| Company News

Scavenger Hunts, Skill-Building, and Synergy: M+K Partners with DRB Homes on Learning Initiative

M+K has been partnering with DRB Homes on an educational initiative aimed at improving the understanding and application of structural drawings among personnel in DRB’s various divisions. 

Targeting managers, field personnel, and purchasing teams, our seminars blend informative classroom presentations with hands-on field experiences. Participants engage in an interactive scavenger hunt at active job sites, allowing them to learn how to interpret and utilize structural drawings within a real-world construction context. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, prompting a formal request from DRB’s Vice President of Production for these seminars to be expanded across all divisions. Each session is tailored to address the unique structural drawing requirements of specific regions.

DRB and M+K employees bond following one of our seminars. Good times had by all!

This initiative not only enhances comprehension of structural drawings but also strengthens relationships among team members, facilitating smoother collaboration and proactive problem-solving in the field. By putting faces to names during our seminars, field managers feel more at ease reaching out with questions, helping to prevent costly mistakes before they arise.

DRB has been a valued client since 2013, and we are appreciative of opportunities like this that continue to develop our partnership.

| In The Media

M+K Published in JLC Magazine

Drawing from his two decades of residential engineering experience, M+K project manager Jason Bischoff, P.E., writes in the July/August 2024 issue of Journal of Light Construction about the pitfalls of leaving construction errors unchecked—illustrating how even minor errors can lead to costly and complex retrofits if not addressed promptly.  

Avoiding Costly Structural Repairs

In my role as a project manager for a national structural engineering firm that specializes in residential design, I have the opportunity to learn about thousands of construction errors on a regular basis. Our firm has more than 65 engineers on staff working on projects across the U.S., and we are regularly tasked with providing quick turnaround retrofits to resolve construction errors to keep projects moving forward. From this well of experience, we’ve compiled a short list of the common construction errors with the most impactful retrofit requirements, along with some recommended preventative measures. Most of the situations described here can be avoided with oversight and awareness but are likely to balloon into major problems when overlooked. In most cases, the longer a construction error goes unaddressed, the more expensive it becomes to correct.

Out-of-Square Footings and Foundations

The need to keep footings and foundations square should be obvious, right? Still, nothing will stop a job quicker than finding out the foundation wall forms are overhanging the edge of the footing or the sill plates are overhanging the foundation walls. When these problems occur, it is worth pausing and reaching out to a design professional for direction on how to compensate. In some cases, the solution may be as simple as fastening a ledger to the side of the foundation to provide support for an overhanging sill plate. But in more drastic instances, more extensive or creative modifications to the foundations may be required. Depending on the scenario, it could be a much more difficult repair after the walls have been poured and even worse once the framing is installed.

Measure twice, pour once. Solutions for a miss-poured foundation will vary, but the sooner the mistake is identified, the greater the range of options will be to fix it.

Prevention: Measure twice, pour once. Make sure all measurements are checked prior to pouring. We recommend having an established process that clarifies whether the builder or the foundation contractor is accountable for verifying all dimensions prior to pouring the walls and footings and before any framing is set. Preferably, this is defined in writing in the subcontractor agreement.

Out-of-Level Foundations

A foundation that’s not level shouldn’t be much of an problem if it’s caught early. In an ideal situation, the framers install their sill plates as level as possible, shimming where necessary and checking level as subsequent levels are framed. It is imperative to check for level across all bearing points of a foundation. For example, if exterior wood-framed walls are bearing on a perimeter stem wall determined to be level, but the interior bearing walls are supported on a slab that is too high or too low, that is a recipe for major retrofits to those framed walls if not addressed early.

Prevention: Builders and their subcontractors need to ensure they are building from a level baseline, across all bearing points of the structure. A datum point should be established at one of the structural bearing points, and a laser or builder’s level should be used to verify that the rest of the structural bearing points are at the same elevation as the datum point. Continue reading “M+K Published in JLC Magazine”

| Events

M+K Team Tackles the New River Gorge

Teams from three of M+K’s offices recently got together and faced the thrilling rapids of the New River Gorge in West Virginia for a long weekend, stepping outside their usual work roles to embrace an adventure that highlighted teamwork and trust.

The weariness from long flights and drives quickly faded as excitement built over meeting colleagues—many for the first time—and soaking in the breathtaking scenery of West Virginia for a three-day weekend excursion.

We split into two groups—with the adrenaline junkies rafting the challenging and technical Upper Gauley River (which is rated in the top five whitewater in the world), and the rest of us on the slightly tamer Lower Gauley – which was still loaded with plenty of class IV and V rapids.

Evenings were spent around the campfire, sharing stories, roasting marshmallows, and enjoying local moonshine crafted by an employee’s brother. Each sip added to the fun and camaraderie, creating unforgettable memories and deepening connections beneath the beautiful night sky.

Michelle Doby, from ATL:
“The rafting was fun, and I really enjoyed getting to know everyone from the other offices. Opportunities like this one where we can do activities and meet people throughout the company are very valuable.”

Yara Bawab, from PHL:
“Being a recent addition to the M+K family, it was a great way to meet new people not only from my office who I may not interact with on a daily basis, but also the other offices.  I could connect with people on a level that may not be reached just within office talk and having these connections makes for a funner work environment  I also have fun stories I get to share now!”

Reika Shimizu, from SD:
“I truly appreciated the efforts our colleagues from the east coast put into making sure the San Diego office members could participate – through bringing extra camping gear, extra food/beverages, and any other necessities. This kind of thought, care, and generosity really made me feel like I’m part of a company with coworkers and leaders that put in the work to make sure we are included, even though we hadn’t met most of them before this trip!”

Michael Mihal, from ATL:
“Interacting with people I have never met and may never meet again was worth the experience because it gave us an opportunity to be present. The experience taught me that some colleagues share the same “lust for life”. I feel these events are a great offering by the company and hope they continue to offer more provided they can swing it.”