Gearing Up for the New Year!

Construction Advisor Today (CAT) is getting ready for the new year and will resume its regular coverage of construction-related developments and insight next week. In the meantime, here are a few brief notes of interest from all three sections of CAT:

Construction Claims Advisor (CCA) -- Which weekly CCA commentary drew the most reaction from CAT readers in 2011? It was the entry entitled “Are ‘Pay-if-Paid’ Clauses Fair?,” which appeared in CAT’s Aug. 24 edition and prompted readers to post 45 comments, including this one: “Subcontractors shouldn't agree to such a clause unless it pertains specifically to their product or services. Why would you allow yourself to be penalized for disputes between the contractor and the owner, or another subcontractor and the owner?” The entry and all of the comments it generated can be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/c8sml49. Thank you for all of your comments, and we look forward to many more in the coming year.

Construction Project Controls and BIM Report -- The U.S. Department of State’s Acquisitions Office is seeking construction scheduling firms that possess facility clearance at the "SECRET" level. Firms must have experience in reviewing schedules (initial project schedule, detailed project schedule, master summary schedule, and as-built project schedule), reviewing recovery schedules, providing cost-estimating services, and completing certain other duties. At least one small-business contract will be awarded, according to a sources-sought notice that the department recently issued. Refer to solicitation No. SAQMMA12R0033 when emailing department Contract Specialist Edward Czarny at [email protected].

Green Building Insider -- The amount of space certified as meeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards in existing buildings has surpassed the total area of newly built structures carrying such a designation, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As of this month, square footage of LEED-certified existing buildings exceeds LEED-certified new construction by 15 million square feet on a cumulative basis. "Historically, we have seen the stock of LEED-certified green projects overwhelmingly be made up of new construction projects, both in volume and square footage," USGBC stated. However, the number of projects certified through LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation and Maintenance has been outpacing certified new construction projects on an annual basis since 2009.