Let it Shine: California Mandates Rooftop Solar for New Residential Construction
May 16, 2018 —
Garret Murai - California Construction Law BlogCalifornia. Birthplace of the Frisbee, skateboard, television, canned tuna and (yup) fortune cookies has added another first to the list: California has become the first state in the nation to mandate the use of solar panels for new residential construction.
On May 9, 2018, the California Energy Commission (CEC) unanimously approved the state’s 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The 2019 Energy Efficiency Standards update the California Building Standards Codes found at Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations which are updated every three years. The 2019 Energy Efficiency Standards go into effect on January 1, 2020.
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Garret Murai, Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLPMr. Murai may be contacted at
gmurai@wendel.com
The Advantages of Virtual Reality in Construction
August 20, 2019 —
Spivey Lipsey - Construction ExecutiveVirtual realty provides an unparalleled spatial sense for visualization at a lower cost than full-scale replicas. Today, VR is being used heavily in preconstruction to align owner expectations and educate design team stakeholders. For those already employing BIM solutions, coordination can be made much more effective by leveraging existing design models with very little added cost.
As anyone who has tried a VR headset before can attest, the ability to accurately perceive spatial relationships in design cannot be replicated through traditional 2D media such as screens or paper. VR solutions also have the ability to iterate rapidly. These technologies are linked to BIM, providing real-time feedback as the design changes. This is in stark contrast to traditional full-scale mockups and offline renders, which are cumbersome and time-consuming to update with design changes.
Substantial benefits without a hefty price tag
Budget limitations and ROI are always a concern with emerging technology. Fortunately, VR comes cheaply with BIM production. These solutions are significantly less expensive than full-scale mockups and far more efficient when compared to longhand sequencing explanations and esoteric detailing of complex designs. Even the most elaborate VR setups are a fraction of overall construction cost, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the level of adoption.
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Spivey Lipsey, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved.
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Heatup of Giant DOE Nuclear Waste Melter Succeeds After 2022 Halt
August 21, 2023 —
Tim Newcomb - Engineering News-RecordBefore 56 million gallons of long-stored radioactive waste at the federal Hanford nuclear waste site in Washington state can be turned into vitrified glass for disposal beginning in 2024, crews from the U.S. Energy Dept and Bechtel National that built and are commissioning the site's giant waste vitrification plant need to heat up its two 300-ton melters, the world's largest, to 2,100° F.
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Tim Newcomb, Engineering News-Record
ENR may be contacted at enr@enr.com
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Arizona – New Discovery Rules
May 16, 2018 —
John Belanger - Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLPEffective July 1, 2018
New Rules of Civil Procedure are taking effect in Arizona on July 1, 2018. The new Rules will change how discovery works in civil litigation in the state. Here is a sneak peek at the changes that will impact your file handling the most:
Tiered Discovery
- How much discovery is allowed in a case will now depend on the amount and type of relief sought
- Cases will be assigned to one of three tiers
- Parties can agree on a tier assignment, the court can assign a tier, or a tier can be assigned based on the amount of damages, or a combination of monetary and non-monetary damages
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John Belanger, Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara LLPMr. Belanger may be contacted at
jbelanger@bremerwhyte.com
Parol Evidence can be Used to Defeat Fraudulent Lien
March 27, 2019 —
David Adelstein - Florida Construction Legal UpdatesParol or extrinsic evidence can be used to defeat an argument that a lien is a fraudulent lien. And, just because a lien amount exceeds the total contract amount does not presumptively mean the lien is willfully exaggerated or recorded in bad faith. Finally, a ruling invalidating a construction lien can create the irreparable harm required to support a petition for writ of certiorari. All of these issues are important when dealing with and defending against a fraudulent lien and are explained in a recent case involving a dispute between an electrical subcontractor and its supplier.
In Farrey’s Wholesale Hardware Co., Inc. v. Coltin Electrical Services, LLC, 44 Fla.L.Weekly D130a (Fla. 2d DCA 2019), there were various revisions to the supplier’s initial purchase order, both from a qualitative and quantitative perspective, and a ninth-revised purchaser order was issued and accepted. The electrical subcontractor claimed that deliveries were late, unassembled, and did not include the required marking (likely the UL marking), to pass building inspections. As a result, the subcontractor withheld money from the supplier and the supplier recorded a lien in the amount of $853,773.16 and filed a foreclosure lawsuit.
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David Adelstein, Kirwin NorrisMr. Adelstein may be contacted at
dma@kirwinnorris.com
Alert: AAA Construction Industry Rules Update
June 07, 2021 —
Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law MusingsThe American Arbitration Association has made some needed updates to their Construction Industry Arbitration and Mediation Rules, effective July 1, 2015. Among the changes listed at their website are:
- A mediation step for all cases with claims of $100,000 or more (subject to the ability of any party to opt out).
- Consolidation and joinder time frames and filing requirements to streamline these increasingly involved issues in construction arbitrations.
- New preliminary hearing rules to provide more structure and organization to get the arbitration process on the right track from the beginning.
- Information exchange measures to give arbitrators a greater degree of control to limit the exchange of information, including electronic documents.
- Availability of emergency measures of protection in contracts that have been entered into on or after July 1, 2015.
- Enforcement power of the arbitrator to issue orders to parties that refuse to comply with the Rules or the arbitrator’s orders.
- Permissibility of dispositive motions to dispose of all or part of a claim or to narrow the issue in a claim.
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The Law Office of Christopher G. HillMr. Hill may be contacted at
chrisghill@constructionlawva.com
Happenings in and around the 2015 West Coast Casualty Seminar
May 07, 2015 —
Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFFWest Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar returns to the Disneyland Hotel next week (May 14th and 15th), and the Construction Defect Journal has compiled a list of concerts, sporting events, and museum exhibitions taking place in and around Anaheim. Whether you like to spend your personal time checking out a new band, or watching your favorite Angel slide into home, or perusing the local art museum, there is something to spark your interest.
CONCERT VENUES
THE HOUSE OF BLUES IN ANAHEIM
Located in Downtown Disney, The House of Blues in Anaheim is a short walk from the convention hall.
Live Band Karaoke
Wednesday, May 13th Starting at 10pm
No Cover
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Rockin’ The Blues with Griff Hamlin
Thursday, May 14th at 10pm
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Tyrone Wells
Saturday, May 16th at 7pm
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THE GROVE OF ANAHEIM
Near Angel Stadium, the Grove of Anaheim is just a few miles away from the seminar location.
Ministry
Monday, May 11th Doors Open at 7pm / Show Begins at 8pm
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Kamelot plus Special Guest Dragonforce
Friday, May 15th Doors Open at 7pm / Show Begins at 8pm
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CHAIN REACTION
Attendees can escape to this all-ages club that’s just a ten minute drive from the Disneyland Hotel.
Ice Nine Kills
Wednesday, May 13th at 7pm
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Warped Tour Battle of the Bands
Thursday, May 14th at 7pm
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Manifest Presents
Saturday, May 16th at 7pm
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SPORTING EVENTS
ANGEL’S STADIUM – BASEBALL
Take care of your popcorn-and-peanuts-and-cracker-jacks fix while cheering for the Angel’s—conveniently just a few miles from the Disneyland Hotel.
Angels v. Colorado Rockies
Tuesday, May 12th at 7:05pm
Wednesday, May 13th at 7:05pm
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets...
MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
MUZEO
This local museum and cultural center is a short drive from the convention hall.
Cougars and Grizzlies: Sharing their Path
April 18, 2015-September 13th, 2015
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 5 pm
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets...
BOWERS MUSEUM (Santa Ana)
Voted “The Best Museum in Orange County” by OC Register Readers for 16 consecutive years, this arts and cultural center is worth the fifteen minute drive.
Qi Baishi: China’s Modern Master
April 11th, 2015-July 11th, 2015
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 4 pm
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets...
Where Ends Meet: A Retrospective of Works by Nancy Ravenhall Johnson
March 13th, 2015-August 16th, 2015
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 4 pm
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets...
Exhibition: Adams, Curtis, and Weston: Photographers of the American West
May 16th, 2015-November 29th, 2015
Museum Days/Hours: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed Mondays) / 10 am to 4 pm
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets...
Lecture: Adams, Curtis, and Weston: Photographers of the American West
Saturday, May 16th from 1:30pm to 2:30pm
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As Single-Family Homes Get Larger, Lots Get Smaller
September 03, 2014 —
Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFFThe National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Eye on Housing demonstrated that though the “single-family homes have been generally getting larger,” the average lot size has decreased over the years.
For instance, from 1992-1995, “[t]he median lot size of a new single-family detached home sold was an even 10,000 square feet.” However, by 2004, lot size had decreased to 8,833 square feet. It bounced up to 9,000 and then came down again. In 2013, median lot size was 8,720 square feet.
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