At the Â鶹´«Ã½ Annual Convention in Hawaii last month, several Building Division leaders ascended to new positions within the association. Terry Wooding, executive VP of Petra Construction Corporation in North Haven, CT and Eric Hedlund, executive VP and COO of Sundt Construction Inc. in Tempe, AZ, became the 2012-2013 chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Â鶹´«Ã½ Building Division. Both will also serve on the Â鶹´«Ã½ Executive Board.
Joe Jarboe, Senior Vice President of Clark Construction Group in Bethesda, MD and David Hanson, Senior Vice President of Walbridge in Tampa, FL became Â鶹´«Ã½ of America’s president and treasurer, respectively, at the Â鶹´«Ã½ Annual Convention held last month in Honolulu, HI.
The Building Division held 11 general sessions and committee meetings at the Â鶹´«Ã½ Annual Convention last month in Hawaii. Highlights include sessions sponsored by the Project Delivery Forum, Construction Marketing Forum, and the Building Division.
The U.S. Architecture Billings Index came in at 51.0 in February, remaining above 50 for the fourth straight month. While any reading above 50 indicates a construction market poised for recovery, the index was only up .1 points from 50.9 in January. According to the American Institute of Architects, the fact that the reading is practically flat as compared to the prior month means that there are still obstacles to a faster and steadier recovery. Read the complete article here.
The 2012 Â鶹´«Ã½ Contractors Environmental Conference, June 7-8, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia, is your chance to join your peers and learn the latest strategies that are saving money, improving operations and taking firms to the next level.
Â鶹´«Ã½ has assembled more than 25 speakers on key environmental issues for construction companies, with technology demonstrations and special break-out sessions for building contractors. Attendees will hear the information they need and tips for success from regulators, experts, and peers. Secure your spot today and register online.
Â鶹´«Ã½ of America has released a white paper discussing the impact federal and nonfederal contractors, as well as other interested parties, can have on the accuracy of Davis-Bacon wage determinations. The white paper, titled "Impacting Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations: A Guide for Contributing to the Accuracy of Published Prevailing Wage Rates in Construction", is available for download on the Â鶹´«Ã½ website.
To develop the tools needed to build lean, the Â鶹´«Ã½ has developed the Lean Construction Education Program. Construction professionals at all experience levels will learn the building blocks necessary to transform their projects and companies into a lean operating system.
The American Institute of Architects reported last month that the Architectural Billings Index had jumped to 52 in December, indicating that the demand for nonresidential construction is on the rise. Any reading above 50 is said to indicate an increase in commercial building construction 6 to 9 months in the future. December was the second consecutive month with a reading of 52, which, according to AIA chief economist Kermit Baker and several others, is a sign of good things to come in 2012. Read the complete article here.
The Spring BIMForum, April 25-26, 2012, will focus on BIM and VDC deliverables -- the tangible, defined sets of information that are pulled from a BIM to serve a specific design or construction purpose. The BIM’s collection of project information gives a model the power to help control, analyze and optimize a project, but this can only be done by extracting information in forms that can be digested by the appropriate members of the team to serve their own focused purposes. BIM deliverables are truly where the rubber meets the road! This BIMForum meeting will explore the creative ways that deliverables are being used on projects to maximize the value of models and how they are further pushing the envelope in revolutionizing design and construction. For more information and to register, go here.
After more than a four-year delay by Congress and 22 short-term extensions, last week President Obama signed a four-year compromise Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill. The legislation includes $13.4 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and extends the airline ticket tax. AIP finances airport infrastructure projects. The AIP authorization level was set at $3.35 billion a year, which is the same amount provided to the program in FY 2012 through the appropriations bill but 5 percent less than was provided in FY 2011.