Transportation Bill Expiring
There is Currently No Successor to the Bill
The latest extension of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the funding and authorization bill that has governed the U.S. federal transportation spending since 2005, will expire at the end of this year. The problem is, there is currently no reauthorization or successor to the bill. This has the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) concerned. The AGC wants action to be taken.
Revisions Coming from ConsensusDOCS
ConsensusDOCS to Release Revised Standard Forms in January 2011
The ConsensusDOCS coalition is releasing modified contract forms in January 2011 to respond to emerging trends and practices. Among the revised standard forms is the ConsensusDOCS 300, the Standard Tri-Party Agreement for Integrated Project Delivery, and the new versions of the standard owner agreements with design professionals. ConsensusDOCS is now three years old and has grown to a coalition of 29 construction industry associations. Stay tuned for more information on these newly revised documents in January following their release.
Net-Zero-Energy Home
Impressive Green Ideas on the AIA's Dallas Tour of Homes
Have you ever heard of a home that, rather than taking electricity from the electric grid, actually gives it back? Such an oddity does exist, as evidenced by the American Institute of Architect’s Dallas Tour of Homes. One of the nine homes visited on the tour is the first client-commissioned net-zero-energy home in Texas.
How is this possible? On sunny days, the home’s solar panels produce more electricity than is needed to power the house, so the extra electricity is fed back into the grid for others to use. The amount fed back into the grid is more than the amount of power the home takes from the grid over the course of a year.
Analyzing Project Types
What do Architectural Record and Schinnerer have in common? Both have conducted studies of various project types for the benefit of the design professions. Architectural Record looks at project types from a design standpoint, highlighting individual projects with photos, drawings, specifications, descriptions, and design solutions. Schinnerer looks at project types from a claims standpoint, highlighting decisions and actions taken that lead to a claim. We also include statistics on the particular project type and offer some guidance as to steps firms can take to avoid similar claims.