ConstructionAdvisorToday

New Bill Expected to Lead to Energy Savings in Buildings

House and Senate lawmakers recently unveiled legislation addressing training for federal facilities personnel -- a measure that could save a significant amount of energy in buildings, according to bill supporters.

Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) and Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) recently introduced the Federal Buildings Personnel Training bill (H.B. 5112 and S. 3250). The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), along with other organizations in the building community, worked with the bill's authors to identify the need for training and develop the bill's content.

Trimble Introduces Point Creator Software

Trimble earlier this month introduced its Point Creator Software for contractors, engineers, detailers, and architects supporting the building construction industry as well as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades. The application, available in two versions -- Trimble Point Creator and Trimble Point Creator Pro -- provides a platform where computer-aided-design (CAD) users can create 2D and 3D points transferable to and from a Trimble LM80, Trimble MEP, Trimble TS Series Total Stations as well as other total stations. The application is compatible with popular CAD platforms such as AutoCad, Bricscad, and ZWcad.

Tension Between Arbitration and Mechanic's Lien Rights

There has always been a tension between the right to arbitrate disputes and the right to place a mechanic’s lien on the project owner’s property. Arbitration is a creature of contract. The parties to a construction contract have mutually agreed to resolve their disputes through binding arbitration. As with any contractual right, however, the right to arbitrate can be waived through conduct inconsistent with the assertion of that right.

Michigan Community-Based Organization Receives $250,000 to Build 30 Green Housing Units

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced that Washtenaw County, Mich., will receive a $250,000 grant to produce 30 new affordable green rental units in Ann Arbor.

The county will use Avalon Housing Inc., a community-based affordable housing developer, to create these new apartments, which will feature a sustainable site design, water-conserving fixtures, energy-efficient appliances/lighting, and environmentally friendly building materials.

Funding will come from HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which is believed to be the nation's largest block grant program to support the production of affordable housing.

Graphisoft Unveils New Version of Its Architecture Design Software

GraphiSoft earlier this month announced the introduction of ArchiCad 14, the latest version of its architecture design software.

ArchiCad 14 is designed to continue delivering productivity improvements for architects throughout the full cycle of the building information modeling (BIM) workflow with a specific focus on completing the integration of the architectural workflow with the engineering world. 

Flawed Quantity Estimates and Unbalanced Bidding

A reader recently raised an interesting question regarding a quantity estimating error and unbalanced bidding. The contractor in question had been quite certain a quantity estimate in a bid schedule was greatly understated. The contractor assigned an inflated unit price to this item, while bidding other items basically at cost. The contractor was awarded the contract, only to have the project owner delete the item with the understated quantity. The reader asked if this was permissible.

Collaborative for High Performance Schools Unveils Operations Report Card

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) recently introduced the Operations Report Card (ORC), an online tool that benchmarks current performance, analyzes existing conditions, and recommends environmentally preferable improvements for existing school buildings.

The new program allows both high- and low-performance schools to benchmark their current performance and receive suggestions for improvement in energy efficiency, thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustics, and indoor air quality. ORC development was funded by a grant from the California Energy Commission. ORC combines facilities data, system and classroom measurements, and occupant surveys to generate report card scores and recommended improvements.

Beck Awarded Task Order Under BIM IDIQ Contract with GSA

Beck Technology LTD has been awarded a task order under its nationwide building information modeling (BIM) indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract with the U.S. General Services Administration to conduct a feasibility study for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Misuse of Termination for the Convenience of the Owner

Bruce Jervis, Editor
Construction Claims Advisor

A termination for convenience clause gives a project owner broad discretion to abandon all or a portion of a project, without breaching the contract, for almost any reason. The contractor, who is not in default, is supposed to be made whole. The contractor is entitled to payment for all work performed prior to termination, as well as termination costs such as subcontractor settlements and demobilization. But the contractor cannot recover breach of contract damages such as anticipated profit on the deleted work.

New ASTM Construction Productivity Standard Released

A new standard developed by an ASTM International subcommittee is expected to facilitate better measurement of construction productivity at the task, project, and industry levels.