CMAdvisor
Advancing Professional Construction and Program Management Worldwide
CMs and Sustainability
New Owners Forum Debuts in Atlanta
January/February 2010
Volume XXIX, No. 1
Contents
January/February 2010
Volume XXIX, No. 1
6
As Sustainability Becomes Mainstream,
CMs Can Become Indispensable
CMs need to recognize that owner interests and
needs are driving the move to sustainability.
Getting out front-or catching up, if necessary—
isn’t just responding to a demand. It’s a way to
build business.
BUILDING A
BETTER WORLD
8Sustainability and the At-Risk CM
Like the Agency CM, the At-Risk CM needs to
become thoroughly familiar with the intricacies
of sustainable design. He must come to an
appreciation, early on in the process, of just how
thoroughly integrated most sustainable designs are.
WITH OPPORTUNITY AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS
Columns
Refer a Friend to CMAA!
MWH Constructors, a leader in construction management-at-risk
for the wet infrastructure industry, is building a better world
by providing jobs to local businesses and incorporating
innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients’ water and
wastewater challenges.
mwhglobal.com
303.410.4000
■
■
constructioninfo@mwhglobal.com
Do you have a colleague or client who would
benefit from CMAA membership? Visit this link
to send them a concise message about CMAA.
In the process, you’ll be entered to win one of
two valuable prizes:
• A free registration for CMAA’s National
Conference & Trade Show in San Diego.
• A free “VIP Pass” for any and all CMAA online
webinars for the rest of the year.
Every time you refer a friend, it’s another entry,
improving your chances to win. Do it today!
5Chairman’s Report
By Gary Cardamone, PE
23President’s Report
By Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
Departments
10 News
14 Foundation
15 Certification
16Professional Practice Corner
18Legal Corner
20 Member News
21 Chapter News
C M - A T- R I S K
■
DESIGN-BUILD
■
CONSTRUCTION
■
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Cover photo: Brightwater Marine Outfall, Shoreline, WA.
Photo by Danny Broadhurst, Vanir Construction Management
22Professional Development Calendar
January/February
3
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Officer
CMAdvisor
Chairman’s Report
Chairman of the Board
Gary Cardamone, PE
Port of Long Beach, CA
The Meaning of “Professional”
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
By Gary Cardamone, PE
Port of Long Beach, CA
Editor
John McKeon
In recent months, CMAA has been working as part of a
large group of federal executives on a proposal to have
the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) create
a new professional job series entitled 0820 Construction
Manager. This is a complex undertaking for a lot of reasons,
not the least of which is our challenge to persuade OPM
that Construction Management is a profession, distinct
from other jobs with previously established definitions.
Contributing Writers
Sarah Black
Martha Montague
Design
TGD Communications, Inc.
800–310–5535
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CMAA is a construction industry
association of 6,000 firms and
professionals who provide management
services to owners who are planning,
designing and constructing capital
facilities and infrastructure projects.
Our Mission is to Promote and
Enhance Leadership, Professionalism
and Excellence in Managing the
Development and Construction
of Projects and Programs.
CM Advisor, published bi­‑monthly
by CMAA, reports on and follows
the industry as a service to its
members. Submission of articles,
ideas and suggestions is appreciated
and encouraged.
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Email: info@cmaanet.org
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CMAA ©Copyright 2010,
ISSN 1084-75327
Reproduction or redistribution in any
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CMAA members receive this newsletter
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tom.egly@tgdcom.com.
Among ourselves, we take this for granted. Of course we’re professionals.
But what evidence do we present when someone responds, “Prove it?”
The answer consists of equal parts education and workplace performance.
Becoming a professional typically requires a rigorous university-level degree
obtained from an accredited institution whose faculty and other resources
are seriously committed to research as well as teaching. In our business these
institutions are generally accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering
Technologies (ABET), the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE),
or the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).
Such accreditations ensure consistency in the education students receive,
wherever they may study.
In the workplace, professionalism is defined by the existence of a recognized
Body of Knowledge and Standards of Practice, coupled with a Code of Ethics.
In legal terms, professionals are also defined by the standard they are held
to in assessing their performance. Professionals are not expected to deliver a
“defect-free product,” as though they were producing the same thing using the
same process every time. The job involves the exercise of informed judgment
on behalf of a client. Hence, Construction Managers must deliver a “standard
of care,” comparable to what is expected of doctors, lawyers, accountants and
other professionals. We’re not expected to be perfect; we are expected to be
knowledgeable, conscientious and dedicated to our clients’ best interests.
The concept of professionalism implies not only a commitment to one’s own
excellence, but also a commitment to advancing the profession, both through
innovation and through continued involvement in the education of the next
generation(s) of practitioners.
This is the message I have tried to convey both at our National Conference and
at the 2009–2010 Board of Directors’ first meeting in December. We need to be
the face and voice not only of CMAA but of the profession. We need to be out
there, actively explaining and advocating our profession to owners, to architects,
engineers, contractors and our fellow practitioners, to government officials, to
students, faculty…to everyone with a stake in successful construction.
In this effort, not only the Board but every member of CMAA must be a leader.
Reach out. Be an advocate and a voice in our industry and for our profession.
Suggest to your colleagues that the best way to do this is by being an active
member of CMAA. If they already belong, ask them to be more involved. Become
more involved yourself in defining our profession, leading our industry, and
building a better future.
It’s the professional thing to do.
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CMAdvisor
January/February
5
says John Manning, PE, CCM, LEED AP, principal of KrausManning, Inc. “That individual also needs to understand
how the early decisions will affect the construction side.
There needs to be someone who understands both design
and construction to truly manage the process, and who
better to do that than the CM?”
According to Wilhelm, “owners don’t often know what it
means to be green. A CM can offer leadership and knowledge
to the owner. There are many questions that arise when
an owner or project team consider taking a sustainable
approach: How much will it cost to implement sustainable
building and development strategies? What are the direct
and indirect benefits that could accrue? Which firms have
the capability to implement these strategies at the least cost
with the greatest positive impact? What is the best way to
evaluate and compare optional sustainable strategies from
a life cycle costing approach?
“These are all real questions that serious owners who are
considering sustainable development should be asking, and
CMs can provide the knowledge and the leadership to make
it successful,” says Wilhelm.
AS SUSTAINABILITY BECOMES MAINSTREAM,
CMs Can Become Indispensable
By John J. McKeon
Sustainability “is on its way to becoming the mainstream
approach to the design and construction of our built
environment,” in the view of Heery President Bill Heitz, AIA,
CCM, LEED® AP. Yet a large number of CMs, both individuals
and firms, continue to lag in embracing sustainability and
are missing a major opportunity as a result.
“Some CMs are right on target or even ahead of the curve
regarding sustainable design and construction issues and
opportunities,” says Judith Kunoff, AIA, CCM, chief architect
at MTA-New York City Transit. “Others need to get with the
program. CMs need to take a genuine interest and own the
green goals. More typically these days the CM sees these
issues as issues of designers and constructors, not theirs.
This is just not true. CMs need to take the lead.”
Mark Wilhelm of Green Ideas Environmental Building
Consultants, who presented a well-received workshop
on sustainability prior to CMAA’s National Conference in
Florida, agrees that “some CMs have embraced knowledge
of sustainability issues, but not that many as yet.”
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Wilhelm points out that the demand for sustainability
expertise is only going to increase. “There are at least 202
municipalities, 34 U.S. states, and 14 federal agencies
that have committed to build to LEED standards,” he says.
Moreover, both AIA and the National Governors Association
have called for buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Both the House and Senate have energy bills pending that
call for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
and require increased reliance on renewable energy.
“It’s clear that sustainability is not a passing fad,” says Heitz.
So, what do CMs need to be, and how can they equip
themselves for their new role?
FIRST, SUPPORT THE OWNER
CMs need to recognize that owner interests and needs are
driving the move to sustainability. “The CM has the tools
to manage a project from concept to completion and it is
critical that sustainability start in the beginning stage,”
Manning notes that part of the CM’s role is to educate owners
concerning the real benefits of sustainability. “Whether our
clients believe in global warming or not, they are all very
interested in finding ways to reduce their operating costs,”
he comments. “A CM is in the best position, with a grasp of
the overall budget, to understand what sustainable practices
provide the best return on investment for the client. The CM
has the ability to help a client choose what makes sense.”
Wilhelm points out that numerous tax breaks for energy
efficient buildings and renewable energy use “can go straight
to a client’s bottom line.” That’s a quick payoff in addition to
the long term benefits of green design and construction.
The CM should also be guiding how owners convey
their sustainability goals to others in the project team.
“Particularly Agency CMs are hired to be the owner’s
seasoned right hand,” says Kunoff. These CMs should
be leading owners in making appropriate demands on
designers and constructors as well as operators.”
EMBRACING GREEN
Is there a logical path for CMs who want to build their
credentials in sustainability and claim a place in this
enormous future market?
“The CM needs to, at a minimum, be familiar with the
CMAA sustainability Standard of Practice,” says Kunoff.
“He or she should read detailed sustainability materials
published regularly in journals to which s/he subscribes,
and should consider acquiring LEED accreditation to
assure themselves that they know the trends.”
“A CM is in the best position, with
a grasp of the overall budget, to
understand what sustainable
practices provide the best return
on investment for the client.
The CM has the ability to help a
client choose what makes sense.”
For many, becoming a LEED Accredited Professional has been a
first step. Heitz says the number of LEED APs in a firm, together
with the number of LEED certified projects executed, are “early
metrics” of a firm’s attention to sustainability issues. “We are
a design and CM firm,” he notes. “Of our 350 LEED APs, the
majority come from the CM/PM side of our business.”
“LEED is a good starting point, but only that,” says Kunoff.
A variety of other initiatives, including Green Globes, the
Living Building Challenge, and many local and regional
green building programs, all promote green building, often
with guidelines that exceed those of the LEED program.
CM firms should move past a superficial reliance on counting
accredited professionals, however. “It used to be that CM
firms could sell their sustainability experience just by stating
how many of their team members were LEED accredited
professionals” says Wilhelm. “In many markets now, this
is not sufficient. Knowledgeable owners will require CMs
to know the difference between greenwashing and true
sustainable building experience and capabilities.”
The key to this distinction, he adds, is the difference between
simply executing sustainable projects and developing a
programmatic approach to sustainability, helping to create
as well as implement green strategies. “A commitment to
sustainability requires an organization to focus on leadership,
goals, culture and service offering,” Wilhelm says. “It impacts
how companies do business on so many levels.”
Getting out front on sustainability—or catching up, if
necessary—isn’t just responding to a demand. It’s a way
to build business. “The firms that have been slow to seek
an understanding of the many facets of sustainability have
missed a good marketing opportunity,” says Heitz.
John J. McKeon is vice president of CMAA. He can be reached
at jmckeon@cmaanet.org.
January/February
7
This planning, knowledge, and documentation will not
only be needed at the conclusion of the project, but as
an ongoing requirement prior to and during construction,
too. The CM’s preconstruction team needs to make certain
that any potential subcontractors who are involved in
early conceptual pricing are doing so with the project’s
sustainable goals and requirements in mind.
Both the At-Risk CM and his subcontractors need to become
thoroughly familiar with the owner’s goals in regard to
sustainable aspects of the project at an early stage in the
process. Some owners may be interested in sustainability
only as long as it doesn’t cost appreciably more or take
longer to accomplish. Others may be committed to
achieving a LEED Platinum certification. In either case, the
owner’s goals must be addressed. In addition to the basic
parameters such as the size and shape of the building, the
layout, number and size of interior spaces, the owner
may have specific preferences in the choice of major MEP
equipment manufacturers, type of lighting, finishes used,
selection of doors or ceilings, etc. All of these parameters
could have a bearing upon the direction of the design, and
on how these preferred components can be integrated
into the overall sustainable design concept. They could
significantly impact cost of the project.
Sustainability
and the At-Risk CM
By Ron Whisker, CCM
How does the concept of At-Risk CM differ from
Agency CM when working through sustainable design
projects? Like the Agency CM, the At-Risk CM needs
to become thoroughly familiar with the intricacies of
sustainable design. He must come to an appreciation,
early on in the process, of just how thoroughly
integrated most sustainable designs are. He must
also understand the level of thought, planning and
documentation that will be required.
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CMAdvisor
In addition, the At-Risk CM may typically want or need
to exercise greater control over his construction costs by
carefully crafting a greater number of subcontract scopes of
work. Many times, under an Agency CM contract an owner
may choose to have a smaller number of prime contracts
with broader scopes of work under each. Each of these
prime contractors may have an additional layer or multiple
additional layers of subcontractors. Under a sustainable
project, when coupled with a greater number of separate
subcontracts, the At-Risk CM must ensure that each of these
subcontractors thoroughly understands what is required
and follows through with both the correct material and
procedures. He must additionally make certain that the
subs all provide the required documentation to satisfy the
applicable sustainable requirements.
The complexity and scope of sustainability requirements
should be taken into consideration when analyzing who the
At-Risk CM’s key subcontractors and suppliers will be. Just as
with the At-Risk CM himself, his subcontractors also need to
be both understanding of, and committed to, the sustainable
goals of the project. These subcontractors must understand
that there will be additional hours and resources involved in
the design process to facilitate the integration of their systems
with the others in the project. The At-Risk CM must be sure
that the selected subs are capable, as well as willing to perform
the additional work throughout the course of the project, and
again following the successful completion of the construction
phase. The At-Risk CM may be contractually obligated to provide a certain level of certification. He needs to satisfy himself
that the subs understand what they are obligating themselves
to do, and then he must see that it is done correctly.
It is imperative that the At-Risk CM pass along to his
subcontractors a clear understanding of what is required,
especially if some of his chosen subcontractors have not been
exposed to the specific and unique nature of this undertaking
on a previous sustainable project. Since there typically are a
larger number of subcontractors chosen to provide services
under an At-Risk project, these may also be smaller firms
who may not have had the opportunity to have worked on
a previous sustainable project. So, it is crucial for the At-Risk
CM to clearly define these expectations in any subcontracts
he issues, in order to be sure that all of his subcontractors’
costs are covered in his Guaranteed Maximum Price to this
owner, when the time comes to issue the GMP.
“Like the Agency CM, the At-Risk CM needs
to become thoroughly familiar with the
intricacies of sustainable design.”
The At-Risk CM should also be giving early consideration to
his site utilization plan to include such things as demolition
and construction phase waste recycling, sustainable irrigation
systems, rainwater collection systems, and/or geothermal
well fields. An effective waste recycling effort, for example,
will require the At-Risk CM to provide significant additional
laydown space for multiple waste containers for each type
of material being recycled. In a suburban, rural or industrial
project, this may not be a substantive issue, but in a typically
tight urban site, it will be.
Sustainable projects might add yet another dimension
of complexity to any subcontractor’s work. The additional
set of requirements required by a sustainable project
can sometimes be overlooked during pre-construction
discussions. Or worse, the CM may assume that the sub
understands exactly what is required because the At-Risk
CM has had far more experience with sustainable projects
than his subcontractors.
On a sustainable project, this need for clear understanding
of requirements on the part of each and every subcontractor
is magnified. It must be reflected in their pricing throughout
the design and pre-construction phases, and then be carried
through construction and post construction.
Ronald Whisker, CCM, is senior project manager
at Reynolds Construction Management. He can be
reached at rwhisker@reynoldsconstruction.com.
January/February
9
News
CMAA Presents New “Owners Forum” In Atlanta
• CM/PM services and the best/worst things about
CM providers
• Project Delivery Methods: Options, comparisons,
constraints
• Human Capital Strategies: Outsourcing, staff
augmentation, workforce development
• ARRA and life after the stimulus: The future of funding
CMAA’s annual spring national gathering is bringing
into sharp focus the central ingredient in the capital
construction process with its first ever Owners Forum
May 2–4 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The overarching purpose of this new event is to put the
views, interests, priorities and needs of owners in the
spotlight. Owners will deliver presentations sharing their
views on topics of interest to other owners, and to CM
service providers alike.
Among the prominent owner organizations whose executives
will speak at the Forum are Target, the MassPort Authority,
American Airlines, Sutter Healthcare, the Virginia Department
of Transportation, the Port of Long Beach, the New York City
Transit, and major federal owners including the Army Corps
of Engineers and the General Services Administration.
These owner organization leaders will deliver presentations
in four full audience sessions: Buildings, Process Industries,
Transportation and Transit, and Federal. In session after
session, owners will take the lectern to share what their
organizations are doing, what they plan to do, and what
issues and opportunities are “front of mind” for them.
They will focus on such critical topics as:
• Sustainability
• BIM, electronic project management, and other
emerging technologies
• Integrated Project Delivery
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CMAdvisor
The Owners Forum is an opportunity for owners across
all business segments to share best practices, discuss
strategies for a recovering economy, and learn what today’s
marketplace has to offer. “We have innovated in several ways
and created a truly unparalleled event that will also offer
significant benefits for the service provider organizations
and individuals joining us in Atlanta,” said CMAA Chair and
owner member Gary Cardamone. “If you want to hear first
hand what owners need, want and expect, you can’t miss
this Forum.”
All Forum participants will hear every word spoken by all
the owners presenting and participate in the facilitated
dialogue and Q&A in Town Hall sessions each day of the
Forum. The agenda will stress high level strategic business
considerations, not “nuts and bolts” on how to perform
CM/PM. A special low owner registration fee will make it
possible to attend on even a tight budget.
Opening the Forum on Sunday afternoon will be a special
presentation on construction best practices by the Construction Industry Institute, University of Texas, followed by a
CMAA College of Fellows presentation on “Leadership: Filling
the Gap in Capital Construction.” These sessions will provide
a springboard to what will surely be the most active and
worthwhile experience to follow. The Fellows will engage
the owners and service providers in a discussion of the
most interesting and controversial topics of the day.
Learn more about the Owners Forum and reserve your space
today at http://cmaanet.org/owners-forum-2010.
Unquenchable Author Is
Keynote for Water Summit
“We think of water as we think of air:
limitless and inexhaustible. In fact, water
is both finite and exhaustible,” says Robert
Glennon, a law professor at the University
of Arizona and author of Unquenchable:
America’s Water Crisis and What to Do
About It. Glennon will be keynote speaker
at CMAA’s second Water Summit.
The Summit will bring together leading owner/operators of
water and wastewater systems nationwide, together with
the top specialized Construction and Program Managers,
to explore critical issues in this key infrastructure area.
It takes place on July 18–20 at the Kansas City Hyatt. Details
are available at www.cmaanet.org/water-summit-2010.
U.S. Senator Mark Udall says Glennon’s book “connects
the dots between our water woes and climate change,
energy, growth, the environment, and agriculture. He
makes a compelling case that we need to rethink how
we use this prized resource and provides a number of
thought-provoking solutions.”
Nominations for the CMAA
College of Fellows
The Fellows designation is the highest honor conferred
upon an individual by CMAA. Such recognition is awarded
to the leaders of our industry based upon their record of
contributions to the profession, the industry, CMAA, and
their individual business organizations. A primary goal of
the College of Fellows is to assemble a diverse community
of thought leaders that will lend their knowledge and
insight to the strategic issues facing our industry and
the CM profession.
If you know of an individual that you believe meets
these qualifications and would like to nominate that
person for consideration to become a Fellow, please
email Bruce D’Agostino at bdagostino@cmaanet.org to
receive a copy of the Nomination Form. Access Fellows
Nomination Instructions at http://www.cmaanet.org/
fellows-nomination-instructions. Completed Nomination
forms and supporting materials must be received no later
than April 1st.
In describing America’s looming water crisis, Glennon
notes, “We Americans are spoiled. Turn on the tap and
out comes a limitless quantity of high-quality water for
less money than we pay for cell phone service or cable
television. Water utilities have done such a fine job in
providing water that the crisis has been masked.
“We may fret about the sources for our future oil needs,
but we need also to think about securing water for highvalue uses. A vibrant American economy depends on an
adequate supply of water for high-value uses. We still
have water available, but, like a gambler at the craps
table, we’re rapidly depleting our resources.”
Among the major water/wastewater systems whose
leaders are invited to take part in the Summit are New York,
San Francisco, Dallas, Denver, and Washington, DC. These
leaders will be featured in an Owners Roundtable Session.
A companion session will feature top-level executives
from leading CM/PM firms. See Glennon on “The Daily
Show” with John Stewart.
The Summit program will also feature a dozen breakout
sessions. This vital and exciting event will conclude with
a Town Hall forum where our featured executives will
engage in a lively Q&A and dialogue with the Summit
participants. Be sure to check the event page for updates
and online registration.
January/February
11
News
“SOP Integration” Aims to Transform CM Practice
CMAA Offers SOPs And Training Options for Every Need
• At Pratt Institute in New York, obtaining the Construction
Manager In Training (CMIT) credential is becoming “an
unofficial requirement of all our graduating seniors,”
according to Harriet Markis, PE, Chair of the Construction
Management Program.
CMAA offers a flexible array of options
for companies striving to integrate the
Standards of Practice (SOP) and related
Body of Knowledge enterprise wide.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is guiding all of its newly
hired CMs into the CMIT program and assigning them
mentors. “The end goal of our formal training program
is preparing CMs for certification,” says Larry Smith, PE,
CCM, Chief of Construction, Sacramento District.
• At Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, the new
academic term will see the launch of SIU’s first course in
professional Construction Management. SIU’s Assistant
Professor Kevin Roth tells CMAA that they will “model
the class and program after CMAA, with the intent to
provide a BA Degree and qualify for certification soon
after graduation.”
• More than a dozen CMAA corporate members have
signed up for licensing or subscription programs that
enable them to deliver SOP-based training throughout
their organizations.
“Even as applications for the Certified Construction
Manager (CCM) designation continue to grow,
CMAA has recognized that full adoption of the
SOPs requires a consistent promotion and training
effort at every career stage.”
All of these initiatives are early outcomes of CMAA’s
comprehensive strategy to promote full integration of
CM Standards of Practice throughout the industry. Even as
applications for the Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
designation continue to grow, CMAA has recognized that
full adoption of the SOPs requires a consistent promotion
and training effort at every career stage, notes CMAA Vice
President/Professional Development Dennis Doran. “SOP
education needs to serve a wider audience,” Doran says.
This effort is aimed at “improving business, operations,
and technical processes and procedures to strengthen
CM professional practice,” he adds. Audiences for the
“SOP Integration” effort include owners, service providers,
educational institutions and individuals.
CMAA’s Chairman Gary Cardamone has placed this effort at
the top of his list of strategic initiatives for his term. To underscore its importance a special committee of key association
leaders has been formed to drive this effort forward.
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CMAdvisor
CMAA’s SOP Integration strategy aims to make the influence
of the Association’s CM Standards of Practice pervasive
throughout both the construction industry and individual
careers. This influence begins with students: Nearly 20
new student chapters are in the organizing process,
preparing to join the current 18. SOP education extends
to embrace the “gold standard” CCM certification, as well
as every step in between.
A key element of the integration effort, being rolled out
nationally this year, is a new CM Assessment and Rating
Program that will give the industry its first rigorous means
of evaluating the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs)
of CM staff and identifying the career level an individual
has reached.
The Assessment Program will measure competencies in
14 key groupings of KSAs. The Rating component of the
program will quantify the accumulation of responsiblein-charge experience an individual has amassed, as
preparation to apply for the CCM.
Ultimately, the CM Standards of Practice will become
the common thread that unites university education,
organizational training, CMAA Professional Development,
and certification in pursuit of a single goal: More successful
delivery of capital construction projects and programs.
The 2010 CM Standards of Practice
book itself can be purchased in quantity
at significant discounts. For details,
visit the CMAA Bookstore.
For use throughout an organization,
members can obtain a license to
post the SOP and all other CMAA
core documents on their own internal
networks, authorized for unlimited
access, reprinting and other uses
within an organization.
SOP-based training is also readily
available for delivery through
three channels:
Career HQ
1.On-site, instructor-led SOP courses.
These intensive three-day courses
cover the entire SOP and related
Body of Knowledge including an
SOP Study Kit containing all CMAA
core documents for each student.
2.Online, self-paced eight module
curriculum covering the complete
SOP’s, now available at a reduced fee.
3.Enterprise-wide delivery of the
entire online SOP education
program through either an annual
unlimited use subscription to access
through CMAA University or license
agreement for use of all materials
internally within your organization.
Contact CMAA Professional Development for further information about
any of these options.
As we enter the New Year, many
CM firms expect to see growth and
expansion. Be sure you’re geared up
to take advantage of the opportunities
that accompany this growth. CMAA’s
career headquarters is free to all
job seekers and provides you with
access to the best employers and jobs
in the Construction Management
industry. From internships to senior
management, you can use the
CMAA Career Headquarters to
find your next position.
CMAA PRESENTS
The first new edition of Construction Management
Standards of Practice in six years.
Follow CMAA
…on Twitter by following jmatcmaa.
The 2010 Edition includes entirely new chapters on Sustainability, BIM and
Risk Management, along with extended coverage of Program Management
and other updates. For CM/PM practitioners, the new SOP defines excellent
professional practice. It can help you market your services and guide your
staff training and development. For owners, the SOP summarizes what
to expect from your service providers. There is no better authority on
what CMs do, how we do it, and how our owner clients benefit.
“As an owner practitioner myself, I would expect every CM pursuing work
with my agency to be well versed in all areas of the Standards of Practice.”
...or through the Construction Management
Association of America groups on Facebook
and LinkedIn.
GARY CARDAMONE, PE, DIRECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT,
PORT OF LONG BEACH, CA, AND CHAIR, CMAA SOP COMMITTEE
Order your copy today online
through the CMAA website.
Advancing Professional Construction/
Program Management Worldwide.
January/February
13
Foundation
Certification
CMAA Foundation Welcomes New Board of Directors
The CMAA Foundation promotes careers in Construction Management,
provides scholarships to worthy students, and supports a variety of other
activities designed to create a better future for the profession. The Foundation’s
ongoing Capital Campaign, “Construction Managers Building for the Future,”
has raised more than $324,000 toward a $500,000 endowment goal.
The Foundation encourages every member to contribute, noting that a
modest $10 annual gift from every member would achieve and exceed
the campaign goal very quickly.
At the CMAA National Conference in October, the Foundation welcomed
its Board of Directors for 2010
Christine Keville, FCMAA,
Chair
Keville Enterprises
Marshfield, MA
Bruce D’Agostino, CAE,
FCMAA, President
CMAA
McLean, VA
Laura Blake,
Assistant Treasurer
CMAA
McLean, VA
Ed Bond, CCM, FCMAA
Bond Brothers, Inc.
Everett, MA
Larry Casey, PE
Skanska USA Building, Inc.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Darrell Fernandez, PE
Parsons
Pasadena, CA
Christine Flaherty, CCM
STV Construction, Inc.
New York, NY
Robert Fraga, AIA, FCMAA
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC
Kurt Goddard
Shaw Environmental and
Infrastructure Group
Alpharetta, GA
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CMAdvisor
Charlie Herndon, PE
PB
Tampa, FL
Robert E. Holt, PE
Jacobs Facilities, Inc.
Conshohocken, PA
Randy Larson, PE, CCM, FCMAA
PBS&J
Tampa, FL
D.J. Mason, PE –
CMAA Foundation Liaison
Keville Enterprises, Inc.
Boston, MA
James W. Mitchell, CCM
AECOM
Boston, MA
Brian C. Moore, PhD
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA
Steven A. Routon, PE
HNTB Corporation
Santa Ana, CA
Larry Zimmerman, PE, FSAVE
Black & Veach
Gaithersburg, MD
Directors Emeritus:
Christopher Reseigh, FCMAA
PB
Herndon, VA
Joseph McAtee, PE, FCMAA
Urban Engineers, Inc.,
Philadelphia, PA
2010 Scholarship
Applications Open
Are you looking to further your career
with the help of an academic scholarship from the CMAA Foundation? Do you
know someone who is a worthy candidate for such a scholarship? The CMAA
Foundation is now accepting scholarship
applications for 2010. Students may
compete for the Foundation scholarships
in one of two ways:
1.Be selected as the top-rated
undergraduate or graduate-level
scholarship applicant by a CMAA
chapter; and have completed a CMAA
Foundation scholarship application.
In this case, your application will
automatically be sent to the CMAA
Foundation for consideration as a
national scholarship recipient; or
2.If you live in an area not served by
a CMAA chapter, you may complete
and submit a CMAA Foundation
scholarship application in accordance
with the instructions contained in
the application package, available
online.
“Old South” Is Theme
for Foundation
Party in Atlanta
The upcoming Owners Forum will
take advantage of its historic Atlanta
location to offer a lively “Old South”
themed reception in support of the
CMAA Foundation.
Attendees can mingle with colleagues
among the sights, sounds and tastes of
the Old South. Rub elbows with “Rhett”
and “Scarlett.” Sip a julep and nibble
some fried chicken. Match wits on
some “Gone with the Wind” trivia. And
best of all, help build your profession
by supporting the CMAA Foundation.
As Scarlett said, tomorrow is another
day. But what kind of day? The answer
will be shaped by Foundation initiatives
supported through events like this.
Details and registration are available
at the Owners Forum event page.
CMCI BOG Welcomes New Governors
Initiative Coming to Update CCM Exam
The Construction Manager Certification Institute Board
of Governors has added the following new members
elected during the National Conference in Orlando:
CMCI has begun its process of incorporating the 2010
edition of the CM Standards of Practice into the CCM
exam. The process is expected to be completed by mid July.
Josh Rowan, PE, CCM, LEED®AP
PBS&J, Atlanta, GA
In order to determine how the exam will reflect the changes,
CMCI will send out a Job Analysis Survey to evaluate the
changes in the CM field resulting from the use of the updated
standards. The results will then be analyzed, and exam will
undergo an item analysis, question by question, during which
questions containing information from the new standards
will be added.
Ann Marie Sweet-Abshire, AIA, CCM
GSA, Washington, DC
Douglas Titzer, PE, CCM
Jacobs, Arlington, VA
View the complete 2010 Board of Governors roster.
Quarterly Webinars Focus on CCM Process
CCM Roster Exceeds 1,200
The number of Certified Construction Managers
continues to grow and has now exceeded 1,200
for the first time. To view the list of the latest
new CCMs, click here.
CMCI is now offering free quarterly webinars which allow
interested parties to learn more about the CM Certification
process. The presentation will be followed by a question/
answer session during which attendees can address
concerns about the process directly with CMCI’s Certification
Manager. Find a date that works for you and register at
http://cmaanet.org/courses-and-events.
The best CM/PM education in the business.
CMAA is your partner for high value professional education
for every member of your team at every level.
For new hires, our Construction Manager In Training (CMIT)
program supports the transition into the workplace. At the
high end, the Certified Construction Manager (CCM®) credential
identifies the best in the business.
Deliver SOP-based training to your entire team for as little
as $35 per hour of expert instruction with flexible licensing
of our online SOP modules. Or select from a broad menu of
events, interactive webinars, and other programs.
To learn more, visit www.cmaanet.org/pd-home.
Advancing Professional Construction/
Program Management Worldwide.
January/February
15
Professional Practice Corner
Incentive to Change Attitude
By Devesh Mody, PE, Parsons Brinckerhoff
In the project management arena, when one thinks of a
contractor, there is a tendency to associate the term with
another ‘c’ word: yes, claims! This has come to a point where
any bid that seems unusually low is automatically perceived,
and maybe rightfully so, as being claim-oriented. It is not
atypical for such contracting methodology to be a business
strategy for some firms. The ‘bid-low and go after claims’
attitude has become more of a cultural anathema than a
minor irritation.
Let us analyze the repercussions that this bidding practice can
have. Estimators come up with a bid and upper management
slashes it at will and without rationale to ensure a win. An
unrealistic low bid gets turned in by the contractor; owners
cannot justify rejecting the lowest bid and are often bound
to accept it. The contractor’s project superintendents are
then immediately put on notice by their upper management
to start ‘finding faults and busts’ in the drawings and
specifications to identify issues, and thus begins the genesis
for a claim driven environment. And like a train hurtling
down a hill, once it starts, it is hard to stop.
Now let’s analyze the contractor’s viewpoint. As we all know,
construction, like any other industry is a cyclical business.
In a tough economic environment, like the one we are going
through currently, it is exceedingly difficult for contractors to
hang on to the people and resources they may have amassed
and enjoyed through the good times. Forced to control costs,
cutbacks are imminent. A perfect opportunity to get rid of
inefficiency, one might say. But cutbacks will affect even
the efficient parts of the company. It’s like amputating an
infected arm while the fingers still work.
“While the disincentives are used almost regularly
and are present in many contracts in the form of
liquidated damages, it’s the incentives that make
the difference, and that are hardly ever used.”
To prevent this, the contractor is forced to find a way to keep
the engine running. This is where the contractor’s hand is
forced to begin bidding low, so that the efficient parts of the
engine can keep running along with some of the inefficient
ones. They are thinking: Bid low to win the work so that the
engine doesn’t stall. But the problem arises when the “bid
low” turns into “bid too low.” Then, after the work is won
and the dust has settled, reality sets in. How do we make
money? How long can we go on running a business that
will lose money? Well, let’s find an easy way to make up
the lost money. How about the ‘c’ word? Claims! That’s
the tool that gets resorted to most often.
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CMAdvisor
Now let’s analyze the owner’s perspective. In the best
interest of the bottom-line, the owner selected the lowest
bid. For that, the owner gets exposed to being slammed
with claims. Mounting management fees, claim settlement
costs and legal bills are what you get in return for looking
after the best interests of the shareholders and taxpayers?
As unfair as this seems, owners need to look internally and
revisit the vehicle used for project delivery.
Approximately $51 million was spent in multiple incentives
on $1.59 billion worth of construction contracts through
establishment of a variety of milestones. This amounts to
over 3% in bonuses. In a tough economic environment, this
can be the difference between survival and bankruptcy.
This can serve as a huge incentive for the contractors to
start working with a positive mindset. Depending on how
the bonuses are structured, this is a win-win situation.
While several alternative delivery methods have been tried
in the past with successful results, such as design-build and
construction management at-risk (CM at-risk), some of these
delivery methods require massive changes in the contracting
standards established within an organization. While this can
happen over a long term basis, the change comes with a lot
of upfront cost.
What was clearly visible on the Katy Freeway Reconstruction
Program was the change in attitude of the contractor. Houston
was hit with two severe hurricane seasons through the
lifespan of the construction. Traditionally, this would have been
an automatic delay to the end date by weeks, resulting in large
overall delays to the program. But because the incentivized end
date was held firm by contract, the contractor found ways to
accomplish the goal, by working additional shifts, enhancing
crew sizes and employing supplementary equipment.
“This kind of incentive will force the contractor
to think outside the box and think positively, to
actually solve the problem rather than resort
to the easy way out.”
Another example is working around design problems. It’s
unrealistic and impossible to expect a program of this size
to not have some design conflicts. However, the contractors
found ways to keep working in other areas while design
problems were being reviewed and resolved in the problem
areas. This is a result of an attitude shift by the contractors,
which in turn was a consequence of bearing in mind the
loss of incentives.
For example, for a state agency such as a Department of
Transportation (DOT) or for a county toll road authority or
a city department such as public works, lots of effort would
need to be expended by expert contract managers and legal
counsel of these government institutions, to change the way
they have been doing things. While I am not advocating stagnancy and systems do need to continually change to adapt to
more optimal standards, the reality is that switching a system
that is used to issuing low-bid contracts for the past several
decades to one that employs complicated delivery techniques
such as design-build or CM at-risk cannot happen overnight.
But there is a certain technique that can be employed,
almost immediately by such agencies, with tremendous
results. It’s nothing new. It’s been around but under-utilized.
It’s the incentive/disincentive plan. While the disincentives
are used almost regularly and are present in many contracts
in the form of liquidated damages, it’s the incentives that
make the difference, and that are hardly ever used.
Let us use Texas Department of Transportation’s recently
completed, $2.7 billion award winning Katy Freeway Reconstruction Program in Houston as an example. This program
involved reconstruction and widening of approximately
24 miles of the I-10 freeway and related interchanges with
complicated utility relocations, massive right-of-way takings
exercising eminent domain in several instances, and multiple
contracts, consultants and contractors.
This very complex program was completed in record
time. Apart from careful planning, proactive management
and dedicated project personnel, the tool that worked
best to achieve timeliness and achieved coordination
amongst different contracts and contractors, by nearly
eliminating claims and resulting delays, was the incentive/
disincentive program.
This is the critical point. The incentives have to be structured
correctly for the scheme to work. There has to be a hard finish
line, set in stone and immovable. Allowing the incentivized
finish line to be fluid and movable is worse than not having
one because it could potentially be moved out, via a frivolous
time extension claim, and then the owner would still be liable
to pay the incentives for finishing the program later. Therefore,
the incentives need to be structured so that the date is hard
and absolute, and any movement of the schedule beyond this
hard date begins to decrease the incentive.
The other very critical condition that should be included
in the incentive program is that the hard finish date that
is set in the contract will not be changed irrespective of
what causes the delays that are encountered, be it weather,
acts of God, owner driven changes, consultant errors and
omissions and so on.
While, on the face of it, this sounds very unfair to the
contractor, this is where the problem lies to begin with.
Any and every excuse is used to move the end date out via
claims as contractors wish to collect delay related expenses.
Unless this basic problem is acknowledged and dealt with
head-on, it will be hard to tackle the problem described
in the opening paragraphs of this article. After all, the
contractor is being paid an incentive to finish early. Nobody
expects the early completion to be achieved at no cost. Introduction of this kind of incentive will force the contractor
to think outside the box and think positively, to actually solve
the problem rather than resort to the easy way out, that is,
claim for additional time, dump the entire responsibility
on the owner and continue with business as usual. On the
other hand, in case the owner or its parties are at fault,
they should not take a back seat approach in resolving the
problem at a lackadaisical pace, hoping that the contractor
will solve it for them.
As a final example, the Harris County Toll Road Authority was
to employ its own crews and contractors to build out a wide
stretch of tollway about 13 miles long down the center of the
freeway. Customarily, there would be wide resistance, if not a
claim, from the contractors to allow a new project to be built
right in the middle of their construction zones. However, again,
keeping the end goal in mind, the contractors cooperated and
accommodated these new and unforeseen developments so
as to not jeopardize the completion of the program and the
attached incentives.
To summarize, there was a definite shift in the attitude of
the contractor in wanting to complete the work, a shift away
from making excuses for delays. On the Katy Freeway, the
contractors won because there was a tangible reward for
timely performance and the owner won because claim
management costs were minimized and the end product
was delivered ahead of schedule.
In conclusion, the introduction of the incentives into
contracting philosophy needs to be seriously considered
and should be as regular a feature of contracts as is the
disincentive or liquidated damages concept. It is a proven
concept. How they are structured and how much incentive is
offered depend on the project and risks associated with the
local conditions. But one thing is for sure: Incentives work!
Devesh Mody, PE, is a licensed engineer in the state of Texas
and is a Project Manager/Senior Supervising Engineer with
Parsons Brinckerhoff in Houston, Texas. He has graduate
degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. His experience
includes projects in highways, aviation and civil works, in the
US and overseas. He can be reached at mody@pbworld.com.
January/February
17
Legal Corner
Economic Stimulus Will Result in Heightened OSHA Scrutiny—
Are You Ready?
By John F. Heuer, Jr., Esq.
Along with the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA”) and
the funds that are being disbursed
throughout the country to stimulate
a faltering economy comes a less
publicized yet potentially potent threat
to industry participants and owners—
the increased oversight and more
aggressive enforcement by OSHA.
Indeed, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
pulled no punches in warning last July
that “the U.S. Department of Labor is
back in the enforcement business.”
In the same manner as contractors,
subcontractors and owners need
to be aware of OSHA’s heightened
attention, so too do Construction
Managers. Because construction
projects are typically inhabited by
multiple parties, performing multiple
activities in concert (hopefully!)
toward the timely completion of a
work of improvement, OSHA views
these worksites as “multiple-employer”
worksites and applies certain specific
rules to them.
On such worksites, more than
one employer may be citable for a
hazardous condition that violates an
OSHA standard. In this regard, OSHA
generally follows a two-step process
to determine whether more than one
employer may be cited. The first step
is to determine whether the employer
falls into one or more of the following
categories: A creating, exposing,
correcting, or controlling employer.
If so, the next step is to determine
whether the employer’s actions were
sufficient to satisfy its duty to exercise
reasonable care in the detection and
prevention of violations. A failure in
this second step could lead to citation
and possibly penalties.
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CMAdvisor
Except perhaps in the case of CM-AtRisk contracts, Construction Managers
are generally not engaged in the actual
performance of work, so the categories
of “creating employer” (employers that
cause a hazardous condition to exist)
or “correcting employer” (employers
who are responsible for correcting
an existing hazard), will typically
not apply. However, the “exposing
employer” (an employer whose own
employees are exposed to the hazard)
or “controlling employer” (employer
who has general supervisory authority
over the worksite) designations are
more likely to apply to Construction
Managers. Indeed, the Multi-Employer
Citation Policy published by OSHA
states that a Construction Manager
would be a “controlling employer”
for its purposes if the Construction
Manager is responsible for such things
as schedules, sequencing, compliance
with contract specifications and
resolving disputes, even though the
Construction Manager may not be
responsible for compliance with
safety and health requirements.
“The U.S. Department
of Labor is back in the
enforcement business.”
OSHA inspections are generally
conducted without prior advance
notice and may be either programmed
(scheduled by OSHA according to some
selection criteria) or unprogrammed
(scheduled in response to a report of
an alleged hazardous condition.) The
inspection can either be comprehensive
or a partial, focused inspection. At
the outset of any inspection the
CSHO is required to locate an owner
representative and present his or her
credentials and, thereafter, to present
those credentials to any management
representatives during the inspection.
Typically, an Opening Conference will
take place during which the CSHO will
inform all of the affected employers of
the purpose of the inspection. Unless
certain exigencies are present permitting immediate entry, an employer has
a right to require that the CSHO seek an
inspection warrant prior to entry and
the employer may refuse the CSHO’s
entry without such a warrant. However,
on multi-employer sites, a CSHO can
get around one employer’s refusal by
obtaining consent from the owner or
another employer with employees at
the worksite.
The CSHO will want to review the
employer’s injury and illness records
and evaluate any recordkeeping deficiencies. Next, the inspector will likely
conduct a walk-around inspection to
identify actual or potential safety and/
or health hazards at the worksite. The
CSHO may be (and should be) accompanied by designated representatives
of the affected employers and/or
employee unions. Lawyers consistently
advise clients and representatives prior
to depositions to answer the question
posed and refrain from volunteering
information not directly responsive to
a question. This same advice should be
followed by designated representatives
during an inspection.
A CSHO may (and has the right to)
conduct private interviews with
employees to obtain information that
is “necessary or useful” for carrying
out the inspection effectively. If an
inspection proceeds and an employer
interferes with the inspection, the
CSHO may treat the interference as
a refusal. Examples of interference
include the refusal or limitation on:
(1) a walk around inspection of the
site; (2) the review of records essential
to the inspection; (3) the taking of
photographs and or videos; or (4)
private employee interviews.
Following the inspection, a closing
conference with the affected employers
and union representatives (if applicable)
will provide for discussion about any
apparent violations, the employers’
rights and responsibilities, as well as
the handling of any citations that may
be issued or penalties imposed. Any
noted violations should be abated
promptly and, upon the CSHO’s
departure, a safety meeting should
be convened to address whatever
violations, issues or concerns were
identified during the inspection.
Although citations and proposed
penalties may be forthcoming, (both
of which can be addressed through
established legal processes), knowing
what to expect and appropriately
managing an OSHA inspection may
minimize hefty penalties and projectdelaying sanctions. Construction
Managers need to be proactive
and prepared to be visited by OSHA
because all indications are that
they’ll be coming!
John Heuer is an equity partner in
the Los Angeles-based firm of Gibbs,
Giden, Locher, Turner & Senet LLP and
is the current National Chair of CMAA’s
Legal Committee. He can be reached
at jheuer@gglts.com.
Waiting for the shoe to drop
By Raoul M. Ilaw
It’s not what you wanted to hear:
the OSHA compliance officer at the
closing conference tells you that you
have a number of apparent violations.
Now what?
Days pass and you either wait
patiently for some communication
from OSHA, or you may mentally
cast aside the experience of being
inspected. Then one day, an envelope
arrives from OSHA.
You’ve just been handed your list of
citations and penalties. Welcome to
OSHA’s enforcement system.
OSHA has six months from the end of
the inspection to serve you the citation. Your rights begin with a 15-day
period in which you may meet with
the OSHA area director at his office
to discuss the citation and penalties.
In trying to come to terms with OSHA,
try to reduce the classification of the
violation, which is either egregious,
willful, serious or other-than-serious.
Penalties for willful violations start
at $70,000, and a serious violation
starts at $7,000. These violations can
be re-classified to a lesser classification
if the OSHA official agrees with you.
“In trying to come to terms
with OSHA, try to reduce the
classification of the violation.”
If you can’t reach an agreement, you
may within that 15-day period contest
the citation, or penalties, or both. Your
case is then sent to the Occupational
Safety and Health Review Commission,
a separate group composed of several
hearing judges, and the case is set
for a trial.
You’d be smart to request this conference. You’ll be given an opportunity
to get the details and explanation of
why and what caused OSHA to come
down on you. You’ll also have a clearer
understanding of what standards
mean. You’ll have an opportunity to
attempt a settlement. And you can
request an extension in order to abate
(correct) violations, and correct them
in the proper way to maintain a safe
and healthful workplace.
You might have several possible
defenses: Noncompliance was due to
employee misconduct, and you trained
every employee and communicated the
specific information to that employee.
Or, you investigated and attempted to
correct any potential hazard and you
enforced your company policy.
The penalties you receive are based on
your history with OSHA, the size of your
business, how severe the violations
were, and the way you acted during
the inspection (your good faith).
Raoul M. Ilaw is a former OSHA
Administrator and OSHA/FEMA,
Safety & Health Manager. This advice
is excerpted from an article he wrote
in 2005.
However, you must have clear, concise
documentation to prove your case.
January/February
19
Member News
Baker Wins 2009 Engineering
Excellence Award at Joint
Transportation Forum
Michael Baker Jr., Inc., was presented
with the Engineering Excellence
Award in the Construction Inspection
Project Category at the 2009 Joint
Transportation Forum sponsored by
the American Council of Engineering
Companies of West Virginia (ACEC-WV),
the West Virginia Division of Highways
(WVDOH), and the Federal Highway
Administration—West Virginia Division
(FHWA-WV Division). Baker received the
award for its outstanding Construction
Management and inspection services
for the West Virginia Department of
Transportation—Division of Highways
on State Route 9 from County Route
9/3 to County Route 27.
CMAA Remembers Industry
Leader Frank Muller
Frank Muller, one
of the founders
of CMAA, died on
December 11, 2009
after a brief illness.
Born November
24, 1930 in Prague,
Czechoslovakia, son of
Ernest and Margaret
Muller. 45 year resident of Pelham, NY;
civic leader, mediator, arbitrator and Construction Management executive; avid
squash player, athlete, reader and nature
lover. He enriched the lives of everyone
he touched and left the world a better
place. Beloved husband of Louise DeVel
Muller, father of Robert, Bill and David,
father-in-law of Sally, Diane and Nancy,
grandfather of six, brother of George,
dear friend, colleague and advocate of
many. Memorial tributes to Muller may
be viewed at http://cmaanet.org/cmaaremembers-founder-frank-muller.
Hill International Acquires
TRS Consultants
Hill International, the global leader in
managing construction risk, announced
today that it has acquired TRS Consultants, Inc., a firm that provides civil
20
CMAdvisor
Chapter News
engineering, program management,
Construction Management and information technology services primarily to
the transportation and infrastructure
market. TRS, which has approximately
40 employees, is based in San Ramon,
California. Terms of the transaction
were not disclosed.
Indianapolis Construction
Company Names
New President
The Skillman Corporation has announced
that Brad Skillman
will succeed Larry
Koenes in the
role of company
president. Although
new as president,
Brad Skillman is
not new to the firm. As president,
Mr. Skillman will oversee 68 full-time
employees. Regarding future plans,
he says, “I have inherited an excellent
management team and a tremendous
culture. We’ll work together to build
on our strong foundation in the
Midwest. Our focus has been (and
will be) construction services for
clients in the education, healthcare,
government and commercial sectors.”
Alexander Building
Construction Co. Awarded
Phase I of District Wide
Facilities Master Plan for State
College Area School District
Alexander Building Construction
has been awarded a Construction
Management contract for Phase I of
the District Wide Facilities Master Plan
for the State College Area School District.
Phase I projects consist of consolidating
the Boalsburg and Panorama Village
Elementary Schools in a New Elementary School at the Panorama Village
site, replacing the current Ferguson
Township Elementary School through a
combination renovation/new construction project, and an addition to Gray’s
Woods Elementary School. Both the
new Panorama Village and Ferguson
Township Elementary Schools will be
approximately 55,000 square feet.
LEED Silver certification will be sought
for both buildings. Construction is
scheduled to begin Spring 2010.
Chicago Chapter
The Colorado Chapter hosted a happy
hour social this month, attended by
approximately 20 chapter and student
chapter representatives, including
several board members and program
chairs. During the evening, the Chapter
recognized its scholarship recipients,
promoted the January program on the
reconstruction of the I-35W Bridge, and
presented a draft calendar of chapter
events for the remainder of 2010.
Kwame Building Group
Selected for Ameren
UE Methane Gas-toElectricity project
Kwame Building Group has been
awarded a contract through Green
Companies Inc. to provide design
management support on a major
landfill gas-to-energy project at the
Fred Weber Company Solid Waste
Landfill in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
Construction is expected to begin in
2010, and the plant is expected to be
operational in 2011. The Ameren UE
Methane to Megawatts project will
be the largest landfill gas-to-electric
facility in the state and among the
largest in the nation, generating
enough electricity for 10,000 homes.
S E A Consultants to
Become Part of Kleinfelder
Kleinfelder has announced the
acquisition of S E A Consultants Inc., a
full-service engineering, architecture
and planning firm headquartered in
Cambridge, Mass. The transaction closed
on November 13, 2009, following a
due diligence process, respective board
approvals and integration planning
involving employees from each firm.
KBR Awarded $46M Contract
for Alabama Federal
Building and Courthouse
KBR announced that its Building
Group has been awarded a $46.96
million contract by the U.S. General
Services Administration to provide
Construction Management services for
a new United States Federal Building
and Courthouse in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The building, designed to achieve LEED®
Silver certification, replaces an outdated
existing facility.
Colorado Chapter
This year-end celebration culminated
a very successful year, which included
events such as the Annual Scholarship
and Awards Dinner in April when
presentations were made of eight
awards in four categories, as well as
$15,000 in scholarships. The Annual
Owner’s Night in June drew dozens of
agencies/owners who staged booths.
In addition, a Sacramento Riverboat
dinner celebrated the incoming board
and thanked the outgoing board.
Northern California
The CMAA Chicago Chapter recently
hosted a jobsite tour for its CMAA Illinois
Institute of Technology Student Chapter
of the new Joe and Rika Mansueto
Library at the University of Chicago.
The library, designed by architect
Helmut Jahn, will ultimately house
3.5 million volumes of material below
ground, making the University of
Chicago the only university in the
country to house such an expansive
research collection on its campus.
The Northern California Chapter
celebrated the holiday season with
a cowboy-themed party at the Texas
Back Forty restaurant in Pleasant
Hill, CA. Big hats were encouraged,
no business suits were allowed, and
everyone enjoyed their ribs, brisket, and
barbeque! The Chapter also collected
toys for the Toys for Tots program and
held a raffle to raise raised money for
the 2010 scholarship program.
Integral to the design is the 50-foot
deep automated storage and retrieval
system that, when finished, will have
the capacity to retrieve requested
material and deliver it to the user
within minutes. On the tour, the
students had the unique opportunity
to climb into this slurry wall hole and
observe preparation for a slab pour.
Chapter President Jan Turner and
Chapter Member Connie Walker, both
from Cotter Consulting, led students on
the tour. Cotter Consulting served as the
Owner’s Representative, working with
Mike Natarus, Project Manager for the
University of Chicago. Barton Malow
Company is the Construction Manager
for this project that is scheduled
to open in 2011.
To learn more about the project and
watch construction progress via web
cam please visit http://mansueto.lib.
uchicago.edu/.
COMPREHENSIVE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES
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Cost Estimating - Commissioning - CPM Scheduling - Risk Management - Training
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800-898-9088
January/February
21
Professional Development Calendar
President’s Corner
Webinars:
National Meetings:
“Second Stimulus” Could Be A Good First Step
A National Conference Encore Event: Leveraging
Web-Based Collaboration to Deliver Quality,
Cost Effective CM Services
Owners Forum
February 24
This new event will put the views, interests, priorities
and needs of owners in the spotlight. Attend and find
out what’s on the minds of leading owners, and what
they expect from their CM service providers.
Learn how to cut project costs and substantially reduce the
amount of paper on the project while improving control.
May 2–4
Atlanta, Georgia
A National Conference Encore Event: Complexity,
Risk and Pirates—Mitigating Risk through
Collaboration and Technology
Participants will understand the impact of increasing
complexity and risk in project development and strategies to
mitigate these factors through collaboration and technology.
In December we joined with the Building America’s Future
coalition in support of a new infrastructure bill, which
was strongly advocated by BAF co-chairs Ed Rendell, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, and Michael Bloomberg. In a speech on
December 8, President Obama called for a new package of
legislation to create jobs, chiefly by investing in infrastructure.
Going Green to Get the Goal—
Without Legal Downsides
March 11
Construction Managers Responsibilities
on Successful Green Building Projects
Water Summit
July 11–13
Kansas City, Missouri
Hear directly from the experts, including leading
system owners, what they expect and need to manage
and expand their systems in the years ahead.
March 18
Learn how to handle preconstruction issues, development
of management tools, sustainable documentation methods,
subcontractor training and post-construction close-out
strategies for successful green building projects.
Let the Environment Work for You—Storm Water
and Solar Energy Benefit Green Construction
March 25
Attendees will learn about best management practices and
how to integrate into your projects innovative techniques
that have proven successful on sustainable buildings around
the world.
22
CMAdvisor
The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 has
largely succeeded in creating jobs
and helping people survive in a
challenging economy. But it has left
unaddressed the persistent and critical
infrastructure needs of the nation.
Now, we seem to be seeing a surge
in recognition that addressing these
priorities in a coherent long-term manner will produce both
short-run and permanent benefits.
As this issue of CM Advisor went into production there
seemed to be a consensus on Capitol Hill in favor of what
is variously called a “second stimulus” or a new “jobs bill,”
which would allocate significant funding to highways,
transit, water/wastewater systems and other critical
infrastructure needs.
March 4
Attend this webinar and learn how to identify metrics
for achieving certification and other awards, specify
contract language to allocate liability for the standard
of care required to achieve certification, and provide
strategies for managing expectations to avoid litigation.
By Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
See the full schedule of CMAA webinars.
The president said his administration is proposing “a boost
in investment in the nation’s infrastructure beyond what
was included in the Recovery Act, to continue modernizing
our transportation and communications networks. These are
needed public works that engage private sector companies,
spurring hiring all across the country.”
He also predicted that spending of the original ARRA funds
will be ramping up in the months ahead. “I recognize that by
their nature these projects often take time, and will therefore create jobs over time,” the president said. “But the need
for jobs will also last beyond next year and the benefits of
these investments will last years beyond that. So adding to
this initiative to rebuild America’s infrastructure is the right
thing to do.”
We couldn’t agree more. Nor could Building America’s
Future. The coalition is calling not only for a new stimulus
bill heavily tilted toward infrastructure spending, but also
for creation of a National Infrastructure Investment Bank
and for fast action on a new six-year Transportation
Authorization Act.
As part of the Water Infrastructure Network, we also joined
in a letter to key senators and House members urging
that the new stimulus bill include at least $20 billion for
ready-to-go water and wastewater projects. “Investing in
water infrastructure creates thousands of quality jobs in
the short-term, dramatically improves our nation’s long-term
competitiveness and improves the quality of water for
every American,” the letter said.
We support all of these initiatives, and concur with Gov
Rendell’s comment at CMAA’s National Conference that
“the biggest mistake made in the stimulus program was
having so little of the spending go for infrastructure.”
It is somewhat encouraging to hear these infrastructure
investment proposals described by proponents as “jobs
bills.” I say “somewhat encouraging” because infrastructure
spending is not a mere make-work activity, as “jobs bills”
may often be. Instead, money spent on infrastructure
enhancement both creates jobs now and creates value
for decades to come.
“Money spent on infrastructure enhancement
both creates jobs now and creates value for
decades to come.”
Infrastructure investment is unique in its capacity to
combine short-term stimulus, in the form of immediate
job creation, with long-term benefit in the form of efficient
and robust national highways, water and wastewater
systems, power grids and other resources.
We simply must make it a national priority to repair,
modernize, and expand our transportation and other
resources. We need a sound long-term strategy that devotes
adequate and consistent funding to these tasks. They cannot
be dealt with successfully through any series of quick fixes.
We also need to assure that this major funding is spent with
accountability, transparency, and maximum application of
recognized Construction Management Standards of Practice.
CMAA is not the only organization advocating this sound
long-term approach, but we are working to make our voice
heard more clearly. Now it seems that our arguments are
finally being heard and accepted where it counts.
January/February
23