have when sharing designs. Sometimes it can border on paranoia. Eddie asks Brian to talk about managing risk, and Brian goes straight to a recurring theme from the podcast: trust. He shares his own experience in getting over the road blocks that slow the flow of information among stakeholders.   Brian talks us through an experience he had helping Ohio State University transition from 2D blueprints to BIM models for more than 40 million square feet of their buildings. OSU has tied in site information and a whole range of other elements, all of these linked into a spreadsheet. This required a change-management process that included a plan for converting native files.   We discuss the difference between design-bid-build and design-build. Brian says that design-build is targeted to be 47% of all construction projects by 2025. That’s up from 42% in 2021. This approach is quickly becoming mainstream.    The main difference is that with the design-build approach the owner has a single contract with a design-build team rather than multiple contracts with architects, designers, and builders. This integration–at least when it works well–can streamline the process substantially.    There is an evolution that has to take place in individual roles with design-build. Brian presents examples of how this approach enables designers to spend more time designing rather than communicating. A good design-build team can more efficiently solve a greater number of problems. The cohesive we can function much more nimbly than a group of separate individuals.    We discuss project size and how design-build can work with small projects as well as large projects.   On the education/training side, DBIA is all about design-build done right. They establish universal best practices and then share those in a number of ways. They have a blog, webinars, and an annual conference.  The membership of DBIA is vast and diverse, so there is a rich flow of knowledge and insights.    Brian talks through some of DBIA’s upcoming projects, including exploration of AI.    Brian’s Megaphone Message:  Don’t continue with business as usual. If we can break ourselves from the way we’ve done things in the past, there is great potential for improved communication and increased collaboration. We have to transform.    Find Brian Online: DBIA’s website - DBIA on LinkedIn - Brian on LinkedIn   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s critical in any organization. And it doesn’t come naturally for everyone. All it takes is just a few words. Just take a few seconds to speak up when you see someone do something well. Whether you’re an employer or an employee, your acknowledgement of others' contributions can make a world of difference in workplace dynamics. Let it be simple and organic: a sticky note here, an affirmative head nod there, a single sentence of encouragement after a meeting.  Do it today! Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! 


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Today we talk to Ben Patton of TreeCycle, a Vancouver-based company focused on helping construction companies use more repurposed wood.    While working as an arborist, Ben noticed that 90% of the wood he dealt with was either turned into firewood or wood chips or just thrown in a pile. He found himself wondering why more of this wood wasn’t being used as lumber. One day he dragged a log behind his van and milled it down himself in order to make a coffee table.   This experience and these concerns drove Ben to find some partners and start a company to facilitate the recycling and reuse of wood waste from construction sites. TreeCycle now recovers wood from demolition projects and repurposes it into structured lumbers, dimensional lumbers, raw timbers, siding, and more.   Sometimes Ben’s company handles the process directly, and sometimes they consult with companies who want to handle the process themselves. In those cases, TreeCycle will coordinate site-source separation, clean up the wood, categorize the boards by size and type, and store them for future use.    We explore the financial aspect of reclamation and recycling. An increasing number of customers are willing to invest in reducing their environmental and climate impact. To be sure, this requires some extra time, effort, and money. The cost can be reduced, however, with careful planning. TreeCycle aims to offset the time and expense by saving companies money on lumber.    We discuss how the 2021 spike in lumber prices added some momentum to their operation. Then Ben mentions a few specific products that his company produces: 

• Cross-laminated timbers (CLD)
• Dowel-laminated timbers
• Glue-laminated timbers
• Substitutes for pressure-treated wood (including a non-toxic solution that is still being developed)

We talk about LEED certification and other efforts toward documenting carbon footprint and discuss approaches that seek genuine change rather than just checking boxes for looks. TreeCycle’s business is aimed to take companies and projects beyond greenwashing and into authentic investment in reducing waste. It’s about sourcing something from 4 miles away rather than 100 miles away.    Anyone who has attempted to repurpose lumber knows that boards can be filled with nails and screws. Ben discusses how TreeCycle addresses these issues and talks about a pending partnership with Urban Machine.   Ben’s Megaphone Message: We need to look toward reducing as much waste as possible. It might take just a little more time and a little more effort, but it is a lot better for the planet if we start making these efforts.    Find Ben Online: LinkedIn, Treecycle Canada Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“In my day, you could get a candy bar for a nickel!”    Different generations have different reference points when it comes to money in general and compensation in particular. And those perceptions play a big role in recruitment and retention of employees.     It’s wise to be aware of your own bias when it comes to matters of compensation. This is true whether you’re in a position to set pay rates for others or you’re simply in a position of working for pay that is set by others.   The market matters more than your feelings. Also, demonstrated competency matters more than your feelings.    Take a look around. See what the fair market value is for your work or the work you’re hiring others to do.  Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! 

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Today we start out with a little chat about the way that our generational media tastes have influenced us. We touch on Seinfeld (who had a thing or two to say about construction) and radio-recorded cassettes of Frogstomp. Tyler shares what song smashes him emotionally when it interrupts his Hank.   In our 149 episodes, we’ve talked to specialists from just about every step in the commercial construction process. One specialty we haven’t addressed yet is steel detailing.    “Wait,” you say, “Isn’t Eddie a steel detailer.” Well, as a matter of fact he is. How convenient. (If you’re not familiar with Eddie’s company, check it out.)   When someone asks a steel detailer what they do for a living, the answer can be a tricky one. To a layperson–and even to some construction-industry people–the work of a steel detailer sounds like the work of an architect or engineer.    When did the term BIM come into use? Make your guess before listening for the answer.    Eddie shares about his entry into this line of work and learning that steel detailers are not supposed to make the smallest step in a direction other than what they’ve been told to do. An entire project can be brought to a standstill if a single detailer is working on an RFI.    We discuss the actual job description that guides steel detailers: They take the drawings from the structural engineers and turn it into a highly specific deliverable that tells the boot-wearing. They count out the shear plates, the nuts, the bolts. They build a detailed model of the steel structure that is used by an erector team.   This work is incredibly important. A single, tiny error by a detailer on a $20,000 beam can have a terrible financial domino effect. Yes, software does a great deal of the math, but even the best detailing software is useless unless it’s in the hands of a skilled detailer.    Detailers need to work in a hurry. Surprisingly a set of Lego instructions are likely more detailed than some of the shop drawings being produced today despite the amazing computing power we have at our fingertips. Unfortunately, as we discussed in last week’s episode, communication is often lacking. An average 40-ton job (a 10,000 square foot structure) has the potential for about 45,000 errors in the steel assembly alone.    Eddie mentions these industry organizations: 

• SEI: Steel Engineering Institute
• AISC: American Institute of Steel Construction

  Aspiring steel detailers need to learn several things:

• Software
• An industry
• Customer relations
• Patience: You’ll deal with big-time information fatigue. 
• Adaptability: The industry is always evolving. 
• Problem solving
• Writing: If you don’t write an RFI thoughtfully, you won’t get the information you need.

  Eddie shares about the anxiety that can come with detailing work. (See this related Five-minute Friday episode.) The pressure is substantial because small errors can create huge, expensive problems. This means that you’re double-checking everything multiple times: pre-approval, after modeling, before sending, after plotting, after team review, before fabrication, after change orders… In other words, you’re double-checking all the time.   At the risk of jinxing himself, Eddie says he feels that he has a good team with a good bunch of guys. We discuss the paradox of encouragement and affirmation that is always craved but often brings a cynical response.    What are the joys of detailing? You get to work on large projects and see a wide variety of structures–everything from single-family homes to entertainment venues and high-rises. When you drive past a building that was built with your drawings, you feel a deep sense of pride.    We discuss the confidentiality requirements but also mention at least a couple that we can mention specifically: The National Infantry Museum and Wawa convenience stores in Florida.   We share a couple technical tips for those of you who are detailers. Then Eddie reflects on a few memorable detailing experiences–some good and some bad. Then we wrap up with some overall-construction-industry insights and some personal reflections from the perspective of a detailer.   Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It sounds so abstract. It is.    Yet it’s so important.   Atmosphere is one of the things that employees look for in a place of employment…   It’s not just about having bean bags and ping-pong tables in the office.    It’s about a sense of comradery and trust. It’s about a healthy workplace culture. Does it feel good to be at this workplace?    It’s not about whether the employer says their company has those things; it’s about whether those things actually define the workplace.    Today we just scratch the surface of the elements that create atmosphere: the architecture of the office, the decor, the way people speak to each other.     In short, it’s about being intentional. A little bit of thought and action can make a difference.

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We have finally cleaned out our podcast studio, which had been converted into a company-Christmas-party venue. We start out today with some post-Christmas chit-chat about the challenges of Lego (or Legos if you’re an amateur), dog fur, and brotherly Christmas-gift arms race. Then we get down to business.    As we kick off our conversation about construction docs, we start with some thoughts about history. It’s currently easier than ever for us to access any and all information… This creates some amusing pronunciation problems: Rivet? Revit?   We’ve come so far from the day of slide rules.    We tend to romanticize the old days, but they were certainly more simple in some respects. This conciseness often led to a greater clarity.    The new tools have made some parts of the process so easy, but so much is still missed.    We find ourselves having to fill in the gaps with safe inferences, estimating upward to cover our butts. This leads to raised costs. Increased time spent in RFI just adds to the problems. (We make a reference to this RFI-related episode.)   We discuss the contributing forces: The owner has a why and a when. They also have financing concerns, insurers, and more. The architects have concerns about the how. They have risk-exposure concerns and legitimate needs for control over the process. Of course the list continues from there through several more stakeholders, each of whom has a legitimate set of priorities.   We discuss early release. Eddie shares about projects that have broken ground with only 30% documentation. He also explains how scope gap can develop in those situations. Details are missed. This sets a troubling precedent and establishes the tone for the rest of the project.    Eddie suggests that most of the industry is currently operating on the border of the minimum standard of care. That’s where bids are set. We talk through the various considerations surrounding some past projects and bids.    When we’re given incomplete plans, we submit RFIs. When the pile of RFIs overloads the responsible parties, the responses they give are insufficient. And the downward spiral of quality continues.    Better planning = a better outcome. Think about how much more productive you would be if you didn’t have to spend any time on RFIs. Surveys suggest most people think they’d be 2.5x more productive. If we can recognize this, our outcomes will be better. When you crunch the numbers, it makes pretty clear sense to invest more time on design.    Communication is easier than ever, but this means good communication is harder than ever. So many notifications! So many messages! It’s up to each person to set aside those distractions and focus on doing the job well.    We’d like to hear your thoughts on these things. Shoot us a message if you have some insights.     Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn   If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we chatted with Bob Goff for a recent episode, he mentioned in passing that he had never lost a case in his work as a construction lawyer. Although he acknowledged that he was a good lawyer, he said the real key to his winning record was that he knew which cases to take.  So often, the key is choosing the right project to pursue. The money is made on the job pick, just as profit in real estate is made on the buy.  Choosing projects poorly can lead to a number of problems. Your employees will be displeased. You’ll be unavailable when a good opportunity comes along.  When you pick your jobs wisely, everything else will go more smoothly. Take the time to think through things. The questions are not necessarily difficult, but it can be easy to forget them when you see dollar signs.  Don’t forget that it’s about profit, not revenue.  Even if you’re not in a position to choose projects, having this kind of mindset can make you a more valuable member of the team.  Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! 

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