About BIM:
Free eBook
from Autodesk
Florida Construction News staff writer
As Florida recovers from Hurricane Irma, the workload,
scheduling and coordination challenges for the state’s ar-
chitectural, engineering and construction industries will
reach new and increasingly intense levels.

This is a time to build on previously existing requirements
and progress to Building Information Modeling (BIM), as
required by the Florida Department of Transportation’s 3D
requirements. Autodesk’s eBook Transportation: A guide to Florida’s
Transformation to BIM was written before the hurricane and
the massive recovery effort that will be required, but its
message is in fact even more relevant in current circum-
stances. The eBook outlines the advantages of implementing BIM
and AutoCAD Civil3D for projects. “Powerful and versatile,
Civil 3D can optimize all your project workflows and help
you communicate design work better.”
Key topics in the book include how Civil 3D can deliver:
• The ability to meet FDOT’s upcoming requirement to
deliver 3D engineered models;
• 3D modeling with intelligent data for smart decisions
early in the process;
• Agility to make changes on the fly for satisfying
requirements or fixes;
• Smooth integration of preliminary data into a detailed
design environment; and
• Entry into the Autodesk ecosystem that includes
ReCap and InfraWorks.

You can receive a free copy of the eBook “A guide to
Florida’s 3D transformation” by completing the form at this link:
https://constructionnrhroup.wufoo.eu/forms/k5iqrsn0w9fyrz. Florida officials arrest eight for
construction fraud after Irma
Florida Construction News staff writer
Eight people were arrested and
charged with construction fraud after
governor Rick Scott temporarily
legalized state-licensed general,
building and residential contractors
to hasten rebuilding after Hurricane
Irma devastated the Tampa Bay area
in September 2017.

The eight illegal workers, as well
as 73 others, were identified through
a three-month criminal investigation
which started in July 2017. Also
called Operation Rebuild, the police
probe targeted unlicensed
contractors as part of the Homeland
Security Division Construction Fraud
Unit’s efforts to eradicate illegal
construction activities.

Through information obtained by
the investigation, the following were
arrested for contracting construction
services without a license during a
state of emergency: Alvaro Rojas,
Richard Hanke, Dennis Hollingsworth,
Gino Michaels, Angelo Thomas,
Heath McCarthy, Anna Johnson, and
Joseph Zink.

According to the Florida
Department of Business and
Professional Regulation, which issues
licenses to building trades, it is
common for illegal contractors to
offer services after a disaster. With
cut-rate prices, they can easily entice
victims who are often desperate to
rebuild. Unlicensed contractors are not
regulated. As a result, they get away
with using substandard materials and
delivering low-quality work. They
provide no warranties and work is
done without required permits and
inspections that ensure building
safety. These scenarios, according to
News Channel 8, can cause costly
repairs, code violations, and other
liabilities. On Sept. 29, a similar arrest was
made by Volusia County deputies
with the assistance of the Daytona
Police Beach Department. The
authorities went undercover and
connected with the suspects who
advertised their illegal services on
social media. During negotiation, the
undercover deputies pretended to
hire the suspects and directed them
to a home address where officials
were already stationed to make an
arrest. Florida Construction News — FALL 2017 – 3