It’s wintertime and you’re probably tucked up in your home with a cozy fire, hot chocolate, and a good book. But what about the trees outside? The cold winter temperatures can seem unbearable, but even in this frigid weather, trees are still alive and well! How do they survive in such harsh conditions? Let’s take a closer look!

Crane camera from AMCS Technologies expands zoning and anti-collision systems specialist’s portfolio.

French zoning and anti-collision systems specialist AMCS Technologies has now extended its construction site safety focus with the launch of its own crane camera.

Lately we've been looking at how construction sites for large buildings start off, at the shoring and excavation stages, for example. Today we're going to jump to the next major piece of equipment installed at a site to assist with forming work from the foundations up — a tower crane. The cranes play an essential role in building construction; their reach and ability to hoist large loads allows a huge variety of building materials to be placed wherever they are needed to build a structure. In today's Explainer, we explore the installation and the anatomy of a typical tower crane.

Excavation and trenching become more challenging during winter; you have to deal with snow, ice, water—when the snow and ice melt—and frozen ground.

To avoid these challenges and weather-related work stoppages, contractors will stop working early in the winter season and delay starting projects in late winter; however, companies lose out on the potential to generate revenue during that time.

Cliff Young remembers sweeping up at his father’s structural fab shop in New Zealand in the early 1980s. He watched as shop workers reviewed engineered structural drawings, then used chalk to draw out details for beam fabrication right on the concrete floor. They were shop floor drawings in the literal sense.

A knuckle boom crane is a flexible equipment option that is ideal in tight workspaces due to its ability to lift various items with precision. Since workers can install a knuckle boom crane on a truck bed as well as multiple platforms, it is a versatile choice that workers can utilize at many different job sites. 

Retirement seems like a dream that most of us can’t wait to achieve. What we fail to consider is how it will feel to stop doing something we love so much and know so well.

A crane operator learned first hand how important loving his job is when he met a man who was no longer able to work, but who still had valuable lessons to teach.

The share of women in construction in the US has hit a record high, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Analysis of the statistics by the Washington Post newspaper revealed that in August of this year 14% of construction workers were female – the highest number ever recorded.

Baby it’s getting cold outside! You’re heading in to cozy up by the fire, but your trees are not! In most managed landscapes, those trees won’t even have the benefit of a layer of fallen leaves to act as a winter coat protecting the soil.  With that in mind, winter is a good time to apply a fresh layer of mulch.

SC&RA members on both the construction and transportation sides of the Association are likely keeping a sharp eye on what 2023 is set to bring, even as they assess the remaining parts of 2022 from the micro and macro levels.

The specialised nature of mini-cranes means they are increasingly being used in place of other, larger crane types. Julian Champkin reports.

Mini-cranes are getting simpler. They are also getting more complicated. The simpler part is outside: they are easier than ever to operate, even by a compete beginner. The complicated part is generally inside and does not show. It is there to make the outside and everything else simpler for that operator, whether experienced or complete beginner.

Cranes, particularly overhead cranes, can be found in many fabricating shops. Fabricators use them to transport raw materials to shop floor machines and finished products to shipping bays to be sent out to customers. Material handling requires some thought to ensure that time and effort are being spent wisely. However, crane safety is paramount to all other aspects of the material handling process.

SEEKONK — A local tree business wants to spread the holiday cheer to those in need.

Heritage Tree and Arborist Services at 137 Willard Ave. plans to donate dozens of Christmas trees.

“It’s the first time I’m doing it,” owner Michael Gilligan said.

We’ve looked at the past, now it’s time to focus on the future: we ask a number of key industry players what their strategy for further future development is.

WIM SARENS, SARENS CEO:

Our family’s blood runs Sarens blue, so I grew up in the world of heavy lifting. My first memory was attending a nighttime bridge lift in Belgium. I was about eight years old and there with my twin brother and father.

SEATTLE — When a tree falls in the city, does it make a table? Or a guitar or a cabinet?

It’s a question that’s increasingly being asked by state and city leaders, arborists, tree care companies and woodworkers. A growing coalition aims to turn urban wood into a valuable resource, rather than a waste product that is chipped up and sent to landfills.

Wire and fiber rope research is intense. D.Ann Shiffler reports.

Over the past decade, a handful of crane OEMs have partnered with wire and synthetic rope manufacturers to research the idea of replacing heavy wire rope with lighter fiber rope. The idea is to reduce weight without conceding strength.