Constructing With Snow

The 2010 Olympics are underway. I’ve marveled at the snow construction. The Canadian Olympic committee had to import, by truck, needed snow to construct a snowboard cross track and the half pipe course. These tracks are amazing—more like a sculpture than a construction project. How does one learn to do that kind of work anyway? You can be sure, a lot of experience was required.

I’m old enough to remember Jim McKay’s opening sequence for ABC’s Wide World of Sports. In his words, “the human drama of athletic competition and the agony of defeat.” As a child I learned when to look at the TV, upon hearing these words, to see Vinko Bogataj slide off the right side of the ski jump ramp. This ski jumper survived his terrible accident with only a few bruises and a mild concussion. He returned to competition the very next year. [Link]

This year, we were reminded that in the Olympics, especially the winter games, margins for error are razor thin and errors in judgment can be fatal. During a practice run, luge slider, 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili from Georgia, lost his life in a fatal accident on the luge track. He misjudged a turn and sailed out of the track hitting a support column. Naturally, the designers and builders of the track, which was an amazing feat of construction, did their best to make the track safe. Now the memory of this fatal accident will be with them forever.

In the construction business, judgments are made all the time. In our business we often work around high voltage equipment, and around bacteria, viruses and airborne contaminants. We cannot afford mistakes, for mistakes can be devastating. When working in critical environments, one wrong move or a mistake in judgment could cost millions of dollars or could even be fatal. Preparation and planning are keys to success and more than 20 years of experience with construction in these environments is useful too. Keeping people safe while protecting investments. That’s what Critical Environment Construction is all about.

Joseph Bramlage
- Director of Marketing and Information Technology

Turning a Digital Page Yet Again

I remember seeing A:\ > on a fuzzy green monitor years ago and thinking I was seeing the future. When the first graphic user interfaces (GUI) arrived, it demonstrated potential for improving the user experience. The GUI was called a paradigm shift, meaning a dramatic change in methodology or practice. We have seen incremental improvements, such as better monitors, faster processors, a library of typefaces and proportional character sets. Laser and inkjet printers replaced dot matrix printers. Digital photos and music added richness to the user experience. Laptops became more portable, yet the design of personal computers and the user interface have remained relatively unchanged for years.

For me, another paradigm shift arrived with the Internet. Being connected is now essential for business. Many of us have computers at home connected to the net, as well. There are about 312 million people in the US and approximately 75% of us have access to the Internet. Does that mean 80 million Americans still only read newspapers, watch TV for the news, or mail letters? This is not likely. Being too young or old to learn is only part of the reasons people remain off the net. I think one large barrier is the design of computers. I simply do not like to read news on a computer screen because my computer is often not convenient. Email has changed my life, but even email is inaccessible at times. Smart phones are cool, but I cannot manage data on a tiny little screen and type on a tiny keyboard.

Media readers have been around for a few years, but until last week, these readers made little sense. Apple has quickly taken the lead position in this market. I believe their iPad product represents another paradigm shift and my reasons are simple. The touch-screen interface and potential for hundreds of applications makes information more approachable, efficient, and convenient. I believe my 79-year old mother could even use this product. The iPad’s near instant on capability means convenience and flexibility. I will carry one like a portfolio. It will likely become my preferred method for daily digital tasks such as reading news or email. Expect to see mobile data entry applications, and interactive kiosks. You will see them in police cars and in offices. They will become GPS navigators, maps, a remote for your DVR—the potential is nearly endless.

Other vendors will close rank and follow Apple’s lead. Whichever model you buy, the glue that holds them together is the digital communication network. Without a network, these products become insignificant. Making sure digital networks remain uninterrupted during renovations and construction is Critical Environment Construction^TM. It’s what we do at KBS Constructors. Making sure your portable digital media is delivered portably at all times. That’s pretty critical.

Joseph Bramlage -Director of Marketing and Information Technology