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REVIEW: Are we learning from China's experiences to minimize the negative impacts of concrete usage?

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The use of concrete exploded to fuel China's rise. Now the costs of this weighty material are being counted. China's recent addiction to concrete stands in stark contrast to its historical reliance on timber as the primary building material. This shift, driven by rapid urbanization, has catapulted China to the forefront of global cement production, accounting for over half of the world's annual output. However, the majority of this concrete is consumed domestically, with little being exported. China's urban centers, despite their impressive growth, face a significant challenge—they are sinking. A recent study reveals that vast swathes of the population now reside in major cities experiencing subsidence at a rate exceeding 3mm per year. In certain areas, such as parts of Beijing, the sinking rate is even more pronounced, reaching over 45mm annually. The study also projects that by 2120, approximately a quarter of China's coastal land will be submerged below sea level
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CAREERTIPS: 14 strategies Hardhat Professionals use to build successful careers

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The secret to building a successful career in the Construction and Built Environment Industry isn’t too difficult . It’s just tactics, smartness and hard work. But some people find it very difficult to hit the right string in order to achieve success. Here is a list of strategies shared by Construction and Built Environment Professionals to encourage others to achieve success



  1. Mindset is everything. Assess your current attitude and reframe your perspective to ensure a positive, growth mindset. Employing a positive, growth mindset will allow you to anticipate, recognize, and pursue opportunities for advancement.
  2. Manage your career. Take control of your career. Nobody cares more about your career and success than you, so take time to think through your career goals and create a plan to accomplish them. Find your passion and be willing to take risks to pursue your dreams and goals.
  3. Acknowledge, be aware, and be ready for barriers. Unconscious bias is unfortunately a natural occurrence for human beings, so be aware of the biases and barriers that may exist so you can anticipate and strategize your way through them. Overcoming biases and barriers early in your career can increase your overall career acceleration and momentum for future success.
  4. Learn about yourself and others. Knowledge and communication can be extremely powerful, especially when it comes to navigating your career. Knowing more about your own communication and behavior styles, as well as the styles of your colleagues, supervisors and constituents, can provide you with tools and techniques for enhancing positive relationships and your success.
  5. Enhance your emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and regulate your emotions, recognize the emotions of others and select the appropriate emotion for the situation. As the workplace becomes more diverse with unique mindsets and perspectives, high emotional intelligence can improve your interpersonal, communication and decision-making skills, which can quickly accelerate your success.
  6. Build your brand and manage your impressions. Perception is reality and you want others to perceive you in a positive light. Strategically develop your brand and manage your impressions so others can quickly see your potential and advocate for your success.
  7. Obtain mentors, sponsors and role models. Relationships are key to your success. Developing and managing your network is essential, but more important, building relationships with sponsors who can endorse you can be a game changer. By identifying positive role models early in your career who can serve as examples to guide your future behavior, you can avoid inheriting bad habits from colleagues and supervisors who may not be great mentors.
  8. Pursue professional development opportunities. Stay current with the skills and knowledge needed in the ever-changing workplace and pursue professional development opportunities to stay relevant. Even if funding is not available through your organization, find ways to allocate and invest your personal funds into your development. You should see a quick return on your investment as it relates to your career success.
  9. Build your tools and resources. Anticipate the skills and tools you will need to navigate the unknown waters of the future and work to develop a toolbox of resources to assist you as you encounter new challenges. Read books, listen to podcasts, and build your network. It is better to fill your toolbox with multiple tools than to find ways to utilize one tool for multiple situations.
  10. Be familiar with the Deming Cycle - The Deming Cycle (or Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)) is a four-step iterative technique used to solve problems and to improve organizational processes. With it you learn to Plan, Do, check activities and implement the best solution.
  11. Be flexible- seek opportunities to get experience working on various types of construction projects, could it be road, building and pipeline (all types of pipes).
  12. Learn to do a Cost-Benefit Analysis - This helps you determine the financial status of the project to avoid depletion of the budget before the project is finished and try by all means to schedule the activities according to the project duration.
  13. Avoid shortcuts - empower yourself with the ability to learn and research
  14. Never compromise on quality - Uphold yourself to a high standard where you don't compromise on quality whether you are stationed in the office or on a construction site.

Don’t just think about it, do it. Execute your career plan. Be flexible and allow for unexpected changes within your plan. Now is the time.
CAREERTIPS are compiled with the input from both industry employers and Professionals
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