We’ve so far received 23 nominations for the 2014 Best Construction Blog competition. Nominations are open until January 31. ?Then the polls open for two months. I’ve committed to write a positive review (with hyperlinks) for each qualifying blog, and will write the reviews in order of submission.
The qualifying guidelines are quite simple: The blog must be written within the architectural, engineering and construction industry, and have enough useful and relevant content and frequency to indicate it is actively maintained and isn’t designed primarily or purely for search engine optimization (SEO) or, worse, is a “splog” — auto-generated spam disguised as a blog. ?The finalists will be selected both through an independent judging panel, and popular vote. (The balance between judging and the popular vote ensures that a truly great blog without a massive organized ‘voting campaign’ still has a chance to win — though popular vote is a vital element in considering the finalist, and will count for at least 50 per cent in the evaluation.)
Today, I review the first entry, Amsysco, Inc’s blog. The company provides post-tensioning tendons and engineering services nationally from ?manufacturing facility and corporate headquarter ?in Chicago?s western suburbs.
The greatest value in Amsysco’s blog occurs when it discusses technical aspects of concrete post-tensioning. This is a specialized topic, of course, but a blog’s greatest strength relates to authority and knowledge — and, logically, a manufacturerer focusing in the specialized field should share its expertise.
Consider, as an example, this July 2013 entry: Stressing Tendons with Short Tendon Tails
In certain situations, the tendon tail of an unbonded post-tensioning tendon may be too short to stress with the hydraulic jack. ?With the standard nose piece, the PT stressing operator would need around 13 inches of tendon tail (outside the concrete) in order to stress the tendon without any modification to the hydraulic jack. ?If the tendon tail is between 4 inches and 13 inches, one modification to the hydraulic jack is to take the nose piece off and install two ?jack feet.?
The blog effectively uses photos, and combines relevant content with updates about technical presentations, with categories allowing users to visit relevant postings on specific topics such as commercial buildings, institutions, and parking structures.
