Structural engineers from Keast & Hood are a bit baffled in the belfry of historic Independence Hall in Philadelphia. As part of a planned $4.3-million renovation, triggered by leaks in the landmark’s tower, the local firm discovered that several lines of iron rods, which run vertically down the center of the tower’s 2.75-in.-thick wooden siding, have significantly deteriorated. But the team doesn’t know why the rods are there in the first place, so they don’t know if they need to be repaired or replaced. Photo: National Park Service Philadelphia tower built in 1828. Photo: National Park Service Purpose of rods
While sustainability advocates push the benefits of green construction, more designers, contractors, owners and insurers are now confronting the risks behind those claims. Potential risks associated with emerging green demands have represented a gray area but as more claims and lawsuits land in court, details are becoming clearer. Although risks are often project- and location-specific, owners, constructors and designers of green buildings are finding some consensus, says New York City-based insurance broker Marsh in a new report. The study, “Green Building: Assessing the Risks,” identifies and ranks 10 key areas of green-building risk, five of which could be the most
Lists of stimulus-funded projects are now rolling out of federal agencies, but there are still many questions about how government entities will effectively manage the nearly $135 billion in work hitting the market in coming months. With many agencies hampered by staff cutbacks in key areas such as procurement and contract oversight, federal officials are seeking answers from within their ranks and debating the need to tap private industry for help. Many project-management and construction-management firms believe trends are in their favor. Photo: AP / Wideworld Obama meets road crews at DOT headquarters while marking transportation stimulus milestone. Todd Wager,
Driven by a need to speed projects to market, federal agencies are drawing heavily on accelerated delivery methods to move stimulus-funded work into the express lane. More than ever, traditional stand-alone procurement will take a back seat on federal jobs, as many new opportunities end up with firms holding existing “task order” contracts. + Image Source: U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Chart: Rommel Alama / ENR The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Will Award $1.1 Billion in Stimulus Work Photo: Army Corps of Engineers Barracks at Ft. Lee, Va., a $120-million project, will be built under IDIQ contract. The Obama
The U.S. General Services Administration has added its list to the growing stream of projects expected to hit the market under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the stimulus package. The list represents $5.55 billion in total spending with $4.5 billion dedicated to converting federal facilities to high-performance green buildings. The list includes hundreds of projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories. Photo: GSA The Herbert Hoover Building modernization project in Washington, D.C., will receive $225.6 million in stimulus funding for two of its eight phases. The complete list can be
With $5.9 billion in stimulus package money ready to go, the Dept. of Defense unveiled an expenditure plan that adds up to big opportunities for small contractors. The DOD plan, which was released to Congress on March 20, outlines nearly 3,000 projects that cover a broad mix of new construction, renovations and facility upgrades at sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. The plan includes $2.3 billion in work under the military construction program, with the vast majority dedicated to projects under $10 million. The plan focuses on family housing, troop housing and quality-of-life
As organized labor heads into a potentially dismal negotiation season this year, unions received a big boost in February when President Barack Obama made good on his campaign promise to reverse the ban on project labor agreements for federally funded projects. As billions of dollars in federal work begins to filter out through the stimulus package, federal contracting agencies could opt to use project labor agreements on its major construction projects. Photo: AP/Wideworld Related Links: Inflation Reverses Course As Recession Floors Prices Renegotiations Make Bad Times Worse Finding Cost Data on the Internet What Drives ENR’s Cost Indexes How To
Small contractors may see expanded bonding opportunities as they pursue work under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The measure temporarily increases guarantees in the Small Business Administration bond program and offers more enticing conditions for sureties to work with the program. The stimulus boosts SBA guarantee limits from $2 million to $5 million and gives SBA contracting agents authority to hike the limit up to $10 million. The changes are effective only through Sept. 30, 2010. The legislation also adds $15 million to SBA’s surety-bond revolving fund. The measure also allows larger construction firms to qualify for
In an effort to move forward quickly with stimulus funds, federal agencies targeted to receive construction funds for buildings will focus heavily on greening existing inventory and pushing projects with designs in place. While the specific definition of "shovel-ready" remains uncertain, it’s clear from the bill that speed is the order of the day. The General Services Administration will see $5.55 billion in funds from the bill with a major emphasis placed on green building. As a result, projects that upgrade existing facilities will trump new construction. While $750 million would go to federal buildings, such as U.S. courthouses, and
As Congress negotiates billions of dollars in potential federal funds for construction through the economic stimulus bill, President Barack Obama moved to bring back union-only project labor agreements as an option on federally funded projects. The president on Feb. 6 issued an executive order overturning a Bush administration ban on federal PLAs and opened the door to such pacts on projects of $25 million or more. The order fulfills a promise made during the presidential campaign to unions to advocate for their interests. Getting the PLA ban reversed was cited by union officials as a high priority on its wish
