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Wolgast Blog

Construction blog discussing trends, tips, and insider information from a commercial contractor specialized in general construction, design/build, construction management, and insurance restoration.

Posts about Design/Build

Precast Concrete Wall Panel Options for Construction Efficiency

Precast Concrete Wall Panel Options for Construction Efficiency

Construction efficiency is a critical factor that can significantly impact timelines and overall project success. The combination of precast concrete wall panels and structural steel and insulation offers a powerful solution to achieve efficiency when needed in construction projects. Wall panel system construction is gaining popularity due to its labor and time savings to erect a building envelope. Precast concrete walls with conventional steel roof framing are one option to use on a large commercial building. Made of a variety of concrete materials, walls are poured in an indoor, controlled environment to the specs of your building’s needs, as specified by your Architect or Engineer (A/E). Each 10,000+ lb. (approximate) panel and other precast parts are then transported on a large truck bed to your building’s site to be put in place by a crane, assembled by a crew that welds/connects them to structural steel and then caulks the gaps to create an energy efficient, structurally sound, quickly installed building envelope ready for your interior buildout.

2023 Franchised Restaurants Design & Construction Trends

For Quick Service and Fast Casual Concepts

Many industries have had to make changes following the pandemic as they sort out the new way to best serve their customers and their adapted routines. The Restaurant industry has definitely had to make adjustments not only from people dining differently, but also from the labor shortage. The design and remodel of Restaurant structures and parking areas play a role in how they are accommodating their new challenges.

Your Business Plan and Your Building

A critical element of your business plan is a realistic budget for anticipated expenses, along with possible revenue streams. One of the biggest expenses of a business to factor into the budget is the building cost.

Five of the Best Reasons for a Commercial Building Renovation

Commercial Renovation to Stay Put


Whether you really like your building the way that it is, your location is part of your long-term plan, or financially speaking a new building is out of the question, these are all good reasons to stay where you are.  However, I’d like to share with you a few of the best reasons to consider renovating your current facility.

1)  Improve traffic to your business – we have seen it time and again that renovating a commercial space peaks the interest of people in your community.  It also provides additional promotional opportunities because having a renovated space to talk about creates a steady and interesting social media topic.  Whether you’re a doctor, restaurant, or a school, you consistently want to attract new people to your space, right?  Sharing your remodel should help gain and/or keep followers to communicate the benefits of your services.

Future of Net Zero Energy Buildings for Michigan Business Owners

We hear about energy efficiency, greenhouse gases, renewable energy, and carbon emissions more frequently these days, but maybe not as popular is Net Zero Energy Building or Net Zero Energy Building Ready. These aren’t new concepts, but with the flurry of attention on energy savings, we wanted to check into the current status for Michigan Commercial Building Owners. Since the Michigan Energy Code (2015) was adopted in 2017 in Michigan, how far are our Commercial Building owners from achieving Net Zero Energy Building Ready?

How to Expedite the Construction Process

We hear it quite often from business owners, once they decide to build a building, they needed it yesterday.  We understand that once the need for the new building is decided how important it is to get the owner moved in quickly.

Is There a Future in Commercial Investment Properties for You?

Have you considered commercial investment properties to add to your portfolio?  On a surface level, it seems like a long-term, but easy investment that will generate ongoing income and also potentially appreciate in value the longer you own it.  For those who have capital to invest, is it the right type of investment for you?

Find New/Existing Space That Works for Small or Mid-Size Business in 2022

Things have changed for many businesses over the last two years including where staff completes their work, the need for incentives to maintain or attract employees, distancing measures for staff, and how their products are delivered. These changes may have made your current building too big, too small, or no longer functional for your business.

Top 7 Guarantees of Using Design-Build Construction Delivery

  1. Fast track construction
  2. Less risk for the owner
  3. Single point of responsibility
  4. Guaranteed schedule & budget
  5. Team collaboration
  6. Quality construction for better value
  7. More bids collected by one entity to narrow down the lowest price

As business owners become more aware of the benefits of Design-Build Construction, the delivery method continues to chisel a bigger piece of market share throughout the U.S. and is expected to reach 47% usage rate by 2025, according to FMI1, a 5% increase from just 2 years ago.  In their DBIA Design-Build Utilization Update - September 2021, they evaluated the United States Census Bureau, stakeholder surveys, industry reports, associations, and government agency databases, and determined the usage of delivery methods within the construction industry and found that the East North Central Midwest region will experience a 6.0% growth in Progressive Design-Build projects by 2025.  Also, highway/street, educational, and manufacturing will have the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) adopting Design-Build project delivery. 

Top Benefits of Single Source Responsibility Construction

 
Less Risk for the Owner + the Right People Collaborating + Competitive Bids + Adequate Time

Business leaders have to make so many diverse decisions every day.  Some decisions are within their area of expertise, others are an educated guess, while even more require an outside source to help direct them. 

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