conference: CSI West By Northwest Region Conference JUNE 13-15 2013
The Los Angeles CHapter of the CONSTRUCTION Specifications Institute
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013
Join us For lacsi nite – WEDNEsday, FebRUARY 27
www.LACSI.org
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
Content
lacsi nite
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JANUARY / F EBR UARY
Join us on Wednesday, February 27th Exhibitor Table Top and Attendee Information.
2013 VolUME 66
N U M ber 1
LACSI Certification Classes
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CLASSES HAVE STARTED! LACSI’s Certification test preparation classes.
csi’s new LOGO A historical view
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la/oc csi joint meeting recap
Membership News
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national csi events & News Contruct 2013 Nashville, CDT Exams
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BuchNotes
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CURMUDGEON’S CORNER
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UPDATE FROM YOUR ‘NEWS TEAM’ Jan, Christina, Tan & Paul
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advertising with lacsi Purchase LACSI Newsletter Ads and Web Site Banner Ads Online
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SEE PHOTOS, MEETING HIGHLIGHTS AND MORE!
CONSTRUCTION NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
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ICC-ES News Release Regarding LA City Research Reports Senate Bill 474: - Impact on the Design Professionals
REGION NEWS - CONFERENCE GATEWAYS: CSI WEST BY NORTHWEST
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Conference Dates: June 13-15, 2013 The Davenport Hotel, Spokane, Washington.
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. jay.nordsten@ZGF.com
SAVE THE DATE: Los Angeles CSI March 27, 2013 Meeting and seismic upgrade PROGRAM: University of California, Berkeley California Memorial Stadium Renovation California Memorial Stadium, built in 1923, is one of the most scenic venues in college football. The Stadium re-opened on September 1, 2012 after a 20 month renovation and restoration. Join us as HNTB Architects reviews the challenges of the renovation project and the ideas behind the design; including the building’s location - on an active earthquake fault. The stadium’s iconic role as a historic Berkeley Building was also a factor in the design process. Innovative design and construction solutions both below and above the Stadium will be reviewed. 2
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e d u c at i o n s e m i n a r s & P r o d u c t S h o w
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
2013 CSI NITE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH, 2013 Omni Hotel at California Plaza 251 South Olive Street Los Angeles, California 90012 Register at: www.lacsi.org
Exhibitors
Attendees
THE LOS ANGELES CHAPTER, CSI cordially invites you to attend our annual “Table Top” Show at the beautiful Omni Hotel. Our show will feature EDUCATION SEMINARS BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER the PRODUCT SHOW. LU/HSW are provided for each education seminar presented. FREE ADMISSION , FREE CONVENIENT PARKING, FREE FOOD AND A NO-HOST BAR. Exhibitor Set up: 2:00–4:00 pm. Show Time: 5:00–7:00 pm.
THE ARCHITECTS TOOLBELT MANAGING TODAY’S (AND TOMORROW’S) TECHNOLOGY FOR A MORE SUCCESSFUL PROJECT
View Brochure BIM ALIVE!
The BIM seminar will illustrate how to set up and implement a BIM project based upon the owners deliverable requirements. Speaker: France Israel of View by View, Inc., a San Francisco based BIM Consulting Firm.
Design Professionals and Product Representatives – Tools for Collaboration
Tips will be shared on information architects want and need when collaborating with their product representatives on product consultations. Speakers: Valarie Harris, FCSI, CCPR Kathryn Marek, AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP
NO INK! Back to the Tablet – Digital Specifications
As use of devices such as the IPad become more customary, the need for digital specifications has grown. Explore new apps. available for use by construction professionals. Speaker: Gloria Rasmussen, CSI, CCS, AIA,
How Collaborative Web Tools, Apps and Connectivity are Changing the AEC Landscape Join us for an in depth look
at emerging technologies that are changing the way construction professionals work Speaker: Carol Hagen, MBA
Attendees may register, free of charge, by logging on to the Los Angeles Chapter Website. Go to LACSI Nite Special events – Attendee Registration at www. lacsi.org Exhibitors may register for a table top and make a credit card payment for same by logging on to the Los Angeles Chapter Website, Special events – Exhibitor Registration at www.lacsi.org Prefer to pay by check? Please send check with pertinent contact data to LACSI, c/o J. Piccola, Treasurer, 1515 Shadow Lane, Fullerton, CA 92831. Questions? Call Michelle Hough (909) 392-5500 ext. 211. or email Michelle@imc-ca.com 3
C e r t i f i c at i o n C l a s s
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
CERTIFICATION TEST PREPARATION CLASSES ARE UNDERWAY! The 2013 LACSI test preparation course for the CSI Certification Program is now in session. Kathryn Marek, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP and Tan Diep, CCPR, LEED AP, are working with other Industry Professionals to present study guidance for CDT, CCS, CCCA and CCPR exam from the Project Resource Manual, the foundation of study for all 4 of the Certification Exams. CSI’s exam preparation classes provide an ideal way to guide and focus your studies of the PRM and create opportunities for discussion and sharing of ideas with highly qualified instructors and other exam candidates. CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS TECHNOLOGIST (CDT) The CDT program is a rigorous and comprehensive course of study leading to a Construction Documents Technologist certification. The CDT Certification is the path to the other 3 Certification exams and the key to expanding your knowledge of Contractual Relationships, Use of Construction Documents and the Construction Process. CERTIFIED CONSTRUCTION SPECIFIER (CCS) The CCS program builds on your knowledge and experience in preparing construction documents by focusing on Construction Contract types, Agreements, Conditions of the Contract, Changes in the Work, Division 1 General Requirements, Bidding Documents and Requirements, Document Organization, Production Techniques and Specifying Techniques and Applications. CERTIFIED CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR (CCCA) The CCCA program guides you through the complexities of modern construction projects, developing your skills and understanding of Project Delivery Systems, Roles and Relationships, Preconstruction Activities, Submittals, Meetings, Construction Observation, Document Interpretation, Schedules and Contract Time, Claims and Disputes, Modifications, Payments, QA/QC and the Project Closeout process. CERTIFIED CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT REPRESENTATIVE (CCPR) The CCPR program gives the product representative an in-depth understanding of the overall construction process, the ability to communicate more effectively with other members of the Construction Team by studying Principles of Effective Product Representation, Marketing and Product information, Preparation of Construction Documents, Specification Techniques, Division 1 Concepts, the Bidding and Substitution Processes, Warranties and Guarantees and Construction Activities. Find out more about registration for the exams on the National CSI Page contained within the newsletter. 4
j a n u a r y m e e t i n g r e c a p & pHOTO ’ S
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER, CSI JOINT CHAPTER MEETING HELD JANUARY 23, 2013 A capacity crowd was on hand at The Grand in Long Beach to hear the excellent presentation conducted by Jeff Fullerton, Director of Edgemoore Infrastructure and Real Estate and Chip Hastie, Vice President of Clark Construction. Also attending was Bernadette Reyes, Associate AIA, LEED AP, DBIA, Project Design Manager, Clark Construction.
The Long Beach State Courthouse, currently under construction, is the first social infrastructure project in the United States procured under the principals of PerformanceBased infrastructure (PBI Contracting). The cost for the fivestory, 545,000 square foot project is approximately $343 million.
Jay Nordsten, LACSI Chapter President and Mike Baker, OCCSI Chapter President
We had a standing room only crowd!
The Presentation outlined stakeholder involvement in design, and provided a comprehensive overview of the process by which the project is being built. Speaker - Chip Hastie, Vice President, Clark Construction
Speaker: - Jeff Fullerton Director of Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate 5
j a n u a r y m e e t i n g r e c a p & pHOTO ’ S CONT.
Cliff Clark, George Sayeg, Dave Major and Judy Holleran
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
Marcia Falk, Stephanie Allgood and Greg Clements
Buzz Harwood and Angelika Carr
SpecSmith Consulting
Spec Writing Document Review Competitive Rates
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Young Johnson and Steve Nicholai
Patrick Comerford, Jan Piccola, Mike Baker, Jeff Fullerton
specsmith@midconetwork.com 818-469-9895
Jerry L. Pozo, BS, CSI, CDT, Architectural/Technical Consultant C. 408.505.2031 E. jpozo@bmi-products.com BMI Products of Northern California 990 Ames Avenue Milpitas, CA 95035
Stuart Fricke, Carmen Bognot and Marcia Falk
Frank Bostrom and David Karina
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construction news
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
Tan Diep
PPG industries
CSI, CCPR, LED AP Architectural Manager CA
Los Angeles, CA
1036 Highland Avenue 714.313.2263 diep@ppg.com
For Immediate Release
For more information, contact: Melanie Edwards Tel: 1-800-423-6587 x5688 medwards@icc-es.org
Oct. 16, 2012 www.icc-es.org
ppgideascapes.com
ICC-ES Evaluation Reports Accepted by city of LA Department of Building Safety without Requiring City’s Research Reports The city of Los Angeles Department of Building Safety now accepts ICC-ES Evaluation Reports for many product categories without requiring the city’s own Research Reports. Included in the list are non- structural or fire-life safety alternate building materials and products listed with acceptable current evaluation reports. That includes exterior wall coatings, interior finishes, fire assemblies, insulation and roofing materials. For a complete list, please view section B.2 of Information Bulletin (IB) P/BC-2011-119 posted on the Los Angeles Department of Building Safety website. “The city of Los Angeles’ decision to accept ICC-ES Evaluation Reports broadens our already widely accepted reputation as the leading evaluation service within the building industry,” said ICC-ES President, Shahin Moinian. “As ICC-ES continues to work hard to meet the needs of our customers, we will continue to provide the city with evaluation reports that are rigorously reviewed by our expert technical staff.” In addition to evaluations to consensus standards, ICC-ES has created a unique and trusted review process for innovative products. Section 104.11 of the International Building Code® allows ICC-ES to facilitate acceptance of new technologies in the marketplace through the development of ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria (AC). ACs establish a baseline to objectively measure innovative products and provide technical guidance when innovative products are evaluated for recognition in ICC-ES Evaluation Reports. Together with its parent organization, the International Code Council, ICC-ES develops and fosters safe and sustainable design and construction. ICC-ES has 80-plus years of experience and more than 1,400 active Evaluation Reports. About ICC-ES A nonprofit, limited liability company, ICC-ES is the United States’ leading evaluation service for innovative building materials, components and systems. ICC-ES Evaluation Reports (ESRs) and PMG Listings provide evidence that products and systems meet the requirements of codes and technical standards. The ICC-ES Environmental Programs issue VAR environmental reports that verify a product meets specific sustainability targets defined by today’s codes, standards, green rating systems and ICC-ES environmental criteria. The Environmental Programs now offer Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), to meet global market demand for science-based, transparent, quality-assured information about a product’s environmental performance. ICCES is a subsidiary of the International Code Council® (ICC®). For more information, please visit www.icc-es.org.
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construction news
SENATE BILL 474: LEAVING DESIGN PROFESSIONALS TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES ON INDEMNITY “The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the best interests of this state and its citizens and consumers to ensure that every construction business in the state is responsible for losses that it, as a business, may cause.” -Section 1, Senate Bill 474 (2011)
Enacted in 2011 with important substantive provisions coming into effect on January 1, 2013, Senate Bill 474 aims to limit the allowable scope of express indemnity enforceable against Subcontractors, but a last minute amendment to the Bill leaves Design Professionals vulnerable. According to the California Legislature, the goal of S.B. 474 was to force parties entering into construction contracts to be accountable for their own actions. With such a well focused purpose, the Bill could have served as a referendum on the California courts’ rapid departure from the values of personal responsibility in construction contracts. Instead, S.B. 474 works in piecemeal fashion to provide greater protection against express indemnity for Subcontractors, while leaving Design Professionals to fend for themselves. This newsletter clarifies the scope of allowable express indemnity after S.B. 474 and advises Design Professionals to be vigilant in reading and understanding indemnity provisions in contracts entered into after January 1, 2013.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
WHAT DOES S.B. 474 DO? Public Contracts: For contracts between a public agency and a “contractor, subcontractor, or supplier of goods or services,”a provision purporting to indemnify the public agency for its own active negligence is void and unenforceable. Thus, the possible universe of parties to a public agency construction contract who may utilize the protection from onerous indemnity provisions is expanded, and Design Professionals are arguably included in this group. Private Contracts: Construction contracts between a private owner and “contractor, subcontractor, or supplier of goods or services,” which purport to indemnify the owner for his own active negligence are void and unenforceable to the extent of the owner’s active negligence. These sections provide a potential avenue through which Design Professionals may assert that they are “suppliers of services” within the meaning of the statute, thereby affording some protection against active negligence indemnity provisions in direct contracts with public agencies and private owners. Continued on page 9 8
construction news
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
Continued from page 9
THE ELIMINATION OF TYPE I INDEMNITY FOR SUBCONTRACTORS? By far the most talked about modification made by S.B. 474 is the addition of Civil Code section 2782.05, which applies expressly to contracts entered into after January 1, 2013 between General Contractors, Construction Managers, and Subcontractors with other Subcontractors. In these contracts, provisions that purport to indemnify, including the cost to defend, a General Contractor, Construction Manager, or Subcontractor (commonly known as Type I indemnity provisions) are void to the extent of that party’s active negligence or willful misconduct. In effect, this means that a Subcontractor can no longer be forced to defend and indemnify a General Contractor without a consideration of the General Contractor’s negligence. Previously, a General Contractor was permitted to enforce an indemnity provision even where the General Contractor was 99% at fault due to his active negligence. Therefore, section 2782.05 adds a dimension of allocation of fault to this analysis that did not exist previously. Subcontractors and Design Professionals have been actively lobbying the Legislature to enact provisions that hit back against expansive interpretations of indemnity provisions and the duty to defend in court decisions such as Crawford and CH2M Hill. S.B. 474 works towards
that end. However, while Subcontractors may be celebrating their newfound protections under the law, contracts with Design Professionals are EXPRESSLY EXEMPTED by the statute. This means that an indemnity provision in a contract between a General Contractor and a Subcontractor might be void and unenforceable, but an identical provision would be fully enforceable as between a General Contractor and a Design Professional. In other words, a General Contractor may still insist that a Design Professional indemnify them for the General Contractor’s passive AND active negligence. HOW ARE DESIGN PROFESSIONALS AFFECTED? The ramifications of this discrepancy are readily apparent, but one example in particular helps to drive home the potential peril for Design Professionals under the new law: a Design Professional contracting with a General Contractor to provide services for a “designbuild” project could potentially be the only party to the project with an express indemnity provision binding them to indemnify and defend for the active negligence of the General Contractor. General Contractors will likely come to understand and exploit this discrepancy in the law, and since litigation costs may no longer be passed downstream to Subcontractors through the old mechanisms, General Contractors may insist that any contract with a Design Professional contain an indemnity
provision whereby the Design Professional agrees to indemnify and defend even in the face of the General Contractor’s active negligence. HOW CAN DESIGN PROFESSIONALS PROTECT THEMSELVES? Even though Civil Code section 2782.05(b)(12) exempts Design Professionals from the protections of 2782.05, this section only applies to contracts with General Contractors, Construction Managers, and Subcontractors. As discussed above, Design Professionals are afforded protection in direct contracts with public agencies and private owners. In addition, nothing seems to foreclose the possibility of a Design Professional using the exemption to its advantage by insisting on strongly worded indemnity provisions with its own Subconsultants. For example, a Design Professional could insist on an indemnity provision with a Subconsultant wherein the Subconsultant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold the Design Professional harmless for all but the Design Professional’s sole negligence. In other words, a Design Professional can do to a Subconsultant exactly what a General Contractor can do to a Design Professional thanks to the section 2782.05(b)(12) exemption. The complexity and consistently evolving nature of California indemnity law requires a close look at the individual circumstances of each and every contract provision on each and every construction project. While S.B. 474 may be a sign that California has seen the high-tide of allowable express indemnity, the road for Design Professionals remains fraught with potentially dangerous legal pitfalls. Continued on page 10 9
c o n s t r u c t i o n n e w s / E m p l oy m e n t
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
Continued from page 9
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Please contact us at the South Pasadena, Orange, Oakland, or San Diego offices to discuss further. Samuel J. Muir, Esq. 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1700 Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: (510) 844-5100 Fax: (510) 844-5101 smuir@ccmslaw.com www.ccmslaw.com Stephen B. Litchfield, Esq. 1100 El Centro Street South Pasadena, CA 91030 Phone: (626) 243-1100 Fax: (626) 243-1111 slitchfield@ccmslaw.com www.ccmslaw.com Nothing contained within this article should be considered the rendering of legal advice. Anyone who reads this article should always consult with an attorney before acting on anything contained in this or any other article on legal matters, as facts and circumstances will vary from case to case.
Architectural Specialist – West Division ARDEX AMERICAS Territory – CA, UT, NV, AZ, CO & NM Based in Southern California Call on architects within the assigned territory to secure specifications for all Ardex branded products.
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region news
G at e way S CSI West by Northwest Region Conference June 13-15, 2013 Spokane, Washington
WEST BY NORTHWEST REGION CONFERENCE June 12-16, 2013, Spokane, Washington The West Region CSI and the Northwest Region CSI have collaborated to make the June Region Conference a must attend event. The West Region, CSI has 13 Chapters throughout California and in Reno, Nevada.
The Northwest Region has 10 Chapters and a wide-spread membership that includes CSI NW Region members in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana. Our shared conference promises to be one of the best ever!
West Region website Hotel Reservations Link
The Conference, entitled Gateways, will be held at the beautiful and historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington. The conference will have a full slate of educational opportunities and plenty of fun to be shared with friends and colleagues. The final schedule will be published when available. You will want to book early. Instructions are available on the West Region website. We look forward to seeing you in Spokane! 11
a historical perspective
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
THE CSI BRAN D REVITALI Z ATION P RO J ECT By Janet ‘Jan’ Piccola, FCSI
OUR HISTORY: The national arm of the Construction Specifications Institute was founded in 1948 to meet the needs of post World War II architects facing a boom in new construction projects. They had no specifications guidelines at that time and they recognized a need to create new standards and formats that would be universal to all construction professionals. In 1953, the Los Angeles Chapter, CSI became the fourth chapter chartered in CSI. The Washington D.C. and Chicago CSI Chapters were chartered in the same year. I started doing research in 1993 for the Los Angeles Chapter’s 40th anniversary book. The research began with interviews of the people who spearheaded our Chapter’s growth and development from its original 31 charter members. The research included review of old newsletters and photos depicting events that established the Los Angeles Chapter as one of the foremost in the nation. Photos and events from 1993-2003 were captured in the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Book, handed out at the 2003 anniversary celebration held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
While doing research for the 1993 40th anniversary book, I discovered that since 1948, the CSI logo had changed 3 times. I included photos of the logos in the book as an example of how we had evolved over time to become the nationally recognized leader in educating construction project teams.
CSI CORE VALUES: : · Advance building information management and education of project teams to improve facility performance. · Build knowledge and improve project delivery. · A diversified 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 Certification of professionals to improve project delivery processes · Creation of practice tools to assist users throughout the facility life-cycle.
Fast-forward to 2013 and the Los Angeles Chapter is now 60 years old. Take a look at the newest CSI Logo. It clearly shows what we are and what we do, and how we have evolved to meet the needs and expectations of present and future construction professionals.
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membership news
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
5 0 /5 0 MEMBERSHI P P ROGRAM STARTS FEBRUARY 2 7, 2 013 We are pleased to announce the initiation of the annual 50/50 membership opportunity to all signing on as a new LACSI member. Special membership forms will be available at our 2013 LACSI NITE, and via our website at lacsi.org.
Source Code: 135050
WHAT IS THE 50/50 MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM?
$120
CSI’s 50-50 Membership Recruitment Program is a chapter-based new member recruitment opportunity in which CSI works with chapters to obtain and retain new members. New members are offered 50% off of Institute dues as well as 50% off LA CSI’s chapter dues. The program will be in effect for a limited time only. Those LACSI members who know someone you think would benefit from the program should have them go to lacsi.org to pull down a copy of the special membership form. Complete and send as instructed on the form.
Special 50% membership discount to attendees of the 2013 LACSI Nite . Limited time offer good thru March 13, 2013.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CSI MEMBERSHIP? NOTE: CSI membership is non-transferrable
The Los Angeles Chapter, CSI provides education, networking opportunities and a host of certifications and practice tools designed to enhance both your personal and career goals.
50% Discount
LOS ANGELES
$155
$120 77.50
Dues Rates Effective July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013 You’ll get a 50% discount in both CSI’s National organization and the CSI Los Angeles chapter if you respond by March 13, 2013. Sorry, offer does not apply to dues for additional chapter memberships. Offer good on new memberships at the professional membership only.
ÐÐ Certification Programs: CDT, CCS, CCCA, CCPR classes offered yearly. ÐÐ Monthly Dinner Meetings: Networking and excellent programs that provide in depth perspectives on projects being built throughout California ÐÐ Networking: Dinner meetings are the perfect venue for introducing yourself and your products to potential clients. Learn from others, share your knowledge. Make new friends and have fun! ÐÐ Webinars: Go to csinet.org to learn more about educational webinars provided monthly on a host of construction related topics. ÐÐ Practice Guides/Masterformat/Uniformat: Go to csinet.org to review and purchase a host of practice tools at member-discounted rates.
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n at i o n a l c s i e v e n t s a n d n e w s
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CONSTRUCT 2 013/ CSI NATIONAL CONVENTION – NASHVILLE TENNESSEE – REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR CSI CDT EXAM Final Registration Deadline: February 28, 2013 Cost: CSI Members $295; Non-Members $430
Location: Music City Center Dates: Exhibits: September 26-27, 2013 Education: September 24-27, 2013 The Construct – CSI national trade show is the ONLY educational conference for the commercial building teams that specify and source building products. Join thousands of industry leaders to procure real-world, practical knowledge for building success. For more information log on to http://www.constructshow.com More information to follow………
Log on to csinet.org for updates and information on free webinars, the CSI Masterformat , CSI Practice Guides and other helpful educational tools.
CSI’s Construction Document Technologist (CDT) exam has provided foundation training in construction documentation for architects, contractors, contract administrators, specifiers and manufacturers’ representatives for decades. As the cornerstone of CSI’s certification program, it is also prerequisite to CSI’s advanced certification exams. Getting your CDT means: · Understanding how a project unfolds from conception to delivery. · Understanding the documentation involved. Questions? Contact certification@csinet. org, or call 800-689-2900
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013 Useful resources
through the Sierra Nevada Mountains where construction was affected by winter snow and where tracks had to be constructed over Donner Summit, at an elevation of 6,690 feet above sea level with Ed Buch, CSI, CCS, AIA, West Region Secretary a grade of no more than a 2.1%, (116’rise in elevation per mile). But construction of Empire Express, Building the First the Union Pacific starting at Omaha had its Transcontinental Railroad own challenges, topographical, and more by David Haward Bain significantly, with almost daily attacks on construction crews by the Plains Indians. Empire Express is not so much a history The highest point on the transcontinental of the “building” process as it is about route also occurred on the Union Pacific everything that had to happen in order line west of Laramie at 8,236 ft. above for the construction sea level. Here, the to take place. Like grade approached Except for rock ballast and other books on 90’ per mile. monumental feats
timber, construction materials and all of the rolling stock used in construction of the Central Pacific arrived by ship from the east coast via the overland route through Panama.
of design and construction, Empire Express focuses on the personalities of the men involved and the political and financial processes that had to take place to enable the construction. And these were significant. The book, at nearly 800 pages, includes so much detail it makes us feel almost as if we’re there with them in the middle of 19th Century. Californians tend to think the major challenge of the transcontinental railroad was construction of the Central Pacific
It is also the story of great civil engineers, politicians, businessmen, and financiers. Asa Whitney, a cousin of the inventor of the cotton gin, began promoting the idea of the transcontinental “road” in the 1830s. The California Gold Rush of 1848 increased commercial interest in connecting the established cities in the East with California. In the 1850s Theodore Judah made the first surveys of possible routes through the Sierra Nevada and promoted his plan for construction of the railway in Washington,
DC. The Big Four investors & promoters of the Central Pacific, Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, and Charles Crocker receive critical attention throughout the book. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862 which established the route starting in Omaha. This also enabled the land grants and the initial federal government loans to both the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific. Raising money through the sale of construction bonds was both continuous and difficult throughout construction. In San Francisco there was active opposition to the Central Pacific from established steamship and overland freight wagon interests who saw the railroad as unfair competition backed by the federal government. Construction of the Central Pacific began at Sacramento in January 1863 and was preformed largely by Chinese immigrants working directly for the railroad under the direction of Charles Crocker. As many as 10,000 Chinese were employed at the peak of construction in the mountains. The Union Pacific took a different approach using subcontracted construction companies. The Continued on page 16 15
b L uchnotes
Continued from page 15 Casement Bros. company was the most important of these. Construction averaged between 2 and 3 miles per day on both routes. Except for rock ballast and timber, construction materials and all of the rolling stock used in construction of the Central Pacific arrived by ship from the east coast via the overland route through Panama. While the Civil War was underway it was difficult for the Central Pacific to get enough blasting powder. This affected progress in the mountains where both tunnels and massive sections of earthen and rock fill had to be constructed. With the introduction of nitroglycerin in 1866 blasting progress improved greatly especially in the numerous tunnels. The longest of these was 1,660 ft. Working from both ends progress was about 2 ft. per day. Some trestles were 100’ high and fill sections were as long as 600’. As construction progressed into Nevada and Utah the problems of supplying food, water and construction materials for 5,000 men became increasingly more “To provide meaningful architecture is not to parody history but to articulate it.“ –Daniel Libeskind
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
difficult as the length of the supply line increased. With the emphasis on laying as much track as possible, and as fast as possible, quality construction was not the priority. Speed meant much of the track had to be reconstructed once train traffic highlighted the deficiencies in grading, ballasting, and in construction of trestles. As soon as construction was completed on a section of track, the railroads began scheduled train service, making money transporting freight and passengers to towns along the way.
photographs. It doesn’t, however, include significant descriptions of construction process used. Additionally, since the most critical aspect of the project was finding a route at an acceptable grade through the mountains, providing some detailed maps would have been useful. Fortunately that problem can be easily solved by tracing the route using Google Maps. And that alone adds so much to the story. Empire Express was published in 1999 by Penguin Books. Ed Buch, CSI, CCS, AIA Los Angeles, CA
By 1868, once the Central Pacific was through the mountains, the emphasis was on the race to complete their tracks to Salt Lake City before the Union Pacific got there. The Central Pacific could work all winter through Nevada and Utah while the Union Pacific was shut down for nearly 6 months in the Wyoming winter of 1868‘69. The tracks were joined at Promontory Summit on Monday, May 10, 1869 at unimaginable cost and with, at the time, a barely foreseeable benefit. The Central Pacific’s locomotive, “Whirlwind” met the Union Pacific’s locomotive No. 119 and San Francisco was connected by rails to the east coast for the first time. The book has a nice section of historical 16
cu r mu d geo n’s co rn er
Liebster blog awards by Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA Early in December, fellow blogger Randy Nishimura honored me by nominating my Constructive Thoughts blog for the Liebster Award. “How cool!” I thought. “It’s nice to know someone actually reads what I write!” Being a specifier, I know how rarely that happens, and the relatively few responses to the hundreds of articles I have written suggests those articles don’t fare much better. The thrill quickly dissipated as I read the description of the award; it’s for bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. The upside is, though my blog is relatively unknown, someone thinks it might be worth reading. The statistical tools available for websites give a little better idea of how many people at least look at my blog posts. Suffice it to say, mine have not gone viral. I have only twenty followers, but the statistics show I have many more readers.
The number varies greatly, depending in large part on how it is publicized, something I’m not good at. Posting a notice on LinkedIn about a recent article brings in more traffic, and a spike in page views always follows a link in the CSI Leader. Randy’s blog post included some information about the Liebster award, but, specifier that I am, I had to learn more about it. As I tracked backwards from his nomination, I found several variations with different requirements. Eventually, the rules seemed to stabilize at these: · Thank your Liebster Blog Award
Posting a notice on LinkedIn about a recent article brings in more traffic, and a spike in page views always follows a link in the CSI Leader.
presenter on your blog. Thanks, Randy! · Link back to the blogger who awarded you. http://sworegonarchitect.blogspot. com/ · Copy & paste the award to your blog. · Nominate 5 blogs that you enjoy to receive the award who have less than 200 followers.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013 · Inform them of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog. These rules are much simpler than those Randy passed on, which included responding to a list of questions asked by the person making the award. However, in fairness to Randy, I’ll respond to his questions. 1. Do you have ambitions for your blog? If so, what are they? Continuing my ambition for the articles I have written for more than fifteen years, I hope they are useful and used. 2. Where would you live if you could live anywhere you wanted on Earth? So many choices, and I have seen but a few! In the end, proximity to my family is the most important criterion. 3. Imagine you’ve won the lottery. If you had to nominate one charity to inherit your largesse, what would it be? Again, so many choices! Our current favorite charity is Hope Academy in Minneapolis. Hope is a privately funded school that provides a safe education - and hope - to inner-city kids. www.hopeschool.org/ 4. What is your favorite example of architecture? I love arches, so it’s tough to decide between Roman and Gothic. The Romans took the arch and built an empire; Gothic cathedrals are a perfect expression of structure, making a megaton structure look as if it could float away.
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5. What excites you most? At my age, waking up is pretty good. 6. If you could change one thing about the city or town in which you live, what would it be? I would add a couple of good restaurants. 7. Are you a glass half-full or half-empty person? I’m a glass is twice as big as it needs to be person. 8. What advice do you have for the young people in your profession? You didn’t learn everything you need to know in school. Those contractors have a lot of practical knowledge you lack. 9. Has technology changed your life for better or worse? Definitely for the better. As a sci-fi reader, I appreciate the marvels, but I am able to ignore those things that are done simply because they can be done. 10. What’s the first item on your wish list? After the family is taken care of, more travel. 11. Do you make and keep New Year’s resolutions? I’m sure I made resolutions at one time, but the only one I remember - the last one - was to quit smoking, New
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
Year’s Eve, 1971. I did it! And now for my nominations. The envelope, please! After seeing the various ways this award has been made, I’ll deviate a bit from the rules. I don’t know how many followers my nominees have; I hope I don’t offend anyone who has hundreds of followers!
Finally, visit Randy’s post, http:// sworegonarchitect.blogspot.com/2012/12/ the-liebster-awards.html, which includes his nominations for the Liebster Award, all but one of which I had been following already. Follow those links, and I know you will find a lot of interesting thoughts and useful information. Happy New Year to all!
· Ron Geren, www.specsandcodes.com/
© 2013, Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC
· Michael Chusid, www. buildingproductmarketing.com/
Follow me at: http://swconstructivethoughts.blogspot.com/
· Ken Adams, my favorite attorney. I'm sure he has more than two hundred followers, but he is unknown to most specifiers. www.koncision.com/category/ blog/
http://swspecificthoughts.blogspot.com/ http://twitter.com/swolfearch
The next nominees don’t have blogs, but they should; encourage them! · Ed Buch has been writing book reviews, many more than you will see here. http:// csiwestregion.org/BuchNotes.html · Michael Chambers has been writing for a long time. He's one of few who writes for those we formerly called Industry members. www.mcaspecs.com/all_ articles.php
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d i rec to rs, o ffi cers an d com m it tees
Upd at e f r o m N e w s T e a m
LOS ANGELES CHAPTER CSI BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Jay Nordsten, CSI, CCS, AIA Buzz Harwood, CSI, CDT Vice President Kathryn A. Marek, CSI, CCCA, AIA Vice President Secretary Allison C. Asher, CSI Treasurer Janet Piccola, FCSI Patrick Comerford, CSI, CDT Past Pres/Advisor Joshua Reed, CSI, CDT Director Director Stuart L. Fricke, PE, CSI, CCS Director Teena Santiago, CSI, CDT Director Tan T. Diep, CSI, CCPR, LEED AP
jay.nordsten@zgf.com buzz@imc-ca.com kathryn.a.marek@disney.com allisona@floorseal.com jpiccola@thecomexgroup.com sos002@earthlink.net joshuar@floorseal.com sfricke@portla.org teena.santi@gmail.com diep@ppg.com
COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Affiliate Organizations Kathy Greenway, CSI, CDT Budget and Finance Janet ‘Jan’ Piccola, FCSI Governance Mitch Lawrence, CSI, CCS,CCCA, AIA Membership Chair Teena Santiago, CSI, CDT Education Chair Mitch Lawrence, CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Awards Chair Kathy Greenway, CSI, CDT Certification Chair Kathryn A. Marek, CSI, CCCA, AIA Program Committee Nordsten, Buch, Harwood, Marek
kgreenway@draperinc.com jpiccola@thecomexgroup.com mitch.lawrence@disney.com teena.santi@gmail.com mitch.lawrence@disney.com kgreenway@draperinc.com kathryn.a.marek@disney.com jay.nordsten@zgf.com buzz@imc-ca.com ebuch@ccd.usc.edu
Product Show Chair Golf Chair Planning Chair West Region Affairs West Region Secretary
sos002@earthlink.net Craig.Mount@aecom.com mbrower@vistapaint.com mitch.lawrence@disney.com ebuch@ccd.usc.edu
Patrick Comerford, CSI, CDT Craig Mount, AIA, CCI, CCS, NCARB Mark Brower, CSI, CDT Mitch Lawrence, CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Ed Buch, CSI, CCS, AIA
CHAPTER COMMUNICATIONS TEAM Electronic Communications Chair Tan Diep, CSI, CCPR, LEED AP Newsletter Production Team: Co-Editor Janet Piccola, FCSI Co-Editor Christina Alfaro, CSI, CDT News Coordination Tan Diep, CSI, CCPR, LEED AP Advertising Valarie Harris, CSI, CCPR Print/Coordination Paul McKenzie
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
diep@ppg.com jpiccola@thecomexgroup.com calfaro@accuride.com diep@ppg.com ValarieH@pacbell.net paul@productioncityprinting.com
DEAR LA CSI MEMBERS: We are pleased to provide the January/February 2013 edition of the award-winning LACSI Newsletter. We have a new and expanded newsletter editorial staff. Our goal is to bring you the most up to date event news and photos of the people that make our chapter one of the premier CSI chapters in the nation. We will keep our ears to the ground to report news that impacts construction professionals. We are putting our heads together to redefine the newsletter by personalizing photos for those who participate in chapter meetings and events. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you like particular areas of focus. After all this is YOUR newsletter. Best Regards from the Newsletter Coordination Team Janet Piccola, FCSI, Co-Editor jpiccola@thecomexgroup.com Christina Alfaro, CSI, CDT, Co-Editor calfaro@accuride.com Tan Diep, CSI, CCPR, Website/Newsletter Coordination diep@ppg.com Valarie Harris, CSI, CCPR, Advertising Valarie@pacbell.net
Paul McKenzie, Production City Printing Paul@ProductionCityPrinting.com
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a d v e r t i s i n g w i t h LACSI
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013
P u r c h a s e LACSI N e w s l e t t e r Ad s a n d W e b S i t e B a n n e r Ad s O n l i n e If you are interested in making your product or service known to LACSI members, designers, specifiers, contractors and product suppliers we invite you to consider placing an ad in our Newsletter and on our website. It is a great way to introduce a new product or new rep and build awareness for you with key building products decision makers. Ads run on an annual calendar starting in January of each year. The LACSI newsletter is published every other month six times a year. You must be a Newsletter advertiser in order to advertise on LACSI’s website. Website banner ads appear on a random basis based on the selected print ad program. For example, half page advertisers who also have a website banner ad appear 4 times more often on the website than Business Card print advertisers. Similarly Double Business Card advertiser’s banner ads appear twice as often on the LACSI web page as Business Card advertisers. You can pay for your ad online by selecting your advertisement program at lacsi.org click on the “Advertise with LACSI” on the menu at the left of the screen. You will need
to follow links to an online registration and credit card payment screen. If you would like more information or have questions feel free to contact us at
Specifications Quality Assurance
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Valarie Harris valarieh@pacbell.net or 714993-2532 or call (213)243-6658 and leave a message. You can email your art work jpeg to Valarie Harris at valarieh@pacbell.net This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mitch taylor, cSi
Steve taylor, cSi, cDt
Director of Architectural Services
Director of Specification Services
310 833 0571
310 986 9741
mitch@woodinst.com
steve@woodinst.com
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