In Response to President Obama’s Infrastructure Bank

Published on September 7, 2010 in Daily Dirt. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Dennis Slater, AEM President

Statement from Dennis Slater, President of Association of Equipment Manufacturers

America’s equipment manufacturing industry applauds the President for recognizing the vital importance of infrastructure investment to the long-term strength and competitiveness of our country. What America needs – and what voters want – is the Administration and Congress to work in partnership right now to finally pass a transportation reauthorization bill that will address longstanding safety and quality issues, and put Americans back to work.

Investing in the rebuilding and modernization of our nation’s roads, railways, runways and transit systems is a strategy that Democrats and Republicans alike should be clamoring to support.  Instead, Congress has let a six-year bill expire while America falls behind other nations that are building infrastructure for future competition in the global marketplace. In the short term, this has and will continue to cost American jobs. In the long-term, it will cost us our competitive advantage – and even more jobs.

While the President’s plan for an Infrastructure Bank and increased capacity in our infrastructure system is an important step, Congress has the opportunity to act now on transportation reauthorization that will result in immediate job creation.  We need a strategic vision for modernizing our country’s infrastructure, and leaders with the courage to make it happen.  We need Congress to pass a transportation bill, and they need to come together on a robust, multi-faceted and sustainable way to pay for it, including consideration of a user fee increase.  Maybe this is not the most popular policy stance in an election year, but there is no such thing as a safe road built by American workers for free.

Editor’s Note:

Site-K Construction Zone has been posting information and comments about the country’s need for a new transportation bill. One, that had been based on a couple of years of intense research and addressed the immediate and long term transportation needs of the country by congressman James L. Oberstar and his committee, has been put on hold a couple times since the last bill,  SAFETEA-LU, expired on September 30, 2009. A year and billions of dollars have been wasted and more debt created while we as a nation sit and wait… A comprehensive transportation bill would be a step in the right direction. Congress doesn’t have to wait until December to pass one. Now would be a good time…

GS

Group Goetz Architects Promotes Franck Le Bousse, DPLG To Principal

Published on September 7, 2010 in Construction and Daily Dirt. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Group Goetz Architects (GGA) is pleased to announce that Franck Le Bousse, DPLG has been promoted to Principal. In his five years with GGA, Mr. Le Bousse has worked on a wide variety of projects within the firm, including such notable projects as the Herbert C. Hoover Modernization, National Aquarium in Washington, DC, the Embassy of Liechtenstein and the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation HQ. Mr. Le Bousse is a proven leader who is motivated by design excellence, a commitment to outstanding client service and a passion for collaboration.

Mr. Le Bousse is an award-winning architect who has a diverse and international portfolio of projects. His versatile design skills allow him to implement provocative ideas in simple and elegant solutions for projects including major national civic buildings, residential developments, medical facilities, office building interior designs, landscape and furniture design.

Prior to working at GGA, Mr. Le Bousse worked as an Architectural Lead Designer in Chile, Germany and France. Throughout his 16 years in architecture, Mr. Le Bousse led diverse project teams and is recognized for clear and concise communication with clients supported by simple graphic documents. Mr. Le Bousse’s strong leadership has brought projects such as the Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein, the New Interpretive Center at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville, France, the Gala Hispanic Theatre in Washington, DC, the Cancer Care Center in Seaford, DE and the Federal Ministry of Economy in Berlin to completion. Mr. Le Bousee received his Bachelors of Architecture from Ecole d’Architecture de Bretagne in Rennes, France and studied at the International Laboratory of Architecture and Urban Design in Urbino, Italy and the Instituto Universitario di Archittetura di Venezia in Venice, Italy.

“During his tenure at GGA, Franck has demonstrated his abilities as a highly regarded professional, an effective problem solver and communicator and as a strong leader, said Lewis J. Goetz, FAIA, FIIDA, President and CEO of Group Goetz Architects. “Mr. Le Bousse is a tremendous asset to the firm and we are proud to make him a Principal.

NYSE Closing Bell Features 811

Published on September 5, 2010 in Daily Dirt. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

John Deere, Common Ground Alliance and US DOT Join for Safe Digging

Representatives from John Deere Construction & Forestry, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) rang the ceremonial closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, August 20, to promote awareness of underground utilities through the use of the national 811 call-before-you-dig phone number. Though awareness and use of 811 has significantly decreased the number of underground utility strikes in the U.S., the fact that there are still fatalities and damages from hitting gas and utility lines underscores the need for a continued safety campaign.

“It’s not enough that the number of strikes has decreased in each of the last five years, because even one strike is too many,” said Bob Kipp, president of the CGA.

In 2004, it was estimated that there were 450,000 instances of damage from striking underground lines. However, as a result of the work of CGA and its many supporters, that number has decreased by over 60 percent to 170,000 damages in 2009.

“Through our support of CGA and 811, we strengthen our commitment to our customers. Our customers are our first focus and this initiative saves lives,” said Michael Mack, worldwide president, John Deere Construction & Forestry.

“Beyond personal safety concerns, the potential property damage, inconvenient service outages and the hefty fines to equipment operators resulting from digging accidents makes the 811 service incredibly valuable.”

To further encourage safe digging, John Deere is also sharing portions of safety videos on YouTube beginning next month. The first video, featuring excavators, will be posted at http://www.YouTube.com/JohnDeere.

The FCC-designated 811 number was launched in 2007 by the CGA to eliminate the confusion of multiple call-before-you-dig numbers that were being used across the country. As a result, homeowners, farmers and contractors can call one easy-to-remember number to have crews mark a requested site for underground lines prior to any excavation.

Deere helped spread the word when the 811 number was first established in 2007 and has also been a driving force behind National 811 Day (each August 11) and the “Safe Digging Month” awareness campaign that occurs each spring. In addition to including information about 811 on its website, the company has featured the 811 logo prominently in its advertising and as part of its booth display during some of the construction industry’s most prominent trade shows.

The DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration Administrator, Cynthia Quarterman, was also on hand at the bell-ringing event to lend support.

McCarthy Begins Construction On $10.1 Million Parking Structure At Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital

Published on September 1, 2010 in California Builder & Engineer and Daily Dirt. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

McCarthy Building Companies, a Southern California builders of parking structures, has begun construction on the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital parking structure, located on the hospital’s 1.9-acre site in Santa Clarita, CA. Designed by Irvine-based Choate Parking Consultants, the $10.1 million parking facility is the first major component of a 15-year master plan for the overall campus.  The 244,135-SF, five-level structure will house parking for 750 cars, and includes a rooftop helipad. Completion is scheduled for April 2011.

“Because the parking structure is being constructed within a heavily trafficked area, we will be coordinating our construction traffic operations with hospital facilities personnel and the governing agencies.  This will allow the construction process to move forward with minimal impact on the campus operations,” said Alan Carroll, executive vice president of McCarthy’s parking division.

Since the freestanding, two-bay structure is being constructed in an active parking area and on an operating hospital campus, adjustments were required to accommodate the busy location.  McCarthy is using temporary road closures and barricades to allow activity to continue on the three surrounding sides and major thoroughfare.  The main entrance of the hospital is near a heavily traveled road and all other roads surrounding the hospital are still active.  McCarthy also made adjustments to ensure that all of their construction deliveries were made during non-peak traffic hours.

“Building a project of this magnitude within a busy hospital setting must be carefully orchestrated,” said Stacey Pray, AIA, ACHA, CASp, principal of SHP Project Development, the construction management firm for the project. “McCarthy has been able to keep the site clean, and work within busy traffic patterns – both of which make running a construction project challenging, yet we are right on schedule.”

The parking structure is constructed with post-tensioned, cast-in-place concrete decks and shear walls.  The structure will also include three elevators, one of which is specifically designed to serve as a trauma elevator.  The temporary rooftop helipad will service the existing trauma center until the permanent helipad is constructed as part of the new patient tower.  The project also includes landscaping in the front of the structure, painted concrete exteriors with green screen and several other architectural features.

AGC: Job Gains In July Fed By Stimulus Projec

Published on September 1, 2010 in Daily Dirt. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

According to the Associated General Contractors of America, employment gains in the construction industry increased across the United States in July. Additionally losses were less severe than in June.

More construction jobs were available in 26 states in July. The states with the largest increases include Kansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Alaska and Arkansas. “Encouraging as it is to see some modest signs of progress, it is increasingly unlikely we’ll keep seeing these kinds of gains over the next few months,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist in a statement. “There is little to indicate that construction will be adding workers to a significant extent any time soon.”

Over the last year, several states lost a larger percentage of jobs including Nevada, Illinois, Idaho, Colorado and California.
The comeback kids from June depressing outlook include Vermont and Wyoming, which managed to recoup the jobs it lost in the previous month. Oregon, New Mexico and Louisiana also added jobs.

Though Simonson credits the job increases with the glut of federal stimulus funded projects around the country, he states that the outlook may not be so rosy as the stimulus money fades. “There are few signs of life in privately funded construction, and state and local budget deficit projections are forcing further cuts in non–stimulus public projects,” he said.

What could stimulate the construction job market as the stimulus money fades is increased investment and revitalization in aging infrastructure, something that has been long neglected in this country. “Continued neglect of our aging infrastructure will damage our economic competitiveness and plunge the construction industry into another cycle of layoffs and hardship,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer in a statement.

Source: Associated General Contractors of America