CSI Albuquerque Blog

Testing

2010-02-26T18:09:00Z

This is a test of our blog e:mail alert system. This is only a test.

PSFA Funding in Jeopardy - Special Session Alert

2010-02-26T16:30:00Z

by Steve Perich
Dekker/Perich/Sabatini

During the 2010 Regular Session of the NM Legislature, three separate bills (SB208, SB255, and HB268) were introduced, all of which attempted to shift public school capital outlay spending dollars to the general fund. The net effect of each of these was a diversion of approximately $100M per year. The two bills introduced on the Senate side died in Committee, but the one bill on the House side, HB268 appeared in the wee hours of the morning of the final day and passed the House at 3:00 am. on the final day.
As we approach the Special Session the budget details are being worked out privately behind closed doors. It is likely the FY11 Budget for the State of NM will be presented as a fait accompli with very little if any opportunity to comment or influence the elements of the budget. As such the NM Chapter of the American Institute of Architects is urging members of the design and construction industries to reach out to your elected state representatives to communicate our concern with the diversion of public school capital outlay funds to the general operating fund. While we cannot be certain this will again be attempted the fact that it was introduced three separate times and passed the House is cause for concern that it will happen again as part of the ongoing state budget process. We believe this approach unfairly hits industries (design and construction) that have experienced the highest percentage of job losses during this recession and will result in more job losses for those industries. Below are some talking points for you to use as you reach out.

Overview of HB268, SB208 and SB255, all of which divert public school capital outlay funds to operating funds:

- HB268 appeared on the surface to simply allocate a portion of the Severance Tax Bonds (ST and Supplemental Severance Tax Bonds (SST to the General Fund, but those funds are being diverted from the portion of STB and SSTB that have historically been used for public school capital outlay. The net result is a reduction of up to $100M in FY11 from public school capital outlay money.

- SB208 and SB 255 were similar and proposed to divert oil and gas revenues for a three year period from the Severance Tax Bond (ST fund to the public school fund (operations), while directly - and negatively impacting public school capital outlay award capacity to fund construction projects already committed to by the PSCOC.

- SB208: In the first year (FY11), 87% of funding for PSCOC standards-based public school capital outlay programs would be diverted. For three years, a combined $340 million would have been transferred from school capital outlay to school operations

- SB255: It was projected that 100% of funding for PSCOC standards-based public school capital outlay programs would have been diverted. For three years, a combined $640.5 million was to be transferred from the severance tax bonding fund to fund school operations. Also impacted SB-9, and reduced the bond fund to such an extent it would violate the coverage covenants required by previous bond issuances.

Impacts of HB268, SB208, and SB255 and similar bills that would divert public school capital outlay funds to general operating funds:

- The design professional and construction sector in New Mexico is already suffering a profound downturn with employment falling over 17% since November 2008. Nationally, the sector unemployment rate has climbed to 22.7%. According to Albuquerque Public Schools, nearly 63% of all construction work in Bernalillo County is school related. In more distant rural areas of the state, this ratio is much higher. A decrease of funding of the magnitude envisioned in this bill could devastate commercial construction employment in New Mexico

- A loss of $110 million in state funding and postponement of $110 million district matching funds could push commercial construction unemployment from approximately 20% to over 45%, for the next three years - a loss of approximately 2,100 direct construction jobs per year.

- Breaks the implicit promise of State matching funds for local public school districts, which districts relied on when passing recent local school bonds. It is worth noting that in the February 2010 school bond season, local communities passed over 95 percent of their school bonds across New Mexico. Will result in school districts being unable to complete the volume of work promised to voters at time of bond election. Samples of the lost State match percentages are as follows:
        School District FY10 State Match
        Albuquerque Public Schools 54%
        Gallup McKinley County Schools 84%
        Las Cruces Public Schools 67%
        Gadsden Independent School District 90%
        Roswell Independent School District 72%
        Grants Cibola County Schools 81%

- May put the state out of compliance with the Zuni Lawsuit special master agreement, and may generate court action against the state re the underlying equity issues.

- Charter Schools would suffer with loss of lease assistance even with newly allocated SB9 or HB33, for up to three years

- With 2X public school capital outlay multiplier (indirect state AND local funding impacts), halts approximately $170M per year of construction for one to three years.

- Approximately 1,700 indirect construction jobs lost per year for one to three years.

- Would reverse six years of significant progress in the overall condition of New Mexico school facilities. To maintain the current average combined public school facilities condition index of 36 percent will require state public school capital outlay investment of about $125 million per year over the next five years. At lower funding levels, degradation exceeds renovation/repair and school facilities decline.

- Could halt or reduce Public School Facilities Authority (PSFA) operations

- Bond rating for the state might be reduced per a perception that the legislature has “raided the cookie jar” for the public school capital outlay dedicated funding stream, which may lower state bond rating and raise bond interest rates across the New Mexico public sector, including municipalities.

- While HB268, SB208 and SB255 would all divert funds from capital outlay for one to three years, because of the current condition of the construction industry and enormous percentage of projects that school construction represents in this sector, industry capacity could be greatly reduced causing a lack of capacity to re-start projects after the halt. If PSFA operations could not be funded, thereby requiring a rebuilding of statewide capital delivery mechanism (previously the PSFA), lack of capital delivery and oversight may take a few years to rebuild.

Click here for List of Key Senators to contact

CSI Albuquerque / USGBC NM Joint Luncheon / Technical Seminar

2010-02-19T15:32:00Z

LEED REQUIREMENTS IN

CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS

A Luncheon and Technical Seminar sponsored by the

New Mexico Chapter of the US Green Building Council and the

Albuquerque Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute

Presented by Greg Markling, FCSI, AIA, NCARB, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP

with an introduction by Howard Kaplan, USGBC, AIA, LEED AP

MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010

Luncheon Buffet begins at 11:30 AM (please arrive by 11:15)

Technical Seminar begins at 1:15 PM

Courtyard by Marriott – 5151 Journal Center Blvd. NE

Luncheon Presentation – The lunch presentation will begin with a brief look at the structure of construction documents for green buildings and then focus on incorporating LEED requirements into a project’s technical specifications. A large part of this presentation will address the specification sections in Division 1 General Requirements, the division of the specifications that spells out the procedural requirements and administration provisions for the execution of the work. The speaker will show where LEED requirements such as construction waste management, indoor air quality, and overall VOC restrictions are typically found in these sections. This program will provide a 1 Hour HSW/SD AIA Continuing Education Learning Unit.

Technical Seminar - The Technical Seminar will address LEED requirements in all Contract Documents associated with a project with the focus on technical specifications. The presentation will include LEED references in Agreements, Contracts, General Conditions, and detailed specifications and how each of these references addresses the responsibilities of the team members to deliver a LEED certified project. The speaker will show how the requirements are incorporated into individual sections of the specifications to ensure that owners, contractors, and subcontractors are made aware their portion of the LEED related work. There will be a look at the more difficult areas of documenting LEED requirements and how to make LEED certification more attainable by writing better LEED related specifications. This program will provide 2 Hours of HSW/SD AIA Continuing Education Learning Units.

About the presenters:

Greg Markling, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA, LEED AP is a partner with MOA Architecture in Denver with more than 34 years of experience as a practicing architect and specifications writer. He is a 28 year member and Fellow of the Construction Specifications Institute, a Past President of the CSI Denver Chapter, and the current National CSI Vice President-Professional.

Howard Kaplan, USGBC, AIA, LEED AP, is a senior architect with Wilson and Company in Albuquerque and has spent much of his 40 year career involved in the Green building movement. He is the co-founder and Past President of the New Mexico Chapter of the U. S. Green Building Council and a member of Governor Richardson’s Climate Change Advisory Group.

MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010

Luncheon Program 11:30-1:00 PM This seminar qualifies for 1 hour of HSW/SD Continuing Education Units accredited by AIA. Luncheon Buffet is included.

Technical Seminar 1:15 – 3:00 PM This seminar qualifies for 2 hours of HSW/SD Continuing Education Units accredited by AIA. Light refreshments will be served.

Luncheon and Seminar will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott – 5151 Journal Center Blvd. NE

Registration Fees: LUNCHEON $20 TECHNICAL SEMINAR $40

Essential Partners

2010-02-11T15:13:00Z

I read a good article as initially presented and commented on by Vivian Volz (thanks Vivian if you're still following our chapter blog!) that was relaying information brought about by the CSI Specifier Practice Group. One of the concepts that was conveyed was that: "product representatives can become essential partners to specifiers. Product reps can provide information to specifiers that's clear, concise, correct, and ready to pass on to designers. When a product rep makes a specifier's job easier, everybody wins." The following is my response to Vivian's blog entry found in entirely at, http://www.buildingproductmarketing.com/2010/02/understanding-specifier.html#comment-form:

"Essential Partners". That's a great way of putting it. As a product representative, I would like to offer that the door swings both ways in a partnership. I say this with a negative experience in mind that I had with a specifier recently, but not to supersede all of the positive experiences that I've had working with great specifiers and hopefully vice versa. Although there were a few other tripping hazards in dealing with the specific specifier I'm referring to, the biggest upset came from the start.

I offered one of my products as a substitute to the basis of design in time, and honoring the general requirements, specifications, and drawings where my product would play a role. I submitted (by email) my products information in many forms including a generic CSI 3 part formatted specification that could be manipulated to meet the design intent as needed. After a few days, I had not heard back, and upon making the phone call to check on the status of my request, the specifier claimed to have not received it. Having never worked with this specifier and after a brief conversation about myself and the potential role that my product could play as a substitute, I offered to resend my product information. The specifier said that wouldn’t be necessary as he was familiar with my product; this threw up a red flag in my mind, but I let it go thinking maybe his experience and knowledge played a bigger role here. It was an experience that gives the word “assume” a bad connotation.

The project bid, my product bid, and my product price was the chosen by the awarded contractor having seen my product’s information in the addendum that followed my conversation with the specifier. I’m sure you can imagine where the story goes from here without too much detail. Simply put, my submittals were marked up severely and asked for changes that I couldn’t offer, and now the architect, owner, and GC are scrambling to negotiate the pricing considerations where my product fits into the whole building envelope as I am most likely no longer involved with the project. Per the request of the GC (who I have a great relationship with), I am also in the process of resubmitting one of my other product offerings as a potential substitute to help everyone – which is what all of our roles are about; essential partnerships that respect that the door swings both ways and that when a specifier makes a product representative’s job easier (as well as the other way around), everybody wins.

There is No Better Time

2010-01-25T04:49:00Z

As 2009 pursues its dreary fade into the sunset and the economy chugs along in lackluster
fashion let’s all resolve to make 2010 a year of personal achievement in the SW Region. There
is no better way and no better time than now to REGISTER, SIT FOR and PASS the CDT Exam ---
or, if you’ve already done that --- then muster the initiative to take and pass one of the
Certification Exams (CCS, CCCA or CCPR) offered by the Construction Specifications Institute.
Passing one of these exams is guaranteed to boost your personal sense of accomplishment, give
you a leg up on the competition and improve the community of construction professionals in
our cities and our region. The biggest obstacle to pursuing the CDT or a CSI Certification is
you. If you don’t register TODAY then you risk missing the limited opportunities to sit for the
exams.

The annual Spring National Exam period is March 29 through April 3, 2010. During this period
the exams are given at your local Prometric Testing Center. In order to sit for an exam during
that week you MUST be registered by January 29 (for the early bird exam fees) with final
registration occurring on February 26, 2010.
For the most complete information on CSI CDT and Certification exams go to www.csinet.org
and click on the left hand CERTIFICATION menu bar. You’ll see extensive information on all the
CSI exams with support information on how to study and prepare for taking your exam of
choice.

Your local CSI Chapter and member colleagues are your primary source for preparing for the
exams. Watch for member announcements of upcoming CDT Training workshops, study
sessions and self study guides.

Education and Certification are among the primary missions of the Construction Specifications
Institute and Certification can be an important step in your career ladder! Take responsibility
for your future. There is no better time – SIGN UP TODAY – in order to sit for and pass a CSI
exam in March!!

Submitted by
David Vaughan, CSI, CCPR
Albuquerque Chapter CSI Past President
SW Region Certification Chair

The chapter needs your help!

2010-01-05T16:40:00Z

Over the next couple of months, you may be receiving a couple of chapter surveys. Although we are all guilty of hitting the delete button when it comes to mass emails, the The CSI Albuquerque Chapter Board of Directors highly encourages you to take a few minutes to respond to the few questions on each survey. Your input is part of what makes every meeting and event the chapter holds a success!

There are also a variety of committees that could use your help now and as we move closer to holding the 2011 CSI Southwest Regional Conference in Albuquerque! If you are interested in helping with this event's planning committee, the upcoming February chapter Bowling event, or any other committee (Arrangements, Technical, or Marketing), please contact me at 505.934.0345 or stirlingmorris@pellasw.com or any other board member; all of our contact information can be found at the chapter website, www.csiabq.org.

Stirling Morris, CSI, CDT
President Elect
CSI Albuquerque

Preserving History - New Roofing System Helps Historic New Mexico Building

2009-12-22T05:27:00Z

by Carter Slusher, Modified Bitumen and Insulation Systems Engineer, Firestone Building Products Co

After serving primarily as an unoccupied storage facility for nearly 15 years, the historic Lister Building in Lovington, New Mexico, began its road to renovation with a new roofing system specified to replace an aged, badly damaged, and leaking built-up roofing (BUR) system.

Identify Building Needs

    Built in 1931 by I.W. Lister, the two-story building is owned today by the Lea County Museum. Constructed with a unique slip-form concrete method of the early 20th century, the building’s exterior features a decorative façade that includes parapet walls ranging from three feet high along the back and sides to more than seven feet high in the front. Over the years, the existing 7,000-sq.ft. roof was repaired and patched several times. Multiple layers of built-up roofing materials formed a rigid and heavy covering over a wood-plank deck.

    Additionally, two peaked, triangular-shaped saddles had been constructed on the rooftop to help move water toward scuppers. Both 130’-long structures, which were covered with shingles, are about ten feet wide at the building’s rear and narrow to a point at the front. Combined, they represent about 30% of the roof surface. Reroofing the local landmark presented several challenges:

•     Remote location – Lovington is a small town located about 300 miles southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and 200 miles southwest of Amarillo, Texas, making the coordination of materials, equipment, and installation crews difficult.

•     Limited access – The building is adjacent to a movie theater and sits directly across the street from the county courthouse. Proximity to these public facilities and surrounding areas created concerns about fumes, odors, and smoke.

•     Tight quarters – Improving drainage around the two unusual rooftop saddles was further complicated by three skylights set between them on the relatively small roof.

    According to Vickie Crenshaw, president of Crenshaw Consulting Group in Hobbs, New Mexico, reroofing the Lister Building was a challenging, yet rewarding project because the goal was to design a long-term maintainable roof system while improving drainage and addressing the aging parapet walls without modifying the building’s exterior architecture.

    Due to the poor condition of the old BUR system, a complete tear-off was required. Seeking a balance of high performance and cost effectiveness, a two-ply, cold-applied Firestone SBS modified bitumen system was specified. The total system offers the sustainable, maintainable, and reliable protection needed on the nearly 80-year-old building.

    “A cold-applied SBS system was a great fit for this project because fumes, odors, and smoke from a traditional built-up roofing system application would have affected the nearby public facilities and activities held in the area,” Crenshaw said. “Plus, using a kettle to pump hot asphalt up two stories with another facility adjacent to the Lister Building would have been a difficult process.”



Tear-off and Replace

    Amarillo, Texas-based Construction Services, a Tecta America Company, handled all aspects of the complete tear-off and roof replacement project. After removing the existing system down to the wood deck, Construction Services nailed a Firestone MB base sheet over the deck to establish a good installation surface.

    Next, a layer of 2.5” Firestone ISO 95+(TM) polyiso was mechanically fastened to the deck. Where needed, tapered insulation was used to add slope and ensure positive drainage. Using multi-purpose cold adhesive, Construction Services then adhered a half-inch-thick, high-density polyiso cover board to the insulation, followed by a Firestone SBS modified bitumen base sheet and a white, granule-surfaced Firestone SBS FR cap sheet.

    According to Tracy Honea, project manager/estimator for Construction Services, keeping the roof surface clean and not letting the adhesive get too cold or too warm is among the biggest challenges encountered when working with cold adhesives. “It is not a big problem; you just have to be aware of it,” he explained. “We installed the cold-applied system over a two and a half week period and the adhesive cured out very well.”

    To avoid potential slippage of the membrane on the two peaked roofs at the center of the building, Construction Services saddled an entire roll of SBS modified bitumen over each ridge to ensure both sides had the same amount of material. Since the rooftop can be seen from a nearby building, this procedure ensured no sheet ended at either ridge, making it a more visually appealing roof surface.

    Cold-applied systems use asphalt more efficiently. There has also been an increase in the FM and UL approvals with cold-applied systems in recent years.

Coming Together

    To assist the Lea County Museum in making this project a reality, Firestone Building Products donated all roofing materials and provided specification direction and on-site technical support; Construction Services supplied the new skylights and roof hatch; and Steve Gendron, principal of Albuquerque-based Upland Corporation, Firestone representatives for New Mexico and Vickie Crenshaw donated much of their time and expertise.

    “Restoring the Lister Building was an urgent need for the Lovington community, and it would not have been possible without the outstanding support of everyone involved,” Harris said. “Working together, the team showed a great commitment to southeastern New Mexico and helped preserve a piece of our history. Best of all, the roof is performing great and we couldn’t be happier.”

US National CAD Standard Revison Cycle

2009-12-07T18:31:00Z

If you think the NCS needs to be modified, now is your time to change it the ballot submission period is now open. The ballot submission period is the method by which the changes to the NCS are proposed, debated and ultimately voted upon to amend the current version of the NCS. Each proposed amendment must be documented on an NCS ballot form. Three forms have been developed to submit a proposed change to the NCS:

· a CAD Layers Ballot Form,

· a UDS Symbols Ballot Form, and

· a general Multiple Components Ballot Form for amendments other than layers or symbols amendments.

The forms must be submitted through the balloting module of the portal. Ballot forms are located on the balloting tab of the collaboration portal.

To gain access to the member portal go the NCS website at www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/ncs/ and click on the “Member Portal Login” link.

We invite you take a tour of the new collaboration site by clicking on the “Take a Tour” video located on the portal landing page. The portal overview and the NCS balloting overview videos describe how to navigate, use, and submit a ballot to amend the current version of the NCS.

The ballot submission period will run through February 6, 2010.

NM Tri-Labs Project Presentation

2009-11-29T04:55:00Z

Dear CSI Albuquerque Members and Friends,

This month’s president’s message highlights a change in our December 14th luncheon program. Our planned presenter had a conflict and will not be able to attend. We are fortunate to announce that the new December program will showcase the New Mexico Tri-Lab Building currently completing construction in Albuquerque. The presentation will be given by representatives of Jaynes Corporation General Contractors who are building the project.

The NM Tri-Labs project is truly a great and unique example of home-grown innovation in local construction delivery. As a case study, it is instructive in many ways. First of all, the building type itself is amazingly complex and an enormous amount of attention to detail in the planning and design stage was obviously demanded from the architects, Studio Southwest Architects, Inc. The presentation by Jaynes will briefly explain the qualifications-based process used to select the contractor and will go into detail on the creative tools and systems that are being used to administer the construction. This will be a good opportunity for our members to hear about such things as BIM, electronic submittals, creative tools used for quality assurance in the field, employment of special consultants by the contractor, and commissioning – just to name a few. The local nature of this project lends special educational value to this program since we hear about many new means and methods of constructing a project, but have few opportunities to hear from local companies who are actually exploring them. BIM is a great example of a national trend in design and construction technology that for many reasons, has not reached its full potential in New Mexico. Here we have a case study that shows the value of BIM, which, even in its limited use on the project, illustrates some cost and time saving benefits. It also makes us think of taking the next logical step to more extensive implementation. As more design firms become comfortable with and knowledgeable about incorporating BIM produced by parties usually not part of the design team (subcontractors), the full potential of the technology will be approached. As we know in New Mexico, it takes a while to absorb and decide how to utilize new things happening elsewhere in the U.S. whole-hog. No one wants to be a ‘guinea pig,’ and most often, for good reason. But here we have some local folks dipping their toe in the water of innovation and they seem to like it. I assume they also consider the experience to be profitable to the bottom line for most everyone involved. Come to the December 14th luncheon presentation and be well-prepared to ask questions. Did I also mention that they are striving to achieve LEED Silver?

See you there,

Andre Larroque, CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA, NCARB

To Tweet or Not to Tweet / A Tale of Two Thoughts

2009-10-20T01:28:00Z

I called a life long friend of mine recently because we haven’t communicated in the longest time; no calls, no emails, no visits, no Facebook quips – both of us were guilty. And although it made perfect sense after he said it, the truth is we haven’t talked much because there wasn’t a particular need to fill in the blanks of each other’s lives. Between the social networking updates and each of our wives keeping each of our family’s blog sites updated, there wasn’t much to say at all. I knew exactly what he had been doing the week before and what he had for dinner the night before last, and he knew exactly what I was thinking earlier that day and how much my son was enjoying his new bike; and all of this without a single conversation – not one direct word between us. It scared me. It spooked me, and it’s not even Halloween!

And with an uncanny stroke of eeriness a day later, I had the exact same experience during a CSI webinar for the Product Representation Practice Group. The main hot topic of discussion was how to evolve manufacturers’ websites to the design professionals’ needs. And I didn’t say it, but I was thinking it the whole time: why? If you were to ask me to support switching over (100%) to electronic design manuals in architectural libraries, for electronic submittals in lieu of antiquated, file-hogging hard copies, and doing take-offs completely online, I would be first in line; heck, I would camp out two nights before just to be the first in line. But that’s not the answer. That is to say, this switch will never be done effectively 100%, and it will never be perfect or even close to perfect.

Design professionals need the human touch. They need that product representative – not just to puke out product information or pass along a three part CSI formatted specification for any given product, but to give their assessment for any given project in the construction process. Notice: I didn’t say “sales” representative. If you want a sales representative, go to Lowe’s. Because believe it or not, most of your “product” representatives know more about their product line(s) than you will ever want to know. If you want a project to be a success, don’t turn away any product representative that shows up at your office. You will never find anyone more in touch with the human condition than a person that wants to talk to you, face to face.

In my opinion, there are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth. This is my blog, and it doesn’t make me right. But it doesn’t make me wrong . . .

Stephen M.R. Covey and The SPEED of TRUST Workshop Coming to Albuquerque

2009-10-16T21:56:00Z

What is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy and civilization throughout the world — one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love?

On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life.

That one thing is trust.

New Mexico Ethics Alliance presents internationally acclaimed author, Stephen M.R. Covey and the SPEED of TRUST Workshop

Thursday, November 19, 2009
7:30 am - Noon
Hyatt Regency Albuquerque

Spend the morning with us and learn why nothing is as fast as the SPEED of Trust. This fast-paced and engaging workshop is based on Covey’s New York Times best-selling book and dramatically reveals TRUST as the hidden variable that always affects two outcomes: speed and cost. Mr. Covey makes a compelling case for the economic and social benefits of building high-trust relationships.

Engineers: this workshop is eligible for 4 hours of professional development ethics credits!

To Register and for More Information, Go to www.nmethics.org

CEC Program will Introduce the "LEED Tool Kit"

2009-10-08T02:38:00Z

Not a LEED Accredited Professional but suddenly you’re on a LEED project? The LEED Tool-kit was created to help LEED project team members understand green building principles, the LEED rating system, and your role in the certification process. This session will introduce this new tool, developed through a grant from the Energy Conservation and Management Division, show you how it works, and explore some of its almost 1200 pages of information. Four tool-kit modules guide you through: Green Building Foundations, LEED for Project Teams, LEED for Design Teams, and LEED for Contractors. It was designed to let you target the specific areas of your interest or browse through the wealth of facts, figures, articles, and sample LEED documentation. Learn how the LEED Tool-kit can quickly bring you up-to-speed for your next LEED project.

Learn about how the tool kit can help you answer questions like: How do I learn the basics about green building concepts? What incentives are available for LEED buildings? How much does it cost to do LEED? How did other projects achieve EQ 8 (daylight & views) credit? How do I track construction waste? I’m a building owner and I don’t know anything about LEED – how do I get started?

The Albuquerque Chapter of Construction Specifications Institute is proud to present a seminar to introduce this important new tool for using the LEED rating system at the 10th Annual Albuquerque CSI Continuing Education Conference, October 14th, 2009. Online Registration is now available at www.regonline.com/csicec2009. There are still seats available in this important class. Make sure that you register today to ensure yours. Program 6B – LEED Tool-Kit will be jointly presented by Kris Callori and Susie Marbury, and earns 1 HSW SD CELU.

Kris Callori, AIA, LEED AP is a LEED Accredited Professional, Architect, and Principal of Environmental Dynamics, Incorporated (edi), an architecture and sustainability consulting firm with offices in Albuquerque, NM and Boynton Beach, FL. She has been an active LEED AP since 2000. She was the LEED AP for the first LEED Certified building in New Mexico and nationally for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the first LEED Silver building in Albuquerque, the first LEED Certified school in Arizona, and the first LEED Silver hospital in Oklahoma. Since 2000, she has been instrumental on over 60 projects applying for various levels of LEED certification. The edi office in Albuquerque is LEED NC Gold certified and the edi office in Florida is applying for LEED CI Gold. Currently her office is working on 3 projects attempting LEED Platinum certification.

Susie Marbury, a LEED™ Accredited Professional with a Master of Architecture from the University of New Mexico, administers the Energy Efficiency and Green Building programs for the State of New Mexico’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Susie previously provided LEED consulting services for a local architecture firm and brings a broad understanding of the issues involved in making the built environment more sustainable. As the past Executive Director of the Green Alliance, Susie was instrumental in establishing the U.S. Green Building Council New Mexico Chapter and currently serves as the Chapter Chair. In her capacity with the state energy office, she assisted in passing the legislation for and is currently administering the New Mexico’s Sustainable Building Tax Credits and the DOE sponsored “Moving Toward Zero Energy Homes” program. She also manages other initiatives including the State Energy Program’s stimulus funding, improving building codes, and providing education and outreach for energy-efficient building practices. Throughout her career, Susie has established strong partnerships with collaborating organizations and sustainably-minded professionals, in the belief that it will require all of us to make green the norm and solve our climate change problems.

Document Quality Control Seminar

2009-10-05T15:00:00Z

Are you tired of negotiating needless change orders and time extensions? Are your A/E liability insurance premiums steadily increasing? Are you frustrated by piles of RFI's both before and after your projects bid?

Errors and Omissions typically account for 50 percent of all change orders, with the rest due to unforeseen circumstances and changes in user requirements. Through the use of REDICHECK, a simple interdisciplinary coordination checklist and overlay checking process, errors and omissions can be greatly reduced. If the design team does not discover and correct interdisciplinary errors and omissions during the preparation of contract documents or during a final quality assurance review, the contractor almost assuredly will, and at the most inopportune time. In severe cases, litigation results. The REDICHECK system reveals simple techniques to catch these errors when correction on drawings is all that is required.

The Albuquerque Chapter of Construction Specifications Institute is proud to present a full day technical seminar on this important quality control system for construction documents, at the 10th Annual Albuquerque CSI Continuing Education Conference, October 14th, 2009. Online Registration is now available at www.regonline.com/csicec2009. There are still seats available in this important class. Make sure that you register today to ensure yours.

The REDICHECK system will be presented by William T. Nigro, it's originator. Bill is retired from the Civil Engineer Corps of the United States Navy, where he was Course Director for Design Contract Management. He is a registered architect in the state of Florida, and has conducted many quality assurance seminars for the AIA, Clemson University, private A/E firms, and the government. The REDICHECK firm has provided training for over 8,000 architects and engineers.

President's Message

2009-09-29T14:55:00Z

Dear CSI Albuquerque Members and Friends,

September has been a busy month for us in preparing for the 10th Annual Continuing Education Conference & Product Show on October 14th. This is our premiere event of the year. Our general interest in event quality was given an early preview on September 14th with the successful lunch meeting and tour of the Hotel Andaluz project in downtown Albuquerque. Pulling off this tour, given the logistical challenges involved, was no mean feat! Much credit goes to the hard work and planning of the Programs Committee headed by Peter Holloway. Special kudos goes to our Arrangements ‘czarina,’ Chris Morrison and Ron Burnstein, Education Committee Chairman. Ron and his firm Studio Southwest Architects arranged permission for the tour with the owner and provided ‘tour guides’ to make sure we accessed a great deal of the project and got all our questions answered. Chris handled the miraculous feeding of attendees at the Alvarado Transportation Center staging location two blocks away and managed the ‘orderly’ departure of tour groups. I would also like to thank Darren Sand from Goodman Realty, who gave what I can only describe as a perfectly timed and informative pre-tour presentation. Finally, recognition is due Victor Rosenthal and the entire communications team who effectively got the invitation message out to the membership about the event.

Member events such as these are a good example of the way our chapter can get things done in a successful manner. The essential element is the quality of the cooperation among capable team members that inspires confidence that the communication and hard work necessary to pull these things off will happen. Our theme for the coming CEC & PS is “Quality Control in Construction Documents: Getting it Right”. What is there worth doing if “getting it right” is not the ultimate objective? We think that this year’s CEC & PS will provide attendees with some good information towards that goal. I am personally looking forward to Michael Chambers’ lunchtime keynote presentation on “Interdiscipline Coordination: Creating a Coordinated Team”. It takes a coordinated team to pull off a highly-ambitious member tour of a downtown hotel in the last stages of major renovations. It takes the same kind of cooperation among team members to create a successful design and construction project on a much larger scale. That is, in essence, what CSI is all about. We thrive upon, and live by the team approach. CSI promotes it by developing the means to organize and communicate among team members. All that’s left is the hard work necessary to make it happen. Please consider becoming an active participant in the CSI Albuquerque Team by joining any of the impressively capable chapter committees.

See you at the CEC & PS!

Please help me attend Autodesk University 2009

2009-09-22T22:50:00Z

Hello fellow CSI Bloggster's,

In December is Autodesk's annual conference, Autodesk University (AU 2009). held in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am unable to attend this year but Autodesk is sponsoring a contest to help 3 lucky people attend. I am attempting to be one of those 3 people.

What it entails is posting a video response to Autodesk University's question "why should I attend Autodesk University?" They have asked for it to be creative and send a message. I have tried to present a little story that solves the question given New Mexico's new found role as the new Hollywood, acting aside.

The top 5 most viewed video responses then move on to be posted on Autodesk University's Facebook page where people can vote for the top 3.

If everyone can please view the video above or click here, this will help me move on to the next round on Facebook.

If I am so lucky as to attend AU 2009 this year I will more than happy to provide a presentation or training on what I learned at AU to the CSI ABQ Chapter at a chapter meeting or as a separate venue.

AU is a great conference for learning about Autodesk's latest software that helps our industry document and collaborate on our built environment with products such as Revit Architecture, MEP and Structure, Ecotect Analysis, Autodesk Navisworks and 3D Studio Max. I use these products every day in my work. I also help people learn about these products as President of the local 505 BIM User's Group. I literally think about them all the time....

Thanks everyone for your support and votes!!!!

Certification: An Investment in Employees

2009-09-15T14:14:00Z

by Walter Marlowe, CSI Executive Director

Many professionals rely on certifications to demonstrate a level of specialized knowledge. For employers, certifications help ensure their workforces are up to speed on the latest procedures, requirements and best practices.

Several innovative commercial design and construction companies encourage employees to pursue certifications through the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), which offers proof a professional has attained a certain level of education and understanding of construction documents and processes. Daylighting Solutions, Albuquerque, is one example. The company supports employees who want to pursue CSI certifications by paying for course materials and special preparatory classes. The firm also pays for time off so employees can study for exams. Rick Lepore of Daylighting Solutions finds his CSI Construction Documents Technology (CDT) certificate improves communication flow from the beginning to the end of a project. “It allows us to be specific when we ask for things, and to be able to provide accurate information for what is needed for a project,” he says. Certifications also contribute to the company’s marketing efforts, allowing Daylighting Solutions to stand out among its competition. “It’s one of the few things we can do as a product representative to show astuteness to our clients,” Lepore says.

Global architectural products manufacturer YKK AP incorporates certification in its ongoing employee development platform. “The purpose of the program is to advance the quality of our sales organization,” says Oliver Stepe, senior vicepresident of YKK AP America Inc. All field sales representatives have 18 to 24 months to earn CSI’s CDT certificate. To be promoted to a senior account manager position, YKK’s sales representatives must earn CSI’s CertifiedConstruction Product Representative certification or LEED Accredited Professional credentials from the Green Building Certification Institute. YKK AP maintains focus on continual training to achieve certification. “We encourage participation in CSI classes, conference calls and a two-day intensive review session to prepare for the CDT examination,” says YKK AP Sales Manager Frank Earley. Because certification is attached to job classification, YKK AP employees know it has a direct payoff—in title, income and industry knowledge. “It lets me know that product representatives are serious about what they’re doing,” says architect Scott Whitcraft of St. Louis-based Hastings & Chivetta, a YKK client.

The benefits are not limited to manufacturers and product representatives. Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., a multinational environmental engineering and consulting firm headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., provides in-house support to its employees, consultants and clients taking CSI exams. “To help our employees prepare, we offer weekly lunchtime review sessions starting in January and concluding with a wrap-up the week before the exam,” says Jim Brown, vice president of construction management services. The lunchtime webinar sessions are accessible to staff nationwide. More than 1,000 Malcolm Pirnie employees have pursued CSI certifications in the past 11 years. The firm pays exam registration fees for its employees and hosts an intranet website for its CSI program. “We also have a listserve to which we post example questions, which often engender lively and involved discussions when the answers are posted,” Brown says. Pursuing CSI certification is voluntary for employees. The real value is acquiring knowledge and meeting senior staff who lead the review sessions—reducing risks for Malcolm Pirnie and its clients and improving customer service.

As the design and construction industry evolves—incorporating sustainable products, building information modeling and other advances—it is more important than ever for companies to support employees’ professional development. Certification programs are a worthwhile way to invest in a company’s most important resource: its workforce.

Walter Marlowe is executive director and chief executive officer of the Construction Specifications Institute, Alexandria, Va. For more information, call (800) 689-2900 or visit www.csinet.org. Article shared from Construction Executive magazine, July 2009.

Social Media Strategy and Tools for Construction Professionals

2009-09-09T02:49:00Z

Are you an experienced construction professional? If the answer is yes, then you have the key to using the web to build your business, whether you are a one-person shop, or one-of-many in a firm. You have the answer to a problem – and that’s more important than any other tool in your marketing arsenal.

Don’t take my word for it. Take Dana VanDen Heuvel’s instead. VanDen Heuvel, of MarketingSavant (www.marketsavant.com), will present two sessions at the Albuquerque CSI Continuing Education Conference on Wed., Oct. 14, to give construction professionals:
- A strategy for using social media, built on what they know about construction
- An overview of the cheap-to-free web tools that you can use to build your profile

VanDen Heuvel teaches businesses how to use Thought Leadership to position themselves in their marketplace. In simple terms, Thought Leadership is a strategy for a firm or individual who cannot outspend or out-sexy the competition, but that does have the answer to problems their potential clients are facing. If you have an answer, you can position yourself as a “Thought Leader” – a trusted advisor everyone turns to for help. The web can help you do it. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it makes the most of the one resource you’ve been growing since the day you started your first job – your experience.

- Thought Leadership: An Introduction
- Thought Leadership: Concepts and Principles

Register now at www.csiabq.org! To read up on Thought Leadership before VanDen Heuvel arrives, visit www.marketingsavant.com. Learn how to use what you know to raise your company’s profile, or your own. Join us for an informative afternoon!

BIM and the National Cad Standard

2009-09-03T14:46:00Z

BIM and the NCS, by Charles Rick Green, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP

I was asked recently to share some thoughts about the relationship between BIM and the NCS. The first issue in my mind regarding this issue is that CSI needs to take the lead in making the industry aware of a very important and often overlooked point: That in order to meet minimum BIM compliancy requirements (as defined by the National BIM Standard), printed output from BIM platforms must comply with formats established in the U.S. National CAD Standard. Not one workplace in the construction industry that I am aware of can demonstrate that they are able or willing to do this. From what we have seen so far, other industry organizations are either ignorant of the issue or simply unable to get the message out. CSI is uniquely positioned to take the lead on this issue because of our diverse membership and the relationships we have with other industry organizations.

How to make this happen is the challenge. One of the biggest issues here is that CSI must form stronger alliances with owner/facility manager organizations such as BOMI, IFMA, GSA, and the Department of Defense in order to make them aware of the issues – that is, about the relationship between BIM and the NCS; and help them step up the pressure on the A/E consultants they hire to provide them with building information models to comply with NCS formats; and help them influence the CAD vendors they purchase from to include NCS formats in their software. This means that we need begin making appearances at facility manager conventions and monthly meetings and get the message out – because until they begin requiring compliancy, past history tell us that the A/E companies they hire and the CAD products they purchase will not be motivated to do very much about it.

CSI also needs to improve our relationship with CAD software manufacturers, and persuade them to provide NCS compliant CAD and BIM platforms. The heads of AIA, CSI, and Building Smart Alliance need to be meeting, face to face, with the heads of these organizations and voice their concerns, and these meetings need to receive lots of publicity in the trade journals and websites.
Our members can contribute much to the awareness issue. Articles about the relationship between BIM and the NCS need to be written and posted in the Construction Specifier; chapter newsletters like this; CSI web forums; NCS web forums; CAD forums; blogs, wherever! If there is a CAD manufacturer, company, or workplace that is currently making compliancy improvements they should be recognized on our webpages and at other industry locations also.

Some quick bullet points:
• In order to comply with provisions of the National BIM Standard to meet minimum BIM, printed output from CAD files must comply with formats established in the NCS.
• CSI’s Uniform Drawing System (UDS), as an element of the NCS, is a valuable BIM resource because it establishes formats for printed output that will help streamline collaboration efforts by all users
• The NCS allows BIM users to focus more time on quality, constructability, and cost; and less time on which drawing standard to use
• Printed output (construction drawings on paper) from CAD platforms is not going away, which means the NCS will continue to play a vital role to BIM users for many years to come
• Formats in the NCS are universal to all CAD platforms, and can be easily adopted by anyone using BIM.

Submitted by Charles Rick Green, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP

Growing Our Future

2009-08-28T18:16:00Z

Growing our Future

The Hotel Albuquerque was the setting for Thursday evening’s annual CNM Foundation Donors Recognition Dinner. You will remember that through the combined efforts and generosity of CSI members Kerry Abbot (Daylighting Solutions), Tom Johns (National Roofing) and Steve Gendron (Upland Corporation), Albuquerque Chapter CSI was able to make a contribution of $1000 to our CSI scholarship endowment fund at CNM in June of this year.

Chris Smith of National Roofing and I attended the reception and dinner last night and let me tell you what a moving event this was. I came away with a new understanding and appreciation of how vital CNM is to the lifeblood of this community and our state. Five students, with five different stories to tell, attested to how CNM’s diverse program opportunities have positively impacted their lives -- stories that included successful efforts to obtain a Graduate Equivalency Degree; a student who completed a CNM Associates Degree concurrent to attending High School; a student who became a “Freshman” at age 40 to re-tool for changed economic times; the difficult and obstacle ridden path one student has taken toward becoming a nurse and another’s determination to take her financial education back to her pueblo to help others -- These are just the front stories. What we also heard were the “back” stories involving the almost insurmountable odds that these students faced in their pursuit of an education. What surfaced in the telling was how CNM and the CNM Foundation were there with guidance, scholarship dollars, and even money to assist with rent and food when necessary -- not to forget the role of dedicated and caring staff, faculty and educators who played no small role in these students’ quests for learning.

As a local construction industry organization, with vested interest in an educated and knowledgeable workforce, CSI Albuquerque has done the right thing over the years to support education at both CNM and UNM through our scholarship endowment funds. I challenge the CSI membership and leadership to continue to actively support both institutions. At minimum let’s make sure that every year we contribute, without fail, to the future of our industry.

David Vaughan CSI, CCPR

Past President Albuquerque Chapter CSI

President's Message - Chapter Priorities

2009-08-15T05:29:00Z

This being my first President’s Message, I ask you forgiveness for its length, but there is a lot on my mind regarding these days of 2009-2010 A.D. As anyone is aware, the current times present challenges to the very structure of society, CSI included. As an architect, a basic understanding of structures is supposed to be part of my repertoire. I am no economist, so forget about ideas on that. With advance apologies to any structural engineers, I would still like to take a ‘structural’ approach in this, my perception of chapter priorities for this year.

Due to the immense efforts and dedication of Immediate Past-President David Vaughan and the active members of our chapter, I am happy to report that the foundation of the organization is strong. That is good news considering that the structural underpinnings of many of our national, state, and local institutions are not in such good shape. Even considering the current economy, CSI Albuquerque is healthy financially, spiritually, and otherwise. For example, despite the economic slowdown we are at 130 members – only three less than last year. I would venture to consider using our relatively sound condition to improve our role within the local building community and enhance the benefits of being a CSI member. I and the new board and committee chairs have been thinking of ways to do just that.

First off, we need to take care of those chapter members who have individually felt the negative impact of the economic downturn. Each member has the potential to buttress the standing of individual members in the organization and we all need to help. The board is currently considering reduced renewal fees for members who have been laid off and wish to be active in our organization. Also, the structural network of CSI members must be made to work in helping those who have now become unemployed find new jobs. The diverse network of our chapter is one of its greatest strengths and can be helpful to our own who are in need.

Secondly, structural bearing points are responsible for supporting a structural load. Let’s use our multitude of organizational bearing points (members) to apply force in efficiently supporting the goals of the chapter this year. Please join a committee and combine your strengths with those of other members working towards a focused chapter goal or project. Beyond that, it makes little sense to go knocking on the doors of non-member businesses asking them to join CSI when many of our members have a fertile crop of potential new members within THEIR OWN FIRMS. If each CSI Albuquerque member got only one of their co-workers to join the chapter this year, the effect would be incalculable. Bearing points - get to work! We can increase membership even in these times.

Next on the list of chapter enhancement goals is to get more people to become CSI-certified by taking one of the certification exams this year. We are fortunate that Rick Green, FCSI has enthusiastically stepped up to help apply ‘stimuli’ to our chapter efforts in this area. Rick is presenting to firms and organizations who are interested in getting their employees to further their knowledge and careers by obtaining CDT, CCCA, CCS, or CCPR certifications. (He is pitching certification to my own organization next week.) Look inward to your own firms and professional organizations and inform them of this opportunity. Use your structural connections. There are few better ways to increase your knowledge of the basic systems of construction communications and processes than to take these exams. It has been said that down times are the ideal period to beef up your knowledge and credentials in order to be well-positioned when the upturn eventually arrives.

Finally, high-quality educational programs for our membership will be a constant priority throughout the year. We are on track to have a final calendar of lunch programs in place by the end of August. In addition, the planning committee for the 10th Annual Albuquerque CSI Continuing Education Conference & Product Show has been hard at work lining up the schedule for this popular event to be held on October 14th. At present, we are asking members to make a special effort to help us sign up product representatives to participate in the Product Show portion of the program. Contact me or our event coordinator, Melissa Rael for more information about the CEC & PS.

It looks like we will have an exciting year of great programs and innovative chapter initiatives and we can only do it with your help. Please keep me informed of any personal successes you achieve in helping our chapter accomplish its goals. I hope that you agree to work harder this year as an individual member in one of the ways mentioned above.

Hopefully, no structural principles or professional engineers were harmed in the production of this first president’s message of the year.

Andre Larroque, CSI, AIA, CCCA, CCS, NCARB