In the electrical utility industry, the installation, maintenance, and repair of transmission poles and towers are critical operations that ensure the reliable delivery of electricity. These tasks, however, often present significant challenges due to the need to navigate difficult terrain, protect sensitive environments, and maintain safety standards. Ground protection and site access mats have emerged as indispensable tools in overcoming these challenges, offering benefits that enhance operational efficiency, environmental stewardship, and worker safety.

Arborists say California's "urban forest" is the most biodiverse in North America. Laurie Perez reports.

A utility worker is going to spend quite a few hours working in the dark, often amid an emergency. They have a critical job to do as quickly as possible. They don’t want to be dragging all kinds of equipment around. When it comes to lighting, they want something brighter and can be deployed faster. It’s all about safety.

The crane and specialized transport industry is embracing new eco-technologies and adopting sustainable practices. While contributing to environmental sustainability, it’s also proving to be cost-effective for companies. Niamh Marriott reports.

On the heels of a proposed federal heat standard, a new free app has been released to help employers gauge workers’ potential heat stress before starting work, as well as throughout the day.

The proposed OSHA standard would require employers, including construction contractors, to take a variety of steps to protect workers when heat indexes reach 80 degrees and above.

Proper training and routine inspections are only a couple best practices to know when lifting materials with your Terex bucket truck. To help ensure safe and efficient material handling on an aerial device, follow these other essential tips. 

The construction industry, like many others, is grappling with high turnover rates and the challenge of retaining skilled workers. Successful onboarding strategies can help make sure your new employees feel valued and integrated from day one.

Effective onboarding is crucial in setting the tone for new hires. It is the process that introduces new employees to the company’s culture, values and operations. When done correctly, onboarding can significantly reduce turnover and increase company culture.

But onboarding is not always used effectively in the construction industry, said Agnes Watkinson, Managing Principal at AMC Services, a Canadian company dedicated to driving organizational growth through innovative design thinking.

Finnish crane maker Konecranes is establishing the necessary supplier network and infrastructure to begin building port cranes in the USA.

The move follows US President Joe Biden’s introduction in mid-May of 25 per cent tariffs on imports of such cranes and similar rates on other goods from China.

Konecranes has developed a still-expanding network of steel structure providers and subcontractors that fit the criteria of the Build America Buy America (BABA) Act of 2021.

As our understanding of environmental science deepens and technology advances, the tree care industry has seen a surge of innovative techniques aimed at enhancing tree health, improving urban forestry, and promoting sustainable practices. These new methods not only ensure the longevity of trees but also contribute to ecological balance, aesthetic improvement, and economic benefits.

The start-up Cambium has acquired the Forward Forestry network of arborists, in a bid to keep more fallen trees out of landfill and in the timber supply chain.

Cambium will add the network of more than 80 arborists to its sustainable supply chain software to help boost production of its sustainable wood brand, Carbon Smart Wood.

Typically, trees that fall due to decay, disaster, disease, or development are captured by arborists and sent to the landfill or turned into wood chips.

Forward Forestry has been an industry leader in educating arborists to sell fallen trees to sawmills where they can be turned into sustainable building materials to help contractors, furniture suppliers, and corporations meet demands to decarbonize the built environment.

When it comes to thinking outside of the box for unique rigging solutions, gantry systems are often an adaptable alternative to huge and expensive conventional cranes. Utilized at both indoor and outdoor jobs, gantries are a portable and popular solution in the rigging and specialized lifting realm. These simple yet mighty machines can be deployed to a jobsite and get right to work.

Hoisting reactor vessels in California, setting a generator, modernizing a Chicago Transit Authority rail line and restoring an historic canal, American Cranes & Transport has compiled several interesting projects that were performed using gantries.

Marr Contracting has been awarded a contract to continue working on Hinkley Point C (HPC), where they will install their M2480D luffing tower crane, the largest capacity crane of its kind, within the unit 2 turbine hall.

Marr Contracting had previously been contracted to work at Hinkley Point, having previously worked on the Tunnelling and Marine Project.

HPC is a nuclear power plant under construction at Hinkley Point, UK, and will be the first nuclear power station constructed in the UK since 1995. They recently stated that costs for the plant could raise to £35bn.

Argentinian Grúas Bovier used its Liebherr LTM 1060/2 all terrain crane to lift two meteorites from the Antonio Serrano natural history museum in Entre Rios, near Buenos Aires. The cargo was then prepared for transport.

The two space rocks weighed over two tonnes in total – with one weighing 1,600 kilogrammes and the other 600 kilogrammes.

To lift them, the 60 tonne capacity, 4 axle crane was set up with 12 tonnes of ballast and the crane boom was extended to a length of 29 metres.

The utility vegetation management (UVM) industry is steadily embracing significant changes. For many years, UVM crews were tasked with the considerable responsibility of keeping the power on while using very basic equipment and limited resources. Practices were often handed down by word-of-mouth from crew leaders to craftworkers, and decisions were frequently made using old data sets. 

Fortunately, important changes are well underway, and technology is helping to lead the charge. These changes—fueled by groundbreaking innovations—are resulting in greater efficiencies, increased safety and enhanced productivity in the UVM sector at a time when the demand for reliable power is at an all-time high and ever-increasing peak.

Crane operator Rebekah Tolatovicz, a shift mechanical technician lead for Artic Slope Regional Corporation at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, operates a 30-ton crane to lift the agency's Artemis II Orion spacecraft out of the recently renovated altitude chamber to the Final Assembly and Systems Testing, or FAST, cell inside NASA Kennedy's Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on April 27.

In Dallas, the Northaven Trail Bridge has been installed as a crucial connection for multiple regional bicycle and pedestrian pathways. The solution came in the form of the only known S-curved, network tied bridge in the world – which was efficiently set overnight by Mammoet’s team.

Climate change could begin to impact the density of tree species and in turn the effectiveness of ecosystem conservation, finds new study. The research, led by the University of Alcalá (UAH), in Spain, and including researchers at the University of Birmingham, draws data from across Europe and North America to show that tree species in the Northern Hemisphere are starting to become denser in colder and wetter regions. Researchers analysed data from over two million trees, representing over 70 species widely distributed across Europe and the United States; investigating whether the changes in density could be attributed to species characteristics.

It is well known that the tree care industry is not the safest of work environments. Our decisions can make it dangerous. From January to May, 2019, there were 50 confirmed fatalities (according to reports on Dripline.net). And this number is not an anomaly. Your gear is integral to performing your job safely, therefore it is critical to prioritize taking care of the gear you use everyday.

Big cranes, while fewer in number, are in high demand due to taller building projects in the U.S. Major cities like Los Angeles and Miami are seeing increases. Projects across the country require taller cranes for heavy lifting, with residential construction dominating. Omaha and Boise are examples of cities embracing taller rigs for new developments.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in the expectations of younger workers when it comes to internships. Especially within industries like construction and transport, where the quality, long-term worker pool seems to get more shallow by the day, entry-level professionals are seeking more from these opportunities than ever before. But leaders in these industries can use that to their advantage. Internships have also transformed into vital stepping stones for career development rather than mere resume fillers. Younger workers want hands-on experiences that provide practical skills and insights into chosen fields. They crave mentorship from seasoned professionals who can offer guidance and support as they navigate the complexities of the workplace.