After nearly a century of promoting a multidisciplinary approach to educating future designers, the architectural engineering department at State College-based Pennsylvania State University, the country’s oldest such program and the longest to be continuously accredited, believes today’s industry trends have come full circle with tradition. Photo: Pennsylvania State University Architectural Engineering Dept. Related Links: Academia Takes On Tougher Times New Certification Course for Professionals Uses Holistic Approach Studying Failure Is Crucial As the industry pushes toward more integrated project-delivery methods and high-performance buildings, students need both a breadth and depth of knowledge to succeed in project teams, says Chimay Anumba,

Virtual design and construction is the topic of a new professional certification program at Stanford University’s Center for Integrated Facilities Engineering (CIFE). But it’s not so much about 3-D modeling, software, hardware or magical visualizations as it is about an integrated approach to linking all the tools at your disposal, including data-driven design and organization and decision process modeling. The course teaches that VDC isn’t a tool but a framework that leverages an array of technology to accomplish superior work. Photo: Parsons Brinckerhoff Mezher focused on VDC planning for the Alaskan Way Viaduct Deep-Bored Tunnel project. + Image Image: PB

The Senate Health, Labor and Pensions Committee has approved President Barack Obama’s nominees to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. The nominees will next be considered by the full Senate. But Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), says he has strong reservations about one of the nominees, and led several Republicans in voting against him at an Oct. 20 committee meeting. Related Links: Obama Picks Two Democrats For NLRB Slots Before the committee vote, McCain said that he had no choice but to oppose the nomination of Craig Becker—a long-time union-side attorney—because the committee had not held a confirmation hearing, where

The Army Corps of Engineers will deactivate its Gulf Regional Division in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 23, transferring oversight responsibilities for Corps operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to the recently created Trans Atlantic Division, based in Winchester, Va. The predecessor division was created in 2004 to help manage Corps work in supporting maneuver forces and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. The new division is under the command of Brig. Gen. Kendall P. Cox. It supports Corps military and international missions in the entire U.S. Central Command operations area—including 20 countries in the Middle East and Central Asia—with engineering and construction

Attempts have failed to outlaw the U.K. government-set default retirement age of 65 years, marking the end of a three-year legal tussle. However, because of skills shortages, the High Court’s September decision allowing compulsory retirement to continue will have little impact on construction, claims an industry official. About 250 pending legal claims against compulsory retirement will now terminate, according to the London-based law firm Pinsent Masons LLP. The court ruling “is good news for employers,” says Jon Coley, a partner. “But...the government has brought forward the review of the [default retirement age, or DRA,] and the smart money is on

Unions within the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO are looking to extend training opportunities for Native Americans on tribal lands nationwide through a new partnership with the Council for Tribal Employment Rights. The Building Trades announced on Sept. 30 the creation of the Native Construction Careers Institute, which aims to provide career training and placement opportunities for Native Americans in construction trades. Although many unions currently have outreach programs to recruit Native Americans, NCCI will offer training on Indian lands. Training ranges from basic health and safety to bidding and estimating skills. Joining a union would not

The electric power industry stands to lose up to one-third of its professional and craft workers in both construction and operations to retirement in the next five years, and the industry needs a comprehensive plan to replace them, claims a new study released by the National Committee on Energy Policy. The study, released on Oct. 2, was conducted by Washington, D.C.-based NCEP’s Task Force on America’s Future Energy Jobs, which includes members from energy companies, unions, academia and construction. It estimates that, by 2020, the energy sector could need as many as 150,000 construction workers in both the professional and

Despite a pickup in federal stimulus projects, construction's unemployment rate grew worse in September, rising to 17.1%, from 16.5% in August, as the industry lost another 64,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Construction's September jobless rate also was well above the year-earlier mark of 9.9%. Construction's rate remains the highest among U.S. industries. In its latest monthly report, issued Oct. 2, BLS noted that construction has shed a total of 1.5 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007. Of September's 64,000 construction jobs lost, 39,000 were in the non-residential sector and 12,000 in heavy construction, BLS

Emerging job markets and sustainability are two key areas of business St. Louis, Mo.'s Sheet Metal Workers' Local 36 has focused on in recent years to help create and keep up with growth in the sheet-metal and HVAC industries. Local 36 will soon be making those key areas priorities as it unveils plans for a new $15-million green facility. Local 36 has announced approval from its members to move forward with the purchase and renovation of the former Missouri Boiler building on the northeast corner of Jefferson and Choteau avenues in downtown St. Louis to develop a new state-of-the-art, 96,023-sq-ft

The AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh this month was the backdrop for the latest salvo between the federation’s Building and Construction Trades Dept. and its long-missing member, the carpenters’ union, over recruiting practices in a recession-impacted marketplace. The AFL-CIO on Sept. 16 passed a resolution urging the carpenters’ union to reaffiliate but also authorizing member unions to compete with it in organizing carpenters in certain markets. Resolution 70, passed unanimously, urges the 500,000-member United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners to end its “go-it-alone policy” and realign with both the AFL-CIO and BCTD, which represents 13 construction craft unions. The carpenters left