Just to repeat, this is the week I will be traveling International ASC conference in Texas and won't be on campus. But there's still a lot going on so I want to make sure we're all on the same page.. What's Going on in Classes CM 10: Tuesday's (4/21) guest speakers will be Brad DesJardin and Neal Cordeiro of DesCor Builders. DesCor is a commercial building general contractor. Neal and Brad are great guys and love answering questions and dropping knowledge on students, so come ready to interact. I'm giving you an extra week for the Rob Clark memo because I totally forgot to post the assignment. It's up now. Also, on the flight to Texas, I promise to grade the exam. CM 125: No lecture this week, but Mike will be in the lab to discuss Ice Blocks. As discussed in class last week, we have developed milestones for the project. These milestones are for your benefit: they will help keep you on track. Here they are:
If you have any questions, ask Mike. He's a great reference for putting together budget estimates, among other things. CM 127: Use lecture time on 4/21 and 4/23 to meet with your ID+CM team. CM 135: Exam #2 is on Thursday (4/23). Anyssa will proctor it, but I've already told her that you cannot use scientific calculators or your phones. So go get a calculator if you don't have one. Because Angelica asked nicely, here are some answers for the practice exam:
There is no lecture on Tuesday (4/21), but I would use the time to study. There are no labs this week. Adios and I'll see you next week.
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I know, I know...it's been a long time since I've done some planning. Better late than never, right? The next two weeks are going to be chaotic, so I thought now would be a good time to get a game plan set. Here goes.
This week we have classes as usual. I will be traveling next week to the International ASC conference and won't be on campus. However, there is still a lot going on and there are no days off. What's Going on in Classes CM 10: Tomorrow (4/14) we will be having Rob Clark of Rosendin Electric in class. Rob is a very recent grad and will talk about the specialty contracting side of the construction industry. He's also working on the Downtown Arena. Next week our guest speakers will be Brad DesJardin and Neal Cordeiro of DesCor Builders. DesCor is a commercial building general contractor. Neal presented in my CM 10 class last year and crushed it. You're sure to be entertained. I won't be in class, but I have my spies so please be respectful to Brad and Neal. I've been getting questions about posting grades. This semester has been bananas and I'll get to it eventually. Please be patient. CM 125: This week we will cover LEED and green building. If you'll recall from last week, Mike Heller is not seeking LEED certification for Ice Blocks, but he is seeking ways to make the building more green. We will discuss how this is done. We will be having lab this week, for which you are expected to start working on Ice Blocks. Some of you might be thinking "our ID teammates are lagging on the drawings..." or some other whiny complaint. You still have a lot of things you can do without plans, like site logistics, QTOs based on the existing floorplans, demo plans, etc. Time is your most precious commodity, so use it wisely. Also, there will be no lectures next week (4/21 and 4/23). Some people asked for class time to work on Ice Blocks, so there you go, you get class time on those two days to work on it. There will be lab this week and next. If you're in Thursday's lab, please come to lab on this Tuesday so that Mike Penney can give you some audit trail feedback for SFHS and I can provide you with some advising. You likely won't have to stay for the entire lab period. CM 127: This week we will start talking about lean construction and focus on pull planning. Next week there will be no lectures, but read the CM 125 paragraph above. Use lecture time on 4/21 and 4/23 to meet with your ID counterparts or work with your CM homies. CM 135: On Tuesday, we will be continuing our discussion of footings, particularly eccentric loading. We will also discuss the next homework assignment. On Thursday we will be moving on to pile foundations. In lab this week, we will be working on footing example problems. I know this doesn't sound exciting, but it will help prepare you for the exam next week. The problems we will work on have been uploaded to SacCT as Lab #7 if you want to download them ahead of time. Speaking of exams next week, Exam #2 is on Thursday. Anyssa will proctor it, but I've already told her that you cannot use scientific calculators or your phones. Don't screw with Anyssa. I'm bribing her with 3 cups of coffee for every cheater she rats out, and the only thing Anyssa likes more than being the most competent person in the CM Department is drinking coffee. To help you prepare for the exam, I've done something I've never done before: I've posted an old exam for you to use as a study guide. Exam #2 next week will be very similar. Here's the tradeoff: I can guarantee with 100% certainty that there will be no make-up exam for Exam #2. I figure posting a sample exam is better for your preparation and creates less work for me. There will be no lecture next Tuesday (4/21) of labs next week for CM 135. Brief summary of what's going on in classes this week. I will not be on campus on Monday.
What's Going on in Classes CM 10: Kurt Frandrup from Flatiron will be our first guest speaker. You can find out more about Flatiron here. CM125: This week we will cover preconstruction services during both lectures. In lab, you will be working on SFHS Dining Hall. Not a whole lot of hard work was on display regarding SFHS last week, but I strongly advise you to get going on this. CM 127: On Tuesday we will finish up scheduling by hand. On Thursday, if you behave, we"ll start using Microsoft Project to create a real adult schedule. Again, only if you behave. CM 135: On Tuesday, we will be continuing our discussion of trenching.Thursday we will switch to soil volume calculations. Lab will be a site visit to the Steve P. Rados pipeline project downtown. I'm not sure exactly what we will be doing on site, but bring full PPE just in case. Be sure to turn your labs in on time (see SacCT for details). OK, starting to recover from the Reno madness. Time to get back to business.
Job Leads A lot of jobs on Talent Exchange page. It's not even updated so there's even more jobs than those listed. Seems like the whole world is hiring. Good time to be in CM. What's Going on in Classes CM 10: Tuesday will be a recap of the Reno competition. We will also be discussing careers in construction management. I'm in the process of arranging guest speakers, but I think our first one will be on February 17. The class is about to get more interesting! Once I have a concrete speaker schedule determined, I'll post an updated version of the syllabus. Many of you have sent me e-mails over the last week and I haven't answered them. My apologies. Please ask your questions in class tomorrow. CM125: This week we will cover contractual incentives on Tuesday and proposals on Thursday. In Tuesday's lecture, I'll also be discussing the first major lab assignment. In teams of 4 max, you will be putting together a proposal for your old friend the St. Francis High School Dining Hall. Some people have asked about moving between lab sections. I discussed this with Mike Penney since it's really his call and he's cool with it so long as the lab sizes stay pretty even. In theory, if one person from Thursday's lab joins a team of people from Tuesday's section, then one from Tuesday should join a Thursday team. If things get out of whack, we reserve the right to disband your teams and reformulate them as necessary. In other words, be cool about it. CM 127: On Tuesday we will discuss factors that affect project schedules. On Thursday we'll actually start scheduling with baby steps. We will create some bar charts using Excel and then ramp up into performing the Critical Path Method by hand. CM 135: On Tuesday, we will be discussing soil properties. You should have watched the Auburn video on shrink/swell. On Thursday we will actually be getting into construction issues when we discuss trenching. In lab this week, we will be performing the sieve analysis test. Shortly after I post this, I will be posting the lab. Read the lab AND the ASTM standard on how to perform the lab. If you have time, read the CalTrans specs provided as well; it will help you perform most of the assignment and reduce the amount of homework you have. Classes on Tuesday. Reno the rest of the week. Go get 'em Hornets!
Hold onto you hats--the semester's end is fast approaching. Here's the game plan for the end of the semester (as far as Reg-administered courses are concerned).
Job Leads One new note: Swinerton Builders will be on campus on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 5:00 in Riverside 1207. You may leave CM121 lab for the presentation, but you're still responsible for completing your work. No other new jobs have been posted, but there is still a ton of them on Talent Exchange page. Offers are starting to roll in and they look pretty healthy... What's Going on in Classes CM 121: Thursday, December 4 is Exam #2. I sent an announcement through SacCT with the exam instructions. Check them out. Key takeaways: bring your acceptable calculator and a pencil and be sure to go to the bathroom before the exam. You must turn in your exam if you want to leave the room. No exceptions unless you have a doctor's note. Tuesday, December 9 is BID DAY! Come with your bid materials. You will be turning in everything in HARD COPY and it's due at 3:30 sharp. You all know what happens if you're late for a public-sector bid. Bring your bid sheets and all back-up info so that I know how you arrived at your bid item prices. Some of your prices will be determined on bid day--it's okay to come to bid day with some blank spaces, but once you submit your bid, I should be able to navigate your audit trail easily. That means QTO and production sheets and a MOLES-like summary sheet. Do not put your work in a binder or folder. I will give you a binder clip. You will place your bid form on top and then put your back-up documentation behind it. We will have a bid opening in 4003 after the bid deadline. Thursday, December 11 we will wrap the class up. I will reveal the lowest responsive bidder and go over the project. I will also go over Exam #2. And then you're done! CM124 Lab: Bids due on Monday, December 8. Presentations on Wednesday, December 10 starting at 9:00 sharp. CM 126: On Monday, December 8, your electrical change order assignment is due. We'll discuss that assignment and wrap the class up. I'll also discuss the final exam. This is a good class to not miss. On Wednesday, December 10, your service learning project is due. Submit your work packages to SacCT and bring one hard copy to class. In class, each group will give a presentation on their work package. Cover what has been done, what still needs to be done, and any lessons learned (among other items you think are important). Each group will get 5 minutes to present and approximately 5 minutes for Q&A. Try to incorporate as many team members as possible. That will be your last day for class participation points... The final exam in on Monday, December 15 at 12:45 in Eureka 115. And then your done! My favorite week of the Fall semester--Thanksgiving week. Enjoy the four-day weekend. But until then, here's what's happening.
Job Leads No new jobs posted, but there is still a ton of them on Talent Exchange page. The high number of jobs is a possible sign that the construction market is getting better. What's Going on in Classes CM 121: Tuesday we will be covering insurance and bonds, overhead, and fee. Only the Tuesday lab section meets this week (remember, to make up for the Veteran's Day holiday). Lab is dedicated to the McKinley Park Tennis Courts project. CM124 Lab: More time for the semester project. Come armed with questions. The questions being asked are good ones. You should have a lot of them if you're really looking into the project. CM 126: On Monday, we will be discussing two case studies (Case #5: Remodel of an Existing Building and Case #6: Strike at Meridian Plaza 2). I will be posting both cases to SacCT and attaching them to a separate e-mail. Be ready to discuss the cases in class to improve your participation grade. Wednesday is dedicated to the service learning project (sidewalk on Folsom Blvd.). Make sure you show up to work with your teammates or coordinate with them is you will be traveling that day to make sure you're carrying your weight on the project. Good news! You don't have to work on Catta Verdera.
Job Leads More jobs have been posted, so check out the Talent Exchange page. Make sure your resume is up to the task of getting you employed. What's Going on in Classes CM 121: We're going to talk about closing off the bid. On Tuesday, we'll cover leveling the bids of subcontractors. On Thursday, we will be covering insurance and bonds, overhead, and fee. That will take a couple of days because it's that important.Lab this week, as for the next few weeks, will be dedicated to the McKinley Park Tennis Courts. CM124 Lab: More time for the semester project. Come armed with questions. Stay in front of this project! CM 126: You will be given all of Monday's class to work on the semester service project. Come prepared to put a strong effort in because the due date is fast approaching. On Wednesday, we will be discussing two case studies (Case 3: Scope Coverage and Case 4: Site Contamination). I will be posting both cases to SacCT and attaching them to a separate e-mail. Be ready to discuss the cases in class to improve your participation grade. Sorry for the week off. It's a busy job being an international man of mystery. On with the news.
Job Leads DUDE! The job market is crackin'. If you are looking for a job or, perhaps, a competing offer, check out the open job listings on the Talent Exchange page. Lots of jobs being added regularly. Get on it because hiring season comes fast and furiously. It pains me to mention this, but triple check your resumes and LinkedIn pages. A recruiter told me that typos and misspellings have been common. Check out my Advice for Students page for more on this. What's Going on in Classes Feel those G forces stretching your face back? That's the effects of this semester speeding along. Hold on because it's about to accelerate. CM 121: NO CLASS ON TUESDAY! That makes Thursday's class even more important. We're kicking off our semester bid project (McKinley Park Tennis Courts). We will be conducting a virtual job walk where we will discuss means and methods and the schedule. This is hugely important. Show up and and start thinking about your team (three people MAX!). CM124 Lab: We will be kicking off the final semester project. Don't slouch on this! More than a few people didn't take this project seriously until too late and ended up twisted around the axle. Don't be that guy/gal. Show up, listen and ask questions. This is a team project and we will be giving you a lot of lab time to work on it. You still need to show up and put a strong effort into the project. You've been warned... CM 126: We have a guest lecturer on Monday...sort of. Mike Anderson will be coming in to kick off our semester project, which will be a service project meant to tie project management to the other subject matter you have learned at Sac State previously. I will be posting a case at SacCT for Wednesday's class. Read it before class so that you're ready for an in-class participatory assignment. Remember, participation is worth 20% of your grade. Job Leads
Things are really picking up. Be sure to check my updated list of open positions here. Five new employers/open positions have been added. Update your resumes and think about creating a LinkedIn profile if you haven't already done so. If you have, update it. If you're interested, send me an invitation to connect and I'll put a link to your profile on the Talent Exchange page. If you are looking for advice on how to improve your resume, click here for an article I wrote a year ago. What's Going on in Classes Not sure you noticed, but the semester is more than half over! CM 121: We have a lot of material to cover. This week's lab is on structrual steel for SFHS Dining Hall. Given that, we will talk about structural steel. I will also try to discuss masonry to build on last week's lab. If all goes well, we will also discuss framing and drywall ahead of next week's lab. CM124 Lab: We will be heading to a Granite project in El Dorado Hills. The exact address is 281 Green Valley Road (enter on access road at the intersection of Green Valley Road and Sophia Parkway. The site has limited space, so carpooling is important. PPE are absolutely required. CM 126: This week will bring the conclusion to presentations (for real this time). Our last four will be on Monday. I have posted an assignment requiring you to type your presentation peer reviews. I will copy and paste all of the reviews and distributing them to the appropriate speaker. The final review you receive will include the reviews from your classmates, a review from me, your grade for the reviews you performed, and your final grade. If you missed one of the presenters you were supposed to review, leave the section for that presenter blank. I have been taking roll, so if you weren't in class, then don't submit a review. The assignment is due on Wednesday. On Wednesday, we will be having Jeff Messana from Sprig Electric coming to class to discuss managing subcontractors. Please be on time. Jeff has worked on some cool projects (Sprig has done a ton of work for Google) and he's a good guy with a good perspective on project management. |
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