Miami-Dade County public health officials are investigating whether an activated carbon filtration system at in Miami led to an outbreak of Legionnaires� Disease that killed one man in October and made two people ill in recent weeks. The county health department issued a health advisory on Dec. 11 to residents, guests and employees at the Epic Hotel & Residences, stating that water samples collected from the property’s plumbing system indicated levels of chlorine were insufficient to rid drinking water of bacteria. Samir Elmir, director of the county health department’s environmental health and engineering division, says the activated carbon filter system

Gregs G. Thomopulos, P.E., Chairman & CEO of Stanley Consultants of Houston, was elected president of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers for a two-year term. FIDIC represents globally the consulting engineering industry. Thomopulos has been on the organization’s executive committee for six years. His election marks the first time in 20 years that a U.S. citizen holds the position, which only three other Americans have held in FIDIC’s nearly 100-year history. Dynamic Lighting Solutions in Pearland announced Robert C. Horswood joined the company as utility sales representative, Eastern Division. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s

Related Links: Boeing Taps BE&K, Turner to Design-Build S.C. Dreamliner Plant Mild Declines in September Contract Values for N.C., S.C. N.C. State University Breaks Ground on $127-Million Library Duke Energy and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill have signed an agreement for a pilot project to install up to three offshore wind turbines in the state’s Pamlico Sound. Duke and UNC are completing the scoping document for the project, says Duke spokesman Tim Petit. After the scoping document is complete, Duke will issue a request for proposal for engineering and construction services. Turbines would be installed from eight to 10

Related Links: Stiles COO Palmer Inducted Into Construction Hall of Fame JJG Opens Second North Carolina Office in Cary Pirtle Construction Raises $41,500 for FIU The Water Environment Federation announced that the University of Florida and the University of Colorado-Boulder were the winners of the the eighth annual Student Design Competition, held as part of the association’s WEFTEC technical exhibition and conference in Orlando. The University of Florida’s project, “Green Infrastructure and LID Design for a Florida Constructed Environs Subject to Rainfall-Runoff Loadings,” won in the environmental design category. The University of Colorado-Boulder’s project, “Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility: South

North Carolina State University officials broke ground in late October on the James B. Hunt Jr. Library, an academic and research library. Related Links: Boeing Taps BE&K, Turner to Design-Build S.C. Dreamliner Plant Mild Declines in September Contract Values for N.C., S.C. Utility and University Team Up To Build Offshore Wind Turbines The university describes the Hunt Library as “a signature building that will serve as the intellectual and social heart” of its growing population on the Centennial Campus. The school reports its cost for the project at $127 million. The Hunt Library will contain an automated book-retrieval system–allowing space

Related Links: Broward Co. Selects Designers for $810-Million South Runway Project FIU, MDX Form Partnership to Improve Transportation in Region Edwards Construction to Build J.J. Taylor Warehouse Diocese of the Armenian Church to Build New Sanctuary Hostetter Construction to Build New Fresh Market McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction, reported that the value of new Florida contracts signed in September for future construction declined by 38% overall, compared to the same period of a year ago. The total of all new contracts was slightly more than $1.6 billion, compared to the roughly $2.7 billion of last September. All three construction

McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction, has revised its 2009 forecast for nonbuilding contract activity in the four-state region of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. According to the company, the Southeast’s nonbuilding market–which includes infrastructure projects–should tally approximately $18.1 billion for the year. + Image Source: McGraw-Hill Construction If realized, that would result in the second-highest dollar volume for this market, behind only the $20.8 billion in nonbuilding contracts recorded in 2007. Additionally, it would be roughly $2.3 billion ahead of the $15.8 billion recorded for the four-state region during 2008. More than half of the region’s nonbuilding

Boeing Co. tapped three firms with connections to its existing facilities in North Charleston, S.C., to build a new final assembly plant for its 787 Dreamliner. Related Links: Mild Declines in September Contract Values for N.C., S.C. N.C. State University Breaks Ground on $127-Million Library N.C. OKs New Progress Energy Power Plant in Wayne Co. Utility and University Team Up To Build Offshore Wind Turbines BE&K/Turner, a joint venture of the BE&K Building Group of Greenville, S.C., and Turner Construction Co., will work with Melbourne, Fla.-based design partner BRPH Cos. on the design-build contract. According to BE&K/Turner, permits have been

Related Links: At WEFTEC, UF Team Wins Student Design Competition Stiles COO Palmer Inducted Into Construction Hall of Fame JJG Opens Second North Carolina Office in Cary Pirtle Construction Co. of Davie, Fla., announced that its third annual charity golf tournament raised $41,500 for educational programs at Florida International University. The money will be split evenly between the university’s athletic department and the Dr. Jose A. Marques Endowment, which grants scholarships to students within FIU Law School and FIU Criminal Justice Program.

Related Links: At WEFTEC, UF Team Wins Student Design Competition JJG Opens Second North Carolina Office in Cary Pirtle Construction Raises $41,500 for FIU Stephen R. Palmer, chief operating officer for the Stiles Corp. commercial real estate organization in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was inducted into the University of Florida’s Construction Hall of Fame. Since 1982, the Hall of Fame has honored distinguished leaders who have earned the esteem of their peers, contributed to the construction of quality buildings and made a difference in the industry and community throughout their careers.   Palmer launched his construction career as an estimator at Stiles