Join us WED., March 23
N E W S L E T T E R T h e Lo s A n g e l e s C Ha p t e r o f t h e CONSTRUCTION Specifications Institute
MARCH/APRIL 2011
Hear about the Mexicali Earthquake–Observations on Structural Damages.
Join us WED., April 27 Learn about designing with Stainless Steel. LACSI.org
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Content
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Letter FROM THE President
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2011
Your Committees At Work
VolUME 65
NU M b e r 2
Almost every major committee has been busy keeping tabs on membership, education, communication, and finance.
LACSI March Program
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Mexicali Earthquake: Observations On Structural Damages David Karina, CSI, CDT, RCI, President of Dynamic Engineering & Inspection, Inc. will present his observations on the damages resulting from the magnitude 7.2 El Mayor – Cucapah, (Mexicali) earthquake.
West Region CORNER
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BuchNotes
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Membership News
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10 Topics for Green Compliance
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The Value Of Designing With Stainless Steel
January Meeting photos
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Patrick Fallon of Contrarian Metal Resources (CMR) will present an overview of the architectural applications for stainless steel using recent projects.
Certification class photos
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Curmugeon’s corne r
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Do you have an idea for something that the chapter could do to make membership even more valuable? We’d love to hear about it. valarieh@pacbell.net
LACSI APRIL Program
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L e t t e r F r o m T h e P r e si d e n t
Patrick Comerford, President
Thank you for taking the time to read my monthly letter. There has been significant activity (both in quantity and in quality). Almost every major committee has been busy keeping tabs on membership, education, communication, and finance. Membership The problems presented by ‘this economy’ on maintaining membership at traditional levels has been a challenge. This has been a key concern of almost all volunteer professional organizations. CSI Institute and LACSI have put together incentive programs to bolster efforts to maintain membership. These have worked with varying degrees of success. Valarie Harris heads up this committee for the chapter. Jan Piccola is involved with the national membership committee. Both of these women are veteran CSI leaders and would welcome any assistance or suggestions you may offer. Meetings for the membership committee usually take place before monthly dinner meetings. Typically, this group has the largest attendance of any committee meetings. The
group is comprised of a true cross section of industry and professional members. The tasks are rather simple and straight- forward, however the ‘silver lining’ to becoming a member of this diverse group is making acquaintance with so many other members at a meeting before the dinner meeting. Although attendance at monthly dinner meetings is certainly not mandatory, they are paid for by your dues. If you decide to become involved in the chapter, membership is the least impacting committee to your schedule, time invested, or your budget. Education The Education Committee is the rock star of our chapter. The mission statement for the chapter reads:
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education, research, certification, recognition of outstanding accomplishments and networking opportunities within the Chapter, Region, Institute and construction industry. There are several seminars which have recently been conducted for the professional development of the entire southern California commercial construction industry. The Accessibility Seminars in Ventura and at USC, in January, were well attended and beneficial to those architects, spec writers, construction administrators, and code officials lucky enough to participate.
Presenter Jim Vitale’s program was well received and timely for professional members looking LACSI’s 10-week courses offer to fulfill accessibility hundreds of hours of instruction learning and are a huge contribution requirements with to the local commercial their CA State construction market. license renewal.
The mission of the Los Angeles Chapter of The Construction Specifications Institute is to provide its members the opportunity to share information about materials and methods of construction and to promote improved preparation, delivery and use of construction documents. The Chapter fosters professional development of its members and provides service to the construction industry by promoting
The Certification Sub-Committee section of the Education Committee has enlisted dozens of volunteers to teach preparation classes for the CDT (Certified Document Technologist), CCS (Certified Construction Specifier), CCCA (Certified Construction Contract Administrator), CCPR (Certified Construction Product Continued on page 4 3
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Continued from page 3 Representative) examinations. LACSI’s 10week courses offer hundreds of hours of instruction and are a huge contribution to the local commercial construction market. The course schedule leads up to National Certification Exam period at various Prometric test centers between March 28th and April 11th, 2011. The leaders of the Education Committee are self motivated and have the resources to make this annual event an unqualified success every year. The Sustainability Sub-Committee section has been extremely active lately preparing the seminars for CSI Nite 2011. The lineup of speakers and topics address the current dilemma for design professionals and industry members (the confusion designing or supplying material for ‘green’ projects). The electronic handouts and reference materials should be used extensively by attendees. Communications The biggest change in LACSI is the way we communicate with you. The format, distribution, and presentation of this award winning newsletter were just the beginning. If you remember, there was an existing award winning newsletter
presented by LACSI in written format. It was hard to convince the masses that a change was even necessary. Nonetheless, cost cutting measures prevailed and the way we communicate with you has improved (exponentially). The website is being updated with changes to emulate the format and feel of the newsletter. The website committee is scheduled to preview the new format and function of www.LACSI.org at a spring dinner meeting. This mechanism of communication will be the way we inform you on a continual basis.
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Jerry L. Pozo, BS ,CSI, CDT Architectural/Technical Consultant
Cell: 408.595.2031 Phone/Fax: 530.885.6828 E: jpozo@bmi-products.com www.bmi-products.com
BMI Products of Northern California, Inc. 990 Ames Avenue Milpitas, CA 95035-6303 Tel: 408.293.4008 Fax: 408.293.4103
¤ Stucco ¤ 690 Plaster ¤ Tile Mortar ¤ Masonry Mortar ¤ Acrylic Finishes
Lastly, the program fliers we send out by mail will be transformed into electronic announcements. This change should save the chapter a few thousand dollars a year and numerous hours of volunteer time putting together each flyer. However, the catalyst for this change is presentation and appearance. So please take LACSI off your spam filter (if you want to get these e-blasts). Thanks for taking the time to finish reading this letter. As evident in the above paragraphs, managing this wonderful collection of diverse parts is more spectator than activist. I just have to remember to keep changing the oil.
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UP C O M I NG M E M BER S H I P M EET I NG
March LACSI PROGRAM Mexicali Earthquake: Observations on Structural Damages
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 5:30 to 6:30 pm Technical Workshop Social 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Dinner 7:00 pm - 7:45 pm After Dinner Program 7:45 pm
Reservations
David Karina, CSI, CDT, RCI, President of Dynamic Engineering & Inspection, Inc. will present his observations on the damages resulting from the magnitude 7.2 El Mayor – Cucapah, (Mexicali) earthquake. The earthquake occurred on Sunday, April 4th 2010, and was located 40 miles south of the Mexico-USA border at shallow depth along the principal plate boundary between the North American and Pacific plates. This was a major earthquake in an area with an historically high level of seismicity.
Reservations required by 4:00, Friday, March 18. Call 213-243-6658 or reserve at www.lacsi.org
One of the most significant features of El Mayor Cucapah earthquake was the occurrence of widespread liquefaction over almost the entire Mexicali Valley, BC.
Location
Cost LACSI MEMBERS With advance reservations: FREE Without reservations: $10 NON MEMBERS With reservations: $50, Without reservations: $60
In addition to significant damage to buildings, the liquefaction and lateral spread caused the collapse of a railway bridge over the Colorado River.
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion–5th Floor Banquet Room 135 N Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA
Lessons from this earthquake include the need to develop and improve low-cost foundation systems for houses on liquefiable soil; to improve the seismic design of water and wastewater treatment systems; and to improve the seismic design of nonstructural features of buildings, particularly in hospitals.
Enter the elevator lobby on the Grand Ave. side of the building from street level. Take the elevator to the 5th floor. Los Angeles Thomas Guide: 634, Grid F3.
David Karina was a field coordinator for Cal-EMA, directing emergency inspection of both occupied and unoccupied structures throughout Imperial County following the earthquake. The Safety Assessment Program team consisted of CalEMA certified volunteers from AIA, CALBO, ACIA, SEAOC and ASCE.
Parking Enter the garage from Grand Ave. Tell the attendant you are with LACSI. Parking is free if you arrive after 4pm.
PRogram Chairman Ed Buch, CSI, CCS, AIA 5
UP C O M I NG M E M BER S H I P M EET I NG
APRIL LACSI CSI PROGRAM THE VALUE OF DESIGNING WITH STAINLESS STEEL Want to include some chromium, nickel, and molybdenum in the exterior skin of your next project? Patrick Fallon of Contrarian Metal Resources (CMR) will present an overview of the architectural applications for stainless steel using recent projects, including several in California. The presentation will highlight the benefits of the different grades of stainless steel, their applications in different environmental conditions and show a wide variety of creative applications for its use in exterior wall and roofing design. The impact of texturing, elevated levels of flatness and other issues that affect final fabrication and metal performance will be discussed. Contrarian Metal Resources also manufactures/distributes a wide range of stainless steel products for interior use including colorized and graphic stainless steel. Stainless steel is frequently the most cost effective exterior cladding choice as well as the most environmentally sensible material when sustainability and maintenance costs are considered. Contrarian Metal Resources was founded in 2001 near Pittsburgh in Allison Park, PA. It has grown to become one of the most important suppliers of architectural metals on signature projects in the US and abroad. CMR provides information to architects and specifiers on metallurgical topics for use in selecting and specifying high performance metals.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm 7:00 pm - 7:45 pm 7:45
Specifier’s Roundtable Social Dinner After Dinner Program
Reservations Reservations required by 4:00, Friday., April 22. Call 213-243-6658 or reserve at www.lacsi.org
Cost LACSI MEMBERS With advance reservations: FREE Without reservations: $10 NON MEMBERS With reservations: $50, Without reservations: $60
Location Dorothy Chandler Pavilion–5th Floor Banquet Room 135 N Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA Enter the elevator lobby on the Grand Ave. side of the building from street level. Take the elevator to the 5th floor. Los Angeles Thomas Guide: 634, Grid F3.
Parking Enter the garage from Grand Ave. Tell the attendant you are with LACSI. Parking is free if you arrive after 4pm.
PRogram Chairman Ed Buch, CSI, CCS, AIA 6
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West Region Corner
Stephen Nash, CSI, CCS,CCCA, AIA, LEED AP CSI Director - West Region
All of you should have received an email message regarding the CSI 2011 election. The balloting opens 1 February and will be conducted electronically. Please take few minutes to vote. If you have not received notification please contact CSI by phone 800689-2900 or email at csi@csinet.org to let them know. Included on this year’s ballot is a proposed Institute Bylaws Amendment to create a single class of voting members titled “Professional Member” and change the name of the existing “Intermediate Member” classification to “Emerging Professional Member”. This revision to the bylaws is the final step in establishing complete equality to all voting members. The amendment is long overdue and fully supported by the Institute Board; I urge you to vote in its favor. More detailed information regarding the proposed amendment as well as candidate backgrounds and statements are available at www.csinet. org/election. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the CSI West Region Members Forum to be held
on Friday this coming 4th of March from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Francesco’s Italian Restaurant, 8520 Pardee Dr., Oakland, CA. The CSI West Region Board will be held the next day Saturday on the 5th of March at the nearby Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel from 9:00 AM until 4:00 pm. All West Region Members are welcomed to attend the Board meeting as well. The West Region is currently developing leadership training for chapter leaders. The one day program will be held in both northern and southern California to increase accessibility and west region chapter leader’s participation. More information will be forthcoming but you may contact the Leadership Development team chairs, Jan Piccola, FCSI or Jennifer Alexander, CSI, CCCA if you have any questions, suggestions or are interested in assisting.
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informed me he had been shown the door by the architectural firm he had worked at for the last ten years. This was only the latest in a number of specification writers I have known that have been released from their duties in the last couple of years. The others however were a direct result of less work from the downturn in the economy. Spike’s case is a little different. His firm related that they had decided that with the purchase of new specification software the current staff would begin to write specifications themselves and that they no longer needed a dedicated specifier. They even told him they were excited about the prospect of preparing specifications.
OK, I realize Spike’s credibility is on thin ice now, but that’s what he told me; these architects actually claimed to be excited about preparing specifications! Even The remainder of if you don’t buy into this message will their excitement, concentrate on some Everyone is encouraged to they had still made thoughts regarding participate in the CSI West the decision to let changes in the Region Members Forum on their specifier go specification industry. Friday, March 4th, in Oakland, CA and distribute the If you are seeking responsibilities to additional information others in the firm. on other CSI news and The fact is Spike lost his job to the computer. activities is available on both the region and Everyone is aware how the personal computer Institute websites. and software has revolutionized the office Everyone in CSI is too aware of the huge hit our environment. Just look at how most business industry has taken in this economic downturn. professionals now handle responsibilities once In December I received yet another reminder Continued on page 8 when a friend and fellow specifier, I’ll call Spike, 7
West region Corner
Continued from page 7
delegated to secretaries in the past. The evolution of preparing specifications is no different. Remember when specifications were cut and pasted? When Spike decided to go into the field in the early 90’s as he was thinking specification writing would be a position with growing demand. After all buildings were becoming increasingly complicated, architecture more specialized and the industry more litigious. The need for professionals specialized in specification writing would no doubt remain in demand, or so he thought. Today Spike is convinced specifiers are under appreciated and becoming an antiquated profession. Developments in specification writing software are not the only recent advancements to impact the process of how specifications are prepared. The Building Information Modeling (BIM) revolution could very well be a bigger force on specifying. BIM is most efficient when the product option decisions and selections are placed in the hands of the modeler or computer operator. As these decisions are made, specification software that cost Spike his job, linked in with BIM could automatically prepare those particular Part 2 product articles and paragraphs of that product’s specification
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section. Simultaneously the specification software can also modify other cross reference portions of that and other specification sections automatically. The potential for a BIM computer modeler to prepare portions if not all of Division 02-49 specification sections without any direct knowledge of specifications or input from a dedicated specifier is coming. It is too soon to begin writing obituary on the dedicated specifier position. There can be no doubt however that specifying has changed and that if will continue to evolve with software and other developments in the industry. The need for specifications will not go away or the need for individuals with specification, construction and product knowledge to assist in the preparation of specifications. One thing for sure, the process of preparing specifications will continue to change. And how are Spike and other specifiers to survive these changes? “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” – Clarence Darrow
Mark Brower, CDT Cell: 323-397-9000 Fax: 323-883-0275 email: mbrower@vistapaint.com 2020 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton, CA 92831
www.vistapaint.com
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Ed Buch, CSI, AIA, West Region Secretary The American Institute of Steel Construction, (AISC), is an authoritative source for structural and architectural information related to steel construction. In addition to their excellent free monthly magazine, Modern Steel Construction, the AISC also hosts a website with extensive information on steel construction. Most of this is aimed at structural engineers but I recently came across two publications on the website that will be useful for architects and product reps. The first is on fire protection in buildings and the other is on seismic and earthquake design. The AISC website can be found at aisc.org. In Facts for Steel Buildings, located in the Free Pubs tab on the home page, you’ll find “Fire Facts” and “Earthquakes and Seismic Design” both which can be downloaded for free.
Fire Facts “Fire Facts” starts with a section on basic fire science. Here, the four stages of a typical fire and factors leading to “flashover” are described. Heat transfer and temperatures resulting from different building fire conditions are explained. The difference
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between standard test fires, (per ASTM E119, UL 263 & NFPA 251), and real fires is explained. (Test fires are hotter and burn longer than a typical building fire.) Active and passive fire protection systems, and their effectiveness, are presented. The section on spray applied fire resistive materials, (SFRM), explains the differences in the two major types commonly used today. Intumescent coatings are also described. The weight and shape of the member being protected, (the W/D ratio), is the primary determinant of the SFRM thickness. The object of any SFRM is to keep the temperature of the steel below 1,300 F, the upper limit of steel’s elastic range. Since steel doesn’t begin to melt until it reaches a temperature of 2,700 F, there’s little likelihood of steel in a building fire actually melting since temperatures in typical building fires rarely exceed 1,500 F. The development of fire codes by the NFPA and the IBC codes is described. The publication concludes with a statistical section showing that steel framed buildings perform well in fires. Examples cited include the 1988 First Interstate Bank Tower fire in Los Angeles and the 1991 Meridian Plaza fire in Philadelphia.
Steel structures in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake performed well enough that of the 30 high rise structures in existence then, all survived the earthquake and subsequent fires, and 20 are still in use today. Structural codes evolved significantly in the 1070’s with greater attention being paid to the affects of soil factors in design. Seismic design codes were also made more stringent by requiring structures to resist the 2500 year seismic event where previously the 500 year event was the standard. Redundancy in structural frames became an important factor and the critical importance of continuity in the structural load paths received increased attention.
Earthquake and Seismic Design
Until the 1990s, steel frames were thought to be inherently ductile. The failure of numerous welded joints in both moment frames and braced frames in the 1994 Northridge earthquake lead to significant improvements in the building code provisions governing joint design.
“Earthquake and Seismic Design” begins with an interesting history of steel framed buildings and their performance in earthquakes.
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Continued from page 9 The section on seismology discuses the causes of earthquakes, where they occur, the use of the Richter Scale for measuring earthquake magnitude, the Modified Mercalli Scale to measure intensity, and why structural engineers use ground acceleration, rather than either scale, in seismic design. The section on earthquake engineering presents the reasoning behind each variable in the formula for calculating seismic loads and does so without extensive use of mathematical formula. Elastic and inelastic response, special and ordinary braced frames, moment frames, and buckling restrained braced frames are just some of the topics presented. Not enough detail here to actually do structural engineering but you’ll be able to better understand what the engineers are talking about. “Earthquake and Seismic Design” was written for the AISC in 2009 by Ronald O. Hamburger, SE, of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc. It has 64 pages. “Fire Facts” was written in 2003 by Richard G. Gewain & Nestor R. Iwankiw of Hughes Assoc., Inc., and Fraid Alfawakhiri of AISC. It has 51 pages. Each topic in both documents is presented in a question and answer format which makes them useful as reference materials.
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www.henry.com
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Membership News
In Memoriam Vernon Pounds
Southern California where he started his family and continued his career with Vidal Sassoon, Ellerbe Becket, NBBJ and HNTB. Throughout his professional life he held key roles on many large, diverse, and complex projects which include sports facilities, airports, hotels, and civil buildings, such as Staples Center, USC Galen Center, Invesco Field, Chase Field, Hawaii Prince Hotel and many other projects.
S a m u e l D r u c k e r , CS I , CCS Samuel (Sam) Drucker, CSI, CCS, died February 7, 2011 (just 9 days shy of his 83rd birthday), in Orange, California, after complications from surgery. Especially active in the Orange County Chapter of CSI, Sam will be dearly missed for his cheerful and helpful presence at the Orange County events.
He had the wonderful ability to lead and guide with the sensibility and genuineness of a friend without ever expecting anything in return. The following quotation sums it all up:
Vernon Veon Pounds, a devoted husband, father, friend, architect, and mentor passed away Saturday, January 29 at his home in San Pedro California at the age of 68 due to complications related to cancer. Vernon was the eldest of 5 children, born on October 24, 1942 in Hawaii to Veon and Pamela Pounds. He joined the Air Force reserve after high school and later graduated from Texas Western College. Vernon began his career and legacy with Anbe, Aruga, Ishizu Architects in Hawaii in 1966. In 1980 he married Inja and moved to
“Vernon was a special man. A man who brought so many people from different walks of life together in friendship, fellowship, fun times, great food, and lots of laughter. He welcomed everyone into his home to share it all. The world feels a little darker, a little colder today. I will miss his laugh, his warmth, his golf swing, and his compassion.” He is survived by his wife Inja, daughter Kristina Zavala, son Eric, and grandson Shane. Memorial services were held at the USC Galen Center on Thursday, February 24, 2011. Donations for the family are welcome in lieu of flowers. Please address donations to: Mrs. Kristina Zavala c/o HNTB Architects 601 West 5th St., Ste. 1000 Los Angeles, CA 90071
Sam was born on February 16, 1928 in New York. His parents were Pauline and Nathan Drucker. Sam was the youngest of five siblings. Many of us remember Sam’s lovely wife, Sylvia, who passed away in 1996. Sam is survived by three daughters - Deborah, Denise, and Diane; two grandsons - Alexander and Adam; two sons-in-law - Conrad and Mark; and many, many nieces and nephews. Sam served in the military (Army, Private First Class, stationed in Japan) at the conclusion of World War II from 1946 to 1947. Sam moved to Los Angeles, California in 1949, where he attended Los Continued on page 12 11
Membership news
Continued from page 11 Angeles City College and it was there that he met Sylvia. They were married and moved to Glendale, California. They later moved to Westminster in 1960 where they purchased their one and only home. Sam lived in that same house for over 50 years. Those of us who visited Sam in his home know what a loving and dear place it was. Sam worked in the Architectural field as a Draftsman and Specifications Writer. He worked for HL Gogerty & Associates; Austin Field Fry & Barlow; and Blurock Partnership. Sam retired in 1996. During his career and retirement, Sam was a proud member of both the Orange County Chapter and Los Angeles Chapter of CSI. He served on the Orange County Board of Directors as a Professional Director and then became the Chapter Treasurer. He was an active member of many committees. Sam also served as Treasurer of the Los Angeles Chapter of CSI for a few years as well. Sam was a member of the American Poolplayers Association (APA) winning many district and regional awards. He enjoyed playing pool, bridge and poker at the Senior Center. Sam loved spending time with his grandsons. Sam Drucker will be missed by all who had the privilege to know and love him. We will not be able to “fill his shoes”. He was a very brave and proud man to the end.
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NEW Members
5 Years Ago:
Welcome to all these new members! We look forward to meeting you at chapter activities:
ÐÐ Lissa Casanova, CSI, CDT Armstrong World Industries
ÐÐ Greg Stephan, CSI, Fasten Seal Products LLC
ÐÐ Jeffery Smith, PE, CS Los Angeles World Airports
ÐÐ Derek Rinella, CSI
ÐÐ James McGinley, CSI Rasmussen & Associates
ÐÐ Craig Monroe, CSI, Monroe Architectural Concepts, Inc. ÐÐ Bill Seldenright, CSI ÐÐ Skye Smith, CSI, BGF Archtiects, LLP
Member Recognition Congratulations to all these members who joined in January or February and have maintained continuous membership.
More than 40 Years Ago: ÐÐ Virgil Troyer CSI, Member Emeritus
More than 30 Years Ago: ÐÐ David Deyell, CSI, Member Emeritus
More than 25 Years Ago: ÐÐ John Thoman, CSI, Member Emeritus ÐÐ Druce De Jong, CSI ÐÐ Tim McDonald, CSI, Mer-Kote Products ÐÐ Larry Whitlock, CSI, CCS, CCCA
M e m b e r s h i p C o mmi t t e e News Congratulations to Jerry Orland, CSI We are all volunteers. We need your help and it’s good for you and your business, too. Sharpen your public speaking skills, hone management/leadership skills, make strong professional contacts and while you share your time, you will have a good time. To help or share your ideas, just contact our President, Patrick Comerford, CSI at sos002@earthlink. net or Membership Co- Chairs, Valarie Harris, FCSI, CCPR valarieh@pacbell.net and Teena Santiago, CSI, CDT TSantiago@leoadaly.com. 12
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EDU C AT I ON
10 Key Topics for Green Compliance By Timothy J. Corbett, BSRM, MSM, LEED GA
Introduction Many state and local governments are requiring the built environment to become “greener.” Cities and counties are implementing requirements at the local level to increase energy efficiency and require greater sustainability in buildings. ÐÐ The District of Columbia (DC) adopted green building and energy benchmarking legislation, and conducting a second round of a “stricter green” building code. ÐÐ New York City adopted a Greener, Greater Buildings Plan requiring building energy ratings and annual disclosure for larger buildings, energy audits including meeting the New York City Energy Code. ÐÐ San Francisco and Los Angeles have adopted green building ordinances imposing requirements for water and energy conservation, as well as waste reduction. ÐÐ January 1, 2011 California implemented its’ state-wide green buildings code known as “CalGreen” requiring a 20% reduction in water usage, recycling of 50% of construction waste and the use of low-emissions paint, carpets. The law requires the inspection of all heating,
air conditioning and other mechanical systems in all non-residential buildings over 10,000 square feet. ÐÐ Forty (40) California cities have enacted their own mandatory green building ordinances with varying degrees of requirements, many stricter than the mandatory measures of CalGreen.
Independent Third Party Rating Programs Adding to the mix, municipalities across the United States have implemented green building requirements using independent third party green rating systems such as LEED and GreenPoints. California also uses the California Green Builder Program developed by the California Building Industry Association’s Building Industry. Several cities and counties have developed their own alternative green programs using rating systems, independent guidelines and checklists. In 2009, the International Code Council launched the development of a new International Green Construction Code (IGCC) stating a commitment to developing a model code focused on new and existing commercial buildings addressing green building design and performance.
Key Topics There are numerous programs and requirements related to sustainable buildings. The following are 10 key topics regarding green buildings and code compliance. Based on the most restrictive state-wide program implemented in California, CalGreen; that code will be used as a primary example of compliance issues, concerns and recommendations. Even if you don’t live in California, similar requirements are most likely heading your way. It seems when something occurs in California, it eventually makes its way across the country.
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Avoid the Moving Green Target
As state sustainable requirements are implemented, it is extremely important to identify the minimum requirements as the first step. Project owners may be interested in heightening green standards using state voluntary codes or third party programs such as LEED or GreenPoints. Having upfront discussions documenting project objectives is essential. Identify mandatory requirements and/or enhanced sustainable objectives at the time of signing the contract is extremely important. Great care is needed identifying effective dates of future sustainable
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Continued from page 13 requirements. For example; certain Water Efficiency and Conservation requirements of the CalGreen Code take effect at a later date, July 1, 2011. Watch for future updates of state and third party programs realizing voluntary measures will most likely become mandatory in the future.
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Aggressive Submittal Requests
Whenever new versions of building codes are implemented, there is a rush to submit projects to building officials before current codes expire. With the many moving parts of green codes, and third party programs, great care is needed. Watch for project owners pushing the project schedule including asking consultants to skip over design features to expedite the submission process. This strategy is risky in many ways; a building department cannot handle the rush of submittals, if submittals are missing components, or not compliant with green requirements, or unfinished, the building department may decline them. The same project owner that asked for a favor for omitting design features may come back and file a claim against the design professional for missing a target date that increases time and cost of the project.
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Project Classification
It is important to know which entities govern the requirements for the project. That will
be determined by the project classification. For CalGreen, the first step is identifying if the building is classified as residential or non-residential as provisions differ. The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is responsible for residential projects and the Building Standards Commission (BSC) is responsible for non-residential projects. Project classification within the building code determines the enforceable of green regulations.
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Building and Planning Communication
Jurisdictions have and continue to create various policies and procedures for managing green code compliance. It is necessary for the design team to have early and close communication with local building and planning departments identifying documentation requirements for submittals. Many programs are still in the development phase with jurisdictions deciding on methods, processes and documentation requirements. One challenge is building departments typically regulate projects from the time of permit application to the certificate of occupancy. Under CALGreen regulations include items before the permit application (e.g. re-use/recycling of land clearing debris) and after the occupancy certificate (e.g. VOC limits on paints and coatings). Other questions include the preparation of a commissioning plan; a requirement on all
non-residential projects larger than 10,000 square feet. Other concerns the potential conflict of interest of inspectors and selfcertifications made by contractors to meet CALGreen verification requirements.
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Green Design Documentation
Green design features on the plans and specifications are needed, however documentation is also needed verifying meeting green requirements. For CALGreen, the code mandates documentation for water consumption (baseline and reduction due to green design measures), the Construction Waste Management Plan, the Building Operation and Maintenance Manual, and other verifications including special inspections, building material moisture content, installer certificates, material certificates of compliance, system testing, and others. CalGreen, standard forms have been created for documentation compliance.
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Water Reduction Requirements
Water reduction is an obvious focus of green objectives. The CALGreen building code identifies several water reduction requirements from construction runoff, indoor and outdoor water usage, indoor moisture, and humidity. A mandatory measure requires
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Continued from page 14 a 20% reduction of indoor water use for both residential and non-residential projects. For compliance, the code requires baseline water calculations in gallons usage per day based on standard plumbing fixture types and use. Higher efficiency fixtures are then specified and installed, which result in the required reduction. For outdoor water use, projects need to provide water budget and compliance measures per the Model Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MLO) adopted by each jurisdiction.
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Construction Waste Diverting construction waste from landfills is another sustainable objective with contractors having primary responsibility. CALGreen requires a 50% reduction in construction waste and demolition debris. If a jurisdiction has a more stringent ordinance, the code defers to local programs. If a city does not have a construction waste ordinance, CALGreen requires submittal of waste management documents to the building department for approval. It is important to verify if local requirements are more restrictive than state requirements. Procedures for waste diversion have been used for years in many states. CALGreen provides a challenging regulation related to site clearing and excavation. It is important for newly graded construction sites to understand local jurisdiction requirements before soils are hauled off-site or to a landfill along with documentation requirements.
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Indoor Pollutant Controls
Green building objectives includes the reduction of indoor pollutants for both residential and non-residential projects. CalGreen includes provisions in sets of tables listing a wide range of materials used in the construction industry; sealants, adhesives, coatings, floor coverings, composite wood (non-structural), and other items. Indoor pollutant control provisions focus on limiting the amount of emissions from volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde used in or on the buildings. The intent is to reduce pollutants impact on occupants, installers, and neighbors. For California, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is developing documents and the Building Standards Commission (BSC) provides selfcompliance forms for indoor pollutant controls.
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Building Maintenance and Operational Manual
Building Maintenance and Operational Manual provide “how-to” guides for owners and occupants on information on HVAC services and operations, and other requirements. CALGreen allows the jurisdiction to accept electronic or internet-based information in lieu of printed material. The code requires the developer to provide M&O information to the jurisdiction with “directions to the owner or occupant that the manual shall remain with the building throughout the life-cycle of the structure.”
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Commissioning Plans Building commissioning has successfully improved efficiency and energy savings by using a “whole project” approach. The strategy can also reduced long-term utility and maintenance costs for building owners. Building commissioning is used as a quality assurance process for documenting how the project is meeting green objectives. For CalGreen, commissioning is required for non-residential buildings larger than 10,000 square feet listing 7 items: (1) Owners Project Requirements (OPR), (2) Basis of Design (BOD), (3) green measures shown in the construction documents, (4) commissioning plan, (5) functional performance testing, (6) documentation and training, and (7) commissioning report. The intent is a new building operates as the owner intended, and that building maintenance staff have a reference to operate and maintain the building systems properly. A commissioning report must be submitted to the city as part of the approval process when the certificate of occupancy is issued. This article was used with permission by the author, Timothy J. Corbett, BSRM, MSM, LEED GA. Mr. Corbette can be reached at: tcorbett@smartrisk.biz www.smartrisk.biz T: 626-665-8150 15
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January Meeting Photos
Gin Wong AIA Architect (speaker)
Dr. Kit Miyamoto SE (speaker)
Pete Thompson, Cheri Carpenter Business Development, Nora Amin DLP
Mike Fuller and Ed Buch
Patrick C. and Kathy G.
Ja n ua ry J o i nt Los A n g e les and Or ange County C h a pt e r M e e ti n g Patrick , Karen Zaterman,Mike Fuller and Colleen Albair
Laura Sellmer and Greg McAloney
Frank Bostrom
David Lee and Kit Maymoto (speaker)
Greg McAloney
Susan Foster , Mike Fuller, Tan Diep, Laura and Steve Taylor
Carmen Bognot and and Stuart Fricke
LAX THEME BUILDING: Restoration and Seismic Upgrade Millard Lee, AIA, Principal – Gin Wong Associates, Architects, and Kit Miyamoto, SE, Principal – Miyamoto International, Structural Engineers, discussed their recently completed project, the architectural restoration and seismic strengthening at one of the most important and iconic images of Los Angeles, the LAX Theme Building.
Vince Overmyer Merlox Stucco 16
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TRa n s f o r mi t P r o d u c t S h o w P h o t o s
Susan Foster, Elisa Contreras and Michelle Duclett keeping tabs on the Who’s Who of the LA Architecture scene.
Craig Monroe ponders over sustainability and window wall designs.
Penny explains to Steve the importance of low VOC’s in paint selection to our sensitive environment.
Paul Simonsen & James Weiner giving the low down on Green Specs
Gary says “Come on Morley, Orange County is not that far away”.
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Prime Beef! Pat Intindola helping himself at the carving station.
Susan Foster of Parex doing double duty at her table-top and at registration.
Kevin and Jim from Ingersol Rand taking a break to enjoy the beauty of the Biltmore Hotel
Jason, Kim and Marvin stop for a quick pose.
Jerry Orland, Mark Brower, and Kelly Ingalls deliberating on the merits of green specifications.
Andy Shiller and Larry Muth preparing to arm wrestle for the King of Translucent Glazing for 2011. 17
TRa n s f o r mi t P r o d u c t S h o w P h o t o s
Steve Winkel explaining the technicalities of the California Green Code.
Sue and Edward
Jo explaining to Rafael that she has specified a lot of translucent glazing in her days.
The heck with the calories....
Luisa and Abe listening to Ex-Prez Kathy Greenway talk about her upcoming book “Memoirs of a CSI Chapter President”
Jeff Myers at Dow enjoying the show.
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Frank educates Edward on how to save money on parking at the Biltmore.
Laura explains to Karen and Maximo, ““If you like our CSI newsletter, just wait until you see our new website being launched next month!”
“And the Oscar goes to”...can you believe this room?...the Crystal Ballroom. WOW! 18
A r c h i t e c t S URVEY
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Architect ArchitectSurvey Survey Architect Architect Survey Survey
Please Pleaseselect selectyour yourpreference preferencebelow. below. Please Please select select youryour preference preference below. below. Our technical committee isisrequesting reply which of the the following should thedefault defaultwithin the Architectural Woodwork Institute’s technical committeeyour is requesting your reply onfollowing which ofshould the following should bewithin the the default within the Our technical committee requesting your reply on on which of bebethe Architectural . The results of this survey will be reviewed by the JSC, for any possible change to the standards. Woodwork Standards Woodwoork Standards. The results of which this will beby reviewed by the JCS for any possible change to the standards. Woodwork Standards The results your of this survey reviewed the should JSC, for any possible change tothe the standards. Our Artchtectural technical Our technical committee committee is. requesting is requesting your reply reply on on survey which of the of following the following should be the bedefault the default within within Architectural the Architectural Woodwork Woodwork Standards Standards . The. results The results of this of this survey survey will be willreviewed be reviewed by the byJSC, the JSC, for any for possible any possible change change to the tostandards. the standards.
Reveal RevealOverlay? Overlay? As specifi ed As specifi ed Reveal Reveal Overlay? Overlay? As specifi As specifi ed ed
or or or or
FlushOverlay? Overlay? Flush 1/8”, +/-1/16” 1/8”, +/-1/16” Flush Flush Overlay? Overlay? 1/8”,1/8”, +/-1/16” +/-1/16”
Name: _______________________________________________ Name: _______________________________________________ submit your answer Firm: ________________________________________________ Please Please submit your answer Please submit your Firm: ________________________________________________ Name: Name: _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Email: _______________________________________________ by March 4, 2011 Please submit your your Email: _______________________________________________Please Firm: Firm: ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ bysubmit March 4,answer 2011 answer byanswer Email: Email: _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Please Email your preference with your name and by March by March 4, 2011 4, 2011
firm to Clare@woodinst.com
March 11, 2011.
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C e r t i f icat i o n C lass e s
Lisa Casanova with Armstrong CDT - Instructor
Opening day for Certification goes smoothly with a large line up in the number of new instructors and students.
A partnership should be centered on success. For further information on your lab project : www.isecinc.com, SCRMktg@isecinc.com or 714.761.5151. architectural woodwork l laboratory furniture l laboratory & medical equipment general trades l ornamental metals l specialties l doors, frames & hardware
CCS with Kurt Schwarm, CSI CCS CCCA- Instructor
CCS with Kurt Schwarm, CSI CCS CCCA- Instructor
Joe Back, CCS Instructor of CDT 20
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Cu r mu geo n’s co rn er
A Tale of Two Companies by Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA A few months ago, in “Go-to guys”, I spoke of the many excellent product representatives I know, and how valuable they are to me in my job as specifier. This past month, I experienced something just a bit different. It wasn’t that the product reps weren’t helpful, but their corporate structure made it difficult for them to offer the help that specifiers need, which, in turn, makes it difficult for specifiers to properly serve their clients. It all started with an e-mail from one of our construction administrators, about a substitution request. The subcontractor claimed that a substantial savings would result from using the proposed products, and went on to say that one of the proposed substitute products was, in fact, identical to one that had been specified. I’m sure many specifiers are asking themselves, “If it wasn’t specified, why didn’t you just reject it?” That’s a great question for a future discussion, but for the moment, accept as fact
that there was more than one good reason to consider the request.
“Does that representative deal with both A and B?”
My research began with the supplier’s claim that one of the proposed substitutions was the same as one that had been specified. As it turned out, this was not a simple claim that one product was very similar to the other, but that the two literally were the same. This was something of a surprise, as we had been using the specified products for more than a decade, while the supposed equal product was an unknown.
“No. If you want the representative for B, call 555-555-0123.” “I’d like to speak with someone who is familiar with both products.” “You’ll have to call your local rep.” “Do you mean to tell me that there is no one in your office who can answer the question?” “That’s what our field representatives are for.”
It didn’t take long to “ I then went to my secret source determine that the of information, the CSI member manufacturers of the It was clear that this database. Ta-da! I found the name of competing products wasn’t going any a person who was a vice president of were subsidiaries of further, so I said a larger company. the parent company..” “thanks” and hung The fun began when up. I called one of I called the parent the numbers; the company’s toll-free phone rang for so long that I gave up and tried number. After identifying myself, the call went the other. That rep was out of the office, so I something like this. left a callback message. “I’d like to talk with someone in your technical department, to find out if [specified] product A and [substitute] product B are the same.” “Where are you located?” “St. Paul.” “Call your local representative at 555-555-0101.”
I then went to my secret source of information, the CSI member database. Ta-da! I found the name of a person who was a vice president of the parent company. I called and got a message saying that person was out of the office. Transferring to the operator, but I wasn’t pleased by the run-around. Continued on page 22 21
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Curmugeon’s corner
Continued from page 21
purchase B, and vice versa.
A short time later, I got a call from the rep for product A. When I told him about the substitution request, and the claim that A and B were the same, he expressed frustration, and made comments to the effect that he had run into this problem before, that A and B were not the same, and that there was some confusion at the corporate level that led to the problem. He said he would look into it and get back to me.
“What I’m concerned about is that we’ve been specifying A for many years, and now it appears that your company is selling the same thing under a different name at a lower price. In other words, our clients may have been paying more than they had to. Is there a difference in the quality of installers?”
“No. We do have factory training, but we do not certify installers.”
I then got another call, which I assumed would be from the VP of the parent company. However, instead of returning my call, the VP had passed my request off to a head of the product B company, so I was unable to talk with someone who could speak for both companies. “Mr. B, I have been told that your product B is identical to product A. Is that true?” “They’re not really identical. They do use the same material, have the same properties, and use the same MSDS, but the pigment and the name are different.” “So they’re really the same?” Although Mr. B never came right out and said so, everything he said indicated that A and B are the same. He then spent some time explaining the distribution systems used by the two companies. One is sold direct to installers, while the other is sold through distributors. Furthermore, an installer of A is not allowed to
certain someone knows this information, but I was told such a list is not available. When I got back to my computer, I discovered an e-mail from the product A rep. He told me the proposed substitution wasn’t available any longer, and had been replaced by another product. Mr. B said that was essentially correct - but the new product is really the same thing with a different name. OK, maybe there is good reason to have two distribution systems for a single product, but why not just sell the same product and avoid the confusion? Is there a point to this shell game? Could it be nothing more than a way to get around public bidding requirements? Whatever the reason, it doesn’t really matter. Apparently, we have two product representatives selling many of the same products under different names, competing with each other, and, understandably, not too interested in talking about the competing company’s products. Design professionals need straight answers, and episodes like this can quickly destroy a company’s credibility.
Giving up the battle, I asked if we could get a list showing all of the products of both companies, indicating which are the same. I’m
© 2011, Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC Follow me at http://swconstructivethoughts.blogspot.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/swolfearchfcsiccs http://twitter.com/swolfearch
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PRE S S RE L E A S E
Merlex introduces Insulex Merlex introduces Insulex, a fiber-reinforced Portland cement exterior plaster for use in continuous insulation one coat stucco systems, ideal for achieving superior energy efficiency.
backing and as a scratch and/or brown coat application for a conventional stucco system. Insulex Concentrate is mixed with sand on the jobsite. Insulex Sanded is available with premixed sand for convenience. Insulex contains 10% post-industrial recycled content or as an optional recycled aggregate for 33% recycled content and LEED credit. For more information please visit our website, www.merlex.com or call 714.637.1700.
MISSION The Mission of the Los Angeles Chapter of The Construction Specifications Institute is to provide its members the opportunity to share information about materials and methods of construction, and to promote improved preparation, delivery and use of construction documents. The Chapter fosters the professional development of its members and provides service to the construction industry by promoting education, research, certification, recognition of outstanding accomplishments, and networking opportunities within the Chapter, Region, Institute, and construction industry.
This product may be used in conjunction with various foam substrates to create wall assemblies with higher insulation R-values and improved crack- and water-resistance. Insulex may also be used over wood or gypsum
Knowledge for Creating and Sustaining the Built Environment
Newsletter Editor
National website: www.csinet.org
Laura Sellmer: Lsellmer@isecinc.com
Los Angeles Chapter: www.lacsi.org
Designed byANGELES Tarvin Commercial Art THE LOS CHAPTER
THE LOS ANGELES
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