January 11-15, 2010 in Phoenix, AZÂ The Winter 2010 BIMForum will focus on the varied uses of a building information model for the life of the project - from design to construction to post-facilities management. In addition, the Winter BIMForum will include an optional BIM Technology course and a Pre-Fabrication Facilities Tour for interested attendees. Learn more at http://bimforum.org.
Join more than 150 industry professionals at the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Safety and Health Conference January 13-15, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nev. Attendees are invited to participate in the development of local and national legislative activity and new safety training programs and products, and hear the latest initiatives from OSHA and other industry experts. Meeting details, registration information, travel discounts and accommodation details are available here. Please contact Kevin Cannon at cannonk@agc.org or (703) 837-5410 for more information.
A recent article that addressing potential insurance and litigation issues involving the construction of green building projects cautions contractors to protect themselves when promising to meet specific green standards.  Lost tax incentives caused by failure to meet certain green building requirements is a liability that is not often addressed, the article says. It also urges contractors to manage their risk beginning with the contract.For the complete article from Business Insurance, please click here.
A Building Design and Construction article quotes ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø of America's Steve Sandherr citing the urgent need for federal assistance to the private construction industry. Sandherr noted that the increase in public construction is "welcome news" but he urged Congress to endorse ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø's "Build Now For The Future: A Blueprint for Economic Growth" in order to avoid further job losses and stimulate private construction and the general economy.For the Building Design and Construction article, please click here.
With the downturn in the availability of commercial work, many construction contractors are bidding on federal and federally-assisted work, and facing the mandates of federal prevailing wage laws, for the first time. The application of the Davis-Bacon Act to all projects funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is also responsible for leaving many contractors uncertain about the requirements of federal prevailing wage laws and the consequences of non-compliance.Perhaps you are a new staff person responsible for federal contract compliance or you've been in your role for a while and need a refresher course. Industry experts, including the head of enforcement for the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage & Hour Division and the DOL Branch Chief for Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations, will provide you with the information you need to understand the specific requirements of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts in a contractor-friendly manner.December 10: Reporting Requirements & EnforcementRegister today at www.agc.org/DBWebinar or download the webinar flyer.
The ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Building Contractors Conference will offer a chance to learn more about Lean Construction with the debut of the Lean Construction Forum, which was established to create a community where anyone within the AEC industry can come together to engage in a dialog on Lean Construction. The Forum will unveil a Web site soon and is currently developing educational resources and learning opportunities on the use of Lean principals in the construction industry. More than seven hours of Lean Construction content will be presented on January 21 in San Juan.The ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Building Contractors Conference consistently offers forward-thinking, practical guidance that is crucial and necessary, now more than ever. In addition to the Lean Construction Forum, presentations include: Business of Safety, Green Construction Risks, Federal Legislative & Regulatory Update and Contractor Surety Issues.Be sure to take a look at the free ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Travel Assistance Guide for discounts on airfare and car rental, as well as non-stop and direct flight information from many major U.S. airports to San Juan.  For more information about the January 2010 Building Contractors Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, visit www.agc.org/bcc. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Originally written in 1999, a task force of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø members updated and recently completed the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Guide to Construction Financing-Second Edition. This 26-page publication clearly explains the construction financing process and points out some of the opportunities and pitfalls for the contractor. It is intended to serve as a reference to get contractors thinking about the risks associated with project financing. The task force that developed the guide consists of members from ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø, the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) and the Associated Specialty Contractors (ASC). On November 13-14, this liaison held their annual joint meeting to discuss the theme "Construction Owners' Financing and Ability to Pay."Click here to access this resource. For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
Written by John Lynch from the State of Washington and published as a joint effort of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø of America and the National Association of State Facilities Administrators (NASFA), this eight page article is targeted toward public owners who construct capital projects and those contractors who are engaged in this type of work. It is particularly useful in this challenging economy. Click here to access the article. For more information, contact Mike Stark at (703) 837-5365 or starkm@agc.org.
On November 10, 2009, ConsensusDOCS released the construction industry's first and only comprehensive standard contract document addressing the unique risks and responsibilities associated with building green projects - the ConsensusDOCS 310 Green Building Addendum.The Addendum incorporates contractual best practices to identify the project participants' roles and responsibilities, as well as the implementation and coordination efforts critical to achieving a successful project using green building elements, particularly those seeking third-party green building rating certification. It was drafted to work well not only with the other ConsensusDOCS contract documents, but also with other form contracts.³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø members receive a 20% discount on all ConsensusDOCS purchases. Please visit www.agc.org/contracts or contact Meghan McLellan (mclellanm@agc.org or 703-837-5417) for more information about ConsensusDOCS products.
Join ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø and SMPS on December 17 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET for "The Ten Rules of Networking." Speakers Dana Birkes and Donna Jakubowicz, along with moderator Rick Andritsch, will make sure you are taking the right steps to secure your company's future.Networking is skill that is crucial to the survival of your business. In this webinar, you will learn how to apply the science of personal networking to build business and retain existing clients, teach others in your company basic networking skills, identify off-the-beaten path networking opportunities, and learn new networking skills through the Six Degrees of Separation methods.For more information and registration, visit www.agc.org/networking.