Congress has not yet passed crucial funding bills for the fiscal year 2024, which starts on October 1. If Congress does not act promptly, the government may be forced to shut down due to lack of funding. Congress may yet act, but the agencies and the design firms and contractors working on federal projects should... Continue Reading →
In an effort to assist engineers in designing healthier indoor environments for buildings, ASHRAE unveiled its new standard meant to reduce the risk of disease transmission. ASHRAE Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols, establishes minimum requirements to reduce the risk of disease transmission by exposure to infectious aerosols, the tiny, exhaled particles that can carry... Continue Reading →
In a Victor webinar on the importance of communications during a project and documentation of the communications, observations, and other project-related information, we reminded design professionals of the damage that the routine recording of internal video conferencing could cause. We also wrote about the risks in our article, “Videoconferencing Can Raise Professional Liability Exposures” (access... Continue Reading →
One of the biggest challenges faced by employers with remote workers is how to comply with wage and hour laws. While design firms have been able to classify many employees as “professionals,” they still have hourly non-exempt employees, including many who now work all or part of their hours at their homes. Federal law requires... Continue Reading →
It’s that time of year when gifts among friends are common. If those friends are in private firms or public agencies, however, those gifts can cost both parties their careers. Even the appearance of impropriety can create a public relations nightmare. As federal money flows through state and local agencies, there is an increased danger... Continue Reading →
As part of its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure project, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released a map of projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. ASCE created the resource in collaboration with economic development non-profit Accelerator for America to showcase the impact of the five-year federal investment. Firms can use... Continue Reading →
Insurance is a bottom-line business. It’s a simple concept: collect a premium now for what you can predict is the future need for coverage of the transferred risks. In practice, however, it is a complex and somewhat speculative wager on factors that are beyond the insurer’s control. In today’s environment, when material prices are unpredictable,... Continue Reading →
Flood maps used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are out-of-date and understate the risks to homes and businesses from flooding and extreme rain triggered by climate change. One study came to the same conclusion: a 2020 evaluation of flood risk by the non-profit group First Street Foundation, which analyzed every property in the... Continue Reading →
Our last post focused on the first step in digital practice: creating a BIM Exhibit. Once the contracting parties attach that exhibit to the design and construction contract forms, they have to expand the agreement on model sharing and reliance issues through a project-specific BIM Execution Plan (“plan”). The AIA Contract Documents program created G203-2022,... Continue Reading →
The recently published AIA Digital Practice Documents involve three interrelated components that clearly define the procedures for sharing models, the permitted uses of the shared information, and the level of reliability on the model elements. The documents, therefore, provide the parties to the design and construction process with a straightforward methodology to share information without... Continue Reading →
