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InvitationVolume 53 Issue 10 October 2012

LET’S BOWL !!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President’s Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4The Monthly Spectator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Annual Meeting Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6CSI Member Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 9

Twitter Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Save the Date ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10CSI Mentoring Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Technology Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12N.O. Chapter Board Members . . . . . . . . . . 13Dates to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

www.csineworleans.org

Monthly Newsletter of the New Orleans Chapter of the Construction Specifi cations Institute

LET’S BOWL !!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .President’s Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

TwTwTwititi teter r FeFeFeFeeeeeFeeeeeeeFFeeeeFFFFF edededededdededdddedeeeeeeeeee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Save the Date ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Volume 53 Issue 10 October 2012

www.csineworleans.org

MoMoMoMMoMoMoMMoMoMoMoooMMMoMooMMMoMoMooMoMMooMooontntnthlhlhlh y y y NeNeNeNeNeNeNeNNeeeNeNNeNeNNNeNeNNNN wswwww letter of the New Orleans Chapter of tttttttheheheheheheheeheheheehhhe CCCC CCC CCCCooonoonononnnnnnnnnononoonnnnnnnonononononononnnnnnnnnonoononnnnnnnnnnonnnonnnsssstststtststsssssssssststststststststsssststsssstssstssss rrrrrrurururuuuruuurrrrruruuuurrruuurrr ctctctcctctttttttctttttctcctttctioioioiiooiiioioioiiiiiooooiiioiioioiooooooooioiooooooooiooiionnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn SpSpSpSpSpSpSpSpSpSSppSpppSpSSpppSppSppppppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ifiifiifi cations Institute

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CCSI New Orleans Chapter Presents

Bowling for a Cause

Benefiting CSI Scholarship Program for Delgado Community College - Architectural and Design

Programs

Join us at Mid City Lanes “Rock n Bowl” for Bowling, Food, Music, Fun and a little education!!!

Includes 1 CEU

Register as a team of 4 or Single and join other Members to make a team! You may win a Trophy!

Rock “n” Bowl 3000 South Carrollton Avenue

(off Corner of S. Carrollton and Earhart Blvd.) New Orleans, LA 70118

TUESDAY Date: October 23, 2012

Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Cost: $50 per person

Bring a Team to Compete! Can’t Bowl, have a presence by sponsoring a Lane with a donation of $100.

We are waiting to hear from you!

Time is ticking so contact me soon to save a space on the lanes for you and your team!

Please contact me for more information or reservations!Lynn Giavotella e – lgiavotella@cox.netp - 504.579.4064

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September went by very fast, and here we are in the second week of October, 2012 Although I was unable to attend the September Chapter Meeting, I heard it was another good meeting with a presentation by Wynn White from the Baton Rouge Chapter, who is also a New Orleans Chapter member. It was held at a different venue Two Tonys, due to the damage done to the Southern Yacht Club incurred from, Hurricane Isaack. Considering Hurricane Isaack was only a Category 1 Hurricane it surely did a lot of damage around the Metropolitan area mainly to areas outside the fl ood wall system. We hope to be back in the Yacht Club for our November Chapter Meeting.

I attended the CSI Construct 2012 Convention and Product Exhibition. in Phoenix with Bob Swan and Lynn Ostenson from the 11th through the 14th of September. The educational sessions that I attended were all very informative. The exhibit hall had quite a few new products to see.

This month we have our special fund raising event Bowling at Rock and Bowl and our Chapter Meeting with a 1 CEU presentation and donations from bowling and those who give and don’t bowl go to our Scholarship Fund and are of course tax deductible. More information is contained in this Newsletter including the CEU presentation.

We hope to see you at our special event Meeting on Tuesday, October 23, 2012.

Skip Treme’, CSINew Orleans Chapter President

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Did you know CSI is unveiling a new look ? Read about it on Page 6 !

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Six foot display table to be set up for the entire meeting. Product literature and samples are encouraged.

• Approximately 5-minute product presentation to the general membership.• One meal included in cost for night of presentation.

CSI Meetings are typically on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Call to discuss available time slots.Monthly time slots are generally assigned on a fi rst come, fi rst served basis.Cost: Members $75.00, Non-members $100.00. Check payable to CSI New Orleans’ Chapter.

Send Application and Deposit to: Chuck Hite, CSI, AIA | Eskew+Dumez+Ripple | 365 Canal Street Suite 3150 | New Orleans, LA 70130

TABLE TOP INCLUDES:

Name: Company:

Address:

Phone: CSI Member? Yes No

Products to Display:

NEWSLETTER BUSINESS CARD ADVERTISEMENTS

We are taking advertisements again for the New Orleans Chapter Newsletter the “Invitation,” the fi rst time since

before Hurricane Katrina, when we forced to go to a fully electronic version of our Chapter Newsletter. The following is a listing of the types, sizes, and costs of advertisements, that we will insert into our Newsletter: Business Card Ads: CSI Members $100.00 for 12 months/11 Issues. Nonmembers $125.00 for 12 Months/11 Issues. Double Size Business Card Ads: CSI Members $225.00 for 12 months/11Issues. Nonmembers $250.00 for 12 Months/11 Issues. Half Page Ads: CSI Members $500.00 for 12 months/11 Issues. Nonmembers $750.00 for 12months/11 Issues. Full Page Ads: CSI Members $750.00 for 12 months/11 Issues. Nonmembers $1,000.00 for 12 months/11 Issues One Time Full Page Ads: CSI Members $100.00 Double Sided Ads $125.00 Nonmembers $150.00 Double Sided Ads $175.00.

To have Ads added to the Newsletter contact Lynn Ostenson, CSI Chapter Publications Chair at 504- 561-8686.

AnnouncementsTECH.TALK

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Monthly Spectator...a monthly report on a mid-western transplant’s observations, by Lynn Ostenson.

... in the meantime, ponder this!

CSI New Orleans has a handful of new members! Come down to Rock N Bowl on Tuesday night for your CEU, to raise money for a great cause and to greet some familiar faces and new friends!

PATRICK BARRY KEITH BOONE ADAM KIMBLE BARRY SCAIRONO NICHOLAS SCHEIB STEVEN HART FRANCINE GUIGNO BARRY TRICHE CYNTHIA ROBIDOU MATHEW NICHOLAS ...

Welcome!

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The Annual Meeting of The Construction Specifi cations Institute was more interesting than many I have attended in prior years. This article is a summary of the events.

Walt Marlow, CSI, P.E. and Greg Markling, FCSI, CCS, SCIP, Institute President started the meeting with a review of the fi scal year 2012 for CSI.

Generally the membership numbers are in decline, but the retention of new members is thought to be the issue why the numbers are in decline. Actually more new members join than retirements; however those new members don’t stay around.

The challenge to this chapter is keep all new members and not let anyone retiring just dropout.

The only resolution presented, debated, and approved by the members in attendance was to establish the Building Technology Task Team and their budget. This effort is the result of a blog started by Robert Johnson, Distinguished Member, CCS, CCCA lamenting the decline of technical education of architects and engineering students in the collages and universities; especially the lack of knowledge on the assembly of building components. This task team is charged with reviewing the problem, evaluate what CSI could do to correct the problem; and provide recommendations and a business plan if necessary to the Institute Board prior to the 2013 Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Institute Board had already appointed the members of the task team and voted the monies for their work prior to the Annual Meeting; but decided to give the membership a voice in formalizing their actions.

The Institute Board then decided to drop the bomb with introduction of the professional “re-branders” that has worked for years with the Institute Board to determine a new look and hopefully new membership numbers. Based upon surveys of members and non-members they concluded that a majority of the members are not “Specifi ers”; many prospective members are not “Specifi ers”; and many possible members don’t understand what CSI is or does but that we are just a group of “Specifi ers”; grumpy old white guys arguing about the number of numbers in an obscurely formatted document that nobody reads or understands.

The result of this effort is to evolve like “General Motors™” to GM™ - from The Construction Specifi cations Institute to CSI (recall the image located under the President’s Column).

After the presentation concluded the format of the Meeting allow a brief discussion on the merits of the change and not the graphics of the evolution of the name. The Institute Board has not yet defi ned how this transition to CSI will occur.

After a few thanks to individuals and other brief member statements; the Gulf States Region challenged the members and their suppliers in partnership with the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity to design and construct a net zero energy residence at CONSTRUCT 2013 with the dedication to occur at that Annual Meeting. More information about this challenge is to be posted on the GSR Website shortly.

The Annual Meeting concluded with the passing of the Albert Bear (New Orleans Chapter CSI) from the Phoenix Chapter to the Nashville Chapter and a presentation by the Nashville Chapter about the city and possible venues for entertainment, historical tours, sports, and cultural events.

Submitted by Robert Swan, CCS, CCCA, CSI, SCIP

Annual Meeting Report

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How have the architect’s responsibilities changed?About a hundred years ago, when AIA produced the document that eventually would become the familiar A201, the architect was fi rmly in control of construction. The 1915 AIA general conditions state, in Article 9, “The Architect shall have general supervision and direction of the work… The Architect has authority to stop the work whenever, in his opinion, such stoppage may be necessary to insure the proper execution of the Contract.” Article 11 required the Contractor to “give effi cient supervision to the work”, and Article 12 required the Contractor to “provide and pay for all materials, labor, water, tools, equipment, light and power necessary for the execution of the work.”

Those basic responsibilities remained essentially the same until the 1960s. Since then, a lot has changed. In 1961, an architect was found liable for the death of a worker in Day v. National U.S. Radiator Corporation. It wasn’t the fi rst time an architect had been sued and it won’t be the last, but this was a case that called into question the basic responsibilities of the architect, as defi ned by the general conditions.

Briefl y, Wilson & Coleman, an architectural fi rm in Louisiana, designed a new hospital building for the Louisiana State Building Authority. The contractor hired a subcontractor for all work related to the central heating system and the hot water system, which included a boiler. The specifi cations required a thermostat and a pressure relief valve for the boiler, but the subcontractor installed them instead on a water storage tank. The subcontractor did not inform the architect the system was ready for inspection, or request that an inspection be made. The subcontractor performed a preliminary test, the boiler exploded, and one of the subcontractor’s employees was killed.

It seems obvious that the subcontractor caused the explosion, fi rst, by not installing the required safety equipment, and second, by not requesting inspection of the system before testing. However, a district court found the architects responsible, and relieved other defendants of liability. The architects appealed the decision. The court of appeals not only agreed with the lower court, but increased the amount of damages. How could the courts come to this decision? The architects, by contract responsible for “supervision of the work”, were found negligent for failing to inspect the installation of the hot water system, and for approving shop drawings that did not show a pressure relief valve. In other words, the architects should have been at the site all the time, and should have watched the entire construction process. Apparently, they should have known the boiler was being installed, and they should have inspected it continuously, even if the installer did not tell them about the installation.

In the end, the decision was overturned by the Supreme Court of Louisiana. That court determined that the architect’s responsibility was not to continuously verify compliance with the contract documents, but to verify before fi nal acceptance that the contractor had used the correct materials, and “generally that the owner secured the building it had contracted for.” In this case, the courts eventually came to the conclusion that the architect is not responsible for safety, provided the architect is not specifi cally assigned that responsibility. In other decisions, similar conclusions were made, except in cases when the architect assumed that responsibility by voluntarily becoming engaged in matters related to safety.

Even though the architects in this case eventually were absolved, the AIA quickly updated and reissued its A201 in 1963, only two years after the previous edition. In the 1963 general conditions, the architect’s responsibilities were reduced; the architect now was required only to “make periodic visits to the site” and was not required to “make exhaustive or continuous on-site inspections…”

Con’t on page 9...

CSI Member Blog

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CSI Member Blog

In the 1966 A201, the defi nitions of responsibilities of both the architect and the contractor were expanded. The brief comments regarding the contractor’s supervision of the work and paying for “light and power” were supplemented by making the contractor “solely responsible for all construction means, methods, techniques, sequences and procedures and for coordinating all portions of the Work under the Contract.” And if that wasn’t clear enough, Article 2 - Architect, states the same thing, as a negative, for the architect: “The Architect will not be responsible for construction means, methods, techniques, sequences or procedures, or for safety precautions and programs in connection with the Work, and he will not be responsible for the Contractor’s failure to carry out the Work…” (my emphasis).

Read again what is said about the responsibilities of the architect and of the contractor. In essence, the architect is responsible for showing what the building should look like, and what materials should be used where, and the contractor is responsible for pretty much everything else. Note there is nothing that requires the architect to tell the contractor, or the manufacturer, or the installer how to do their jobs. In fact, it states “The contractor shall be solely responsible for and have control over construction means, methods, techniques, sequences, and procedures and for coordinating all portions of the Work…”

In 1970, the last vestige of the architect’s former power was removed. The power to “stop the work” was taken from the architect and given to the owner. This was important, as architects continued to be found liable for worksite injuries, despite the exculpatory provisions of the general conditions. In effect, courts found the “stop the work” clause to mean the architect remained in control of the project, had a duty to understand the hazards associated with all types of work, and should take appropriate action to prevent injuries. Since then, the requirement to “make periodic visits” was changed to “visit the site at intervals appropriate to the stage of construction” to further reduce liability.

Some may argue that none of this diminishes the architect’s position as Master Builder, but AIA commentaries suggest otherwise. The commentary to the 2007 A201 states, regarding the means and methods clause in 4.2.2, “The last sentence [which ends with ‘since these are solely the Contractor’s rights and responsibilities’] underscores the statement of the contractor’s responsibilities in 3.3.1 and reinforces the dividing line between the contractor’s responsibilities and those of the architect” (my emphasis). Regarding 1.2.1, which states, “The intent of the Contract Documents is to include all items necessary…what is required by one shall be as binding as if required by all…” the comment is, “The contractor is expected to make reasonable inferences…[if] the documents show wall partitions covered by drywall…it may be inferred that some reasonable method will be used to attach the drywall to the underlying framework.”

Clearly, those who write the general conditions no longer see the architect as responsible for much beyond a general description of the intended results, and now expect the contractor to play a more prominent role in execution of the contract.

© 2012, Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSCFo llow me at http://swconstructivethoughts.blogspot.com/, http://swspecifi cthoughts.blogspot.com/,http://twitter.com/swolfearch

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Save the Date !

WHAT: CSI New Orleans Fall Seminar6 CEUs of continuing education!

WHEN: Wednesday, November 149:00 am to 4:00 pm (Registration/check in at 8:30)

WHERE: Delgado Community CollegeBayou Lafourche Room2nd Floor Student Life Center (next to elevator lobby)

SPECIAL PLANNING NOTE:

Due to Election night, the November Board Meeting will be shifted to November 8th, and will be held at Delgado Community College, immediately following the Mentoring Session...

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CSI Mentoring

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THE MISSIONThe mission of CSI is to advance building information management and education of project teams to improve facility performance.

THE VALUES OF CSICSI is an association dedicated to improving organization, management, and communication of building information through:

A diversifi ed membership base of allied professionals involved in the creation and management of the built environment. Continuous development and transformation of standards and formats. Education and certifi cation of professionals to improve project delivery processes Creation of practice tools to assist users throughout the facility life-cycle

OBJECTIVESSupport and strengthen chapters and regions and develop synergy among all levels to harness the energy and innovation within CSI.Align CSI’s resources to key strategic priorities Develop technological competencies and infrastructure to fuel effective member communications and growth

To read more of the Strategic Plan of CSI visit http://csinet.org

MISSION STATEMENT

Technology Corner

BIM: The Way of the Future?September 28, 2012 (Source: http://www.constructech.com/news/articles/article.aspx?article_id=9420&SECTION=1)

Has BIM (building information modeling) gone mainstream? The much-discussed process has grabbed the attention of many builders, contrac-tors, and corporate owners for years—and success stories can be found in home construction, specialty projects, heavy/highway, and buildings, among others.

Now, as the industry begins to grapple with BIM on a more regular basis, even the analysts are saying BIM will become a necessity for the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry going forward.

Pike Research, which was recently acquired by Navigant, www.navigant.com, Chicago, Ill., released a new report this week that shows adopters of BIM will gain a signifi cant advantage in the tight economic conditions. Leading regions for BIM adoption include North America and Western Europe, followed by high growth in Asia Pacifi c.

One of the contributing factors to adoption in North America and Western Europe includes the fact public organizations such as the GSA (Gen-eral Service Admin.), www.gsa.gov, Washington, D.C., require the use of BIM on projects.

Eric Bloom, senior research analyst, Pike Research, says, “As BIM tools and processes are adopted by more and more fi rms in the industry, and the advantages of these tools and processes will begin to be realized through higher quality and more reliable deliverables, BIM adoption will become a necessity for competing effectively in the market.”

The technology to enable the BIM process continues to advance as well. In other recent news, Nemetschek Vectorworks, www.vectorworks.net, Columbia, Md., and IES (Integrated Environmental Solutions), www.iesve.com, Glasgow, U.K., announced a partnership to improve collaboration and energy modeling.

Through the partnership, Nemetschek Vectorworks and IES have created integration between the two systems using the IFC (Industry Founda-tion Classes) fi le format. In order to maximize the quality of models, the connection implements a geometry transport of “thick-wall” models for energy analysis.

The IFC fi le format is the standard used by members of the Open BIM program—a campaign initiated by buildingSMART, www.buildingsmart.com, that aims to globally promote the concept of “Open BIM” throughout the entire lifecycle of a project.

The use of BIM has even evolved to the point where many construction professionals are discussing the potential for sharing the BIM data from construction through operations—although the actual common practice of this it not yet mainstream.

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New Orleans Chapter CSIBoard of Directors FY2012-13

President Skip Treme (504) 858-3957 skip.treme@gmail.com

President-Elect Alex Sirko (504) 585-1315 tko15@earthlink.net

Vice President Lynn Ostenson (504) 561-8686 lostenson@eskewdumezripple.com

Vice President Gary Brumfield (504) 834-8456 garyb@waldobrothers.com

Secretary Claudia Seligman (504) 236-0497 cseligman@charter.net

Treasurer Chuck Hite (504) 561-8686 chite@eskewdumezripple.com

Director Bill Stoffle (504) 349-8595 bill.stoffle@jpss.k12.la.us

Director Nicholas Volker (225) 445-5191 njvolker@me.com

Director Jimmy Castex (504) 593-0607 jacastex@dkslaw.com

Director Kevin White (985) 630-6648 KWhite@assaabloydss.com

Immediate Past President Chris Young (504) 524-4634 cjy@blitchknevel.com

Committee ChairsAwards Chris Young (504) 524-4634 cjy@blitchknevel.com

Education Alex Sirko (504) 585-1315 tko15@earthlink.net

Finance Neuville Hotstream (504) 733-8366 neuville@cdhno.com

Long Term Planning Chris Clement (504) 822-8063 chris@sowalls.com

Membership Gary Brumfield (504) 834-8456 garyb@waldobrothers.com

President’s Advisory Knox Tumlin (504) 304-3625 Knox@pascalarchitects.com

Programs Nicholas Volker (225) 445-5191 njvolker@me.com

Publications Lynn Ostenson (504) 561-8686 lostenson@eskewdumezripple.com

Publicity Lynn Giavotella (504) 579-4064 lgiavotella@cox.net

Special Events Bill Stoffle (504) 349-8595 bill.stoffle@jpss.k12.la.us

Technical Bob Kleinpeter (504) 561-8686 bkleinpeter@eskewdumezripple.com

Trade Liaison Valerie Vaughan valvaughn@hotmail.com

Sub-CommitteesAcademic Liaison (Education) Chris Young (504) 524-4634 cjy@blitchknevel.com

Certification (Technical) Bob Kleinpeter (504) 561-8686 bkleinpeter@eskewdumezripple.com

Faculty Advisor Victor Mirzai (504) 671-6184 pmirza@dcc.edu

Golf Tournament (Sp. Events) Kevin Morris (504) 585-1315 k.mo@hollyandsmith.com

Newsletter (Publications) Lynn Ostenson (504) 561-8686 lostenson@eskewdumezripple.com

Product Show (Sp. Events) Bill Stoffle (504) 349-8595 bill.stoffle@jpss.k12.la.us

Rebuild Right Work Day (Sp. Ev.) Bob Conescu (504) 469-3666 robert@ipikdoor.com

Seminars (Education) Alex Sirko (504) 585-1315 tko15@earthlink.net

Website (Publicity) Jay Seastrunk (504) 813-8765 seastrunk@seastrunk.org

Christmas Party (Sp. Events) Cathie Joffary (504) 416-1679 cathie.joffray@gmail.com

Region - InstituteGulf States Region President John Dunaway john@ccdarchitects.com

GSR Institute Director Floyd Sterling fsterling@shreveland.com

Institute (800) 689-2900 www.csinet.org

(504) 908-2625

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Dates to Remember

2012Jul 4 INDEPENDENCE DAY

7 Board Meeting / FY13 Planning Session12 Invitation submissions deadline19 Specheads24 Chapter Meeting (SYC)

Aug 3 Early reg ends - Fall Certification Exams7 Board Meeting10-11 Gulf States Region Leadership Meeting

(Chattanooga)16 Invitation submissions deadline16 Specheads28 Chapter Meeting31 Reg ends - Fall Certification Exams

Sep 3 LABOR DAY4 Board Meeting11-15 CSI Convention (Phoenix)13 Invitation submissions deadline20 Specheads25 Chapter Meeting

Oct 1-26 Fall Certification Exams2 Board Meeting11 Invitation submissions deadline18 Specheads23 Chapter Meeting

Nov 6 Board Meeting8* Rebuild Right – Speed Mentoring

(Delgado C.C.)14* Fall Seminar15 Invitation submissions deadline15 Specheads22 THANKSGIVING27 Chapter Meeting

Dec 4 Board Meeting 13 Specheads18 Christmas Party (SYC)25 CHRISTMAS DAY

2013Jan 1 NEW YEAR’S DAY

3 Board Meeting (Thursday)10 Invitation submissions deadline17 Specheads22 Chapter Meeting

Feb 5 Board Meeting - Nominations12 MARDI GRAS14 Invitation submissions deadline21 Specheads26 Chapter Meeting - Nominations31 Reg ends - Spring Certification Exams

Mar 5 Board Meeting9 Certif. Study Session (Delgado C.C.)14 Invitation submissions deadline16 Certif. Study Session (Delgado C.C.)21 Specheads23 Certif. Study Session (Delgado C.C.)26 Chapter Meeting - Elections31 EASTER

Apr 1-26 Spring Certification Exams2 Board Meeting11 Invitation submissions deadline18 Specheads23 Product Show / Spring Seminar26-27 Gulf States Region Conference

(Baton Rouge)

May 7 Board Meeting16 Invitation submissions deadline16 Specheads27 MEMORIAL DAY28 Crawfish Boil / Membership Drive

Jun 4 Board Meeting13 Invitation submissions deadline20 Specheads25 Chapter Awards, Installation Banquet

Board Meeting to Follow !

Bowling Tournament - CEH Event