Events
CrispHouston, TX 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Join us at our members-only networking mixer! This popular event draws a large crowd of industry professionals and is a great chance to meet other professionals in the industry. Register by August 6, 2014 to reserve your spot today!
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1839 to view the full article online.
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Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Austin, Texas
Registration for the 2014 AGC Building Contractors Conference is open today! Taking place in Austin, Texas, this year's conference focuses on bringing together high-level leaders in the building construction industry to share, learn and discuss the issues essential to them and their business. This year's conference features guest speakers such as Ken Simonson, AGC of America Chief Economist, Ryan Abbott, Sundt Construction, and more. Don't miss the chance to network with others in the industry and discuss relevant topics essential to the construction industry!
Visit http://meetings.agc.org/austinbcc to view the full article online.
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InterContinental Dallas Hotel Dallas, Texas
Following the April BIMForum, this conference will focus on optimizing construction using aspects of BIM. Speakers from around the nation will be presenting on how they are using BIM proactively and effectively to have a measurable impact on the construction process. Topics will include BIM Execution Planning, Collocation Management, What Does BIM Mean For Insurance?, and more. Register today!
Visit http://meetings.bimforum.org/2014/ to view the full article online.
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Sheraton Downtown Phoenix Phoenix, Arizona
AGC's Construction HR and Training Professionals Conference provides two days of education and networking for HR, training, and workforce development professionals in the construction industry. Educational sessions cover the most cutting-edge techniques in training and development currently in use and envisioned for the future in the industry.
Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/events/conferences/training_education_conference to view the full article online.
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San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk
San Antonio, TXRegistration for the CLC Leadership Development Conference, formerly known as Fall Working Weekend, is now open. This year’s event is co-hosted with the San Antonio Chapter of AGC and will take place October 23-25, 2014, at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk. Highlights of the program include keynote speaker George "The Iceman" Gervin, former San Antonio Spurs player; Chuck Greco, Linbeck Group, LLC, and Senior Vice President of AGC of America; and a roundtable session that will allow attendees to learn best practices from CLC groups from across the country.
Visit http://meetings.agc.org/ldc14/ to view the full article online.
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The ACE Mentor Program of Houston invites you to join in The Third Annual BUILD IT FORWARD Event. This event brings together students involved in the ACE Mentor Program and industry wide professionals to build storage benches that will be delivered to area charitable organizations. For more information and to learn how you can get involved, please click here.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1838 to view the full article online.
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Education/Training
Developing young leaders will be a key piece of the future success and growth of the construction industry in Houston. Leadership AGC is seeking those individuals interested in developing and enhancing their skills as leaders as well as increasing their overall knowledge of our industry's place in the community.
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=276296&issueID=40122 to view the full article online.
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This class develops professional estimating skills, including: an understanding of the different types of estimates; the importance of documentation and formatting; and the link between design, estimating and project costs.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1426 to view the full article online.
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Safety
This course covers the safety and health hazards associated with permit-required confined space entry. This course features workshops on permit entry classification, instrumentation and program development.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1743 to view the full article online.
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This trainer course is designed for individuals interested in teaching the OSHA 10- or 30-hour General Industry safety and health Outreach training program to their employees and other interested groups. Using the OSHA General Industry Standards as a guide, special emphasis is placed on those topics required in the 10-and 30-hour programs as well as those which are most hazardous.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1837 to view the full article online.
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This course covers the various types of common machinery, machine safe guards, and related OSHA regulations and procedures. Guidance is provided on the hazards associated with various types of machinery and the determination of proper machine safe guards.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1748 to view the full article online.
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This Free training class focuses on preventing frequently-cited construction hazards. The Focus Four Hazards in Construction are conducted as four-hour awareness training focusing on the greatest dangers of working on a construction site.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1778 to view the full article online.
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This course covers the OSHA Standards, policies, and procedures in the construction industry. Topics include scope and application of the OSHA Construction Standards, construction safety and health principles, and special emphasis on those areas in construction which are most hazardous.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1749 to view the full article online.
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The management system course provides the participant the opportunity to design the core elements of a management system for environmental, risk, safety and health programs. Note: Participants must attend all three sessions.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1725 to view the full article online.
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This course covers the OSHA Excavation Standards and safety and health aspects of excavation and trenching with topics including practical soil mechanics and its relationship to the stability of shored and unshored slopes and walls of excavations, introduction of various types of shoring (wood timbers and hydraulic), soil classification, and use of protective systems.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1750 to view the full article online.
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AGC News
AGC of America recently surveyed members who build highway projects about their experiences with work zone crashes. The results suggest a strong consensus within the industry about the nature of the problem and some agreement about how to combat it. Of the highway contractors surveyed, 45 percent had one or more vehicle crashes in their construction work zones in the past year. Those accidents resulted in construction worker injury 20 percent of the time, including six percent that involved the death of one or more workers. The casualty rate for drivers and passengers in the cars was even higher, with 43 percent of the crashes resulting in injury to vehicle occupants, including 16 percent with fatalities.
Visit http://www.constructormagazine.com/life-inside-the-cone-zones/#.U8AIB_ldVqU to view the full article online.
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A recent report by TRIP, a national transportation research group, recently found that the rural road fatality rate is three times higher than all other roads, while 15 percent of rural roads are in poor shape and 22 percent of rural bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, stated " ...the U.S. Department of Transportation is warning states it will begin cutting back federal funding for highway projects in August as the balance in the federal Highway Trust Fund approaches dangerously low levels."
Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/news_media/press_room/press_release?pressrelease.id=1603 to view the full article online.
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The Spring 2014 BIMForum in Boston focused on the variety of ways that BIM is being used to enhance the speed and creativity of projects. The theme of Optimizing Design with BIM led to a wide variety of presentations that showed how there are very different methods in how BIM is utilized throughout the industry. One of the focal points was a strong effort on sharing information between trades, yielding a quicker, more effective process. Design and constructability conflicts are also able to be resolved more rapidly and more efficiently because all those needed to make these changes were actively involved throughout the lifecycle of the project.
AGC is proud to offer BIM classes designed to address the immediate needs of the construction industry. Interested in learning more? Click here.
Visit http://www.constructioncitizen.com/blog/spring-2014-bimforum-recap/1406231 to view the full article online.
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The Associated General Contractors of America has joined the Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program, launched in 2011, which aims to hire 100,000 veterans in the next five years. "The only thing keeping many of our members from hiring vets is figuring out how to find them," says Stephen Sandherr, AGC's CEO. "This new partnership will make it easier for construction firms to find, recruit and hire veterans."
AGC has joined the initiative at a time when the construction industry is facing a shortage of skilled workers. The Hiring Our Heroes partnership is, in fact, a key part of the AGC’s Workforce Development Plan.
Visit http://www.hiringourheroes.org/ to view the full article online.
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The Construction State Law Matrix is the most comprehensive, definitive and concise publication available, covering all aspects of state laws that may affect your public or private construction project. This essential resource, for use before completing any construction contract in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, ensures compliance and enforceability under state law.
Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/industry_topics/contracts_construction_law/construction_contracts/state_law_matrix to view the full article online.
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Members receive exclusive weekly offers - Must sign up by August 15
Our members are eligible for special weekly offers from Starbucks, iTunes, FTD and more—so spread the word! When you register for the FedEx Advantage discount program, you will be automatically enrolled in FedEx Fridays. You’ll get exclusive offers emailed to you every Friday for this limited-time promotion. And, you’ll continue to receive discounts of up to 29% on select services all year long, ever after the promotion ends. Enroll now or call 1-888-708-4100 by Aug. 15, 2014. Be sure to use passcode AGCFDX.
Visit http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/agcmmq/issues/2014-06-30/11.html to view the full article online.
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Here's Looking At You
![](https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/assets/structural-demolition-parking-garage-collapse-08-300x226.jpg) After a section of a fifth-level Houston parking garage partially collapsed in June, Aggregate Technologies, Inc. immediately got to work rebuilding the site. This particular job presented some unique challenges that had to be dealt with before construction could begin. The first through fourth levels had to be shored up to stabilize the structure before any demolition work could be done and avoiding use of impact equipment was necessary to avoid further damage to the structure. Thanks to Aggregate's hard work, the parking garage will soon be finished and in use.
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News You Can Use
A Houston submarket that once was predominately industrial is attracting new Class A office construction thanks to its lower costs and accessible location. The West Belt office submarket, located on Beltway 8 north of I-10 and extending just east of Highway 249, is a cost-effective alternative for companies in west Houston that need larger spaces and higher parking ratios. According to Jon Lee, Senior Vice President of CBRE's Houston office, "There are many new projects being contemplated that require preleasing to move forward. We anticipate this to continue to be a hot area in the foreseeable future."
Visit http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/07/new-submarket-hot-for-office-construction.html to view the full article online.
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Are you in the K-12 construction industry of Houston? Houston Independent School District (HISD) will be introducing an approved $1.89 billion bond, seven-year construction program to market consisting of 40 schools, three athletic facilities, and numerous renovations. The objective of the Labor Compliance Program (LCP) is to build the highest quality schools safely, on time, within budget, and with the best construction workers. HISD’s Labor Compliance Program (LCP) helps ensure a level playing field and protects workers by reviewing certified payrolls, monitoring job sites, interviewing workers, providing certified payroll training and sponsoring community job fairs.
Visit http://www.constructioncitizen.com/blog/hisd%E2%80%99s-labor-compliance-program-dedicated-quality/1407021 to view the full article online.
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According to the Texas Comptroller's Office, the Houston area boasts the lowest school construction costs in Texas at just $135 a square foot, nearly $20 lower than the state average. The Houston region also includes three of the most prolific builders in the state—the Katy, Cypress Fairbanks and Fort Bend school districts, which have added a combined 6.7 million square feet of facilities since 2007. Efforts are being made to ensure that Houston's school construction costs continue to remain one of the lowest in the state.
Visit http://texas.construction.com/yb/tx/article.aspx?story_id=id:cY08h_ZcJpgxsjvkIzRJHsMMeBQmVjGVHCF1q73T0qJ2CXevca1lm93OghQKdQvP to view the full article online.
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On July 16, 2014, the House approved a $10.8 billion Highway Trust Fund patch, which provides sufficient revenue to maintain current funding levels through May 2015. The bill also extends MAP-21 authorization for the highway and transit programs for those eight months. Revenue needed to support the patch came from a general fund transfer which was offset by a variety of tax code adjustments including extending customs fees on importers, taking money from the leaking underground storage tank fund (LUST) and changing rules on private pension contributions. Additional revenue for the Highway Trust Fund is necessary in order to avoid a slowdown in reimbursements to states for ongoing highway construction projects in the next few weeks.
Visit http://news.agc.org/2014/07/16/house-passes-highway-funding-patch-action-shifts-to-senate/ to view the full article online.
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