The U.S. Green Building Council announced recently that its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program now will recognize credits from the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, or BREEAM. The U.K.'s popular green building rating system, BREEAM is an equivalent to LEED. Recognition will begin with LEED for New Construction and the international version of BREEAM. For projects outside the U.S., the advantage is that teams no longer have to pursue dual certification.
The Oregon Dept. of Transportation issued a notice of default to contractor Yaquina River Constructors, a division of Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, Calif., on March 16 regarding a $217-million, 5.5-mile U.S. 20 straightening project in western Oregon. Granite has 10 days to correct defaults or submit a proposal for correction before the contract is terminated. Two years ago, the project was halted after bridge columns were found to be out of plumb in the landslide-prone, mountainous area. A document outlining the default-notice issues says Granite failed to engineer or design the project adequately and meet permitting and deadline guidelines. Granite is contesting the notice. The two parties disagree over responsibility for the delays as well as required new design and construction to fix the landslide issues.