Carlos Bravo

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the 26th Annual Sowers Symposium with Andres F. Peralta. In typical Tamera fashion, I have a couple of key takeaways from the event, here are my top three: 1. Things that seem natural to you, may be profound and inspirational to others. Over the past 26 years distinguished civil and geotechnical engineers from around the country have gotten together to honor the contributions George F. Sowers made to the field of geotechnical engineering, sharing fond memories they have of him. Some funny stories and others simple profound pieces of advice they had received. Sowers didn't ask for it, he just simply inspired those around him by being himself. 2. The sharing of ideas is the growth and birth ideas. Professor Anne Lemnitzer, Ph.D. , Kenneth L. Fishman Ph.D. P.E., and Professor Robert Gilbert, Ph.D. came to share their research and their life's work with the geotechnical community, undoubtedly helping other professionals solve their current hurdle in their research and inspiring new research. Without the sharing of ideas, we would repeat the mistakes of our peers and seniors and minimize the advancement of society. 3. Yesterday's theme was Common Sense. Unfortunately, too often we forget to use common sense, maybe we are blindly following the plans, ignoring obvious signs of caution "doesn't seem like that big of a deal", or not taking action in a crisis because we don't know what the right answer is. More often than not, using common sense is the quickest way to solving the problem. Bonus Takeaway: Eat the chocolate cake, maybe you don't know how it will taste or maybe you don't think you deserve it. You'll never know until you try, besides life is hard, so treat yourself. Thank you Mark W., for sharing the opportunity to attend the Sowers Symposium with Andres and me. #sowerssymposium #keytakeaways

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Random question I am hoping my network can help me out... How many #StructuralEngineering firms are there in the US? Do you know? My guess is somewhere between 1500-2000. But I am honestly just guessing. In my count, all the big companies' separate office locations don't count - they all would just be 1 company (e.g. Jacobs, Kimley-Horn, AECOM, etc). What do you think? #structuralengineers NCSEA SEI - Structural Engineering Institute

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Invasive carp might be amusing to watch fly through the air, but the impact these fish would have on the Great Lakes is no joke. That is why we wish to thank Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for stepping up and committing to protect the Great Lakes with the Brandon Road project. This joint effort with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a monumental step towards keeping invasive carp out of the Great Lakes and builds upon TNC’s efforts over the last 20 years, in collaboration with many partners, to develop innovative methods for detecting and preventing invasive species from entering the Great Lakes. https://lnkd.in/gcCZnv-2

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Teams that play together...

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I used to do estimates for a general contractor- I now work at Bluebeam- here are the 3 things I would have done differently. I had access to Bluebeam,  but I admittedly had no idea what I was doing with it. My main job was VD&C Manager (see last Monday’s post for 3 things I’d do differently in that role) But in the cyclical nature of construction- I wore different hats. Today’s hat - estimator. I’d usually be given 1-3 divisions to tackle- (the easy stuff) Admittedly, this wasn’t my favorite. I also didn’t want to learn a new software. So I would take these tasks as opportunities to figure out how to do things faster within Bluebeam.  And I made some cool progress :) Now this is what I would do differently- and what I felt like an absolute magician doing! Visual Search This will ALWAYS be my favorite feature. FOREVER and ALWAYS You can search for text or for IMAGES (!!!) I’d do this on tags, or specific elements relating to the division I was taking off. You wouldn’t believe the number of times the door schedule and tags didn’t line up correctly. WHAT I WISH I KNEW: You can automatically highlight the count selection (by clicking the thunderbolt) and add a count. -you can also automatically hyperlink to a cut sheet or other sections of the drawings. Custom columns Hear me out-  You’re heads down trying to finish your “quick” estimate-  Someone walks into your office and asks you a question- You just lost your spot. I wish I had created a custom column, that was a checkbox for my own backcheck. (oh yeah and custom columns would have been handy to run a calc within the markups list instead of exporting to Excel a million times) Compare Documents This happened one time- I had completed a signage takeoff…  it was Friday afternoon… and I got a revision. I actually printed one document and  held it next to my screen as I compared the new and old version  (yes I’m embarrassed to share this). What I should have done - run a quick compare documents- Find the updates (if any)  Update the takeoff… Enjoy my weekend! Like this? I’ll be cycling through all my past roles and sharing what I wish I knew that would have saved me a ton of time! Check back next Monday for what I’d do differently within my document management workflows! In the meantime- what should an estimator know within Bluebeam? PS- curious how I pivoted from Construction to Bluebeam? Comment “pivot” below and I’ll send you all the details!

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The reason we’re not seeing more mobile devices in the field is because we are not making the info they’re looking for readily available. Forget the Gannt Chart. What about an approved Submittal, a cut sheet, a wiring diagram, a balancing report, an inspection, the Punch List, RFI responses, etc.? If we stop hoarding this info and start sharing it, you will see more Trades pulling out their mobile devices. This is exactly why I created TALIHO. I had the same issues as a PM - running around chasing paperwork for everyone, all while a digital version of the info requested was just sitting there on my server. Didn’t make sense. So, I connected my data through QR Codes, printed them out and hung them up in the field. I saved myself around 15 hours per week. And my crews got more productive. If you’re looking for a simple, inexpensive solution to distributing all that project info you’ve been collecting, check us out. www.taliho.com

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The recent hurricane, Beryl, has been a blessing in disguise. With no power or Wi-Fi to work on my real estate projects, I had to step back. Fortunately, I have an amazing team supporting me, so even though I worried about not being involved, I'm using the time to reflect on lead generation strategies. It made me realize that getting leads boils down to spending either time or money. The only means by which you will ever acquire a lead is by:   1. Doing activities that require your time 2. Doing activities that require you invest money (normally automation or hiring) 3. A combination of both   For instance, cold calling or texting is 100% time based. You can call on a single dialer on average 300 numbers in a day or you can send out 10-20 personally written Cold DM's on social media every day for exactly $0, and it should work to get leads if you're doing it right.   The next form of leverage up on this is hiring somebody to write & manage the Cold outreach FOR YOU. Now you've just transferred what would ordinarily cost you time into something that instead costs you money.   The next form of leverage up is by automating the sending of thousands of cold emails or have a budget of $1,000 to $3,000 to run facebook ads for 30 days. This costs both money to buy the infrastructure & leads, and time to build the lists & handle the responses.   Again, you can leverage this even further by using a CRM & hire somebody to handle the responses for you.   It doesn't matter what you're doing. You always must PAY to acquire a lead.   This is the concept most people say they understand, but don't actually take it to heart.   All advertising works.   All outreach works.   It's just the rate with which is works depending on your offer & strategy you're approaching it.   So you always need to be optimizing the variables that increase the rate with which it works. What stage are you currently at in your business journey? Comment below and let’s discuss! 🤝

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#Michigan lawmakers are grappling with the ongoing deterioration of state roads, reigniting discussions about alternative funding approaches. Democrats in the state House and Senate have proposed allocating $5 million from the general fund for a pilot program to explore replacing traditional fuel taxes with mileage-based road usage fees. Advocates argue that this shift is necessary to ensure equitable revenue sources for road maintenance, regardless of vehicle energy sources. The proposed budget bills containing this provision are slated for floor votes soon. #Funding #Mileage #Program #Fuel #Taxes #Roads #Transportation

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The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. ranked #33 on #ENR’s list of 114 firms in the Midwest for 2024, but it’s ranked #1 on #CRR’s list-what a great place to work! #TheMannikAndSmithWay #CivilEngineering #StructuralEngineering #TransportationEngineering #EvironmentalSciences #GeotechnicalEngineering #AgriculturalEngineering #LandscapeArchitecture #LandSurveying #ConstructionEngineeringAndInspection #PlanningAndFundingStrategies #MannikAndSmith #TechnicalSkill #CreativeSpirit #OutstandingClientService #Culture #Opportunity #Development #Growth #Honesty #Integrity #Professionalism #Action #Success #HardWork #TechnicalExcellence #CreativeThinking #4Cs #Communicate #Collaborate #Cooperate #Commit #Partner #Teamwork #BetterTogether #TeamMSG #HappyInfrastructureDay #EveryDayIsInfrastructureDay

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📢 Calling ALL Young Engineers 📢 The Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI)'s Young Engineers Symposium is coming up in just 2 months and it's hard to believe that the event I helped start is already in its 💥8TH YEAR💥 To celebrate, we are inviting young engineers everywhere to attend or present virtually! The Call for Abstracts is officially open! The point of the YE Symposium is to give young engineers an opportunity to practice presenting before an audience of their peers (instead of an audience of their superiors). Presentations are brief - 15 minutes max - and can be on any topic - a case study, a lesson learned, an analysis tool that you developed for a project, really anything related to structural engineering. ✨For more information and to submit an abstract for consideration, check out: https://lnkd.in/gFcjew7y Key dates: 🔔 12/15 - Abstracts Due 🔔 12/20 - Abstract Selection Notification 🔔 1/26 - Presentation Slides Due 🔔 1/30, 6-8 PM (Central) - PRESENT❗ Questions❓ Email SEAOI's Young Engineers Committee at yec@seaoi.org.

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Illinois unveils $41 billion infrastructure program Illinois has unveiled the largest infrastructure program in state history, with plans to spend $41.42 billion on roads, bridges, rail lines, ports and airports. "The $29 billion in highway improvements, including significant investment in the much-needed reconstruction of the I-290 corridor, will support Illinois’ continued efforts towards a safe and efficient transportation system” "Modernizing our infrastructure is crucial for creating jobs, reducing congestion, and building a stronger economy.” The centerpiece is the reconstruction of the Illinois 50 and Illinois 43 interchanges, with modifications and signal improvements to reduce congestion and increase accommodations for people who walk and bike. “Every job that we create, every commute we make easier, every accident that we prevent, that is what this work is all about” If you are in need of high-level individuals in Construction, Estimation, Engineering or Management, or you would like to work on award-winning, high-profile projects, message me directly or reach out to james.oleary@imperium-global.com Imperium Global https://lnkd.in/ewMNVKWG

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Our industry is in crisis, and many don’t know it. The construction industry has the highest suicide rate in the country. THE HIGHEST, at 4x the national average. I am proud of the work being done by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) in this area…at our annual meeting this past September, there was a strong spotlight placed on mental health, supported by Hamilton Baiden and Dr. Vince Hafeli, D.B.A. I am also proud of the support my firm HNTB provides to our employee owners through our robust employee assistance program. But we can and must do better. “Towards Zero Deaths” or TZD is a popular phrase in the transportation industry…this should include construction workers as well. Our country needs our industry to grow, renew and evolve our infrastructure. As leaders we must expect more of ourselves and to better support the mental health of the people making this happen. https://lnkd.in/eiQgZtyX

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Streamline Your Estimating Process with PlanSwift! Tired of spending countless hours on manual takeoffs? PlanSwift is here to revolutionize your estimating process! Our cutting-edge software allows you to quickly and accurately measure digital plans, saving you time and reducing errors. 🔹 Fast and Accurate Takeoffs: 🔹 Easy to Use: 🔹 Integrations: 🔹 Customizable:

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Beam Me Up, Scotty! A Crash Course in Beam Types ️ Not all beams are created equal! These bad boys hold up our world, from bridges to buildings, and understanding their styles is key. Let’s dive in: 1. The Cantilever King: Imagine a diving board - that’s a cantilever beam! Fixed on one end, it bravely projects outward, perfect for balconies, shelves, and defying gravity in style. 2. Simply Supported Superstar: This classic beam rests on two comfy supports, like a champion napping on a hammock. Super common in floors and roofs, it distributes weight evenly for a stress-free life. 3. Overhanging Outcast: This rebel beam is like the cantilever’s cooler cousin. Fixed on one end, it extends PAST its supports, offering dramatic overhangs for patios or creating a breakfast bar ledge. 4. Fixed-End Fort Knox: Picture a beam locked down at BOTH ends, super secure! This mighty beam handles heavy loads in continuous structures like bridges, resisting bending moments like a boss. 5. The Continuous Crew: Imagine a beam party! Continuous beams connect multiple supports, spreading the load like a group project where everyone contributes. Perfect for long bridges and buildings needing extra muscle. #BeamLife #EngineeringEveryday #ConstructionCrew #ArchitectureAddict #KnowYourBeams #construction #interior #archidaily #civilengineering #beam Bonus points: Want to geek out? Look up beam deflection, shear force, and bending moments - the holy trinity of beam behavior! https://lnkd.in/dqftMN2k

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