Blogs

Building in Desert Environments When people picture a desert construction site, the first thing they usually think about is heat. And they're not wrong. But heat is only the beginning. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and the southwestern United States, contractors work in environments where extreme temperatures, blowing dust, intense sunlight, limited water, and dramatic temperature swings can affect almost every part of a project. Workers feel it. Equipment feels it. Materials feel it. Ev …

Restoring Ancient Structures in Italy There are old buildings. And then there are buildings that were already old before many modern countries existed. Italy is filled with structures that have survived centuries of weather, wars, earthquakes, changing cities, and generations of human use. Roman amphitheaters. Aqueducts. Temples. Stone walls. Ancient roads. Historic churches and public buildings. Some have stood for well over a thousand years. Others date back more than two thousand. Keeping str …

How Construction Differs in Australia At first glance, construction in Australia might not seem all that different from construction in the United States. Modern cities. Commercial buildings. Roads. Industrial projects. Residential construction. Familiar equipment and familiar trades. But travel outside Australia's major cities and the construction environment can change dramatically. Extreme heat, enormous distances, remote mining operations, difficult logistics, and strict workplace safety req …

Construction on Offshore Oil Platforms So far in our Scaffolding Around the World series, we've looked at construction in crowded cities, deserts, historic European landmarks, the Arctic, and tropical rainforests. This time, we're leaving land altogether. Offshore oil and gas platforms present one of the most unusual construction and maintenance environments in the world. Workers may be miles from shore, surrounded by water, exposed to wind and salt, and working on structures packed with equipme …

Building in the Rainforests Last time in our Scaffolding Around the World series, we headed north into the Arctic, where contractors deal with frozen ground, extreme cold, and short construction seasons. This time, we're going in the opposite direction. Into the rainforest. Across parts of South America and Southeast Asia, construction crews face an entirely different set of challenges. Extreme humidity. Heavy rainfall. Dense vegetation. Remote locations. Difficult transportation. And an environ …