Winter conjures images of cold winds, heavy snows, and frozen ground. In northern climates, these images are a harsh reality especially for those in the construction trades who need to combat the elements on a daily basis in order to accomplish their jobs. Unfortunately, not only do winter conditions present numerous challenges to construction including frozen ground and lack of vegetation, but these challenges also affect the bottom line, leading construction to typically cost more during winter than other times of the year. This year, the problem is further compounded not only by the rising costs of many construction materials, but also higher fuel and diesel prices necessary to keep workers warm and run heavy equipment.

Material and Fuel Costs

As anyone in the construction field can attest, the cost of building materials from lumber to asphalt to gypsum products have risen over the last couple of years, driven in part by foreign construction and the destructive hurricanes of the last two seasons. According to an Oct. 27 article by Les Christie for CNN/Money, the cost of construction materials rose by 11 percent from September 2004 to 2005, following double digit increases for many materials from the year before. Add to this higher fuel prices and most of those in the industry are already facing significant cost impacts going into winter.

Diesel fuel used for heavy equipment such as trucks, excavators and backhoes has risen more than 50 percent. Doug Gurney of Gurney Brothers in Springfield, VT said “With the high fuel costs, we’re figuring between $10 to $15 an hour to run some of the bigger excavators.”

The situation is especially challenging for those in the concrete business. “We have the cost of the fuel to run the loaders, the fuel to run the boiler to heat the water, we’ve got the fuel for the mixer, etc.” said Robert Carroll of Carroll Concrete in Newport, NH.

Carroll also noted that while fuel prices in general have come down from the highs witnessed earlier this year, diesel fuel “has not dropped or changed as drastically.”

“With the high fuel costs, we’re figuring between $10 to $15 an hour to run some of the bigger excavators.”

According to the same CNN/Money article, “high fuel costs contributed to concrete prices…that rose more than 12 percent through Sept. 2005.”

Jim Odorisio, project manager with Trumbull-Nelson Construction Co. noted “With propane and oil costs where they are today the cost of temporary heat [on a job site] can result in cost impacts of $600 on up per week.”

Ways to Cope

These rising costs have led some within the construction trades to consider shutting down projects during winter. A recent Portland Press Herald article by Matt Wickenheiser reported on several projects in Maine that will stop during the winter including the $13 million construction of the National Cold Water Aquaculture Center by Pizzagalli Construction Company. By ceasing winter construction, Pizzagalli anticipated a $250,000 savings.

“The most sound business practice would be to close the doors from the middle of December until the end of March,” said Carroll, who also noted, “we say we have a short construction season, yet we’ve lengthened it to the point where we close down several of our plants in the winter, but not nearly as many as we would like. It would be ideal to close them all for three months in the winter, but we can’t.”

At Trumbull-Nelson, Odorisio advises clients to try and structure their projects to ensure that the building is completely tight to the weather before Thanksgiving or Dec. 1. “Depending on what the permanent heating system is inside the building, you may or may not be able to utilize that for construction heat. You can save a significant amount of the cost of temporary heat in this way,” he said.

This can be a valuable savings. As Carroll noted, “the cost associated with trying to heat the site before, during and after a concrete placement is incredible.”

Even without the rising costs of fuel and materials, winter presents its difficulties. Gurney estimated that winter adds at least 25 percent or more to construction costs.

Winter Challenges:
Productivity

One of the biggest issues has to do with productivity. “As a general statement, productivity might be half and sometimes you don’t do that well,” said Bruce Temple, general manager at Morrill Construction in North Haverill, NH. For Morrill Construction, which handles a lot of road and site work, a hard frost can make it extremely difficult to perform their work. “We can deal with cold weather, but once the frost starts to penetrate roadways it is extremely difficult to do utility work,” he said.

Frost in New England can drive down as far as five feet in the ground, experts report. In order to dig, it is sometimes necessary to use jackhammers or in extreme cases even blast the frost.

“If you are digging in deep frost you don’t make good production rates,” said Dan Nash, vice-president of Bruno Associates in Woodstock, VT, an engineering and surveying firm.

Cold temperatures and decreased daylight also affect productivity. Not only are there less hours of daylight for people to work, but also the cold means it takes longer for equipment to warm up, and time and effort must be spent in setting up temporary heating or even lighting equipment.

Heating Concrete

Those in the concrete business face some specific difficulties in working outside during the winter. “The first problem we face is getting the concrete to the temperature we need it to be in order to hydrate,” said Carroll. “In order to do that, we have to heat the aggregates or heat the water, or both. There is a huge fuel cost to producing enough hot water to raise the temperature of the aggregates. You have to have a facility where you can get the materials from the ground inside and give it time to thaw. You also have to remove snow and debris.”

Snow Removal

Snow removal becomes time consuming, robbing from the time workers could be devoting to their regular jobs. Materials must also be stored out of the elements for their protection. Frequently, this can be accomplished with a tarp, but this collects snow, adding to the time it takes workers to access materials.

“We can deal with cold weather, but once the frost starts to penetrate roadways it is extremely difficult to do utility work.”

“Another major issue is safety,” said Odorisio. “As the ground freezes, there is the possibility that workers might trip and slip. It is important to keep the job site as neat and clear as possible.”

Carroll noted that dealing with snow is “a double edged sword. On the one hand, it insulates the ground and prevents frost from getting in deep. At the same time, you have one more factor – you have to deal with getting around the snow. Once you remove the snow, the frost is able to get back in.”

Site Conditions

Winter also creates some difficulties in managing the construction site. Nash explained that when doing any earthwork on site, the frozen chunks of ground contain water that can cause real problems in the spring. “You aren’t supposed to place them in a fill embankment. What happens is in the spring when they thaw you are basically left with a lump of mud that can cause a sinkhole,” he noted.

Winter construction also means a lack of vegetative cover to prevent erosion. Workers use a lot of crushed stone around the site to prevent mud from falling and to provide a hard surface for vehicles to go over without creating mud. This crushed stone creates an additional expense.

The Solution

Given the challenges of winter construction, many companies try to figure the costs up front into their initial contracts. “When it’s a lump sum bid project and you know the time frame in advance, of course, all these factors will be figured into your bid,” said Odorisio. “If it’s a negotiated project, that’s when we will review the current schedule with the owner, and advise him of the difficulties and costs associated with winter construction. We try to demonstrate to the client the advantages of expediting certain operations in an effert to get them completed before winter weather hits. There may be a cost impact from accelerating the schedule, but if we’re successful we will be able to minimize the cost impact and schedule impact of the winter months.”

Indeed, many within the construction industry try to schedule products to conclude by the middle of December.

“I say everyone would be a lot better off if they closed the doors December 15 and came back April 1,” Carroll emphasized. Yet, most realize that a total shutdown is impossible. Not only do projects need to be completed, but also workers need to make a living. “People need a place to come where they can continue their health care. I think part of [the reason for staying open] is just the need of people to continue to work.”