GORMLEY With over 60 health-care projects under way nationwide, we are always working to finish on time and on budget with good quality design and construction. However, we continue to face challenges ensuring that our new buildings and renovations actually operate effectively and efficiently. Recently, our in-house engineers were checking a new boiler. While it produced hot water, the controls were improperly set so it cycled on to full heat and then quickly shut down as the temperature met the set point. This is something like driving your car by pressing the gas pedal to the floor when the light
Clarifying Risk Your article, Experts Debate Using Structure to Resist Fire Loads on a Structure, includes a table of statistics on relative risk levels under fire and other events, which is attributed to me (ENR 10/13 p. 14). My intent in presenting these and other statistics at the NIST/SFPE workshop was to provide some sense of the relative safety implied by current structural design practice, recognizing that the specific limit states and their consequences are not equal across all the hazards. The main point, made correctly in the article, is that compared to other hazards, the risk of structural collapse
Collaboration in Stone We were delighted to open your issue and see the photo of the stone installation piece of the new Masonry Variations exhibition at the National Building Museum (ENR 10/20 p. 10). It is quite breathtaking, if we do say so ourselves. While you got one of the exhibitions two points rightpushing classic materials in two directionsthere was an equally important second point, that of collaboration. While crediting architect Jeanne Gang and the engineers who helped make the stone curtain wall work the way it was intended, there was one other person without whom the whole project would
California's Wrong Move With California adopting National Fire Protection Association 5000 instead of the International Code Council code (ENR 9/8 p. 9), here is yet another reason that we should strongly consider revoking its statehood! The NFPA 5000 code is completely unrealistic and unworkable from a professional standpoint. It simply is a method for NFPA to have people buy all the remaining NFPA codes, which are referenced within its pages. Imagine trying to apply all of the various standards to a building project when you have to constantly try to figure out what or where the requirement is. The ICC
The rail versus highway debate is getting heated as a six-year, multi-billion-dollar transportation reauthorization bill stalls in Congress. The debate is strikingly similar to the highway debate at the turn of the last century when inter-jurisdictional squabbling over issues such as taxation and spending, suburban versus urban and environmental justice were the same ones facing highway builders. Ironically, the answer to our rail problems lies in the history of our highway system. Once upon a time, counties controlled highways and the rich ones had good roads while the poor or indifferent counties had mud paths. It took the U.S. Armys
CHRISTENSEN Everyone likes things in writing. Its a tangible guarantee that work will be done or rules will be followed. This is particularly true when it comes to developing and utilizing a consistent company safety program. Putting together a written safety program is a critical first step towards documenting company policies and procedures for accident-free construction, yet many contractors do not have one. It is much more than just a list of rigid work rules. Written safety programs are important because they delineate responsibilities and expectations for everyone. They also provide guidance for field supervisors so they can handle unexpected
Wheres the Humanity? I fail to see the excitement over the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as written in "City of Angels Music Heaven" (ENR 8/11 p. 30). It looks like a chunk of metal that was destroyed while machining. It might have great acoustics, but great acoustics can be achieved in buildings that say something about humanity. Mr. Gehrys building says a lot about the inhumanity of post-modernism and deconstructionism. I could easily say the same for the buildings at M.I.T. that were highlighted in ENR a few months ago. Bombed out shells of buildings in Lebanon
ENR Publishes 100th Goodman Cover Photo Good Photos. Goodman's first ENR cover appeared in 1988 (left). This weeks magazine features the 100th ENR cover photo taken by extraordinary construction photographer Michael Goodman. Earlier this year, Goodman joined the magazines masthead as contributing photographer. The son of Grow Tunneling executive William Goodman, Michael comes naturally to his passion for construction. He quickly discovered he could put his photography degree from University of California at San Diego to work in the industry. On assignment for Grow in 1978, he was mesmerized by the lights, sounds and activities of the huge machines at
Ethics Do Matter We applaud ENRs recent article on corporate governance (ENR 7/21 p. 24). Certainly, Sarbanes-Oxley and the many SEC and NYSE-NASDAQ initiatives have kept us all busy over the last year. Corporate governance is important to all stakeholders of companies, especially those publicly held. But ENR should inform its readers about changes in another area just as important to every construction firm, both public and private, that performs work for public agencies. This is the area of ethics and corporate compliance and the impact on corporations, directors and officers, of the U.S. Sentencing Commissions organizational sentencing guidelines and
TUCKER We continue to hear concerns about the shortage of skilled craft workers. The problem is not new nor is it unique to the U.S. To me, the causes and obvious solutions are illustrated in the following diagram. Individual companies, national organizations and many labor unions have tried various recruiting efforts. Even with increased recruiting, retention remains a problem. Demographic studies show a major exodus of skilled craft workers after they reach their mid-30s. Companies and organizations have introduced numerous innovations, such as onsite day care centers, major training and craft progression programs, multi-skilling/multi-crafting and guaranteed 2000 hours of work