Infrastructure jobs can boost U.S. employment; highway funding push continues

Beyond shovel-ready

Infrastructure jobs need more definition, Brookings says, and the institute’s report, “Beyond Shovel-Ready: The Extent and Impact of U.S. Infrastructure Jobs,” aims to define employment in all aspects of infrastructure, including design, construction, operation and governance. It notes that jobs in infrastructure can aid in the continuing U.S. recovery from the Great Recession.

The report suggests that in order to determine the jobs that are included in infrastructure, it is important to define what exactly infrastructure is. The report offers the following definition:

“In general, infrastructure encompasses a broad range of systems and facilities designed, constructed, operated, and governed across the public and private sector. Foundational in nature, these physical assets are either manmade or natural, often operate as part of larger networks, support a variety of economic activities, and provide a host of other services with a clear public benefit over the course of many years.”

It also divides infrastructure into seven sectors, defining each:

• Intra-Metro Transportation: local roads and bridges, public transit (subways and buses), taxis and limousines, sightseeing transportation and bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure
• Inter-Metro Transportation: passenger rail, airports, highways and inter-urban and rural bus transportation
• Trade and Logistics: freight rail, air cargo operations, trucking, seaports/inland waterways, transportation support and warehousing and express/local delivery services
• Energy: the generation, transmission, and distribution of energy from natural gas (pipelines), facilities responsible for electricity (nuclear, hydroelectric and solar/wind) and other utilities
• Water: clean/drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, sewage/water treatment facilities and “green” infrastructure for conserving related natural resources
• Telecommunications: broadband and transmission infrastructure (wired, wireless and satellite), concentrated in facilities outside radio and television broadcasting
• Public Works: streetscapes, land redevelopment and waste/landfills (solid waste, hazardous materials and remediation)

The report determines that 95 occupations and 42 industries are linked to infrastructure.

According to the report, 14.2 million workers, or 11 percent of the nation’s workforce, had jobs related to infrastructure in 2012. Among them, only 6 percent are involved with design and 15 percent with construction. The majority (77 percent) are primarily involved with operation.

Other findings include:

• A combined total of 9.1 million infrastructure workers (64 percent of the U.S. total) are employed in the 100 largest metropolitan areas
• Infrastructure jobs offer more than 30 percent higher wages than jobs at lower ends of the income scale ($24,750 and $30,190 annually, versus $18,090 and $22,480 annually)
• Infrastructure occupations offer higher median wages ($38,480) than the national median ($34,750)
• With a 2.5 ratio of wages earned at the 90th and 10th percentile, infrastructure offers a more even distribution compared to other occupations in the U.S.
• 12 percent of infrastructure workers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher
• For 57 percent of infrastructure employees, the highest level of education is a high school diploma or less
• 67 of the 95 infrastructure occupations only require a high school diploma or less for entry
• 59 of the 67 occupations (including paving equipment operators) pay higher wages to workers at the 10th percentile than nationally
• 73 of the 95 infrastructure occupations (10 million workers) require short- or long-term on-the-job training, or an apprenticeship
• Nearly 6 million workers in 64 of the 73 occupations earn higher wages at the 10th and 25th percentile
• Infrastructure jobs are expected to increase 9.1 percent in the next 10 years
• 2.7 million workers (23.4 percent) will need to be replaced in the next decade
• 1.1 million workers are projected to be added to the infrastructure workforce through 2022.

Pothole insurance takes hold in auto industry

Pothole insurance takes hold in auto industry

How much would you pay to protect your vehicle from pothole damage? Some car owners are adding an additional cost to their regular maintenance plan by purchasing insurance that protects against potholes, USA Today reports. Related: “Pothole Robin Hood” aims to fix 100 potholes in Jackson, Miss. The insurance, known as road hazard insurance, protects cars — tires and wheels, in particular — from damage caused by road damage such as potholes, which have been reported to cost individual drivers $700 each year. One company, Safe-Guard, has been offering the protection plans for more than 10 years. Its tire and wheel protection customer base has grown 350 percent in the past five years. More drivers are likely to purchase a protection plan from Safe-Guard and other insurance providers in the coming months due to an exceptionally harsh winter that created more potholes than usual in many states. 

Asphalt Driveways in Rhode Island

The exterior of your home deserves the same attention as the interior, and the most important decision you will make is choosing pavement that will fit the design of your home from a new asphalt driveway to a designed pavers bricks driveway.s driveway.

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Asphalt Driveways

How To Choose the Best Material For a Driveway

Sooner or later, you'll have to replace your driveway. A lot of people take their driveway for granted until it's time to replace their driveway. Suddenly, the contractor bombards them with all these options for a new driveway, leaving the person to wonder what they should replace their driveway with.

There are several options for a driveway, however, and, if you make the right choice, you might end up with a driveway that was far better than the old one. Ideally, that's what we're looking for.

The most common material that is used for a driveway is asphalt. Asphalt is tough to beat. It is fairly economical, and widely available. If you have an asphalt driveway, you might want to stick with asphalt for simplicity's sake. A lot of people like to "edge" their asphalt driveway with rocks, bricks, etc. "Edging" the asphalt driveway improves its appearance, but, some people want more.

Another popular option for driveways is stamped concrete. While it is possible to pave a stamped concrete driveway yourself, I recommend that you have a professional pave it, because stamped concrete driveways have to have joints in order to prevent the stamped concrete driveway from cracking. It is important that you choose a contractor that is very familiar with paving stamped concrete driveways, because I've heard too many horror stories.

Finally, we come to the "paver" type of driveway. Paver-type driveways are very expensive, but very distinctive. Today, you have a choice of materials you can use for the paver, such as regular pavers, bricks, and various types of stones. Before deciding to do this, it is vital you do your homework: find a contractor that is very familiar with installing the type of paver you want for your driveway. A paver-type driveway that isn't done properly is a nightmare. Make sure the driveway is done right the first time, because it will cost you more money to correct someone else's mistake.

How to choose an asphalt contractor

 Without a doubt, hiring a contractor is the part of home remodeling that causes more fear and anxiety than any other phase. How do you know you've got a good contractor, someone you can trust to do a good job for a fair price and stand behind his or her work? Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. But if you do your homework, you improve the odds of getting a contractor you will be happy with.

1) First they need to be insured . To work in any state a contractor need to be insured before do anything else and how you will be sure that the company that you are going to hired is real cover by a insurance agency? simple, every serious company will be register in the contractor board of the state that he work and to be register the first document that you need is proof of insurance for example for Rhode Island residence go to http://www.crb.state.ri.us/search.php  search the contractor name and you will see if is register and insured, plus you will see if the company has complains.

2) Check if they have a website, search their company name in Google ,you will find more info about them, I saw lot of small companies changing their names every time they have a complain making harder for the consumer find information about them.

3)Write down all the questions that you have for them for example:
      What asphalt mix design are they going to use?
          There is a dozen of asphalt types; base binder with 3/4" stone or 1/2" stone , for surface top          with 1/2" or 3/8" stone , for the base, process gravel etc, ask for a copy of the mix design they are going to use that way you will know if they have a clue about asphalt.There is no such as left over mix from another job, asphalt is made at 300 to 325 degrees and that temp will go down in three to four hours so if you have mix from another job very positive that will be cold and you don't want your driveway made with cold asphalt believe me.
       How long will take to do the job?
Normally in a good weather conditions one day should be plenty time to do a driveway.
      Ask them how many tons of asphalt your driveway need , why? Let me explain to you ; your driveway will need a minimum of  3" of process gravel base , 2" of base course asphalt mix and 1" of surface top . Will be hard for the customer difference between 3" of asphalt or 2" , that inch of asphalt will be replace with the cheapest material that will be the process gravel and to be sure that he use the correct amount ask them for a copy of the receipt. Asphalt is made in a production plant and every time the contractor buy asphalt will have a receipt ;  there is an example how you can calculate your driveway need go to http://www.asphaltpavement.org/images/stories/paving_area_calc.xls

Mass Turnpike

Mass turnpike