www.floridaconstructionnews.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 Central Florida’s $2.3 billion I-4 Ultimate project sets record for scale and scope – and business opportunities BIMForum A resource for collaboration and successful BIM implementation PAGE 3 Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers (FICE) Awards National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) steps up campaign for mandatory home sprinkler systems PAGE 14 PAGE 23
elcome to the first issue of Florida Construc- tion News (FCN). At last, Florida has a com- prehensive state-focused publication/website dedicated to the architectural, engineering and construc- tion community. This issue, distributed in cooperation with the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Greater Florida, includes coverage of the I-4 Ultimate Improvement Proj- ect, as well as the Florida Institute of Consulting Engi- neers/American Council of Engineering Companies (FICE/ACEC FL) Awards, among other topics. We give special attention to Building Information Modeling (BIM), as the annual BIMForum nears in Or- lando. You can read a special report about AGC’s Florida chapters and initiatives on Page 18. Florida Construction News combines a bi-monthly magazine with a weekly e-letter and the Floridaconstruc- tionnews.com website, along with social media feeds on Facebook and Twitter. You can view the magazine in page-turning software on your computer or tablet de- vice. If you would like printed copy mailed to you, you can subscribe for $65.00 a year. Please let us know if you have story ideas or sug- gestions. You can promote your business through the FCN’s effective multi-media resources by con- tacting publisher Brooke McDonald by email at bmcdonald@floridaconstructionnews.com or phon- ing her at (888) 627-8717 ext 208. W Florida Construction News combines a bi-monthly magazine with a weekly newsletter and a website (updated daily), delivering news, analysis and networking opportunities to Florida’s architecture, engineering and construction community. The magazine is distributed primarily online to 9,000 general contrac- tors, specialty contractors, developers, professional services and building owners throughout Florida. For more information on promoting your business to our au- dience and to request rates, see the advertising rates page on the Floridaconstructionnews.com website. You can also contact Brooke McDonald at bmcdonald@floridaconstructionews.com or phone her at (888) 627-8717 ext. 208. You can send editorial news releases and announcements to Mark Buckshon at buckshon@floridaconstructionnews.com. Florida Construction News is published by Construction News and Report Publishing Inc. 332 S Michigan Ave, Ste 1032 - C319, Chicago IL 60604-4434. Publisher: Interim editor: Production and design: Administration: Brooke McDonald Mark Buckshon Raymond Leveille Katherine Jeffrey, Kathy Lepage Printed subscriptions You can request a printed single copy for $12.95 (postage included) or a six issue printed subscription for $65.00 at the flori- daconstructionnews.com website. Alternatively, you can read the digital version free of charge online at Floridaconstructionnews.com. © Copyright 2015 Construction News and Report Publishing Inc. 2 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News Mark Buckshon Interim Editor Florida Construction News. buckshon@floridaconstructionnews.com
BIMForum A resource for collaboration and successful BIM implementation Florida Construction News staff writer T he BIMForum provides an in- terdisciplinary venue to facili- tate and accelerate the adoption of building information mod- eling (BIM) in the AEC industry. “We will lead by example and syn- chronize with counterparts in all sec- tors of the industry to jointly develop best practice for virtual design and construction (VDC),” says BIMForum’s mission statement. “We will share our experiences and execute our goals via online forums, highly useful deliver- ables and practical industry confer- ences. We will revolutionize the building industry.” The Orlando BIMForum Conference The upcoming BIMForum conference, an annual event, this year in Orlando from Oct. 20 to 21, provides intensive and comprehensive resources for any- one in the AEC industry to dig deeply into BIM’s practical applications, chal- lenges, and trends. The 2015 Orlando forum will focus on VDC for Design Phase Manage- ment and Pre-construction. The use of virtual design and con- struction (VDC) techniques is becom- ing more widespread in just about every global economy,” says the con- ference brief. “Governments, such as in the United Kingdom, are even set- ting targets for required VDC/BIM within the next few years. We would like to explore how the utilization of VDC techniques in the design and planning phase are ultimately impact- ing our project outcomes.” “With architects, engineers, builders, and design-assist trade con- tractors widely using VDC tools during the design and planning phase, how is this early utilization impacting our ul- timate project outcomes?” “How are we engaging this newly transparent model-based design process? Or are we still missing key interfaces or cross-disciplinary under- standing? Are we managing and cop- ing with the iterative design process better, or simply locking in designers earlier? Are we still glorifying the printed set, or have we truly found a new medium of communication (and what does it look like?)” For information and to register to attend the conference, see http://meetings.bimforum.org/annual. BIMForum’s organization The BIMForum operates as a unified group, chaired by John Tocci of Tocci Building Corp., based out ofWoburn, MA. Ten subforums address each rel- evant industry sector and topic. “These subforums collaborate with each other and other industry organi- zations (AIA, NIBS, NIST, IAI, C3T, 3xPT, CURT, etc.) on interdisciplinary projects to accelerate the adoption of BIM,” the BIMForum website reports. HERE ARE THE SUBFORUMS WITH CONTACT INFORMATION Academic Subforum ——————————————— Mission: To develop BIM curricu- lum, support academic research and foster discussion between BIM programs at various universities and colleges. Chair: Guillermo Salazar, WPI salazar@wpi.org Vice-chair: Michael Puddicombe, Norwich University mpuddico@norwich.edu Insurance Subforum ——————————————— Mission: To identify risks, to support enhancements and improvements to existing insurance policies, and to support the development of new in- surance policies which relate to the project and project participants’ use of BIM technology and processes. Subcontractors’ Subforum ——————————————— Chair: Michael Hastings, Marsh michael.d.hastings@marsh.com Mission: To perform a key role in the AGC BIMForum to ensure ongo- ing success in IPD and BIM and to provide the AGC BIMForum with the subcontractors’ pool of knowledge and opinion to ensure equitable and quality output. Legal Subforum ——————————————— Mission: To reduce the perception that BIM increases liability for archi- tects or contractors, through open discussion of liability, new contracts and insurance. Chair: Pat O’Connor, Faegre & Benson LLP POConnor@faegre.com Vice-chair: Carl Roberts, Ballard Spahr LLP RobertsCG@ballardspahr.com Owners’ Subforum ——————————————— Mission: To become the primary re- source for owners who are exploring how to understand and procure BIM- related services in order to influence the use of BIM throughout the industry. Chair: Maureen McDonough, Harvard University maureen_mcdonough@harvard.edu Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 3
BIMForum e-Builder talks BIM value for owners versus contractors Florida Construction News special feature n the construction industry, every- thing is big: the projects, the budgets and, the opportunity to improve productivity and efficiency. Studies have shown that on some projects, as much as 30 percent of every construction dollar is wasted, ex- ceeding one trillion dollars annually. In an effort to put a stop to this, brothers Ron and Jon Antevy created e-Builder, which is currently used to manage more than $200 billion in active con- struction projects. The company pro- vides fully integrated, cloud-based construction program management software that helps its customers, the building owners, improve project exe- cution to make the process faster, more efficient, and less expensive. I BIM is one of the latest technolo- gies employed by the construction in- dustry to address inefficiencies, but its advantages differ across market stakeholders. While the idea of BIM has been around for a few decades, it has only recently come to the fore- front as a practical addition to the proj- ect execution process. While most BIM tools approach the industry from the designer and contractor’s per- spective, e-Builder believes the spe- cific needs of the facility owners should also be considered. By break- ing down individual needs, specific best practices and useful functionali- ties become more apparent. For instance, clash detection is a major BIM benefit for contractors as it 4 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News allows them to identify issues before construction begins, which were pre- viously only discovered during the ac- tual building process. Most owners’ on the other hand, do not delve into the same level of detail as the contrac- tor during the construction process, but they naturally remain tied to the project even after the building is com- plete. Therefore, owners have differ- ent needs for access to project information before, during and after construction. They also have a need to ‘connect’ BIM data to other project in- formation before, during and after construction. For owners, the ability to store and easily access BIM data in the cloud and connect that data to other project or building asset infor- mation is an important benefit. While the topic of BIM for contrac- tors versus owners is still new, it’s growing and will likely become a more significant topic of conversation as owners think about the tools and tech- nologies available that can assist them throughout the entire life cycle of a project. BIMForum attendees interested in learning about how owners can utilize BIM for project optimization can visit e-Builder at booth 309.
VDC for Design Phase Management & Preconstruction October 20-21, 2015 Orlando, Florida R e gi ster Today at: Meetings .BIMForum . o r g The use of virtual design and construction (VDC) techniques is becoming more widespread in just about every global economy. Governments, such as in the United Kingdom, are even setting targets for required VDC/BIM within the next few years. We would like to explore how the utilization of VDC techniques in the design and planning phase are ultimately impacting our project outcomes. For more information visit Meetings.BIMForum.org. SPONSORED BY: Visit: AGCGreaterFlorida.build
BIMForum The cost of the pursuit: is it increasing because of IPD and BIM? How does a firm control the cost of pursuit By Mark Buckshon Special to Florida Construction News W hen the rules of the game and traditional business practices are under attack from new technologies, how do you respond? When things go right, Build- ing Information Modelling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) go hand-in-hand to encourage collabora- tion, enhance design flexibility, reduce construction conflicts and change and (best of all) allow owners to truly un- derstand and manage their properties more effectively once construction is complete. The “when things go right” qualifica- tion is important, because this story is incomplete. More challenging, the im- pact of evolving technologies and prac- tices is uneven on disciplines, markets, and projects. This means that both 6 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News defining the problem and discovering the solution will seem to be incredibly complex unless you “get it”. If you start from near-scratch, you will face a chal- lenging, steep and expensive learning curve (though probably not as severe as experienced by BIM/IPD pioneers just a few years ago.) “I don’t think IPD would inherently increase pursuit costs,” says former SMPS national president Craig Park (FSMPS), principal consultant at the Sextant Group in Omaha, NE. “It’s a tri- partite, contractor, and owner con- tract, and more than often it is a legal negotiation.” “BIM doesn’t increase pursuit costs (but) it increases the cost of doing business,” Park said. “The learning curve is steep in ar- chitecture – just having BIM in some ways has become a cost of entry to pursue work.” Park’s observations are reflected by several others. Cam Munro, innova- tive construction manager with Clark Builders in Edmonton, Alberta (the business is 51 percent owned by Turner Construction Company), says the difference in pursuit costs for a BIM/IPD project from conventional construction “would be similar in ac- counting, and probably would be noth- ing more than that we are just trading dollars.” “We’re spending less time on pow- erpoint presentations and binding pamphlets and spending more time on doing models that we do for pur- suit,” he said. The direct pursuit costs come out in the wash. But if you look beyond the process of pursuing the work on a day-by-day basis – that is, if you are seeking to de- velop the capacity to even reach the stage of winning BIM/IPD projects and you don’t have any experience in the field – the cost of pursuit will, of course be much higher, Munro said. The challenge, in part, is that the relative cost-benefits vary depending
BIMForum on your discipline. Munro says archi- tects have the highest costs and the greatest cost recovery challenges be- cause of their practices’ traditional time/fee-based compensation model. Architects need to invest in the technology, training, and overcome the learning curve, and they don’t nec- essarily see payback in project wins and billable hours immediately, he said. Contractors can see more imme- diate benefits – BIM allows for more efficient estimating, reducing drawing conflicts and speeding up the project planning and work cycle. BIM software costs are declining, and problems of integrating systems are also dropping, but the early adap- tors still have a market leadership ad- vantage and undoubtedly have less stress in seeking IPD/BIM projects be- cause of their experience and expert- ise. This is the case for Chamberlain Construction Services Ltd., an inte- grated architectural and contracting business with offices in Canada and Scottsdale, Arizona. Chamberlain president Brian Cham- berlain discovered the advantages of BIM and IPD earlier than most – 25 years ago -- in part because the com- pany both designs and builds its own projects (but unlike a general contrac- tor promoting a design-build service, Chamberlain is rooted in an architec- tural practice that successfully added general contracting capacities.) Chamberlain has discovered much of its business in the hospitality and hotel sector, with private ownership and fast-track construction require- ments. IPD and BIM are natural fits in this environment, where contracts are negotiated and Chamberlain can see projects through with long-repeat clients from beginning to end in-house. Project architects and con- struction managers and site superin- tendents collaborate effectively under one corporate roof. However, Chamberlain says his practice still bids and wins public work, and responds to RFPs when they occur. “There hasn’t been a lot of IPD RFPs out there, but in general, an RFP for an IPD is more extensive than what we would call a standard industry RFP,” he said. “To try and quantify that, on an RFP calling, your response might be from 15 to 40 pages. On an IPD response, your response might be in excess of 100 pages.” To put this into direct dollars, Cham- berlain says a normal RFP could “take us a week or two of time,” and the “av- erage cost for a normal RFP to put to- gether might be between $8,000 and $10,000. On an IPD RFP, you could quite easily double that – and that doesn’t count anyone’s time in the pre-RFP pursuit.” But these somewhat-higher pursuit costs are not a big issue for Chamber- lain and other architects, engineers and contractors familiar with IPD/BIM. They apply the same best practices to manage pursuit costs as for conven- tional RFPs. Chamberlain sets go-no-go rules based on whether his organization has relevant experience, knows the client and has enough connections and ref- erences to make the project worth pursuing. If so, then the pursuit cost isn’t terribly meaningful. The slightly higher pursuit costs are recovered in the win-rate and contract- ing efficiencies, and the greatest sav- ings (when things work properly) is at the ownership end, when the collabo- rative design and construction process through IPD results in buildings that meets owners’ needs – and, says Munro, have all the data and “knowl- edge” to allow for effective ongoing maintenance and management. The challenge for traditional indus- try practitioners is that “BIM and IPD are raising the bar to entry,” says Seat- tle-based consultant Ted Sive, who wrote a pioneering white paper for the SMPS Foundation in 2007: BIM - A marketing primer and call to action. “The barrier to entry is that the company has to have in terms of inter- nal resources, intellectual capital and technological capability internally, a whole heck of a lot more than before,” Sive said. “Broadly, this issue is less about the pursuit of individual projects as to what it takes to have a strategic marketing and business development effort in an AEC company.” As the recession bit, “bigger com- panies (started) competing aggres- sively for smaller projects, and that has just raised the ante for small to medium-sized firms – that has in- creased their costs,” Sive said. These costs and the potential com- petitive imbalance for practitioners who are late to embrace BIM and IPD will likely increase in the near future. While most work is still bid and con- structed conventionally, as owners dis- cover the lifetime savings through BIM and start insisting on it in the project documentation, the pressure to apply the technology – and then to collabo- rate more effectively through IPD to exploit its advantages – will grow, and practices and businesses that aren’t up to speed could be left behind. “This is part of a bigger trend that in general I think owners are looking for more and higher quality of informa- tion and ideas in the marketing process,” Sive said. “The expecta- tions that owners have consciously or unconsciously” have increased. “We’re going to see this in the pro- posals and interviews – we’re always raising the bar, not only in the quality of data and how it is presented, but also the amount of professional thought and design and as well as how the graphics and presentation” are displayed. “These are increasing both be- cause of the owners and what we are doing to ourselves,” Sive said. “It’s part of a greater trend.” So, if you are already working in the BIM/IPD space, you’ll most likely find that the cost of pursuit is a non-issue. You’ll simply adapt your go-no-go de- cisions to the RFQs that become avail- able, or continue working with satisfied clients on a repeat sole- source basis. “Yes, for most of our projects the cost of pursuit is effec- tively zero, because we are maintain- ing our current relationships,” says Chamberlain’s Brian Chamberlain. If you aren’t there yet, be prepared for some overhead costs and a learn- ing curve – and gather all the informa- tion you can to stay abreast of the process. The cost of pursuit, in this situation, is the cost of keeping apace or getting ahead of owners’ expecta- tions and evolving industry practices. The actual dollar figures will depend on your strategic direction and imple- mentation decisions. Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 7
BIMForum New BIM module for Asta Powerproject allows construction teams to go “4D” Top project scheduling software to be showcased at Orlando BIMForum Florida Construction News special feature Asta Development has announced the U.S. release of a robust BIM mod- ule for its leading construction project scheduling software, Asta Powerpro- ject. Building Information Modeling (BIM) digitally represents the physical and functional characteristics of a building in three dimensions (3D) so that all contractors and owners are op- erating from the same information source and can more easily and visu- ally spot potential construction issues earlier. Asta Powerproject’s new BIM mod- ule allows the software’s more than 80,000 worldwide users to easily go “4D” by adding the dimension of time to the 3D model. The new release comes after an extensive beta test pe- riod in the UK and Europe with input from hundreds of users. “BIM has been gradually taking off in the U.S. but, it’s coming in a big way as people begin to realize the benefits of 4D planning,” said Jason Ruddle, managing director of Asta Develop- ment. “While the UK has seen a huge increase in BIM projects due to new government requirements, it is own- ers and forward-thinking construction firms driving that adoption here in the states.” The Asta Powerproject BIM release is an optional upgrade to Asta Power- project that will include a sophisti- cated BIM feature, giving project planners the key benefits of BIM and 4D planning without the heavy ex- pense or learning curve of a separate system. Construction teams can use Asta Powerproject BIM to read industry- standard IFC databases from their ar- chitect partners. The 3D model shows in a window right in their scheduling application. Users can see where the build should be at various stages of the timeline and even adjust the time- Asta Powerproject BIM: Affordable 3D Planning By combining 3D models with scheduling tools in one application, Asta Powerproject BIM enables you to: Easily create your project plan from your model Drag and drop objects between the 3D view and Gantt chart Increase collaboration by making BIM more accessible Join us at the BIM Forum, October 20-21. Mention this ad and get a second chance to win an new Apple iPad. 8 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News
BIMForum Breaking into BIM/IPD How can you manage the process Mark Buckshon, Interim Editor Florida Construction News special feature he decision to acquire the knowledge and technology to pursue collaborative projects with BIM and Integrated Project De- livery (IPD) needs to be made at the highest strategic level. The biggest cost of pursuit, of course, is gather- ing resources to develop your capac- ities to reach the stage where you are qualified and capable enough to even pursue the opportunities that exist. These ideas, gathered from inter- views and some of the resources listed in the bibliography, may help to make the process simpler. T line by clicking on an element in the BIM model to bring up its cor- responding schedule. Other key features of Asta Pow- erproject’s BIM module include: • Easy deployment as a bolt-on to users’ existing Asta Power- project software; • Faster schedule building with drag-and-drop functionality be- tween the 3D model view and schedule tasks; • Ability to split IFC elements down to reflect build se- quence; • Structured templates with pre- defined searches to automati- cally link to the model objects; • Visual comparisons of ‘planned’ and ‘actual’ schedule plans in 3D window; and • Model simulations using dates from timeline. “This release of Asta Powerpro- ject with BIM capability represents a tremendous advance in project scheduling where more than 50 percent of the value of BIM is re- ally derived,” said Ruddle. “No longer is BIM just for architects and mega builders. It’s now acces- sible for all schedulers and can help make their jobs much more efficient.” The company will showcase the new BIM module at the Or- lando BIMForum trade show. For more information on Asta Powerproject, visit www.astapowerproject.com. Collaboration and BIM – developing your current relationships The question of whether one BIM platform or another is “best” might best be answered by looking at your current collaborative arrangements. Most industry professionals have worked with counterparts and own- ers collaboratively on successful proj- ects, and these relationships are likely to be the best ones to help you set your course for enhanced rela- tionships and more formal IPD proj- ects. So, you could check with your counterparts and learn which plat- forms they are using, and why, and this may help you to narrow your search and go beyond specific soft- ware or service vendors. (If your best customer/owner prefers one BIM ap- proach over another, you naturally might want to follow the owner’s lead.) Learning the ropes – gathering information As I write this article, I’m attending a national specification writers conven- tion; where (not surprisingly) several sessions have been dedicated to BIM and IPD discussions as they relate to contract documentation, project and risk management. You can learn more by attending relevant conferences and events, picking brains, and read- ing. You’ll also be able to communi- cate informally with non-competitive colleagues who may be able to share their experiences and insights with you. Executive commitment, champions, learning Expect a challenging learning curve as you move forward. You won’t have much in the way of revenue and you certainly won’t achieve much com- petitive advantage for current proj- ects as you go through the leaning process and your clients and col- leagues cannot see any proven suc- cess track-record. You’ll need to build the costs into your budgets and have some patience: Immediate payback is far less likely for architects than contractors, for example. Start small and learn by doing Use a current, simple project with lots of lead time and flexibility (and ideally an understanding and cooper- ative client) to put things into opera- tion. With the lessons you learn, you’ll be able to advance to more challenging initiatives. Should you wait, or go now? As the technology advances and inte- gration issues are resolved, costs are declining. BIM technology previously could only be afforded by the largest practices and integrated design and construction businesses. Now it is less expensive. The question is – is it better to wait until things are even less expensive and more reliable? This is an easier question to ask than answer but there will come a point when you risk losing business to competitors who have moved for- ward while you have remained be- hind. You may gain enough in expertise/time and first-to-market credibility to offset the potential sav- ings in costs by waiting. Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 9
BIMForum Bringing BIM to the job site: Solving connection challenges Florida Construction News special feature ne of the biggest challenges in im- plementing Building Information Modeling (BIM) is bringing the tech- nology to the job site’s last mile – or more accurately – the last feet. Conventional handheld mobile devices lack the depth, scale and data storage ca- pacities for proper BIM work-stations, yet there is much inconvenience in locating this equipment at the main trailer rather than the immediate work area, as superintendents need to travel back and forth to access in- formation. One solution, reported in a Chicago case study, involves specialized job site storage data equipment such as KNAACK’s “first fully protected digital storage plan solution for onsite job management.” The KNAACK DataVault, described in the case study as “a complete storage solution that safely hosts the hardware and software all in one place,” has been custom-designed for onsite BIM and “includes a 40-inch mon- itor, a color-laser printer, retractable key- board, whiteboards, back-up battery power and the technology components necessary to run any project,” the case study reported. Chicago contractor Pepper Construction integrated this equipment with StratusVue’s cloud-based project and document manage- ment software for a time-sensitive major corporation headquarters expansion project. Pepper reported that superintendents saved about 50 percent of their time in ac- cessing BIM materials and documentation, and workers and subcontractors at all levels could easily interconnect and communicate through their mobile devices. There were some connectivity chal- lenges. “Because they were working on a remote job site with extremely thick con- crete walls, Pepper would occasionally lose their wireless signal and have difficulty ac- cessing the Internet,” the case study said. “It’s important to have a connectivity strat- egy in place, especially if there are multiple DataVaults that are implemented on the project.” O 10 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News
Central Florida’s $2.3 billion I-4 Ultimate project sets record for scale and scope – and business opportunities Florida Construction News staff writer C onstruction has started on the massive $2.3 billion I-4 Ulti- mate project in Orlando, with the prospect for record-breaking eco- nomic spin-offs, including more than $250 million in opportunities for disad- vantaged and small business organiza- tions. “As Florida’s largest transportation project ever, and the largest public-pri- vate partnership in the U.S. market to date, the I-4 Ultimate is a demonstra- tion of how P3s can solve critical infra- structure needs and how Skanska can be part of the solution,” says Johan Karlström, CEO and president of Skan- ska, one of the private equity partners belonging to the I-4 Mobility Partners team, which won the 40-year contract last year after a competition with three other consortiums. The project encompasses rebuild- ing 21 miles of the key north-south in- terstate highway through the area of some of the U.S.’s most prominent tourist attractions, along with other central Florida businesses, industries and residences. It includes four tolled lanes using the new model where tolls are dynamic, and increase or decrease depending on traffic volume. (Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will retain the toll revenue, while the consortium will be paid an access maintenance fee, called an “availability payment”, through the project’s multi- decade lifecycle.) In part because the highway travels through the highly populated central Orlando area, it has complex infra- structure requirements, with limited construction room – and there will be special challenges in minimizing local disruption during the lengthy construc- tion cycle, which is less than 6.5 years. There are, for example, some 140 bridges, including 56 new ones (in- cluding a new major pedestrian cross- ing), 68 replacements, and 13 modifications, and 15 major inter- changes will be reconstructed. FDOT says the P3 model will shave about 20 years off the schedule of building the road through conventional procurement methods. It also says the approved proposal’s cost is approxi- mately $860 million less than the high- est competitive proposal received by the FDOT. John Laing Investments Ltd. shares equity status with Skanska. Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 11
Construction is overseen by SGL Constructors, a joint venture of Skanska USA Civil Southeast Inc., Granite Con- struction Company and the Lane Construction Corporation (lead contractor). Meanwhile, HDR Engineering, Inc. and Ja- cobs Engineering Group, Inc. (the lead engineer) share de- sign responsibilities. Infrastructure Corporation of America oversees operations and maintenance during construction and will continue after work is complete. David Parks, the I-4 Ultimate public information officer, says much work will be created for local subcontractors and suppliers. He said SGL has a quota of nine percent for dis- advantaged business enterprises and three percent of the contract value for small business enterprises. With the project’s scale, that translates to $250 million in opportunities, he said. (As well, SGL has committed to hire and train 250 construction workers who might other- wise not be able to work in the industry, and is facilitating bonding information programs for small businesses who might not presently qualify for surety coverage, he said.) “This is a design-build job,” Parks said in a phone inter- view from the project’s 42,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Mait- land. He is one of approximately 160 people working in the head office. Overall, once construction fully ramps up, there will be upwards of 2,000 people employed on the I-4 proj- ect, including “individuals on the project, designers working at various offices around the country, and individual crafts- men in the field,” he said. CERNO DISTINGUISH • DETERMINE • RESOLVE Forensic and Litigation Consulting Dispute Resolution Construction Consulting Construction Management Contract Drafting @CernoOrg Distressed Assets Document Control Lender Advisory Program and Schedule Management Project Controls and Estimating Project Labour Agreements Project Management Risk Management Staff Augmentation For further information please e-mail: info@cerno.org 12 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News The project features dynamic tolling on two new center lanes in each direction. In this model, tolls vary depending on the level of demand and traffic congestion – the idea is to set the tolls at a level to encourage traffic to move through the interstate toll lanes at 50 miles per hour. The Express Lanes model has been used for I-95 in Miami, 595 in Ft. Lauderdale and in other U.S. states, where there have been varying reports of success in managing congestion. In some cases, despite increasingly high tolls, the roads are still blocked at peak traffic times or when there are crashes. However, Parks and FDOT spokesperson Steve Olson says potentially high tolls should not be an extreme problem – for example, if one stretch is congested, drivers will be able to leave the toll road after the congestion, avoid- ing the need to pay the maximum toll for the full length of the Express Lanes. More significantly, while the FDOT doesn’t see the toll revenue as a windfall revenue opportunity, the money will flow into the state, not the private partnership, which will be paid instead for maintaining and ensuring highway ac- cess through the 34 years following construction. Although few would think of interstate highway construc- tion in environmentally responsible terms, Parks and Skan- ska say the project in fact has been designed with sustainability in mind. Skanksa says on its website that “our team committed to achieving the highest standard possible under Envision, the leading infrastructure sustainability rating system for in- frastructure projects.” “I-4 Ultimate will be one of the first projects pursuing this certification. That it’s the largest to be doing so, and that our team is targeting platinum certification all makes this very significant,” the company says. Envision has five areas for points: quality of life, leader- ship, resource allocation, natural world, and climate and risk. To achieve this standard, the contractor will apply construc- tion best practices including reusing nearly all waste mate- rials and balancing earthwork operations so excavated materials can remain on site. “The life-cycle thinking inher- ent with P3s also provides us with important points, as does using a customized version of Skanska’s environmental management system.” Parks says when the project is complete, it will be a “sig- nature corridor” – with a “landscaping package that works out to more than a million dollars a mile, resulting in a visu- ally appealing and more functional drive.” Meanwhile, FDOT’s Steve Olson says the I-4 project is just the beginning of major highway improvements in cen- tral Florida. Plans are under-way for a $1.3 billion (in current dollars) roadway improvements (to the east and west of the I-4 Ultimate, along with two sections to the north, extending into nearby Volusia County and four sections to the south, extending to US 27 in Polk County. At present, this extension has been planned as six differ- ent projects, under the umbrella title: “Beyond the Ultimate” and the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) por- tion is in the process of being completed. Olson says FDOT hasn’t decided whether to structure the additional work under a new P3 or to build it conventionally.
How to qualify to work on the I-4 project The I-4 Ultimate website provides information to subcon- tractors, professional service providers and suppliers about how to qualify to work on the project. Here are excerpts explaining the process, which can also be found at: http://i4ultimate.com/project-info/working-on-i-4/: The I-4 Ultimate project has a nine percent disadvan- taged business enterprise (DBE) goal and a three percent small business enterprise (SBE) goal for the three distinct project phases: design, construction and operations and maintenance. To learn more about DBE and SBE subcontracting op- portunities on I-4 Ultimate, please contact SGL Construc- tors (the design-build joint venture for the I-4 Ultimate project): Rodney Renix, DBE compliance manager Email: subcontracting@sglconstructors.com Phone: (407) 623-6300 FDOT qualification of construction and design firms Firms wishing to do business on an FDOT project must be prequalified and satisfy all technical qualification require- ments. Firms must be prequalified in a specific Type of Work (TOW) prior to commencing project work. The qualification process involves submitting the fol- lowing materials to FDOT: • A complete contractor qualification form. • Audited financial statements within four months of the firm’s fiscal year end. If the most recent year’s annual audited financial statement(s) is not available at that time, the firm must submit its latest available audited financial statement and then submit the most recent year’s annual audited financial statements as soon as they become available, but in no event later than six months of its fiscal year-end. The following TOWs are anticipated under the I-4 Ultimate project: 3.2 3.3 4.2.1 4.2.2 5.1 5.3 5.4 6.1 6.2 6.3.1 6.3.2 6.3.3 Major Highway Design Controlled Access Highway Design Major Bridge Design – Concrete Major Bridge Design – Steel Conventional Bridge Inspection Complex Bridge Inspection Bridge Load Rating Traffic Engineering Studies Traffic Signal Timing Intelligent Transportation Systems Analysis and Design Intelligent Transportation Systems Implementation Intelligent Transportation Traffic Engineering Systems Communications 7.1 7.2 7.3 8.2 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4.1 9.4.2 9.5 10.1 10.3 10.5.1 10.5.2 14 15 Signing, Pavement Marking and Channelization Lighting Signalization Design, Right of Way and Construction Surveying Soil Exploration Geotechnical Classification Lab Testing Materials Testing Standard Foundations Studies Non-Redundant Drill Shaft Bridge Foundation Studies Geotechnical Specialty Lab Testing Roadway Construction Engineering Inspection Construction Materials Testing Major Bridge CEI – Concrete Major Bridge CEI – Steel Architect Landscape Architect Qualification requirements for each TOW include having experienced professionals (i.e., engineers, architects, sur- veyors, mappers, transportation planners, right of way ac- quisition consultants, etc.) on staff that are registered in accordance with state law. International and domestic pro- fessional engineering/design firms interested in participat- ing in the project that do not have professionals within their firm currently registered in accordance with state law are strongly encouraged to contact the Florida Board of Professional Engineers at (850) 521-0500. In addition, all firms must register to do business in the state. This can be accomplished by contacting the Division of Corporations within the Florida Department of State at (850) 245-6051. Prequalification assistance For assistance with the prequalification process, contact the FDOT Contracts Administration Office at (850) 414- 4000. Firms also can obtain assistance with the engineer- ing/design consultant prequalification process from the FDOT Procurement Office at (850) 414-4485. To learn more about FDOT’s DBE and SBE certification programs: http://i4ultimate.com/project-info/working-on- i-4/#sthash.SXp1JORZ.dpuf Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 13
Engineering excellence awards: FICE/ACEC FL recognize best Florida engineering achievements Florida Construction News staff writer H ow do you decide on the best Florida engineering projects? The Florida Institute of Con- sulting Engineers/American Council of Engineering Companies (FICE/ACEC FL) has developed an answer: A com- prehensive recognition and awards program with independent judges as- sessing complex projects and propos- als for: • Uniqueness and innovative applications; • future value to the engineering profession; • perception by the public; • social, economic and sustainable development considerations; • complexity; and • successful fulfillment of client/owners’ needs, including schedules and budget. This year, FICE selected 10 worthy projects for Grand Awards and, out of them, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. received the highest Grand Conceptor Award for the port of Miami Tunnel in conjunction with the Florida Depart- ment of Transportation (FDOT) Divi- sion Six. Judges for this year’s awards, rec- ognized at the FES/FICE annual Sum- mer Conference and Exposition on July 31 in Ft. Lauderdale, include: Nathan Butler with HKS Architects Inc. (2014 AIA-Florida president); Scott Judy, editor-in-chief, ENR Southeast; Terry Puckett, FDOT Districts I and VII Geotechnical Office; Manoj Chopra, University of Central Florida; Ron Beladi, vice-president/senior engi- neer, Neel-Schaffer, Inc.; and deputy general counsel John Constigan, Of- fice of General Counsel, Florida De- partment of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Here are details about the winning projects and why they are worthy of recognition. 14 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News Grand Conceptor Award: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.: FDOT – Port of Miami Tunnel This project, which opened to traffic on Aug. 2, 2014, is the first bored transportation tunnel ever constructed in Florida. “It was successfully ac- complished in extremely difficult geo- logic conditions, and features fire and safety features not previously used in U.S. tunnel projects, including mas- sive hurricane flood gates and a del- uge sprinkler system,” the award citation says. The Miami Herald in an editorial re- view went further, describing it as a “job well done.” The tunnel, built under the public- private partnership (PPP) model, was completed approximately $90 million under the $760 million budget, even with additional work, including a major widening of the 2,500-ft. long MacArthur Bridge and substantial re- construction of the port’s public road- way system. “The tunnel has been a great suc- cess,” tunnel CEO Christopher Hodgkins told The Herald’s editorial board. “We have changed the quality of life in downtown Miami.’’ FDOT pays Miami Access $3 mil- lion a month (for the next 30 years) to maintain and operate the tunnel, and then ownership reverts to the state. Hodgkins said the tunnel has won local goodwill by employing local res- idents, including Haitian and African Americans and women. “The award-winning tunnel is a work of art — down to the two 50-ton metal gates that will seal it up if a major hurricane approaches,” the Herald reports. The tunnel has been designed with extensive safety fea- tures and while there have been a number of incidents, mostly traffic ac- cidents, there haven’t been any seri- ous problems since its construction. Approximately 14,000 vehicles use the tunnel daily, reducing congestion in downtown Miami.
The other nine Grand Award winners include: Atkins and Parsons Brinckerhoff: I-4 Selmon Expressway Connector, FDOT District 7 This $487 million project, which opened for traffic in June 2014, has improved interstate traffic flow by re- lieving Tampa’s downtown inter- change, provided truck drivers direct access from I-4 to the Port of Tampa (reducing truck traffic through historic Ybor City) and enhanced local com- munities’ hurricane evacuation capac- ities. “The connector is built over an old industrial area enhancing the environ- mental benefits of the project,” the FICE award citation says. “Hazardous material remediation was accom- plished and new stormwater manage- ment treatment facilities helped reduce pollutants discharging into McKay Bay Preserve, an environmen- tally-sensitive habitat for migratory shorebirds. With improved mobility in this area, the connector advances bet- ter air quality and it promotes safer ac- cess for local residents.” “The steel superstructure added complexity in maintaining the stay forces during construction,” FICE’s ci- tation says. “The construction industry loads are shared between girder and stays, with the stays acting more as pre-stressing rather than vertical sup- port.” The design is “highly aesthetic, durable and cost-effective,” FICE says, for the project completed near budget and 4.5 months ahead of schedule. Finley Engineering won a separate award for the US 281 bridge at Mar- ble Falls, constructed by Archer West- ern Contractors, after the design-build team proposed design modifications and means and methods allowing a five percent savings on the original TDOT estimate, resulting in a $2 mil- lion savings on the $28.65 million proj- ect. The 958-ft. long bridge has three spans, with six-ft. wide sidewalks and a fully lighted substructure. “Use of proprietary software for segment geometry and Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) made it possible to develop details quickly to meet the demanding schedule, including inte- grated segment drawings combining reinforcing bars, bolts inserts (for util- ities), electrical conduits, etc., all into one drawing,” the FICE said. Genesis Group: Cascades Park, Blueprint 2000 and beyond – Tallahassee Genesis Group provided water and stormwater engineering services for a challenging remediation project in Tal- lahassee’s worst brownfield, also solving a severe flooding problem, creating a new greenspace/park and stormwater system. “Innovative planning and engineer- ing transformed the area into a com- munity asset that is chiefly a stormwater management and water quality improvement facility,” FICE’s citation says. “Two stormwater ponds served by a concrete box culvert treat runoff from the surrounding 1,500- acre basin. The park design inte- grates stormwater facilities that are aesthetically and environmentally ap- pealing, including the reimagined his- toric ‘cascades’ as a central waterfall feature – in a flowing ‘floodable’ green space.” Finley Engineering Group Inc: I-35 Brazos River Bridge and US281 Bridge over Colorado River, Texas Department of Transportation Tallahassee-based engineering prac- tice Finley Engineering Group Inc. pro- vided contractor Lane Construction Corp. a lift plan analysis and stay cable construction analysis, including erec- tion and temporary works design and three dimensional time dependent analysis for the Brazos River Bridge in Waco, one of two Finley projects in Texas which won FICE Grand Awards. Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 15
Engineering excellence awards: FICE/ACEC FL HNTB, RS&H, AECOM and The Corradino Group: I-595 Corridor Improvements, FDOT This project – the first Florida P3, and the first use of availability payments in the nation – included reconstructing and widening 10.5 miles of the I-595 mainline and associated improve- ments to frontage roads and ramps. It included 63 bridges, as well as 2.5 miles of Florida’s Turnpike, including a direct express lane connection. The project helped pave the way for future P3 projects in Florida and the U.S., the citation says. Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc.: Miami-Dade County Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) Over a six-year period, the engineer helped the county “plan, design and implement the complex moderniza- tion of their 1970s-era signal system to an advanced traffic management system (ATMS) for the twenty-first century – without any disruption of services to the traveling public or ad- verse traffic impact.” The system has growth capacity for up to 4,000 signals. As well, be- cause of the design’s flexibility, the county could reuse 1,700 traffic con- trollers that would otherwise cost $17 million to replace, the citation says. RS&H: Mathews Bridge emergency repairs: FDOT District 2; and Veter- ans Memorial Bridge, FDOT District 4 In September 2013, a US Naval ship under tow struck the Matthews Bridge in Jacksonville, the state’s first and oldest high-level cantilever truss 16 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News bridge. The ship severed the bridge’s north lower trus chord, nearly causing a collapse. “The geometry and stabil- ity of the bridge were compromised, requiring a quick, efficient and well- planned repair effort to restore this landmark.” The FDOT assembled an emer- gency response team including contractors, surveyors, steel heat straightening professionals, steel fab- ricators, pin testers, bridge inspectors and construction engineering inspec- tors, and strain gage professionals. Within the first 76 hours after impact, the team “designed innovative tempo- rary and permanent repairs and pro- posed a construction bid package.” The bridge reopened only 33 days after impact, 12 days ahead of sched- ule. “Considering the challenges posed by the severity of the damage, weather, and a multitude of complex aspects, the project is an amazing ac- complishment for all involved,” says the FICE citation. Meanwhile, the Veterans Memorial Bridge, south Florida’s first new bridge crossing of the intracoastal wa- terway in more than 20 years, required both engineering innovation and envi- ronmental stewardship. “The team overcame an existing federal lawsuit and strong local oppo- sition by implementing an intensive public involvement campaign that in- cluded numerous public meetings and 3D visualization imagery to convey project vision, goals and aesthetics,” the FICE award says. “These and other outreach efforts built consensus among stakeholders and concerned citizens.” Wantman Group Inc: SR710 Big John Monohan Bridge reconstruction, FDOT District 4 The bridge in western Martin County traces its roots to a one-way swing bridge constructed in 1927, replaced by a single bridge in 1965. WGI engi- neers “redesigned this ‘gateway’ to the City of Indiantown as twin bridges.” Successful project innovations in- cluded a unique and strategic land purchase that allowed the bridge to be shortened nearly 1,000 ft., saving taxpayers approximately $15 million. The engineering design team “also provided innovation and significant cost savings by relocating the ponds from underneath the fixed-span, high- level bridge, where it is difficult to maintain turf,” WGI said in a news re- lease. The design-build team of WGI and Cone & Graham set newly ap- proved 84-foot Florida I Beams (FIBs) spanning 185 ft. – the longest FIBs ever set in the state, and completed the work 104 days ahead of schedule. “The Big John Monahan project faced many interesting challenges, said WGI president David Wantman. “The Department of Transportation deemed the bridge functionally obso- lete, yet it was a primary hurricane evacuation route and part of the strategic intermodal system.” Wantman said the contractor, engi- neer, subcontractors and subconsul- tants “worked seamlessly together with all the involved stakeholders. We are extremely proud of the outcome, and of the recognition of a job well done.” FICE/ ACEC FL encourage submittals for the 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards. The intent to enter form is due by September 18, 2015 and more info can be found at fleng.org.
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AGC FLORIDA: Advocating for the industry as local chapters help local businesses build relationships and develop their own businesses Florida Construction News special feature he Associated General Con- tractors (AGC)’s three Florida chapters have reported impres- sive state-wide advocacy success, as they develop programs and events to serve their own communities. “AGC in Florida, through the AGC Florida Council, leads the legislative fight for Florida’s general contractors by standing behind the position of the Florida general contractor 100 percent of the time,” said Michelle Anaya De- Potter, executive director of the Florida East Coast chapter in West Palm Beach. “We encourage sound busi- ness methods tending to raise the general standing of contractors in the business community and promote better relations between private or- ganizations and public bodies, their ar- chitects or engineers and the general contractors.” There is also a South Florida chap- ter based in Sunrise, and a central chapter, The AGC of Greater Florida T 18 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News (a division of AGC of America), in Or- lando. Members of the three chapters pool resources for a Tallahassee lob- byist and benefit from the national AGC advocacy initiatives in the Wash- ington, DC area. Brian Turmail, AGC’s national sen- ior executive director of public affairs, said Florida contractors have reported serious labor shortage challenges as the state has transitioned in the past two years from the recession-bust to a boom economy. “There’s a lot of demand for con- struction work in Florida now,” he said. However, “after things con- tracted quite a bit (during the reces- sion) there weren’t as many unemployed construction workers waiting for the phone to ring. There’s a significant shortage of qualified workers to meet the demand.” Turmail says the association has been coordinating a “workforce devel- opment plan” – a series of measures at the federal, state and local level to create resources to set up technical education programs and make it eas- ier to establish and coordinate local training programs. There are chal- lenges under existing laws in coordi- nating these programs, as “unless you bring in the union and collective bar- gaining process, it is illegal for you and other firms to join together to cre- ate a single training program.” Certainly some AGC members are unionized, but many others are not, and the association believes that unionization decisions are matters for individual employers and workers. The solution to providing non-union training may be revising the anti-trust laws, or encouraging the establish- ment of construction-focus charter schools, Turmail said. He also said there is a need for im- migration reform, “to address the im- mediate (labor) shortage and revitalize the pipeline for recruiting domestic workers.” At the state level, Ron Wrobel, membership director of the AGC of
Greater Florida, based in Orlando, pro- vided an extensive list of legislative wins in Tallahassee including, among others: • Preserving “pay-when-paid” clauses — “AGC has successfully fought off numerous attempts to abolish “pay-when-paid” clauses, which would ultimately require the contractor to guarantee the pay- ment of all subs, suppliers, etc., regardless of whether the owner ever pays the contract. • Reducing the “statute of repose” — “In the recent past, contractors could be sued for up to 15 years after a Florida construction project was completed. AGC successfully passed legislation to reduce Florida’s 15-year liability period down to10 years, and efforts are now under way to reduce its period even further. • Preserving retainage — “AGC has repeatedly fended off efforts to place statutory caps on retainage or force ‘line-item’ release of re- tainage.” These political initiatives combine with training and educational re- sources, notably the association’s partnership with the BIMForum (see separate stories). However, Anaya DePotter in West Palm Beach believes the greatest membership value across the board and the one common denominator to all categories of membership relates to business development. “We have a multitude of ways for our members to connect and network and stay visible to one another through the years to strengthen their existing relationships with one an- other or build new ones,” she said. “There is great value in that, which is consistently conveyed back to me through testimonials.” Local speakers and events com- bine the education and advocacy op- portunities with some entertainment and social opportunities. “We currently have a speaker scheduled to discuss the I-4 Improve- ment project in Orlando, ACE mentor- ing in Jacksonville, and Robert Bishop, the dean of the College of Engineering for the University of South Florida (USF) will be speaking to our group in Tampa,” said Wrobel. Other events are happening in the East Coast and South Florida chap- ters, and you can learn more at their respective websites. The Orlando-based chapter has weathered some challenging eco- nomic conditions, says past chapter president Cady Pope, director of busi- ness development at Roger B. Kennedy, Inc., in Altamonte Springs. The Florida chapters faced severe strains in the economic recession, but things were especially challenging in central Florida, when “we started los- ing many, many members – and mem- bership dwindled to the point where the chapter faced default,” Pope said. For a time, there were virtually no events or chapter activities. The national AGC office stepped in to help, taking over the chapter’s re- sponsibilities, and membership has been rebounding. Pope says the chap- ter hopes to regain local autonomy in the next couple of years, perhaps by merging with the South Florida chap- ter years. He says he is happy to see the re- covery, noting the benefits in AGC’s advocacy, education and networking. “Everyone I’ve met throughout the or- ganization are top notch, blue-chip type people,” and there’s much oppor- tunity to share information and ideas. For more information, you can con- nect with the relevant Florida AGC chapter: AGC of Greater Florida – A Division of AGCA Orlando, FL Phone: (407) 439-0336 Website: agcgreaterflorida.build Florida East Coast Chapter – AGC West Palm Beach, FL Phone: (561) 833-3609 Fax: (561) 833-6024 Website: www.agcfla.com South Florida Chapter – AGC Sunrise, FL Phone: (954) 693-9322 Fax: (954) 382-5748 Website: www.sfagc.org See more at: www.agc.org/connect/chapters Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 19
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) steps up campaign for mandatory home sprinkler systems Florida Construction News staff writer he National Fire Prevention As- sociation (NFPA) conference, the fire safety advocacy organization has stepped up its campaign for resi- dential sprinkler systems – and an on- going conflict with home builders, T 20 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News who believe mandatory sprinkler systems unneces- sarily increase construction costs for relatively limited life-saving advan- tages. NFPA president Jim Pauley doesn’t buy the relative cost argument, ob- serving that “3,000 people dying annu- ally from fire in the most advanced country in the world is still too high – especially where the majority of fire is happening where people are feeling safest, in their homes.” The sprinkler argument has been at the core of the NFPA since its estab- lishment in the late 1800s, and Pauley says the cost argument was made then as well, as the association lob- bied for mandatory sprinklers in indus- trial buildings, along with other enhancements to improve fire safety. The track record indicates there has been success, especially in recent decades. Annual U.S. fire loss costs (in 2012 dollars) have declined from between $17 and $18 billion in the late 1970s to less than $12 billion in 2013 – and deaths have declined by about 50 percent, from approximately 7,500 to 3,200. “Today, almost 80 percent of fires occur in homes,” Pauley says. This means that the call for mandatory sprinkler systems is “absolutely a big priority – we try to use the data to ac- tually guide us where we need to be putting our emphasis, with the major- ity of deaths there.” Home builders have put out counter-arguments. One study they
“ Today, almost 80 percent of fires occur in homes,” Pauley says. This means that the call for mandatory sprinkler systems is “absolutely a big priority – we try to use the data to actually guide us where we need to be putting our emphasis, with the majority of deaths there. cite, from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), sug- gests that each life saved through mandatory residential sprinkler sys- tems would cost $38 million. Builders opposing the NFPA stance assert that the greatest risks for fire deaths have occurred in older homes, which wouldn’t be helped by mandatory sprinkler instructions, at least anytime in the near-term. Still, the NFPA has marshaled its ar- guments, with videos demonstrating the difference in fire damage between a sprinklered and non-sprinklered home, and observations that sprinkler system costs will decrease dramati- cally if they become standard rather than special-request items in new con- struction. The CMHC study asserts that sprin- kler system costs can vary widely. De- pending on key factors such as the type of pipe used (copper or plastic) and location (using municipal water supplies in urban centers or private wells in rural areas), costs associated with the installation of a sprinkler sys- tem could range from $2,800 to $6,700 (Canadian). However, according to a study by the NFPA’s Fire Protection Research Foundation, the average cost of sprin- klers in a new home is $1.35 per sprin- klered sq. ft. (In the U.S. in recent years, according to the Census Bu- reau, the average new house size is 2,600 sq. ft. – houses are getting larger – suggesting an average cost of about $3,500 U.S. per home.) While residential sprinklers top the NFPA’s agenda, it is only one of sev- eral areas of importance to the fire protection community, Pauley said. Another – the success in improving safety, reducing fire damage costs, and lowering fire fatality rates – has had an unfortunate negative conse- quence. There are pressures to re- duce and cut budgets for municipal “ fire inspections and oversight, in part because the fatality and fire loss dam- age levels have been declining, he said. “There are a lot of new trends in building and construction, and it is im- portant to ensure, as new technolo- gies and practices evolve, that we make sure codes and standards and fire safety evolve as well,” Pauley said. These issue and trends include: • “Alternative fuels and energy sources; as these go into play, that’s technology evolving rapidly and it is important that fire safety keep up with that;” • Trends toward new, larger and multi-story construction buildings, including structures built with light woods; • Construction safety challenges, especially with the new wood structures – there have been sev- eral major construction fires in re- cent years; • Sustainability measures causing concerns/limitations on fire retar- dant chemicals; and • New alternative and solar energy technologies. “When a roof is en- tirely covered by solar panels, how do you navigate on the roof where the fire is going on; how do you ensure the electricity is turned off?” Accordingly, the NFPA supports re- search, advocacy grants and building code enhancements to change build- ing codes and regulations, making the residential sprinklers mandatory. “When smoke alarms went in as a mandatory requirement in homes, there was an argument that no one would be able to build any homes in the country – because it (would make them) too expensive,” he said. “The same sort of arguments were made on the electrical side, such as for ground fault circuit interruptions, that they would never build again be- cause they put the costs too high... and we continue to build.” “Every situation is unique,” Pauley said. “History bears out that we’re able to do these advances and make people safer and able to do construc- tion and continue moving along.” The June 22 to 25 conference at McCormick Place attracted more than 4,000 architects, engineers, contrac- tors, fire protection officials, suppliers and others concerned with fire safety. Pauley says the NFPA holds its an- nual conference on a rotating sched- ule, in Las Vegas one year, and then at a major U.S. city the second year. Founded in 1896, “NFPA is a global non-profit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards,” the association says. “The association delivers infor- mation and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and stan- dards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by part- nering with others who share an inter- est in furthering the NFPA mission.” Overall, the NFPA’s membership totals more than 65,000 individuals interna- tionally. Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 21
Entire Florida town considers sprinkler ordinance following sprinkler successes in one of its communities Florida Construction News staff writer stero, Florida, is proposing to sprinkler all of its new homes, making it the first independent Florida fire district with a sprinkler mandate for single and two-family new home construction. Estero Fire Rescue commissioners decided at an Aug. 11 meeting to move forward with a requirement that sprinkler systems be installed in all new single and two-family homes in the Naples-area community. The decision follows the successful implementation of sprinklers in a high- end local subdivision, where Taylor Morrison constructed 90 fully sprin- klered homes at Pebble Pointe at The Brooks. Commissioners gave the go-ahead to send out more than 14,000 letters notifying homeowners about the pro- posed rule. The board set public hear- ings for Sept. 15 and Oct. 13, the Naples Daily News has reported, and if the commisioners approve the change, the new rules will go into ef- fect. “These are very, very, very exciting times,” Fire Chief Scott Vanderbrook said. “We will be the only fire district in the state of Florida if this passes and we’ll be the only second government agency in the entire state of Florida that will have a mandatory sprinkler [resolution],” the newspaper reported. Vanderbrook cited safety concerns and a nationwide movement toward requiring sprinklers as reasons for the proposed rule. “This is the trend,” Vanderbrook was quoted as saying in the Daily News. “California did it to the entire state in 2012. Maryland... Some of the Virginia areas... So it’s the way it has to go. “It’s just another preventive thing that we need to do as we move for- ward.” E 22 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News Fire Marshal Phillip Green said the proposal has been in the works for a little over a year and getting it to the board required the district to undertake an economic impact study and offset the costs of installing sprinklers by waiving certain fees. “No inspection fees. No permitting fees. No plan review fees,” Green told the Daily News. “And we will not charge any fees for the hydrant flow test that they need to design the sprin- kler system. That is about $300 that we normally could collect.” Green said he believes that it would cost a developer $1.6 per square foot to install sprinklers, but added that he expects that number to go down as more people put in sprinklers. “We also have a list of development trade-offs that we will offer for entire subdivisions that are sprinklered,” Green said. “Some things like being able to space the hydrants out a little further, smaller water lines and things like that.” Although Vanderbrook and Green said they expect local contractors and developers to oppose the requirement, some industry professionals don’t think the increased cost is significant. “From a builder’s perspective I don’t think it’s a deal breaker,” Jeff Maas, CFO of Bonita Springs-based Envi- roStruct and president of the Estero Chamber of Commerce board of direc- tors, told the Naples News. “I certainly think that can be absorbed.” “The vast number of people that are killed in fires in the United States are killed in their home,” Green said. “I think that’s outrageous. That’s unfor- givable when a cost-effective technol- ogy is available that can save their lives.” Not surprisingly, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which advocates for residential sprinklers, is enthusiastic about Estero’s decision. It reports the successful sprinkler installation at the Pebble Point project. Initially hesitant to include this life- saving feature, homebuilding company Taylor Morrison was eventually per-
suaded by expedited inspections and lower insurance rates that will offset the installation cost over time. “With the benefits of personal safety and a discount in insurance, it really is a win all the way around,” Tay- lor Morrison sales representative Dawnn Dollar told the Daily News. “With as many seasonal homeowners as we have here, [the sprinklers] really served to be a piece-of-mind thing. We’ve had a positive response to it.” MBE and RFP/Bidding Opportunities ads will get attention where they count in Florida Construction News Notices for Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MBE) and Request for Proposals/Bidding opportunities (including sub-trade invitations) can be highly eﬀective in the combined online and eletter editions of Florida Construction News. Estero’s fire safety officials are banking on an ordinance to bolster these “wins” throughout the town while tackling its home fire problem. The news story reports that an eco- nomic impact study commissioned by Estero Fire Rescue concluded that Es- tero has a high percentage of elderly living in expensive homes. Therefore, notes the study, fires there will lead to more deaths, injuries, and damage than what’s statistically seen across the state or the U.S.. Home fire sprinklers, notes the study, have the ability to “reduce fire fatalities from 25 expected deaths per 10,000 fires to less than five deaths,” states the news report. Since many of Estero’s homes are new and likely built with lightweight construction materials that burn hotter and faster than tradi- tional lumber, sprinklers can rapidly cut the risk of fire death or injury. If your notice is time-bound, we can promote it through a special e-letter mailing to our list of 9,000 names including contractors, sub-trades, suppliers and others connected with the industry. We don't mind sending out special announcement emails because work and business opportunity notices are always welcomed by our readers. The fees are reasonable: Just $300 for your notice to run two weeks on the Floridaconstructionnews.com website and in two editions of the Florida Construction News e-letter, with a bonus (if you wish) special mailing to the entire list. If you want longer or more extensive notiﬁcations, we can publish your notice in the Florida Construction News magazine and send out additional notiﬁcations, all for the rate for the magazine advertisement size you select. For more information, call Brooke McDonald at bmdonald@ﬂoridaconstructionnews.com or phone (888) 627-8717 ext 208 Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 23
AROUND FLORIDA CONSTRUCTION NEWS BRIEFS THE STATE Florida Construction News staff writer ere are some news briefs origi- nally reported in floridaconstruc- tionnews.com. The website is updated several times a week, and news is shared through a weekly e-letter. H Master building permits: New law streamlines tract permit process The Florida Green Building Coalition’s Green Trends newsletter reports the Florida legislature earlier this year passed a law (HB 115) creating the Master Building Permit Program. If a local building code administrator re- ceives a written request from a builder to establish a master building permit program, the applicable local govern- ment must create the program within six months. “The Master Building Permit pro- gram is intended for use by builders who expect to construct identical sin- gle-family or two-family dwellings or townhomes on a repetitive basis,” Green Trends reports. “In order to ob- tain a master building permit, builders must submit certain documents and a general construction plan to the local building department for review and approval. (A complete list of required documents is contained in the Florida Statutes.)” 24 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News To build to the master building per- mit, the builder must apply for a site- specific building permit and include the master building permit number with the application. The master build- ing permit number may be submitted an unlimited number of times with the site-specific building permit applica- tions so long as the builder uses the model design contained in the master building permit and the permit is valid. Approved master building permits are valid until the Florida Building Code is updated. A builder or design professional who willfully violates the program re- quirements will be fined $10,000 for each dwelling or townhome built under the master building permit that does not conform to the master build- ing permit on file with the local build- ing department. Orlando apartment developer adds $102-million project to its schedule Jefferson Apartment Group, based in McLean, VA, has expanded its con- cept and proposed investment for a massive complex in Orlando’s South Eola neighborhood. Earlier, the developer displayed pre- liminary plans for a $102 million proj- ect with twin 12-story towers, 586 apartments, 5,500 sq. ft. in office space and 18,000 sq. ft of shops and restaurants. The Orlando Business Journal reports the company plans to go before the city’s municipal plan- ning board on Aug. 18 to seek its first approval for the new complex. Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinal reports that Thornton Commons LLC owns the land, including Altamont Springs dentist James Katsur, and that the project architect is Baker Barrios. The developer has nearly com- pleted construction of the neighbour- ing $42.7 Artisan 420 apartment com- plex, which it says is the first phase of the overall project. Modeling discipline leader Robert Schiffer joins Stantec Tallahassee Robert Schiffer has joined Stantec as modeling discipline leader for the transportation group in the south. Schiffer brings 31 years of experi- ence as a leading transportation plan- ner, Stantec said in a news release. “He is considered a thought leader in the transportation modeling industry, having most recently served as the di- rector of professional services at Citil- abs, a worldwide leader in the development of software for trans- portation planning. Although he will serve the Gulf and Southeast Regions, Schiffer will be located in the firm’s Tallahassee, Florida office.” Schiffer will focus on expanding Stantec’s travel demand modeling practice throughout the Gulf and Southeast Regions within the U.S, the news release said. His background in developing urban and rural travel de- mand models, travel demand fore- casting for highway and transit, multi-modal long-range transportation planning, and site impact studies will enhance Stantec’s core transportation practice. Stantec has a large transportation practice in the Gulf and Southeast, to- taling nearly 425 staff.
Medical projects underway in Miami Beach Miami Beach’s planning board has ap- proved a 122,000 sq. ft. building in- cluding a Baptist Health South Florida outpatient facility. The project proposed by Alton Road Development LLC, an affiliate of local developer Crescent Heights, ex- pects to lease 36,999 sq. ft. for med- ical uses, along with a community center for free wellness classes. Its ground floor would have 3,800 sq. ft. for restaurants and retail. Baptist Health chief strategy officer Ana Lopez-Blzaquez told the South Florida Business Journal it will take about two years to complete the building Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach’s only hospital, initially opposed the project at 709 Alton Rd. However, Mount Sinai CEO Steve Sonenreich has been quoted as say- ing he respects the decision of the planning board and believes that the review process made the new facility more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. “Mount Sinai has been a trusted source of quality healthcare in Miami Beach for 65 years, and that commit- ment will continue to grow as we in- vest in a new state-of-the-art surgical tower and emergency department on our campus,” Sonenreich told the business publication. This is in context of Mount Sinai’s own construction activities -- it has started a $200 million expansion of its Miami Beach complex, with a planned new eight-story tower. 709 Alton Road, photo Google Maps $1.5 billion vision plan revealed for Port Tampa Bay’s Channel District Port Tampa Bay has revealed its vision plan to develop acres of land in the Channel District which will feature landmark structures, residential tow- ers, a marina and more - a total of 9 million sq. ft. and $1.5 billion in devel- opment costs. The vision plan unveiled on Aug 13, shows the ideas for the anticipated re- development of 45 acres of port- owned land along Channelside Dr. and the Ybor Channel, the Tampa Bay Busi- ness Journal reports. The expanse of pavement that lines Channelside Dr. could some day be home to a glitzy mix of residential tow- ers and retail and commercial space Miami-based Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. were the project’s con- sultants. Port Tampa Bay’s Channel District Florida Construction News — SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 – 25
YOU LOOK LIKE YOU COULD USE SOME FM solutions, strategies and sunshine. Get them all at … Absolutely FREE to attend, NFMT Orlando is the one Southeast conference created especially for facilities professionals of all levels. As an attendee you have free access to: More than 60 educational sessions spread out over two days An Exhibit Hall with 150+ FM product and service providers Multiple network opportunities with 1,500 like-minded FM peers Presentations from the FM industry’s top leaders and innovators What’s a trip to Orlando without a little “you” time? While there you have access to: 10 exciting theme parks More than 40 restaurants and entertainment options – all within walking distance of the Conference All season golf courses An average temperature of 84 degrees (not bad for late October) Remember: There is NO COST TO ATTEND NFMT Orlando, but you do have to register to take advantage of everything it has to offer. 26 – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 — Florida Construction News Sign up today for free at NFMT.com/Orlando
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