The Business of Engineering: An Interview with Matthew Loos
July 15, 2019 —
Aarni Heiskanen - AEC BusinessMatthew Loos is an experienced project manager in the civil engineering industry. He works as a project engineer at Jones|Carter in Fort Worth, Texas. In this interview, we discuss Matt’s new book, The Business of Engineering.
It is not very common that an engineer writes a non-technical book. What inspired you to do so?
Have you ever gotten an idea stuck in your head that you just couldn’t let go of? A time when you couldn’t go to sleep because the idea was consistently begging for your attention?
That’s what happened to me. The idea for this book hits me right before bed, as most good ideas do. I couldn’t go to sleep after the idea struck me. I spent half of the night writing the chapters of this book in my mind. I had been thinking about the idea of engineering and how it relates to other career fields, even the non-technical ones. I was disenchanted with the trifling number of classes I took that prepared me for the business world. These were the initial thoughts that eventually led me down the road into thinking about engineering as a profession going forward.
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Aarni Heiskanen, AEC BusinessMr. Heiskanen may be contacted at
aec-business@aepartners.fi
New Certification Requirements for Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns and Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business Concerns Seeking Public Procurement Contracts
March 27, 2023 —
Jennifer Harris, Timothy D. Matheny & Abby Bello Salinas - ConsensusDocsEffective January 1, 2023, Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns (VOSBs) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns (SDVOSBs) will be required to obtain Small Business Administration (SBA) certification to participate in any federal government agency VOSB or SDVOSB sole source or set-aside prime contracts. This change originated from a Final Rule (87 FR 73400) published by the SBA on November 29, 2022. As a result of this Final Rule, not only will VOSBs and SDVOSBs be required to re-visit, and in some cases re-apply for various certifications, but these new regulations will also impact joint ventures that rely on their member’s VOSB or SDVOSB status to bid public work.
New Regulation
Previously, a VOSB and SDVOSB could self-certify to perform set-aside and sole source projects on non-U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) procurements—a VOSB and SDVOSB only needed to be certified by the VA Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) when bidding on VA procurements contingent on its status.
Reprinted courtesy of
Jennifer Harris, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.,
Timothy D. Matheny, Peckar & Abramson, P.C. and Abby Bello Salinas, Law Clerk, Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
Ms. Harris may be contacted at jharris@pecklaw.com
Mr. Matheny may be contacted at tmatheny@pecklaw.com
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Structural Problems May Cause Year-Long Delay Opening New Orleans School
January 29, 2014 —
Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFFAccording to the Uptown Messenger, structural issues found at Audubon Charter School’s Broadway campus in New Orleans, Louisiana, will require “selective demolition” and “could delay students’ return by as much as a full year.”
Late September of last year, “officials discovered that some of the steel supports around the stair towers were not level—some of the steel beams lean out several inches, so that the floors are not parallel.” Discovering the problem will require some demolition, according to Chris Young of Blitch Knevel architects as quoted in the Uptown Messenger: “…we’re going to have to tear down a lot of this construction to expose that steel frame to make sure that every steel beam is straight and true and not deformed.”
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Deterioration Known To Insured Forecloses Collapse Coverage
January 28, 2019 —
Tred R. Eyerly - Insurance Law HawaiiThe insurer properly denied coverage for collapse of a building when the insured knew from an expert’s examination that the walls of his house were deteriorating. Jaimes v. Liberty Ins. Corp., 2018 U. S. Dust. LEXIS 198224 (D. Colo. Nov. 21, 2018).
The insured discovered a crack in the wall of his home. He hired Anchor Engineering to inspect. Anchor found a large bulge in the south wall. Several problems with deterioration were noted in the basement. The structure of the house was unstable and dangerous.
The insured filed a claim with his homeowners insurer, Liberty. The claim was denied because damage to the wall was the result of deterioration.
The south wall of the house later collapsed. The insured submitted a second claim. Liberty again denied the claim because the collapse was the result of deterioration of the wall. The insured sued.
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Tred R. Eyerly, Damon Key Leong Kupchak HastertMr. Eyerly may be contacted at
te@hawaiilawyer.com
3D Printing Innovations Enhance Building Safety
October 07, 2019 —
Mahmut Ekenel & Melissa Sanchez - Construction ExecutiveThe mention of 3D printing alone is enough to get people excited, often conjuring images of a desktop console that can download and create three dimensional objects such as prototypes, or mechanical parts. And yet, in recent years the technology has given way to a slight impatience, as people begin to wonder how and when it will have a direct impact on both their lifestyles and their businesses.
The construction industry has been quick to take advantage of these innovations, and the effects are tangible, especially regarding building safety. The 3D construction technology allows for several key advantages in terms of faster construction times, uncompromised quality of construction and lower costs—allowing for affordable dwellings to be quickly built for people in need.
These advantages also lead to safety improvements during the building process. The ability to accelerate construction time without requiring an increase in labor results in a fewer construction-related workplace injuries and a reduction in material waste, making it an environmentally friendly construction method as well.
ICC-Evaluation Service (ICC-ES), a subsidiary of the International Code Council (ICC) which develops model codes and standards (i.e. International Building Code, International Residential Code) and delivers a wide array of building safety services, has taken the lead on developing acceptance criteria to address building code compliance of 3D printed construction. Currently, 3D construction technology is not within the provisions of the International Building Code (IBC) or International Residential Code (IRC). The acceptance criteria introduces new compliance measures for interior and exterior 3D printed concrete walls (with and without structural steel reinforcement), load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls, and shear walls in one-story, single-unit, residential dwellings. The 3D walls are constructed by printing two outer layers of 3D concrete and then filling the core with 3D concrete to form a solid wall.
Reprinted courtesy of
Mahmut Ekenel & Melissa Sanchez, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.
Mr. Ekenel may be contacted at mekenel@icc-es.org
Ms. Sanchez may be contacted at msanchez@icc-es.org
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Work to Solve the Mental Health Crisis in Construction
September 05, 2022 —
Bruce Morton & Diane Andrea - Construction ExecutiveThe suicide rate for construction is one of the highest among major industries. That statistic is from a 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And it’s one major reason why the concern about mental health in the construction industry has grown. Research shows that as many as 90% of all people who die by suicide have a mental health condition. Depression is the most common cause, but other conditions such as substance use disorders may have an impact as well.
What is causing mental health conditions in the construction industry? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 97% of the U.S. construction industry is male—and men experience the highest rate of suicides. Yet, while the suicide rate for women in construction is lower than that for men in the construction industry, it appears to be much higher than the suicide rate for the general female population. Being “tough” and “strong” are highly valued; acknowledging mental health concerns—or even seeking help—may be considered a sign of weakness. There is often fear of shame and judgment for admitting you have a problem.
In addition, the nature of construction industry jobs may affect mental health. Injuries may cause chronic pain, which can result in substance disorders like opioid use. Seasonal work can result in layoffs, which puts a strain on family relationships and finances. The job is high-stress and the work is deadline-driven. Employees work long hours, potentially resulting in fatigue. Sometimes work is away from home for extended periods. The pandemic has exacerbated every other problem while creating its own.
Reprinted courtesy of
Bruce Morton and Diane Andrea, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.
Mr. Morton may be contacted at bruce.morton@marshmma.com
Ms. Andrea may be contacted at Diane.Andrea@MarshMMA.com
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A Court-Side Seat: Permit Shields, Hurricane Harvey and the Decriminalization of “Incidental Taking”
May 31, 2021 —
Anthony B. Cavender - Gravel2GavelThis is a brief review of some of the significant environmental (and administrative law decisions) released the past few weeks.
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
On April 22, 2021, the Court decided two important administrative law cases: Carr, et al. v. Saul and AMG Capital Management v. Federal Trade Commission.
Carr, et al. v. Saul
In this case, the constitutionality of Social Security Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) hearing disability claims disputes was at issue. More precisely, were these ALJs selected in conformance with the Appointments Clause of the Constitution? A similar issue was litigated in the case of Lucia v. Securities and Exchange Commission. There, the Court held that many of the agency’s ALJs were not selected in conformance with the Appointment’s Clause. Here, the Court held that this issue could be decided by the courts without compelling the litigants to first exhaust their administrative remedies. Thousands of ALJs are employed by the federal government, and it may take some time to resolve this question for every agency.
AMG Capital Management v. Federal Trade Commission
In this case, the court held, unanimously, that the Commission does not presently have the authority to employ such equitable remedies as restitution or disgorgement.
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Anthony B. Cavender, PillsburyMr. Cavender may be contacted at
anthony.cavender@pillsburylaw.com
Sixth Circuit Lifts Stay on OSHA’s COVID-19 Temporary Emergency Standards. Supreme Court to Review
January 10, 2022 —
Garret Murai - California Construction Law BlogAs we round out the year, here’s a bit of news, with more likely to come, regarding the U.S. Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Temporary Emergency Standards (ETS).
As we
wrote earlier, on November 4, 2021, OSHA issued its ETS which applies to private employers with 100 or more employees (Covered Employers). Among other things, the ETS requires Covered Employers to have a COVID-19 vaccination policy requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated with certain exceptions, to provide for weekly testing of non-fully vaccinated employees, and to require face coverings. Under the ETS, Covered Employers were required to comply with the ETS other than the testing requirements by December 6, 2021 and to comply with the testing requirements beginning January 4, 2022.
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Garret Murai, Nomos LLPMr. Murai may be contacted at
gmurai@nomosllp.com
