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Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Austin, Texas Registration for the 2014 AGC Building Contractors Conference is open! Taking place in Austin, this year's conference focuses on bringing together high-level leaders in the building construction industry to share, learn and discuss the issues essential to them and their business. Guest speakers will include Ken Simonson, AGC of America Chief Economist; Ryan Abbott, Sundt Construction, and more. Don't miss the chance to network with others in the industry and discuss relevant topics essential to the construction industry.
Visit http://meetings.agc.org/austinbcc to view the full article online. |
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=279523&issueID=40125 to view the full article online.
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InterContinental Dallas Hotel Dallas, TexasFollowing the April BIMForum, this conference will focus on optimizing construction using aspects of BIM. Speakers from around the nation will be presenting on how they are using BIM proactively and effectively to have a measurable impact on the construction process. Topics will include BIM Execution Planning, Collocation Management, What Does BIM Mean For Insurance?, and more. Register today!
Visit http://meetings.bimforum.org/2014/ to view the full article online. |
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Sheraton Downtown Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona AGC's Construction HR and Training Professionals Conference provides two days of education and networking for HR, training and workforce development professionals in the construction industry. Educational sessions cover the most cutting-edge techniques in training and development currently in use and envisioned for the future in the industry.
Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/events/conferences/training_education_conference to view the full article online. |
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San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk
San Antonio, Texas Registration for the CLC Leadership Development Conference, formerly known as Fall Working Weekend, is now open. This year’s event is co-hosted with the San Antonio Chapter of AGC and will take place October 23-25, 2014, at the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk. Highlights of the program include keynote speaker George "The Iceman" Gervin, former San Antonio Spurs player; Chuck Greco, Linbeck Group, LLC, and Senior Vice President of AGC of America; and a roundtable session that will allow attendees to learn best practices from CLC groups from across the country. Visit http://meetings.agc.org/ldc14/ to view the full article online. |
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Caesar's Palace,
Las Vegas, Nevada The Construction Financial Management Conference was developed in response to a need for programs and workshops designed specifically for financial professionals in the construction industry. The three-day conference will feature lectures and workshops on topics such as construction taxes, change order and claims management, federal acquisition regulations and more. Register by September 5 for the early bird discount!
Visit http://meetings.agc.org/agc_cfma/ to view the full article online. |
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The ACE Mentor Program of Houston invites you to join in The Third Annual Build It Forward Event. This event brings together students involved in the ACE Mentor Program and industry-wide professionals. For more information and to learn how you can get involved, please click here.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1838 to view the full article online. |
HURRY! Applications are due Friday August 15, 2014. Developing young leaders will be a key piece of the future success and growth of the construction industry in Houston. Leadership AGC is seeking those individuals interested in developing and enhancing their skills as leaders as well as increasing their overall knowledge of our industry's place in the community. Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=279530&issueID=40125 to view the full article online.
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By popular demand, AGC Houston is offering the OSHA 30-hour construction safety course for Spanish-speaking construction supervisors or for workers with some safety responsibility. This course provides a greater depth and variety of training on an expanded list of
topics associated with workplace hazards than the 10-hour course. Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1842 to view the full article online. |
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New! This course covers the evaluation and reduction of noise hazards in the
construction industry. Topics include OSHA Construction Noise Standards, properties of sound, noise-induced hearing loss, selection and use of hearing protection, among other topics. Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1840 to view the full article online. |
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This free training class focuses on preventing frequently cited construction hazards. The Focus Four Hazards in Construction are conducted as four-hour awareness training focusing on the greatest dangers of working on a construction site.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1778 to view the full article online. |
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This course covers the OSHA Standards, policies and procedures in the construction industry. Topics include scope and application of the OSHA Construction Standards, construction safety and health principles, and special emphasis on those areas in construction which are most hazardous.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1749 to view the full article online. |
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The management system course provides the participant the opportunity to design the core elements of a management system for environmental, risk, safety and health programs. Note: Participants must attend all three sessions.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1725 to view the full article online. |
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Taught in Spanish, this free training class focuses on preventing frequently cited construction hazards. The Focus Four Hazards in Construction are conducted as four-hour awareness training focusing on the greatest dangers of working on a construction site.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1781 to view the full article online. |
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This course covers the OSHA Excavation Standards and safety and health aspects of excavation and trenching with topics including practical soil mechanics and its relationship to the stability of shored and unshored slopes and walls of excavations, introduction of various types of shoring (wood timbers and hydraulic), soil classification, and use of protective systems.
Visit http://agchouston.org/calendar.asp?pageid=901&calid=1750 to view the full article online. |
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=279539&issueID=40125 to view the full article online.
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It is a legal requirement to have a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) on nearly every active construction project, including detailed records of site inspections and corrective actions. Companies that fail to adequately document and retain the results of their self-inspections and follow-up measures may face enforcement actions and devastating penalties of up to $37,500.00 per day, per violation. The Stormwater Inspection Reports for Contractors mobile app was developed as an electronic documentation tool for construction operators to quickly and easily prepare their stormwater inspection and corrective action reports right from their iPad.
Visit https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stormwater/id884095701?ls=1&mt=8 to view the full article online. |
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New government data released August 1, 2014, show the uneven nature of the construction industry's recovery, as the sector added 22,000 jobs in July, but suffered a pullback in spending in June, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that uncertainty about federal funding for a range of infrastructure and construction programs is one reason for the uneven recovery. Ken Simonson, AGC Chief Economist, stated "Construction employment and spending are both rising at a moderate year-over-year clip, but there have been some setbacks."
Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/news_media/press_room/press_release?pressrelease.id=1611 to view the full article online. |
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On Tuesday, July 22, 2014, the president signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act into law. The
bill easily passed both the House and Senate in recent weeks. The legislation will reform the workforce development system, giving states greater flexibility and strengthening employer engagement. Visit http://news.agc.org/2014/07/25/president-signs-agc-supported-legislation-reforming-workforce-development-system-into-law/ to view the full article online. |
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A recent report by TRIP, a national transportation research group, recently found that the rural road fatality rate is three times higher than all other roads, while 15 percent of rural roads are in poor shape and 22 percent of rural bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, stated " ...the U.S. Department of Transportation is warning states it will begin cutting back federal funding for highway projects in August as the balance in the federal Highway Trust Fund approaches dangerously low levels."
Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/news_media/press_room/press_release?pressrelease.id=1603 to view the full article online. |
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The Construction State Law Matrix is the most comprehensive, definitive and concise publication available, covering all aspects of state laws that may affect your public or private construction project. This essential resource, for use before completing any construction contract in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, ensures compliance and enforceability under state law.
Visit http://www.agc.org/cs/industry_topics/contracts_construction_law/construction_contracts/state_law_matrix to view the full article online. |
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Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=279544&issueID=40125 to view the full article online. |
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Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=279545&issueID=40125 to view the full article online. |
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Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=279564&issueID=40125 to view the full article online. |
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Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=279573&issueID=40125 to view the full article online. |
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/?aid=279597&issueID=40125 to view the full article online.
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Visit http://agchouston.org/gallery.asp?galid=1845&pageid=6 to view the full article online.
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Visit http://agchouston.org/files/11665_2014_pmdp_1-5_final_r021114.pdf to view the full article online.
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LEED certification is quickly becoming more common in Houston’s new office buildings, whereby developers can charge higher sale prices and rents. In the Houston Metro area, LEED-certified buildings have a higher gross rent-per-square-foot at $39.16, compared to non-LEED buildings, which average $30.31 per square foot, According to Julie Hendricks, director of EcoServices for Kirksey, "Green buildings are generally more efficient, more marketable and less expensive to operate. LEED-certified lease spaces typically have higher rents and occupancy rates." Overall, "green building" emphasizes healthy interiors with access to daylight and views. Additionally, employees in green buildings tend to be more productive, are absent less, and have greater job satisfaction.
Visit http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/08/new-leed-certification-requires-more-but-can-pay.html to view the full article online. |
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During August, Architecture Center Houston will be one of four featured charities at the OKRA Charity Saloon. Charities compete for patron votes; the charity with the most votes receives an entire month's worth of the Saloon's profits. Each food or drink purchase grants you a ticket to use at the ballot box. Show your support for ArCH by having a drink or food at OKRA.
Visit http://friedokra.org/okra-charity-saloon to view the full article online. |
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The average total cost of risk for companies rose two percent last year, from $10.90 per $1,000 of revenue, compared with $10.70 in 2012, according to the RIMS Benchmark Survey. This measure of how much companies spend on property, casualty and workers' compensation insurance and risk management has been rising steadily for the past few years, reflecting hardening insurance conditions.
Visit http://ww2.cfo.com/risk-management/2014/07/risk-management-costs-slightly/ to view the full article online. |
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Currently 38 percent of the City of Houston waste stream comes from construction and demolition waste. There are many resources in Houston that reuse or recycle construction waste. The Materials Research Collaborative (MRC) at the University of Houston has developed a printed catalog and online resource for the Houston professional community, local businesses, and non-profit groups to help reuse or recycle building materials. This work was made possible by a grant from the Architecture Center Houston Foundation and support from Balfour Beatty Construction.
Visit http://reuse.uhmrc.com/ to view the full article online. |
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According to the Texas Comptroller's Office, the Houston area boasts the lowest school construction costs in Texas at just $135 a square foot, nearly $20 lower than the state average. The Houston region also includes three of the most prolific builders in the state—the Katy, Cypress Fairbanks and Fort Bend school districts, which have added a combined 6.7 million square feet of facilities since 2007. Efforts are being made to ensure that Houston's school construction costs continue to remain one of the lowest in the state.
Visit http://texas.construction.com/yb/tx/article.aspx?story_id=id:cY08h_ZcJpgxsjvkIzRJHsMMeBQmVjGVHCF1q73T0qJ2CXevca1lm93OghQKdQvP to view the full article online. |
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Are you in the K-12 construction industry of Houston? Houston Independent School District (HISD) will be introducing an approved $1.89 billion bond, seven-year construction program to market consisting of 40 schools, three athletic facilities and numerous renovations. The objective of the Labor Compliance Program (LCP) is to build the highest quality schools safely, on time, within budget and with the best construction workers. HISD’s Labor Compliance Program (LCP) helps ensure a level playing field and protects workers by reviewing certified payrolls, monitoring job sites, interviewing workers, providing certified payroll training and sponsoring community job fairs.
Visit http://www.constructioncitizen.com/blog/hisd%E2%80%99s-labor-compliance-program-dedicated-quality/1407021 to view the full article online. |
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A Houston submarket that once was predominately industrial is attracting new Class A office construction thanks to its lower costs and accessible location. The West Belt office submarket, located on Beltway 8 north of I-10 and extending just east of Highway 249, is a cost-effective alternative for companies in west Houston that need larger spaces and higher parking ratios. According to Jon Lee, Senior Vice President of CBRE's Houston office, "There are many new projects being contemplated that require preleasing to move forward. We anticipate this to continue to be a hot area in the foreseeable future."
Visit http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/07/new-submarket-hot-for-office-construction.html to view the full article online. |
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The Houston region is expected to have 296,000 job openings in the "middle-skills" occupations within the next three years, and a new effort is being launched to fill them. In conjunction with the Greater Houston Partnership and JPMorgan & Co., the UpSkill Houston program will create seven sector-specific councils to improve coordination among the stakeholders. The seven key sectors for the Houston region are advanced manufacturing, construction, health care, oil and gas, petrochemical, ports and maritime, and utilities. AGC Houston is playing a key leadership role with GHP with the appointment of AGC Chairman Steve Mechler and Laura Bellows who were asked to co-chair the council.
Visit http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/06/23/new-effort-launches-to-fill-thousands-of-jobs-in-3.html?ana=e_hstn_bn_newsalert&u=iTmD3cLYNo3Gput9e1igxGernxx&t=1403616284 to view the full article online. |