Members' Edge

Visit http://meetings.agc.org/austinbcc to view the full article online.

Dallas, Texas

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Sheraton Downtown Phoenix

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, Texas



Registration 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.

Caesar's Palace

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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. 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.

This course is designed specifically for superintendents, project managers, property managers, property owners, or anyone responsible for storm water jobsite compliance.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1433 to view the full article online.

BIM Unit 1 is designed specifically for construction professionals eager to learn the essential concepts of BIM. The full-day (8-hour) course explains the benefits of improved visualization on a construction project through the use of 3D, 4D, and 5D models, establishes a knowledge base of BIM terminology and outlines case studies showing successful BIM implementation.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1406 to view the full article online.

Understand how basic contracts are structured, how different types of contracts are used, and how project documentation relates to effective contracting. Learn how different project delivery methods use different contracting strategies, and gain insight into contract law and language in relation to project risk.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1427 to view the full article online.

Completion of this course meets the requirements of OSHA Paragraph 1926.50, and participants will receive an American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid and CPR/AED wallet card valid for two years upon course completion.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1400 to view the full article online.

Learn how to comply with contractual obligations concerning insurance and to assure compliance of other involved parties. Everything you need to know about insurance certificates will be covered.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1393 to view the full article online.

AGC Houston - Frontline Leadership is a six-session training program designed to equip new, current, or aspiring supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage and develop their people and projects. The format consists of six, half-day modules that can be taken as stand-alone courses or as part of the series.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1677 to view the full article online.

AGC Houston - Frontline Leadership is a six-session training program designed to equip new, current, or aspiring supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage and develop their people and projects. The format consists of six, half-day modules that can be taken as stand-alone courses or as part of the series.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1678 to view the full article online.

AGC will be bringing together industry safety specialists for a free discussion on what to expect in a standard OSHA inspection. The panel will be featuring OSHA directors David Doucet and Mark Briggs, and Compliance Assistant Specialist Jim Shelton. Attorneys Tony Stergio and Keith Coulter, as well as Safety Consultant Homer Peterson, will be answering questions regarding employee statements, documentation during inspections, and much more. Space is limited, so register today!

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1848 to view the full article online.

This course covers the OSHA standards, policies, and procedures in general industry. Topics include scope and application of the OSHA General Industry Standards, general industry principles and special emphasis on those areas in general industry which are most hazardous.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1751 to view the full article online.

This construction 10-hour safety course covers the safety requirements as contained in 29 CFR 1926.This course is designed to provide an entry-level construction worker general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards on a construction site.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1639 to view the full article online.

The Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication is an international standard for informing workers about health, and physical and environmental hazards in the workplace. This course will cover the regulatory requirements for container labeling, the nine pictograms and their meanings, the Safety Data Sheet format and content requirements. For the Spanish session, click here.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1823 to view the full article online.

This course focuses on how to prepare for and conduct assessments, identifying issues, and the disposition of those issues. Classroom lecture and experiential exercises are utilized to provide students the opportunity to put into practice the knowledge and skills presented.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1752 to view the full article online.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals who want to plan and present safety and health content to their employees/colleagues.The program covers topics specific to making safety and health training engaging, relevant, and impactful for all healthcare workers. In addition to the content, the participants will receive a Trainer's Tool Kit with a variety of resources and training material.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1771 to view the full article online.

This course is designed to provide Spanish-speaking entry-level construction workers with a general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards on the jobsite. Participants will learn about the safety requirements contained in 29 CFR 1926, review specific OSHA requirements and gain tips on how to keep a construction jobsite safe.

Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1825 to view the full article online.

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"The AGC Alternative," the first of its kind, nation-wide private insurance exchange to serve the commercial construction industry, begins offering firms belonging to the Associated General Contractors of America quotes today. The private exchange, developed in collaboration with Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings, the global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker, features comprehensive insurance coverage from Aetna, MetLife and Group Vision Service as part of its introductory suite of benefits. Now that the exchange's initial benefits providers have been selected, association members can now get coverage quotes for policies that go into effect as early as January 1, 2015.  For more information about the association's new private insurance exchange, click here.

Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/news_media/press_room/press_release?pressrelease.id=1615 to view the full article online.

Construction employment expanded in 223 metro areas, declined in 72 and was stagnant in 44 between July 2013 and July 2014, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. As employment grows, 25 percent of firms report labor shortages are forcing them to turn down work. Association officials said the survey results underscore the need for action on a series of measures outlined in the association's Workforce Development Plan. Those measures detail steps federal, state and local officials should take to make it easier for schools, associations and businesses to establish career training and education programs.

Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/news_media/press_room/press_release?pressrelease.id=1620 to view the full article online.

Architect-engineer-contractor (AEC) professional liability insurance policies typically cover negligent wrongful acts, errors and/or omissions as long as the AEC is found negligent by a court of law for the wrongful or erroneous service provided to the client. However, it is yet to be fully determined if some forms of negligence related to green construction are actually covered under typical professional liability insurance policies.

Visit http://www.constructormagazine.com/manage-the-environmental-construction-risks-of-today/#.U_YrMPldUWI to view the full article online.

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For decades, the building construction industry provided good paying jobs and trained craft workers. Recently, that trend has started to change—with an uptick in building permits and work, there are signs that a skilled labor shortage in the country may threaten projected growth and the ongoing recovery. Many construction industry executives expect the situation to worsen in the coming years. How can our industry face this challenge and meet the demands of the marketplace?

Visit http://meetings.agc.org/AustinBCC/ to view the full article online.

On August 8, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that, if implemented, will require covered federal contractors and subcontractors to submit an annual Equal Pay Report on employee compensation. On an annual basis, contractors would have to submit on the new Equal Pay Report summary employee compensation data by sex, race, ethnicity, and specified job categories, as well as other relevant data points that would include hours worked and number of employees.

Visit http://news.agc.org/2014/08/12/ofccp-proposes-rule-for-new-equal-pay-report-2/ to view the full article online.

Visit https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stormwater/id884095701?ls=1&mt=8 to view the full article online.

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McCarthy was recently recognized by ENR Southwest as general contractor of the year for 2014. Since its founding in 1964, McCarthy is now the nation’s 9th largest domestic general contractor with revenues exceeding $3 billion. While McCarthy has been diversifying its business units for several decades, the firm has recently capitalized on the solar construction renaissance throughout the Southwest to expand into this market sector. This honor was not easily obtained, and we applaud you on your hard work and dedication!

Visit http://www.mccarthy.com/news/2014/07/24/mccarthy-named-2014-contractor-of-the-year-by-enr-southwest/ to view the full article online.

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Visit http://www.mccarthy.com/news/2014/07/24/mccarthy-named-2014-contractor-of-the-year-by-enr-southwest/ to view the full article online.

The Texas Supreme Court just issued a blockbuster opinion affirming the limited scope of no-damages for delay clauses. The Court recognized the traditional exceptions to the enforcement of no-damages-for-delay clauses. These include an owner’s "active interference" with a contractor "or other wrongful conduct," including "arbitrary and capricious acts."  The Court reasoned that the purpose of such exceptions is to "preclude a party from insulating himself from liability for his own deliberate, wrongful conduct." No longer is there uncertainty about the applicability of the traditionally recognized exceptions to no damages clauses.  Texas now falls in line with the majority of states.

Visit http://www.andrewsmyers.com/news-09-29-2014.html to view the full article online.

The demographics of the state are changing in ways that impact the workforce head on. According to State Comptroller, Susan Combs, "unskilled" jobs are becoming a thing of the past, and the workers of today need to be adaptable to the point that they are lifelong learners. She argues that lawmakers need to tackle several issues including increased funding for adult education programs, multimedia information campaigns to promote industry-based certification, and economic incentives for companies to create apprenticeship programs. She also urges the state to make more money available for programs in order to streamline the process to reduce waiting lists for training programs.

Visit http://www.constructioncitizen.com/blog/texas-comptroller-pushes-more-job-training-programs/1408191 to view the full article online.

After a slow start to the year, the economy is finally beginning to perk up. As of July, U.S. architecture firms have produced three straight months of accelerating gains in design billings. With solid monthly scores for new design contracts (at 54.9 this month) and new project inquiries (66.0), all signs indicate strong momentum building in design activity, which is expected to produce solid gains in construction later this year and into 2015. Firms in the South continue to report healthy business conditions, as they have every month for two straight years.

Visit http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB104451 to view the full article online.

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LEED certification is quickly becoming more common in Houston’s new office buildings, whereby developers can charge higher sale prices and rents. In the Houston Metro area, LEED-certified buildings have a higher gross rent-per-square-foot at $39.16, compared to non-LEED buildings, which average $30.31 per square foot, According to Julie Hendricks, director of EcoServices for Kirksey, "Green buildings are generally more efficient, more marketable and less expensive to operate. LEED-certified lease spaces typically have higher rents and occupancy rates." Overall, "green building" emphasizes healthy interiors with access to daylight and views. Additionally, employees in green buildings tend to be more productive, are absent less, and have greater job satisfaction.

Visit http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/08/new-leed-certification-requires-more-but-can-pay.html to view the full article online.

The newest version of LEED v4, which will be the standard for any certification starting June 2015, includes a new location and transportation category that takes into account factors such as a building’s walkability to area amenities, as well as its proximity to public transportation. Building in areas such as downtown and the Galleria area, as well as within mixed-use projects where tenants can walk to amenities and housing rather than getting into their cars, will have a leg up on their counterparts in suburban locations where walkability is a challenge and development is not as dense.

Visit http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/08/new-leed-certification-favors-downtown-mixed-use.html to view the full article online.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration will extend the comment period on the proposed rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses to Oct. 14, 2014. The proposal, published on Nov. 8, 2013, would amend the agency’s recordkeeping regulation to add requirements for the electronic submission of injury and illness information that employers are already required to keep. Individuals interested in submitting comments may do so electronically at www.regulations.gov, the federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Comments may also be submitted via mail or facsimile. See the Federal Register notice for details.

Visit http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=OSHA-2013-0023-0001 to view the full article online.