July 2009
Calendar of Events
August 13, 2009 8:00a.m. - 5:30p.m.
Construction Quality Management for Contractors
USACE, Baltimore District & NAVFAC
Burkshire Marroitt Conference Hotel
10 West Burke Avenue, Towson MD 21286
Cost per attendee $195.00
August 13, 2009 1:30p.m. - 3:00p.m. EST
"RIFs, Lay-Offs & Furloughs in Construction: Avoiding the Pitfalls" Webinar
Construction HR professionals have been burdened with the responsibility of properly handling reductions-in-force (RIFs), lay-offs and furloughs; sometimes at a moment’s notice. These situations can be difficult to handle legally, practically, and emotionally.
Registration Fee:
$99 member
$299 non-member
For more info contact Tamika Carter at cartert@agc.org.
September 19, 2009 4:00p.m. - 8:00p.m
General Contractors v. Subcontractors
Charity Softball Game benefiting
Casey Cares Foundation
Ripken Stadium Aberdeen MD
Admission FREE with a $10 donation to the
Casey Cares Foundation
September 29, 2009 8:30a.m. - 2:30p.m
How to Submit a Successful USACE Accident Prevention Plan
Maryland AGC Chapter Office
1301 York Road, Suite 202 Lutherville MD 21093
Cost $165.00 per attendee
October 8, 2009 8:00 - 5:30p.m.
Construction Quality Management for Contractors
The Burkshire Marriott Conference Hotel
10 West Burke Avenue Towson MD 21204
Cost $195.00 per attendee
October 16, 2009 9:00a.m - Noon
Clay Shoot & Fishing Trip
Pintail Point
511 Pintail Point Lane
Queenstown MD 21658
December 3, 2009 8:00 - 5:30p.m.
Construction Quality Management for Contractors
The Burkshire Marriott Conference Hotel
10 West Burke Avenue Towson MD 21204
Cost $195.00 per attendee
Welcome New Members
Delmarva Trailer Sales & Rentals
7431 Washington Blvd
Elkridge MD 21075
Phone: 410-799-1185
Fax: 410-379-0520
www.delmarvatrailers.com
Point of Contact: Terry Sherman
John E. Kelly & Sons, Electrical Construction, Inc
8431 Old Marlboro Pike, Suite 201
Upper Marlboro MD 20772
Phone: 301-736-2250
Fax: 301-736-6582
www.kellycos.com
Point of Contact: Alexa Burley
One Call Concepts Locating Services, Inc
7223 Parkway Drive, Suite 200
Hanover MD 21076
Phone: 410-712-0202
Fax: 410-712-0544
Point of Contact: Tom Hastings
Vision Technologies, Inc
530 McCormick Drive, Suite G
Glen Burnie MD 21061
Phone: 410-424-2183
Fax: 410-424-2208
www.visiontech.biz
Point of Contact: Kevin Nolan
Therrien Waddell Completes Villages of Urbana
Urbana, MD - TW recently completed The Villages of Urbana, a two building project including a medical office building and Bright Eyes day care center. The day care center is an 8,000 square foot facility with finished interiors including classrooms, individual bathrooms, administrative offices, a commercial kitchen, and an after school area. All classrooms are brightly colored and individually themed. This facility has a maximum occupancy of 122 children ranging from infant to early school age. The medical office building is a shell facility, configured for four possible physicians’ suites, totaling 6,700 square feet.
Both buildings display single story residential qualities to blend in with the surrounding community. Building features include gable, shingled and metal roofs, ornamental lattice and window cornices, architectural series multi-lite windows and doors, face brick and Hardipanel siding. Each structure is slab on grade, with exterior wood frame bearing walls and pre-engineered wood trusses. TW is pleased to add these projects to our extensive portfolio of successful projects.
Kristen M. Bailey
Business Development
Office (301) 770-2275
Cell (240) 876-5450
Fax (240) 361-4451
The Economic Impact of Construction in Maryland
The Economic Impact of Stimulus Investment in Maryland
An additional $1 billion in nonresidential construction spending would add about $2.2 billion to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), about $660 million to personal earnings and create or sustain 17,000 jobs.
- 5,800 jobs would be direct construction jobs located within Maryland.
- 2,700 jobs would be indirect jobs from supplying construction materials and services.
The majority of these jobs would be located within the state but there would be some
out of state jobs supported.
- 8,500 jobs would be induced when workers and owners in construction and supplier businesses spend their incomes locally and nationwide.
Construction Employment
- In 2007, a total of 170,000 jobs were supported by the direct and indirect outlays associated with the state’s nonresidential construction spending.
- The construction industry (residential plus nonresidential) employed 154,400 workers in April 2009, a decrease of 37,400 (19%) from March 2006 when construction employment in Maryland peaked.
Nonresidential Construction Spending
- Nonresidential construction spending in Maryland totaled an estimated $9.9 billion in 2007.
- This direct construction spending in the state contributed a total of $22 billion (8%) to state GDP of $269 billion.
- Direct construction spending in the state added $6.5 billion in additional personal earnings to the benefit of Maryland residents working in the state.
Construction Industry Pay
- In 2007 annual pay of all construction workers in Maryland averaged $50,600, 9% more than the average for all private sector employees.
Small Business
- Maryland had 17,000 construction firms in 2006, of which 88% were small businesses employing fewer than 20 workers.
Source: Ken Simonson, Chief Economist, AGC of America, simonsonk@agc.org, from Prof. Stephen Fuller, George Mason University; and U.S. Government sources
Congratulations Scott Kegler
Scott Kegler, a Producer at The Graham Company,
promoted to Vice President. Scott joined the company as Producer in 2001. In addition to his primary contributions in new business development, he has also taken a leadership role with the Company’s marketing and advertising initiatives.
Laura Van De Pette
Account Executive
P: 215.735.3470 x118
BROWNSTEIN GROUP Brand Communication
brownsteingroup.com
D.C. Office of Property Management Issues LEED certification Guidebook
The District of Columbia Office of Property Management (OPM) recently released the LEED Certification Guidebook: Process Management Guidebook for Projects in the District of Columbia. The book is designed to guide D.C. agency project managers—and external architects, engineers, and contractors—through the design and construction process to obtain the highest possible United States Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Pursuant to the D.C. Green Building Act of 2006, new or substantially renovated public building projects must achieve LEED Silver status or higher.
The guidebook was written to assist OPM project managers who are managing the LEED initiatives planned in D.C. OPM currently has two large LEED projects in process, including the 350,000-square-foot Consolidated Forensic Lab and the Department of Employment Services Headquarters, both of which are pursuing LEED Gold certification. The guide is intended to facilitate the LEED process and to assist project teams in making sound economic and environmental decisions for LEED projects. It is not a replacement for the LEED Reference Guides, nor is it to be used in lieu of the services of a sustainable design consultant. Its function is to provide greater insight into the LEED process, specifically for projects located in the District of Columbia.
It should be noted that the guidebook addresses the steps to attain LEED certification under the old guidelines. It does not address the recent changes adopted by the USGBC in LEED v3, or LEED 2009. Despite this fact, the guidebook contains some very useful information, including the following:
· Summaries of D.C. Green Building Act of 2006 and D.C. Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 (including expedited permitting information and checklist of compliance verification documents to be submitted to the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA))
· D.C. Green Building Code updates, with code changes that align with LEED criteria
· LEED rating system overview
· Cost of LEED, including hard costs and soft costs
· Managing LEED certification by project phase, including charts with compliance verification documents to be submitted to DCRA in each phase
· LEED project management matrix
· Steps to LEED certification, with action items detailed for each step
· Specification guidance for construction progress reporting and documentation
· LEED general resources
· Glossary of terms
The D.C. LEED Certification Guidebook is also posted on the OPM website under “Construction Division.”
Martha Perkins1025 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036-5405
Phone: 202.659.6770
Fax: 202.327.6170
mperkins@wtplaw.com Let's Play Ball! September 19, 2009
Maryland AGC Generals take on the ASA Yellow Submarines. 
We have a fun-filled line up for you, your family and friends to enjoy. Firstly make sure you sign up to be a part of the AGC Generals (probably Marylands best kept secret!). If thats not for you how about participating in the homerun derby, running around the bases and/or playing catch on the field before the big game, playing basket bingo or just relax and enjoy all that's going on around you. For the younger members of the family we have face-painting, balloon artistry and Kid Zone games. The concession stands will be open so you can enjoy your favourite ballpark food and refreshments.
If that doesn't convince you to come out to play maybe the fact that this event will benefit The Casey Cares Foundation. Individually designed for each family, Casey Cares programs allow families to focus on happy times together rather than the stress, worry and pain of the disease that has upended their lives.
Diligence Pays Off with Preventive Maintainance
Being diligent about preventive maintenance for a fleet of vehicles not only can help a company’s bottom line, it benefits the environment. Preventive maintenance means taking the time to monitor fluid levels, tire pressure, belts and hoses, battery, air, fuel, and transmission filters, vehicle lighting and turn signal systems. In addition to keeping the vehicle safe to drive, benefits include everything from avoiding more costly repairs and loss of productivity due to down time to helping the environment by reducing fuel consumption, decreasing harmful emissions,
One way to implement a preventive maintenance program is to follow the manufacturer’s recommended preventive maintenance schedule. However, since there can be substantial variations in each manufacturer’s schedule, it is important to continually check the owner’s manual for individual vehicles.
Some companies make their drivers responsible for remembering and scheduling their own oil and filter changes and other routine maintenance work. Unfortunately, due to busy schedules, they may forget or postpone it for too long, resulting in more costly repairs. Alternatively, some drivers feel they’re helping the company by changing their own oil or performing other routine maintenance, but this also can be counterproductive because failure to complete and maintain detailed records of regularly scheduled maintenance can often end up compromising the vehicle’s warranty.
There are many ways to structure a preventative maintenance program to suit an individual company’s budget and needs. One of the most cost-effective ways is to outsource to a professional fleet management company that specializes in serving companies with medium-size fleets.
To help maximize savings, a professional fleet management company may use a service interval guide that considers the optimal timing for preventive maintenance to stay within warranties for all makes and models. Their expertise may also help direct drivers take advantage of opportunities to combine service with the replacement of various components that may be covered by warranty, to further reduce costs.
A fleet management company can also be a watchdog. For example, if a repair shop recommends new spark plugs for a vehicle with 60,000 miles, the fleet service company will question the shop about why the tune up is needed. Unless there is a drivability problem, spark plugs in most vehicles are good for 100,000 miles. Also, many of the fluids used in today’s vehicles, such as transmission fluid, differential oil, and engine coolant, have extended service intervals.
In addition to overseeing and authorizing service and repairs, maintaining good records, and consolidating invoices, a professional fleet management company may be able to negotiate better prices on maintenance and repairs, facilitate goodwill assistance claims, and secure available rebates. Often, this negotiating ability can mean that you can avoid paying for unnecessary repairs and service or those that may be already covered by warranty.
Mark Powell is Group Sales Manager for Enterprise Fleet Management in Baltimore and can be reached at 410-412-4620. He is supported by an experienced team of veteran mechanics and accredited Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) technicians to serve the fleet maintenance needs of businesses with mid-size fleets. In addition to maintenance management programs, Enterprise’s services include vehicle acquisition, fuel management and insurance programs, as well as vehicle registration, reporting and remarketing. Visit the company’s web site at www.enterprisefleet.com or call toll free 1-877-23-FLEET. Looking Beneath the Green Surface at Bid Considerations
As sustainability standards are heightened across the country, your firm has likely already been awarded a sustainable project that incorporates a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEEDâ) certification level requirement, or you are in the process of bidding on one. Participation in LEED projects reflects positively on your firm’s commitment to supporting the environment and undoubtedly opens doors for future Green construction opportunities.
While the benefits to the environment and community, owner, contractor and designer are undisputed, there are significant bidding and negotiating risk exposures lurking just beneath the green surface.
No one is more familiar with these risks than Mark Purcell, CCM, AIA, LEED AP, project executive and David L. Gehringer, LEED AP, preconstruction manager at Nason Construction, a firm operating in Philadelphia, Wilmington and Delmarva region that developed a proven partnering approach to the preconstruction phase. With numerous completed projects featuring sustainable elements such as the vegetative roof at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center in Newark, DE and the geothermal heating/cooling system at the North Dorchester Middle School in Hurlock, MD, their experience has proven that project success is determined before you even break ground.
Lesson 1: Get a Road Map
Before your construction firm gets behind the wheel of a LEED-certified project, insist on a LEED Charette – it will be your road map to insure seamless collaboration between owner, designer and contractor so performance goals are achieved efficiently. “When you receive bid documents and there is no LEED Charette included – that’s a major red flag that you absolutely must heed,” advises Gehringer. “The Charette is critical to identifying the sustainable concepts and strategies as well as aligning the owner, designer and contractor – without it, you are blindly bidding,” he continued.
If the bid documents don’t include a Charette, you must immediately facilitate a meeting with the owner and design professional so that all parties agree on expectations. “Overall, LEED requirements do bring out the best in integrating the owner, designer and contractor – however you must be diligent in initiating such collaboration early on in the bid process to adequately manage expectations and insure your responsibilities,” added Purcell.
Lesson 2: Be Wary of Low Bids
When it comes to increasing profits in a LEED-registered project, there are many unforeseen costs not associated with traditional building that are often overlooked by inexperienced subcontractors. “The lowest subcontractor bid can look tempting, but a savvy general contractor must conduct a comprehensive assessment of all the non-traditional costs before accepting such a bid,” warns Gehringer. “If your subcontractor has not accounted for these costs, you must not accept it, as it would later become a burden to your profitability,” he advises.
In addition to accounting for such costs, you must insure that your subcontractors have the necessary experience to meet the demands of the LEED checklist. “The last thing you want is an inexperienced subcontractor laying down carpet without first following the appropriate off-gas procedures; an oversight like that could cost you air quality credits that would have been earned otherwise,” said Purcell.
In addition to the above lessons learned, The Graham Company and Nason Construction recommend the following preconstruction best practices:
Read the Contract … and Then Read it Again
If not properly managed, LEED projects can be cost prohibitive, but fortunately special attention to your contract can significantly enhance your profit margin. In order for an owner to capitalize on tax credits or other cash-flow opportunities such as surplus energy sell-off or increased occupancy rates, specific performance requirements within the design may be required. Unless these metrics and standards are clearly defined in the contract, the designer and/or contractor could be held responsible for not meeting expectations.
A thorough review of the bid documents and agreement on the clarifying particulars are critical from the outset; this should include a detailed assessment of all materials used and contractual obligations for each. “With so many new materials being used in LEED construction, from vegetative roof membrane to low-VOC flooring adhesive, it is easy to find your construction firm in the middle of a blame game with the product manufacturer,” said Gehringer. “To avoid this finger pointing and the resulting claims that could follow, be sure that your contract clearly defines your installation obligations versus product warranties,” he continued.
Standard LEED contract templates will include the terms: “declare,” “affirm” or “certify,” which imply you warrant or guarantee that your work will achieve a level of performance (i.e., LEED standard). Since such claims are non-defensible, every General and Professional Liability policy will contain a standard exclusion for Express Warranties/Guarantees, raising concern over insurability of the contract. In order to reduce your exposure, avoid signing warranties/guarantees in contracts. Instead, have the contract amended to include Rating Satisfaction language that clarifies that your firm will endeavor to design/build to a performance standard. The “endeavor to” language is less stringent.
Adhere to the Timeline
Realization of tax credits and satisfactory completion of LEED documentation often contain a milestone or deadline component. Ensuring that these milestones are incorporated into your overall project plan are keys to success – for example, failure to satisfy application requirements for the Final Credit Certificate prior to its expiration date, such as obtaining a certificate of occupancy, would disqualify the owner from obtaining the credit. Damage claims for both negligence and breach of contract may be the owner’s only recourse to obtain financial compensation for the lost tax credits.
Consult with Experts
While the additional work to satisfy the requirements of a sustainable project may at first be daunting, the ultimate rewards can be considerable. A thorough review of the contract and incorporation of the aforementioned items within your project management system can reduce your liability exposures considerably. Consultation with your insurance broker and legal counsel regarding any specialized indemnification and/or satisfaction of insurance requirements is always encouraged to reduce your overall liability exposure.
About the Author:
Dave Merker is an Account Manager at The Graham Company. He specializes in insurance policies designed for LEED-certified and Green Building construction projects. He can be reached at 215-701-5299 or dmerker@grahamco.com Chaney Enterprises Add Biofuels to Operations
WALDORF, MD—July 17, 2009—Chaney Enterprises announced today that it has signed a biofuel sales contract with New Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc., a renewable fuels provider.
This contract is the first opportunity for New Generation Biofuels in the concrete industry. Chaney Enterprises will initially replace fossil fuel oil with the renewable biofuel in their Infern-O-Therm hot water boilers. In addition to the boilers, Chaney Enterprises will ultimately use biofuel in their many off-road vehicles.
“The renewable nature of biofuel allows us to reduce the carbon footprint of every cubic yard of concrete we ship with something as easy as switching our boiler fuel over from fossil fuels to biofuel,” said Bill Childs, President and CEO of Chaney Enterprises. “It was an easy decision to make the switch.”
“Chaney Enterprises has a reputation for being proactive and caring for the environment. We are delighted to be associated with Chaney and look forward to helping them reduce their carbon footprint and emissions,” said Cary Claiborne, CEO of New Generation Biofuels.
This is one of many green initiatives for Chaney Enterprises. Not only is concrete remarkably green in its planet cooling properties, durability and recycled content, but many of the practices Chaney Enterprises uses to produce concrete—including mining, water reuse and even reusing motor oil to heat the fleet maintenance shop—all contribute to its ongoing environmental strategies. Additionally Chaney Enterprises hosts an annual Greenfest which offers the public the chance to see and tour their mining, refining and concrete operations and the unique methods used to have a sustainable operation.
“You can’t just have a little office recycling and say that you’re green anymore,” said Bill Childs. “We are looking for ways to improve in every facet of our company. We are only just beginning.”
Next on the horizon for Chaney Enterprises is the Green-Star Program from the National Ready Mix Concrete Association which certified concrete manufacturing plants for improved sustainability. Not only does this program improve the environment, but has the added benefits of increasing efficiency and profits
About Chaney Enterprises
Chaney Enterprises is a family business, begun in the spirit of entrepreneurship, by Eugene “Babe” Chaney, Sr. who began a small contracting firm supplying gravel for Prince George’s County roads. Today, Chaney Enterprises is composed of several divisions: concrete; sand, gravel and stone; and construction materials and supplies. The company operates seven ready mix concrete plants, four sand and gravel facilities, and The Concrete Store, a 19,000-square-foot contractor-grade construction materials supply store. The company employs 234 delivery professionals, support personnel and administrative staff located in nine Maryland counties.
For information call 301-932-5665 or visit www.ChaneyEnterprises.com.
AGC of America Bookstore
The AGC Bookstore brings you the latest information on Building Information Modeling (BIM). The newly developed BIM Education Program along with AGC's BIM textbooks will keep you up-to-date on the latest information to help with BIM implementation.
BIM 101: An Introduction to Building Information Modeling
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BIM 101 is designed specifically for construction professionals eager to learn the essential concepts of BIM. Those who will also benefit include building developers, owners, managers, supervisors, architects, engineers, and construction product manufacturers. Students in the architecture, engineering and construction industry will also greatly benefit from this training. Purchase the course material noted below to host the training at your organization or participate in a course scheduled at an AGC chapter at www.agc.org/BIMEP.
Instructor's Guide: Item No. 7500 · Retail Price: $155.00 · AGC Member Price: $125.00
Participant's Manual: Item No. 75001 · Retail Price: $155.00 · AGC Member Price: $125.00
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AGC Specialty Contractors Survey - Input Requested
The AGC of America Specialty Contractors Council (SCC) requests feedback and input from AGC’s specialty contractor members on an important survey, regarding how the Council can best serve and engage specialty contractors. Responses from the survey will be instrumental in shaping the direction of the Council in the years to come.
The survey will close on Friday, August 14.
For more information about the AGC of America Specialty Contractors Council, visit www.agc.org/SCC. Please contact Cassia Griffin at griffinc@agc.org with any questions.
Apply to the Industry's Most Prestigious Awards
Submissions are now being accepted for AGC's Aon Build America Awards and The Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Awards. Entries must be completed in the 2009 calendar year. Past award winners have not only been featured in a variety of AGC materials like the Annual Report, association newsletters and ads, but also in Engineering News Record, Constructor Magazine and numerous other national media outlets.
Isn’t it time to get your outstanding projects and hard work recognized? Deadline for entry is November 6, 2009.
For more information on these award programs or for information on how to prepare your entry, please visit www.agc.org/awards or contact Elisa Brewer Pratt at (703) 837.5343 or brewere@agc.org
