The Dig Daily Dose Edition 668

Monday Masonry: Stack Leadership, Build Momentum!

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"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

– Theodore Roosevelt

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP

Care First, Influence Later

Roosevelt’s Path for Leaders Who Earn Trust, Share Expertise, and Ignite Teams to Act with Bold Confidence in Any Arena Anywhere

A leader’s authority begins in quiet gestures, remembering a name, asking a tired colleague whether the task fits their talents, pausing to hear the complete answer. These small mercies persuade hearts long before strategy persuades minds. When people feel genuinely seen, they listen not from obligation, but from growing curiosity about the vision you carry.

Once trust is rooted, expertise turns fertile. Describe the objective in vivid hues, connect each duty to a larger horizon, and supply the tools that turn hope into habit. Encourage questions, welcome dissent, and polish rough ideas together until they shine like field-tested gear. Generosity with knowledge proves your care was never a prelude to control but an invitation to mastery.

Now pose the tricky question: where has indifference crept into our ranks? Name it aloud, then model the remedy: one handwritten note, one unexpected shoulder-to-shoulder shift, one policy that trades red tape for room to think. Watch how concern rekindles morale, how morale multiplies speed, how speed delivers results no lecture ever secured.

Demonstrate care through practical help, link every task to a purpose, and replace indifference with one bold act of empathy before the day ends.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

Micron's $15B Boise Megafab Breaks Ground Big-Time

Micron starts $15B Boise DRAM mega fab, moving 7 M yd³ of earth, hiring 17k workers, and planning first U.S. LPDDR7 chip wafers

Micron broke ground on its $15 billion Boise, Idaho megafab on April 25, taking the first shovels of dirt steps from the memory maker’s 1994 campus. The project marks the first new U.S. DRAM factory in two decades and anchors Micron’s strategy to outpace Asian rivals with next-gen LPDDR7 chips.

Kiewit-Big D crews are stripping 1,200 acres, moving 7 million yd³ of loam to ready four cleanrooms and a 250-foot utility spine. Peak workforce will reach 17,000 in 2027 as teams erect 420,000 tons of steel and run 70 miles of ultrapure pipe and cranes in bus-sized EUV tools. A dorm village will house 2,000 students.

Idaho supplied $736 million while federal CHIPS credits push incentives past $2 billion, tied to buy-American tool clauses. Micron targets steel top-out in 2026, tool move-in in 2027, and first wafers in 2028, yielding 600,000 wafers yearly and 4,500 permanent jobs. Analysts say the timeline, launched as Intel stalls Ohio, shows AI memory growth can still bankroll U.S. greenfield fabs.

INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY

Douglass tunnel dig begins beneath West Baltimore

Amtrak awards $6.5B contract, starts Frederick Douglass twin-bore rail in Baltimore, replacing 150y B&P choke, promising 30% faster NEC trips

Backhoes bit into West Baltimore dirt at dawn as Amtrak broke ground on the $6.5 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel, set to replace the 150-year-old B&P choke. Crews placed the first 120-ft slurry-wall cage beside Franklin Street while MARC riders filmed from passing trains.

Two 2-mile tubes will be dug for 160 mph electrified service. Builders will freeze clay and jet-grout columns, then send a 40-ft TBM east in 2026. Battery locomotives haul spoil to a recycled aggregate plant, and fiber sensors feed an AI dashboard tracking millimeter shifts. Laser prisms on rowhouses trigger pauses if the settlement tops an eighth inch.

Half the bill comes from federal grants, the rest from Amtrak, Maryland, and a RRIF loan. The first phase supports 3,200 union jobs and a rebuilt West Baltimore station; totals reach 8,000 by 2028. Neighbors want noise walls and discount fares, but today's drill roar signals real progress. The old bore will be rehabbed for freight once passenger trains shift in 2035.

RESIDENTIAL RESEARCH

Rental Income Counts Backyard ADUs Boom Nationwide

Fannie Mae rule counts projected ADU rent toward mortgages, igniting prefab cottage demand from Seattle to Miami

Fannie Mae rocked the spring market on April 18 by allowing lenders to count up to 75 percent of expected rent from accessory dwelling units in debt-to-income calculations. FHFA says the tweak could unlock $35 billion in mortgage credit over five years and turbocharge backyard builds in pricey metros. Freddie Mac may follow in Jul, widening the pool of ADU-friendly borrowers.

Prefab firms Abodu and Boxabl saw inquiries jump 40% weekly, while Los Angeles ADU permits spiked 18 percent in the first post-rule window. Oregon community banks rolled out “build-then-refi” loans, bundling cottage shells into mortgages, and appraisers report 9 percent premiums for listings showing projected rent.

Some lawmakers warn of strain on utilities and neighborhood character, yet planners note each 600-sq-ft cottage chip at the starter-home deficit. Moody’s sees 120,000 ADU starts in 2026 if the policy stands, helped by solar-ready kits and panelized walls that cut build time below eight weeks.

TOOLBOX TALK

The Importance of Reporting Near-Miss Incidents on Construction Sites

Introduction
Good morning, Team! Today's toolbox talk highlights the importance of reporting near-miss incidents. A near miss is an unplanned event that didn't cause injury but had the potential to do so.

Why It Matters
Reporting near misses helps identify hazards before they cause serious harm. It's critical for preventing future accidents and injuries.

Strategies for Reporting Near Misses

  1. Speak Up Immediately:

    • Report near misses to your supervisor promptly, even if no one was hurt.

  2. Encourage Open Communication:

    • Foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable discussing near misses openly.

  3. Investigate Thoroughly:

    • Analyze reported near misses to determine causes and implement corrective actions.

  4. Implement Corrective Actions:

    • Act quickly to address hazards identified through near-miss reporting.

  5. Follow Up:

    • Regularly review near-miss incidents to ensure hazards have been effectively mitigated.

Discussion Questions

  • Have you witnessed or experienced a near-miss recently? What happened?

  • How can we better encourage near-miss reporting?

Conclusion
Reporting near misses proactively improves safety for everyone. Always speak up—your report could save a life.

Report it, prevent it, stay safe!

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