steel project list - Kinsley Construction, Inc.

12
PO Box 2886 � York, PA 17405
For general company
information, contact
one of our offices:
WELLNESS
York, PA: John Sivulka
(717) 741-8373
jsivulka@rkinsley.com
Reading, PA: Jack Hoy
(610) 378-5380
jhoy@rkinsley.com
Maryland: Bruce Rogers
(410) 453-6706
brogers@rkinsley.com
To provide feedback, please contact: Jessica Kaun via phone: (717) 741-8406 or e-mail: jkaun@rkinsley.com
Diabetes is the leading public health crisis of the 21st century, and it continues to grow at epidemic
proportions. Many people who have diabetes don’t even know it. Whether you have diabetes or want
to prevent it, simple lifestyle changes can help you stay healthy. Take action today to control your risk!
DIABETES Know Your Risks, Raise Your Awareness and Take Action.
WORK ON LOSING WEIGHT, IF OVERWEIGHT.
Losing 5 to 7 percent can significantly lower your risk—that’s 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person.
Reduce your number of calories by 250 to 500 per day by decreasing portions and leaving 2 to 3 bites
of food on your plate.
STRIVE TO GET SOME EXERCISE EVERY DAY.
Work up to 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise 5 to 7 days a week, such as brisk walking.
MAKE HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES AND EAT REGULAR MEALS AND SNACKS.
Choose high fiber, whole grain foods with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. Eat 5 to 9 servings of
fresh fruits and vegetables, and drink water and other 0-calorie beverages.
USE OUR PLATE PLANNER TO CONTROL PORTIONS.
2011 | VOLUME 4
THE KINSLEY COMPANIES’ NEWSLETTER
www.rkinsley.com www.kinsleyconstruction.com 717.741.3841 www.rkinsley.com www.kinsleyconstruction.com 717.741.3841
PENNDOT SR 501-006 SCHAEFFERSTOWN
BYPASS, SCHAEFFERSTOWN, PA
This project is a three mile relocation of State Route
501, nicknamed the Schaefferstown Bypass, which
includes the construction of two precast arch culverts.

2
PRESIDENT’S LETTER | TOC
BRIGHT SPOTS
A Message from our President & COO
I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. I believe that positive
things happen to positive people. In sports, we are told to visualize the shot,
see it happen in your mind, and chances are much better that the shot will be
successful. This theory holds true is all parts of our lives. A good attitude goes
a long way in helping us produce positive outcomes. However, having a good
attitude and staying positive can be a real challenge when we are surrounded
by so much negativity. It seems like all we hear is negative news. So how do
we maintain a good attitude no matter what?
In the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, authors
Chip and Dan Heath contend that even in what seems to be the worst situation
or conditions, there are “Bright Spots.” These are little successes that occur in
the face of many negative situations. If we are vigilant in looking at the entire
situation, we will find the little successes that defy the odds. It is the one inner
city school that, despite all the challenges, produces remarkable results. It is the
one production line that, for some reason, consistently out-performs all the other
lines. It is the one salesperson who produces results when his peers struggle.
The idea is to find and analyze what is working and not waste time and energy
on what is not. Why is that school excelling? What is that salesperson doing
that makes the difference? Once you identify the reasons behind success, those
ideas can be implemented across the organization to improve overall results.
These Bright Spots can be hard to find and sometimes are very small at first,
which is what makes it so challenging, but it continues to be crucial that we
concentrate on the positives and do not dwell on the negatives.
Change is always hard. Identifying the Bright Spots and identifying why they
work will help everyone to see the benefits and soften the resistance to the
changes needed to succeed.
So, when you wake up in the morning, make the conscious decision to have a
positive attitude, look for good in things, and find the Bright Spots and positive
things will happen to you.
Sincerely,
Jon Kinsley
President & COO
2011 | VOLUME 4
“In times of change,
you need a brightspots
focus. That is,
you need to look for
the early glimmers
that something is
going right. And when
you find a bright spot,
your mission is to
study it and clone it.”
Contents
03
04
10
10
11
12
– Dan Heath
Virtual Construction
Vela Field Management Solutions
Construction Zone
Division Updates
Safety Matters
New Safety Incentive Program
Kinsley Education Center
Effective Communication Through Good
Listening Skills
Sustainability
Kinsley's Role In The LEED ® Certification
of A New Or Renovated Building
Wellness
Diabetes: Know Your Risks, Raise Your
Awareness and Take Action
VIRTUAL CONSTRUCTION
VELA FIELD MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS | FIELD MOBILITY
If you’re out on one of our jobsites and happen to see some of the staff walking around with iPads, don’t worry – they’re not playing Angry Birds
or updating their status on Facebook. They’re actually deploying some of the latest technology available in the construction industry. It’s called Vela
Mobile and its part of Vela’s Field Management Suite.
WHAT IS VELA? | VELA AT KINSLEY
Vela is a web-based platform that will revolutionize construction
management. Its main purpose is to bring solutions to the field. Before
Vela, when field staff performed safety inspections, quality control
inspections, pre-task checklists, or even daily walkthroughs, the staff
member usually carried a notebook or clipboard, intending to take notes
while in the field and then return to the office and type up the notes to
email them to other team members.
With Vela Mobile, a superintendent can take nothing but his iPad into the
field and not only have the ability to perform any one of these tasks, but
also the ability to view and mark up plans. The superintendent can also
attach plans, pictures, and locations to each issue that is created. After
issues are created, reports can be automatically sent out on a daily basis
to each subcontractor notifying them of any issues that need to be resolved
in their scope. Subcontractors will have access through a special portal that
lets them see all the issues they have outstanding with the project. They
will also be able to post comments on open issues as well as notify Kinsley
of work to be inspected. The real kicker is that all of this information
is recorded into one database of information that gives a complete
timeline of the project from start to finish. This will dramatically increase
accountability on the jobsite and it’s almost completely autonomous.
Now that you know all the cool
things that Vela can do, let me tell
you how Kinsley is implementing this
revolutionary new software. The first
thing we have done is developed a
core team of individuals who will lead
the implementation. Included are a
project executive, project manager,
project engineer, superintendent,
and safety representative. We have several large projects on which we will pilot this program:
Mt. Vernon, The Gunther at Brewers Hill, Hershey Next Century, and Volvo NE Headquarters.
We have already gone through all our training with Vela and are now ready to get started.
In order to ensure all subcontractors have access to this system, we will also be installing a
Vela/BIM workstation kiosk at each job site. In addition to accessing Vela, we are working
to give all site supervisors the ability to see the coordinated 3D model of the building.
We are very anxious to implement this software and start seeing results.
This is definitely a time of change within the construction industry
and it’s exciting to know that we at Kinsley are on the leading edge.
John Clemons | LEED AP BD+C
BIM Program Manager
THE KINSTRUCTOR NEWSLETTER 3

CONSTRUCTION ZONE CONSTRUCTION ZONE
RESTORING THE PAST
THE ORIGINAL BUILDING
The Smyser-Royer building was home to an iron foundry in the
1800s. Iron produced there was used to build the Brooklyn
Bridge, lampposts on Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia
and fences in New Orleans, according to Kevin Schreiber, York’s
economic development director and Redevelopment Authority
coordinator. This historic, pre-Civil War building is located at
32 W. North Street in the City of York.
THE SCHOOL
YorkCounts, a nonprofit quality-of-life group, spearheaded
the effort to create York Academy as a way to attract families
to York City and improve the quality of education. The
school has an International Baccalaureate program, which
is intertwined into teaching methods. Subjects are taught in
an interdisciplinary fashion, with an emphasis on students
asking questions to drive instruction. Foreign language
instruction starts in kindergarten.
4 2011 | VOLUME 4
“The success of this
project was a result of
the care and expertise
that Kinsley brought to
the project.”
Dennis P, Baughman, Ed.D.
President, York Academy Regional
Charter School Board of Trustees
THE EXTERIOR RENOVATION
Before Kinsley started work on this 39,400 square foot architectural and historic gem in 2008, the building sat
unoccupied for 10 years and used only as a warehouse space by the previous building owner. Kinsley worked with
the architects at LSC Design carefully to maintain this facility’s historic character and architectural details while
adapting this new work with original historic portions of the building that were previously restored. After cleaning
and repointing the entire three-story building as well as completing general building stabilization including a
poured basement floor and a new roof in a historic 1840s style, the Kinsley team took extensive measures to match
the new features of the exterior with the existing historic features. Windows that could not be restored were replaced
with vintage windows of similar style. Perhaps the most interesting feature of this restoration was working with the
ornamental ironwork that adorned the building. Over time, some of this antique cast iron was lost and only about
45% of the original metal remained on the building. Rather than removing the remaining cast iron, the Kinsley
team cleaned several pieces and sent them to be replicated at an iron foundry. The new identical pieces were
attached to the exterior and helped to return the building to its original grandeur.
THE INTERIOR RENOVATION
Kinsley made this school possible by agreeing to renovate the space at
the vacated ironworks building. The interior of the facility was designed to
showcase as much of the existing building's timber and brick construction
as possible. LSC was challenged with finding a solution to balance the
acoustical requirements of a classroom environment while keeping the
beauty of the existing structure and materials exposed. By utilizing
ceiling clouds and exposing the wood columns we were able to allow the
students to connect with the historic fabric of facility. An old vault door
was mounted on a brick façade inside the main parents' entrance on the
North Street side as a relic of the school's history. The library and media
center showcase a pulley system from an old mill and exposed woodbeam
rafters. The biggest challenge to this portion of the renovation was
the short schedule. The work had to be expedited in order to have the
building complete for the start of the school year. Kinsley was able to
complete the three story fit-out in seven months, including installing an
elevator and two completely new stairwells. Kinsley also worked with the
City of York Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB) to bring this
building back to life while maintain its historical integrity. The result is a
unique and visually rich environment for learning.
THE KINSTRUCTOR NEWSLETTER 5

CONSTRUCTION ZONE
6 2011 | VOLUME 4
SITEWORK MD PROJECT LIST
Montgomery College Bioscience Education Center (Germantown, MD)
$9.1 Million dollar site grading, utility, & road construction project at the
Germantown campus
C&O Canal (Potomac, MD) – Repair of a breech in the tow path for a National Park
in Potomac Maryland
Locust Point Force Main (Baltimore City, MD) – Replacement of 2,725 LF of 12”
Ductile Iron force main with pump station upgrades and three railroad borings
Washington County Culvert Replacements (Washington County, MD)
Replacement of three culverts in Washington County
Hampton National Historical Site (Towson, MD) – Sitework for a new artifacts
collections building
Greenmount Cemetery (Baltimore City) – Sidewalk removal and restoration for a
historical cemetery in Baltimore City
ATEF/APG Test Track (Aberdeen, MD) – Construction of a 4.5 mile Automotive
Vehicle Test and Evaluation Facility for the US Army Corps of Engineers
Morgan State University Academic Quad (Baltimore City, MD) – University
improvements including new site amenities, stone paver walkways, retaining walls,
site lighting, storm drain work, parking lot renovations and an irrigation system
Winter’s Run Pump Station & Sewer Outfall Replacement (Edgewood, MD)
Upgrade to a Harford County Pump Station including the installation of over 4000
linear feet of sewer pipe, 16 manholes and 2 junction boxes
Fieldside Commons (Aberdeen, MD) – Sitework for a new business park
Leith Walk Elementary School (Baltimore City, MD) – Sitework for an existing
elementary school including earthwork, storm drain installation, water piping,
concrete curbs & sidewalks, asphalt paving, storm water management and sanitary
sewer work
Windlass Overlook Phase 1 (White Marsh, MD) – Sitework for the first 30 lots of a
new residential subdivision
Renaissance Square (Middle River, MD) – Sitework for a 15 acre housing
subdivision including earthwork, utilities and street & alley construction
Snowden Farm (Clarksburg, MD) – Arterial roadway extension for a residential
subdivision in Montgomery County including two structural plate stream culverts
Little Seneca Parkway (Clarksburg, MD) – Arterial roadway extension for a
residential subdivision expansion in Montgomery County
Lake Linganore Villages of Pinehurst (Frederick, MD) – Remove and reconstruct
water, storm, sewer, and road systems in an existing residential development
Urbana Parkway Extended (Urbana, MD) – Arterial roadway for a business park in
Frederick County
Urbana Corporate Center (Urbana, MD) – Site earthwork and infrastructure for
the expansion of an existing corporate center in Frederick County including water,
sewer, storm, and road construction
Urbana North Waste Water Pumping Station (Urbana, MD) – Construction of a
new pumping station in Frederick County
"In spite of the weak economy, last year was the first time in three years the Maryland Site Division reported
increased sales in both the Timonium and Hagerstown offices. Due to everyone working more efficiently
and monitoring their jobs closely, we were able to obtain respectable profit margins while experiencing
this revenue growth along with the geographical expansion we have been undertaking that stretches our
resources. As we enter the second quarter of 2012, we are optimistically projecting even further growth this
year based on the substantial backlog we currently experience in addition to the favorable number of bid
requests we are receiving. The big challenge for this year will be to maintain or increase profit levels in what
is still a very competitive market. Currently the majority of the work managed out of the Timonium office is
public sector work. This work consists of projects for The National Park Service, US Army Corps of Engineers,
Baltimore City Department of Public Works, Baltimore City Public Schools, and Harford County Department
of Public Works. The current backlog in the Hagerstown office is more evenly split between public and
private sector work. In January we began work on a $9.1 million project at Montgomery College’s
Germantown Campus. The housing market in Clarksburg remains brisk and as
more developers see our trucks and work in the area we are receiving more
requests to bid."
Mike Royer
MD Sitework Division Manager
C&O CANAL, POTOMAC, MD
Kinsley Site has teamed up with Classic Site Solutions to repair a portion of the 180-year-old C&O
Canal in Potomac, Maryland. “Anglers Breach” at mile 12 of the 185 mile long historic canal is
a 150 foot wide washout caused by Hurricane Hanna to the tow path and a 20 foot tall stone
retaining wall separating the canal from the Potomac River. Blasted rock from the canal excavation
was used to build the wall originally in the late 1920s. Any rock that is recovered will be used to
face a new concrete wall to return it to its original historic appearance. Approximately 1,000 feet of
tow path and canal will also be restored using a new liner and drainage system to prevent future
sink holes and breaches. One of the challenges we face under the watchful eye of the Army Corps is
engineering and building a temporary bridge to cross a failing bridge that goes over a 150-yearold
masonry aqueduct that supplies water to Washington, DC. After the canal breach repair is
complete, Kinsley Industrial will replace the existing aqueduct bridge with caissons and a reinforced
concrete deck. The project is scheduled to be complete in November 2012.
URBANA CORPORATE CENTER, FREDERICK MD
Urbana Corporate Center is one of three projects currently under construction for Monocacy Land
Company. The value of the three contracts is worth $10 million, of which $4.5 million is allocated
to the Corporate Center. This development encompasses 48 acres and allows for 8 commercial lots.
This venture also provides road access and utilities to the proposed $200 million Social Security
Administration’s data center.
CONSTRUCTION ZONE
AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE TESTING & EVALUATION FACILITY (ATEF) PHASE II
The Automotive Vehicle Testing & Evaluation Facility (ATEF) Phase II project is located at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in
Aberdeen, Maryland. The majority of the proposed work for this project consists of constructing a 4.5 mile asphalt track for
our military to test and evaluate military vehicles prior to their use in combat. In order to construct the proposed test track,
Kinsley’s top notch dirt crews will have moved over 375,000 cubic yards of dirt. A large portion of this dirt was moved
economically with agricultural type tractors pulling double 18 cubic yard and 21 cubic yard pans behind them. After the
controlled fills have been made and the 27 foot wide track has been constructed, it will be composed of over 170,000
tons of stone material along with over 35,000 tons of asphalt. Along the proposed track are 19 culvert crossings to be
extended, which total over 2,000 feet of concrete reinforced pipe. This project is located in a high security area which
makes coordinating access for employees, sub-contractors, and deliveries a challenge. All excavated areas need to be swept
for unexploded ordinance prior to beginning work and during work depending on the depth of excavation. An active Army
airstrip is located in the middle of this project which requires Kinsley’s field management to be in constant radio contact
with the control tower during earthmoving, stoning and paving operations. Kinsley crews must meet very stringent grading
and paving tolerances in the construction of this test track. Thanks to the great teamwork and efforts or everyone involved in
this project, we plan to be successfully completed in August of 2012.
THE KINSTRUCTOR NEWSLETTER 7

8
CONSTRUCTION ZONE
SITEWORK PENNSYLVANIA DIVISION
"Our on going project list shows our ability to be diverse. We’ve
been able to continually adapt to what the market provides.
Our backlog is extensive and there is a steady flow of projects to
bid. We look forward to a profitable 2012."
Darren Weaver
PA Sitework Division Manager
SITEWORK PA PROJECT LIST
114 Associates Phico Hop (Mechanicsburg, PA)
Beaver Street Improvements (York, PA)
Codorus Estates Phase II (York, PA)
Columbia Gas, Pine Street (York, PA)
Columbia Gas, South Belvidere Avenue (York, PA)
Country Club Homes, LP Country Club Estates Phase 1 (Mechanicsburg, PA)
CRS Hopewell Expansion Stage 4 (Shippensburg, PA)
DGS Swatara State Park DGS 152-2 Phase 1 (Jonestown/Grantville, PA)
Harkins, the Overlook (Camp Hill, PA)
North Gettysburg Area Trail (Gettysburg, PA)
Ph Glatfelter Company Emergency Basin Liner Project (Spring Grove, PA)
Red Lion ASD Fields Improvements (Red Lion, PA)
Stolzfus Sage Hill Phase 1 Binder, Wearing & Curbs (York, PA)
Stonebridge Crossing Phase 2 (Carroll Township, PA)
Tyler Run, LLC Soil Remediation (York, PA)
Veterans Memorial Gold Star Peace Garden (York, PA)
Western Berks Landfill Relocate Old Trash (Birdsboro, PA)
COLUMBIA GAS WORK
Two years ago, Columbia Gas came to Kinsley and asked if we would
be interested in trying our hand at a local project in the gas industry.
Kinsley started the project with a five-man crew and it turned out to
be very successful. Currently, we are operating with 35 people who all
have the very extensive training that is required to work on Columbia
Gas projects, and we are looking to add another 10 people to our
crews. We now have nine crews and are operating in the Gettysburg,
Caledonia, Hanover and York areas. We have a three-year contract to
install pipe, place new meters and provide services to homes. With
this current contract, last year we did sixty pipe projects and all of the
restoration behind them which includes paving, concrete curb and
sidewalk, and lawn work. We also have a restoration contract for the
next two years that keeps our paving and concrete crews moving. This
contract also takes us to areas as far out as Hagerstown, State College,
Gettysburg, and Bellefonte. Kinsley has excelled so much in this field
that we became ranked number three out of nine national players in
this field in less than two years.
We are currently Columbia Gas’s only turnkey contractor
and we are now in negotiations to extend our contract to
2015. Talk about “Setting the Standard!” The Kinsley men
and women in the field and behind the scenes have done it
again. Great job!
"Kinsley Manufacturing is now recognized as a PCI (Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute) Certified Erector, putting us among
the other 17 companies nationally who hold this certification. Achieving this designation will allow the division to continue to
pursue and develop growth opportunities within the precast/prestressed concrete market."
STEEL DIVISION
TOWSON UNIVERSITY STUDENT RECREATION CENTER (TOWSON, MD)
Kinsley Manufacturing was contracted as the structural steel fabricator and erector for Towson University’s
new $68 million multi-purpose sports arena. The arena is a 60,000 SF cast-in-place concrete and steelframed
structure. Some of the notable steel features on this project include: Ten 202 foot long span trusses,
a cantilevered roof, and hanging steel that comprises the executive suites. Fabrication consists of 840 tons of
structural steel and 440 tons of trusses. Our field crew’s manpower will peak at 16 ironworkers, 2 foremen,
and 1 superintendant. These individuals will be assisted by our 275-ton and 200-ton crawler cranes. The most
challenging aspect of this project is the erection of the trusses. Due to the lack of laydown area and general
space on the construction site, internal coordination has and will be a major factor in setting these trusses.
Using two cranes, the truss will be erected making a flying connection 70 feet in the air, and then the one
crane will disconnect to place the infill beams while the second crane holds the truss for stability.
STEEL PROJECT LIST
1500 North Street Project (Harrisburg, PA) – New 7 story mixed use building fabrication/installation
Penn State Hershey Medical Center’s Children’s Tower (Hershey, PA) – New five story Children’s Tower for Penn State Hershey’s Medical Center installation
Binghamton University (Binghamton, NY) – Fabrication/installation for four new 6-story residence halls
Point Pleasant Elementary (Glen Burnie, MD) – Fabrication/installation addition to an existing school
Towson University Student Recreation Center (Towson, MD) – Fabrication/installation to new arena addition to the existing Student Recreation Center
University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) – New, 5-story addition onto an existing building fabrication/installation
Susquehanna Center (Bel Air, MD) – Fabrication for another steel fabricator
Penn State- Bio Research Lab (State College, PA) – New 3-story building fabrication/installation
Montgomery County EMOC (Frederick, MD) – Fabrication for another steel fabricator
1800 F St. (Washington, DC) – Fabrication for another steel fabricator
SR849-013 Bridge (Perry County, PA) – Bridge beam fabrication
Dover High School (Dover, DE) – Fabrication/installation New High School
Nemours Children’s Hospital (Wilmington, DE) – Fabrication/installation for a 7-story expansion to the existing hospital
YCP- Business Administration Building (York, PA) – Renovations and a 5-story addition to the existing building fabrication/installation
YCP- McKay Nursing Building (York, PA) – Fabrication/installation for renovations and an addition to the existing building
Chester County Hospital (West Chester, PA)- Installation, 5 story addition to the existing hospital
Westbrook Elementary School (Bethesda, MD)-Fabrication and Installation, Addition to the Elementary School
Ryan Butler
Steel Manufacturing Division
Assistant Manager
CONSTRUCTION ZONE
THE KINSTRUCTOR NEWSLETTER 9

SAFETY MATTERS/EDUCATION
NEW SAFETY
INCENTIVE PROGRAM
SAFETY INCENTIVE PROGRAMS have always been a hot topic in the safety profession. Some feel you shouldn’t
have to entice employees to do what is expected of them anyway. Others feel these programs are essential to get
employees to pay attention to safety policies and procedures. OSHA is the latest group to chime in on the subject.
OSHA has launched a national emphasis program on record keeping and they have listed incentive programs as
a possible cause for under-reporting of work-related injuries and illnesses. With increased attention from OSHA,
safety incentive programs are being reevaluated by many companies. Almost all studies on the subject come to
the following conclusions:
1. Incentive award programs need to be changed
periodically or they become stale and lose their
effectiveness.
2. If awards and bonuses are too easy, employees
begin to view them as entitlements, not something
to be earned. These programs tend to backfire and
create more hard feelings rather than promote safe
behaviors and attitudes.
3. Positive recognition for a job well done is a better
motivator than punishment for not meeting
expectations.
4. Awards and recognition need to be timely. Awards
and bonuses distributed at the end of the year have
little effect on day to day behaviors and attitudes
toward safety.
5. Safety incentives can create peer pressure among
work crews. Peer pressure can be good if it
encourages safe behaviors, or it can be negative if it
encourages covering up work-related incidents and
near misses.
10 2011 | VOLUME 4
In light of these findings, Kinsley will be restructuring the
employee Safety Incentive Program this year. We still
feel that incentives are an important part of our Safety
Program, but also want to change things up a little to
reenergize the program.
One of Kinsley’s new safety program incentives are the
Safety Recognition Awards. The Safety Department will
recognize outstanding safety performance on job sites or
among work crews with these awards. Safety Recognition
Awards may include lunches, gift certificates, t-shirts, or
similar items. Recognition Awards will be awarded to
crews going above and beyond the normal safety rules
and policies.
In addition to the Safety Recognition Awards, we have also
instituted Safety Prizes, a Weekly Drawing, and a Grand
Prize Drawing.
We hope the new prizes and awards will reenergize our
Safety Incentive Program. The goal of the program is to
increase employee’s awareness and participation in the
safety program, not just win
prizes. With safer job sites,
we all win.
William McCaffrey, CSP
Director of Safety
SETTING THE STANDARD FOR
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
THROUGH GOOD LISTENING SKILLS
In the last issue of the Kinstructor, Kinsley President and
COO Jon Kinsley reminded us that communication is key
to our success as a company. As we focus on heightening
our communication skills, it is crucial to focus on listening,
the often forgotten partner to speaking in the exchange of
information. When we communicate with our co-workers,
clients, and subcontractors, we are both speakers and listeners
in every instance of communication.
Communication is “the act of transmitting or conveying
information or ideas.” When we communicate verbally, a
speaker focuses on conveying the information, and a listener
focuses on receiving the information. Typically, we place a
higher value on our role as the speaker because it is important
to us that our ideas are heard, but our role as the listener is
equally as important for useful communication to occur. As an
effective listener, our role is to understand what is being said
and to respond appropriately.
Instructors at Kinsley Education Center use various methods
to assure that the information they are teaching has been
understood. For instance, testing and feedback from class
evaluations enable instructors to refine the classroom content
and to develop new methods for teaching procedures, safety
practices and skills.
We encourage you to try out several of the hints below to see
how making a few changes in your listening style can result in
communication that is more effective.
BENEFITS OF GOOD LISTENING SKILLS ON THE JOB:
• Better understanding of assignments and expectations
• Increased rapport with co-workers, supervisors,
subcontractors, and clients
• Greater work proficiency in a team-based environment
• Improved ability to resolve problems with customers,
co-workers, and supervisors
HELPFUL HINTS TO IMPROVE YOUR LISTENING SKILLS:
• Maintain good eye contact
• Speak back what has been said by paraphrasing and get
confirmation from the speaker that you have understood
• Ask questions, clarify points, and summarize speaker’s
comments
• Allow the speaker to finish – do not interrupt
• Do not formulate your response before the speaker has
made their original point
When information or ideas from a speaker are successfully
received through good listening skills, the communication
results in positive outcomes and goals being met. This is a
win-win scenario for everyone.
Article by Bonnie Brown
KINSLEY'S ROLE
IN THE LEED ®
CERTIFICATION OF A
NEW OR RENOVATED
BUILDING
SUSTAINABLE SITES
Construction Activity Pollution Prevention
This is a prerequisite involving the compliance with federal, state
and local laws and requirements in addition to following the
civil engineer’s project specific erosion and dust control plans.
Being a prerequisite, it doesn’t count as a credit but is required
to be qualified for any other credits within this category.
Site Development: Protect and Restore Habitat
During site operations Kinsley must stay within the Limit of
Disturbance. The Limit of Disturbance is defined 40 feet beyond
the building perimeter, 10 feet beyond surface walkways,
patios, parking, and utilities less than 12 inches in diameter,
15 feet beyond roadway curbs and main utility trenches.
Heat Island Effect: Non-Roof
Although this is mainly design driven, material cut sheets and
as-built drawings may be required from Kinsley to achieve this
credit. The term "heat island" describes surface areas that are
hotter than nearby rural areas. They can be minimized by utilizing
architectural and/or site components to shade a percentage of
the site. Also, utilizing a solar reflectance index (SRI) of at
least 29 on a percentage of all hard surfaces (including roofs)
contributes towards the credit. SRI is a measure of a material’s
ability to reject solar heat. Kinsley furnishes and installs only
the specified materials having the required reflectance values.
ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE
Fundamental & Enhanced Commissioning
Fundamental commissioning is a prerequisite in the E&A
category that involves verifying that the project’s energy-related
systems are installed, calibrated and perform according to the
requirements set forth by the owner and engineer. In order to
fulfill the enhanced credit, the commissioning process must
begin early in the design phase and additional activities will
be required of the contractors. Everybody, especially MEP
contractors, must do their part to achieve this credit.
MATERIALS & RESOURCES
Construction Waste Management
Before the project begins, the Kinsley team will develop a plan
that will identify the types of debris or trash that we will likely
create and where it will go when it leaves the job site. We must
think twice before throwing something away. The only way we
can earn credit points is to keep as much material as we can
from going to the landfill.
Materials Reuse (reuse of building materials, decreasing
the demand for virgin materials)
Recycled Content (requirement for recycled content
percentage within building materials)
Regional Materials (increasing the demand for materials
manufactured, harvested or extracted within the region)
Rapidly Renewable Materials (materials that are
manufactured from raw material that can be harvested within a
10-year cycle or less) – This credit usually involves more work
on the designer’s part but the contractor will need to be sure
to follow the plans and specifications as well as submit the
necessary documentation.
Certified Wood
To earn this point, at least 50% of all the wood used on the
project must be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified,
meaning, it has come from a forest where management
practices have been held to strict standards set forth by the
certifier. Also, everyone who has handled the wood before it
SUSTAINABILITY
It is extremely important that the Kinsley team take
ownership of the LEED process to assist the owner and design
team in obtaining the desired level of certification.
What role does Kinsley play in the LEED certification of a new or renovated building? During preconstruction, the design team is responsible for approximately 60% of the available
credit points and during the construction phase, Kinsley is responsible for the remaining 40% targeted credits. It is extremely important that the Kinsley team take ownership of
the LEED process to assist the owner and design team in obtaining the desired level of certification. The following are a few typical construction phase credits:
reached the job site must have a certificate from FSC for their
part in the manufacturing process.
Construction IAQ Management Plan
This plan will ensure the reduction of air quality problems that
can occur during the construction or renovation, which in turn
improves the wellbeing of the workers and building occupants.
Smoking, protection of the ventilation system, storage of
material on site, and housekeeping are all items that must be
addressed within this plan. The Kinsley team develops the plan
to achieve this credit.
Low-Emitting Materials
With these credits, it’s important that each contractor on site
uses only the specified materials for this project. They were
specified because of their relatively low VOC content. VOCs
(Volatile Organic Compounds) are emitted as gases from certain
solids or liquids, typically at room temperature. VOCs include a
variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and longterm
adverse health effects.
Taking ownership of the LEED process and being held accountable
for the results can be summed up by Kinsley superintendent,
Mike Goodling, “After you get your feet wet and understand
the process, it is not all that time consuming. Little things
that you take for granted need to be documented, like
taking measurements and weights of recycled materials
to be reused in the building.”
John Clemons
LEED AP BD+C
BIM Program Manager
Flight 93 Memorial Sitework
THE KINSTRUCTOR NEWSLETTER 11