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November 5, 2009 News for contractors and the construction industry     Industry Watch    Army Corps military projects total $32B in fiscal 2009 The Army Corps of Engineers experienced one of its biggest years ever -- $32 billion -- for military construction projects in fiscal 2009, officials said. Work included $3 billion in stimulus projects as well as projects created by the Base Realignment and Closure Act. Current projects include the $133 million renovation at Georgia's Fort Gordon. Engineering News-Record (11/4) , The Augusta Chronicle (Ga.) (11/5) Work continues on subway tunnel under Virginia's Tysons Corner Construction started last month on a tunnel that is part of a $5 billion project in Washington's Virginia suburbs. The tunnel will allow trains to run under the busy Tysons Corner area. Workers used cranes and backhoes to create the entrance for the tunnel and are using shotcrete to harden the tunnel so it does not cave in. Officials expect to complete the tunnel in 2011. The Washington Post (11/4) Everglades restoration work awarded to Florida firm Work will start next month on a federally funded construction project aimed at restoring the Florida Everglades. The Army Corps of Engineers said the $53 million Picayune Strand project will involve plugging drainage canals, building a pump station and removing roads. Harry Pepper and Associates of Jacksonville, Fla., won the contract for the work. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (11/4) Developer named for $1.5B Riverwalk project near St. Louis The St. Charles, Mo., City Council has selected Riverwalk Development to develop a $1.5 billion, 300-acre project along the Missouri River. The project will include hotels, shops, a marina, condos and a pedestrian walkway. Riverwalk Development will request public subsidies to help fund the project's bridges and pathways. The project will also require dredging sand in a canal. American City Business Journals/St. Louis (11/4) Other News Power line developers offer to postpone regulatory decision on $1.9B project Google/The Associated Press (11/4) Don't miss BE Connected – a comprehensive series of free online seminars showcasing industry best practices. From the convenience of your own desktop explore sessions that will help you work smarter, deliver high performance buildings, and gain competitive advantage through integrated discipline-specific workflows www.bentley.com/BEconnected   Market Update    Work halted on at least 50 towers, group says Work on at least 50 skyscrapers around the world has stopped, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat said. Three of the 50 are in China, while six of the top 20 are in Latin America and eight are in the Middle East. The Dubai government has delayed the opening of the Burj Dubai until January. However, some building still continues in Europe, China and the Middle East. Architectural Record (free registration) (11/4) , The New Zealand Herald/The Associated Press (11/5) Economists see benefits of limiting emissions, survey says More than 90% of economists participating in a recent survey said that the U.S. should participate in climate-change agreements aimed at curbing global warming. The survey, conducted by New York University's Institute for Policy Integrity, found that economists believe the benefits of limiting emissions justifies the costs. "We found that economists really see climate change poses a lot of risk to the economy," said Michael Livermore of NYU. USA TODAY (11/3) Other News Report: Up to 50% drop in value from peak could hit commercial real estate Reuters (11/5) Hard hitting opinions in the commercial construction industry. • The Agenda – economics and the market • Virtual Construction Inside Out – best practices • Model-Based Scheduling – driving that 10% compression • Model-Based Estimating – 5D cost planning vs 2D paper Vico Blogging Forum – go wide, go deep.   Product Innovation & Technology  Details boost benefits of BIM, experts say Entering details about a construction project allows building information modeling technology to live up to its full potential, experts say. Paul Loreto, chairman of the Canada BIM Council, noted that a high level of detail creates cost and quantity surveying advantages. Loreto's company is at work on a new hospital, and he said BIM has helped resolve problems before they reached the construction site. Daily Commercial News (11/5) Modeling software helps solve water crisis in India Modeling software designed by Bentley Systems allowed the Water Supply and Sanitation Department of Maharashtra, India, to solve a severe water supply problem this year. A simulation model allowed engineers to pinpoint negative pressure at some points of the water system and determine which locations were not getting enough water. As a result, the system was re-engineered to decrease the amount of time needed to refill the water network each week. Cadalyst (11/2009)   Featured Content    The Benefits of Outsourcing Your Billing Michelle V. Rafter Network-Attached Storage Is the New "Multifunction Printer" for SMBs Jon Stokes from Ars Technica Proper Credit Policies & Procedures Can Help Minimize Your Cash Flow Denise O'Berry 6 Desktop Apps for Better Organization & Focus Behance Team Five Keys to Sales When You Hate to Sell? Susan L. Reid   News From Washington  Obama administration could weigh in on Arizona immigration law The Supreme Court has asked the Obama administration to give an official opinion on whether Arizona has the right to punish companies that hire undocumented workers. At issue is the broader question of whether individual local authorities can tackle immigration issues, or whether enforcement should remain in the hands of the federal government. It's unclear which way the Obama administration will lean, but attorneys say the move signals the Supreme Court's intention to review a lower court's decision to uphold Arizona's right to punish businesses that knowingly hire undocumented workers. The Yuma Daily Sun (Ariz.)/Capitol Media Services (11/3) Companies form lobbying group to support climate bill Several large companies have formed a lobbying group to support proposed climate-change legislation. The group includes utilities and companies from other industries and was formed, in part, to respond to criticism of the bill by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, three senators -- John Kerry, D-Mass., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn. -- are working with the White House to create climate legislation capable of attracting broader support. The current bill has raised concerns among Democrats and Republicans. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (11/4) , The Philadelphia Inquirer/The Associated Press (11/4) Environmentalists urge increased monitoring for hydraulic fracturing Amid increased activity in natural gas fields, environmental groups are calling for tougher regulations on hydraulic fracturing, which they say puts drinking-water supplies at risk of contamination. The industry, however, contends that the drilling method is safe, properly regulated in states and that measures are in place to ensure it does not contaminate water sources. The New York Times (free registration)/Greenwire (11/4) Other News Virginia ranks slowest in spending stimulus funds The Journal of Commerce (11/4)   Association News  Now available: New ConsensusDOCS 752 Federal Subcontract ConsensusDOCS released the first and only standard subcontract designed specifically for federal government construction projects. The release is especially timely in light of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The ConsensusDOCS 752 provides all terms and conditions necessary to comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulation. In addition to being FAR compliant, the ConsensusDOCS 752 includes all of the federally mandated flow-down provisions, while providing the same fair and balanced foundation as all of the other ConsensusDOCS contract documents. ORDER TODAY! The Family Business Institute offers CEO Performance Roundtables Under an exclusive agreement with The Family Business Institute (FBI), experts in family owned and closely held businesses, AGC member company executives have the opportunity to participate in professionally facilitated CEO Performance Roundtables. The CEO Performance Roundtable is an industry-specific gathering of 7 to 10 CEOs where, with the assistance of professional facilitators, non-competing leaders can openly review their companies and share information in a focused effort to build breakthrough success for themselves, their families, their employees, and their customers. To learn how to join in the FBI Performance Roundtable Program, contact FBI's Program Administrator Jack Ford at jack.ford@familybusinessinstitute.com or at 877-326-2493, ext. 231. 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