Electical Contractor

A leading architecture/engineering member of the CSI revision team (who requested anonymity) described the genesis of the change to MasterFormat 2004 this way: “Division 16 was used to describe means and methods of lighting and distribution of power in buildings.

There are many estimating software systems on the market, competing for your money. Accubid, ConEst, Estimation, McCormick Systems, Timberline, Vision InfoSoft—the list goes on and on.

Network vulnerability problems often fall on the shoulders of information technology staff members and systems administrators.

Though estimating software has become more sophisticated, the process of scrutinizing a blueprint and figuring labor and material costs still needs the human touch.

“Trusted computing” (TC) is another modern commercial computer tool. Just what does that mean? The dictionary presented definitions such as “have faith in,” “rely on,” “have confidence in” and “count on.” The concept and need for “trusted” computing started with our own federal government.

When computer-drawn Blueprints for electrical contractors And other tradesmen first appeared, few people really understood AutoCAD or how to use it. In today's fast-paced construction industry, if you are still unsure of what CAD can do, you may find yourself losing out on some valuable contracts.

Diogenes, who wandered the streets of Athens many centuries ago, was looking for an honest man. Contractors looking for an estimator candidate face a similar situation.

These days, the estimating process is not causing many estimators furrowed brows. Problems are arising with how plans are transmitted from the engineer to the contractor.

There's a growing urgency in the development of “green” or “smart” building, and learning to install its energy infrastructure-which is called integrated building systems (IBS) and involves tying together HVAC, electrical, security, lighting and fire alarm systems-could well be a boon to contractors