A recent change in a common risk-management activity poses new risks to your firm and its bottom line. Although the change may represent just more paperwork to some, new language in standard insurance forms regarding notices of termination affects all of construction. It's important, and it could cost you big money, no matter what kind of company you operate.Construction contracts often contain a provision that requires a contractor working on behalf of another contractor or an owner to hold harmless and indemnify the other parties—that is, the contractor or owner. To assure sufficient assets are available to back an indemnity,
The line between criminality and regulatory non-compliance grows fainter every year. A reading of the indictment brought against ex-Louis Berger Group CEO Derish Wolff, for which he appeared in court recently, is full of details that provoke questions about Wolff's actions and whether a judge or jury will find him guilty. A dramatic case could be presented about war-profiteering. However, there are reasons to ask if this should have been a civil lawsuit instead of a criminal case.On the surface, the charges are serious. They involve Berger's former chief financial officer, Salvatore Pepe, and its former general accounting manager, Precy
The People-Profit Connection How Emotional Intelligence Can Maximize People Skills and Maximize Your Profits By G. Brent Darnell; BDI Publishers, Atlanta, 2011; third edition, 157 pages Design and construction firm managers can handle some of the toughest technical, logistical and physical demands on jobsites, but they also can be absolute wimps when it comes to managing their people challenges. In an industry driven by human interractions and networking, the “people-profit connection” has never been more important.In the latest edition of the “People-Profit” series, which began in 2004, Brent Darnell expands and refines his pioneering approach to how emotional intelligence plays
“New Hydro Capacity Coming From Existing Dam Retrofits,” an article that highlighted a hydropower retrofit in Iowa, incorrectly named the firm contracted to do the engineering work. That firm is MWH, headquartered in Broomfield, Colo.
Every pipeline is ugly, intrusive and potentially dangerous, no matter how barren the land that it crosses. In the best of all worlds, we would be charging our car batteries with hundreds of thousands of megawatts of electrical power from solar panels or wind turbines.
While one natural disaster does not predict another and a double disaster is unlikely to repeat itself, Hurricane Irene and the Virginia earthquake, much like the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March, are chilling reminders that past experience is seldom an infallible guide to the worst-case scenarios thatinform structural design decisions. Engineers would do well to ponder the difference that a slightly stronger earthquake could have made on preparations for and damage from the storm that followed.Taking natural disasters one at a time, 20th-century style, should no longer be an option. Structures are best designed by considering the effects of
Renewable energy sources are often located in rural areas far from the urban centers that call for the highest demand for energy. The power grids in existence today were designed to link customers to relatively nearby coal, gas and nuclear powerplants. In order to benefit from the environmental, economic and national security advantages of renewableenergy, the U.S. needs to find affordable and efficient means to transmit the renewable energy from these remote areas to where it is needed most.With private property easements both scarce and expensive, the use of existing freeway right-of-way offers a very attractive option for transmitting renewable
Photo by Skip Pennington/Brasfield & Gorrie Protection of public safety, health and welfare is the chief imperative of licensed practice. Related Links: The Case For Practice Restrictions in Licensure How To Close A License Loophole Dont Blame Engineering for the Gulf Spill A physician's first priority is to do no harm, and an engineer's primary obligation is to hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public. This notion is precisely what motivates the advocates of separate licensure for structural engineers—the sincere belief that such a step is necessary to ensure that structures will remain standing.Several states have had
Sept. 5, 2011, was not a happy Labor Day celebration for the New York City area's building-trades unions, especially with the upcoming anniversary of the 9/11 attacks bringing back memories of union members' self-sacrificing rescue-and-recovery work. In the months leading up to the holiday, building-trades employers were busy bringing unions to reluctant agreement on the new post-recession realities. Unions for electricians, paint-ers and crane operators have come to terms on work-rule changes and limits on overtime that cut costs to employers by about 20%. New contracts with other unions still remain unsettled.At different times, the news media have mentioned that
istockphoto Precedents in most states establish that OSHA standards apply to third parties at construction sites. Related Links: Nevada Toughens Safety Laws In Response to Work Fatalities Personal injury case juries are known for their generosity toward injured individuals, but a current case where I'm an expert witness for the plaintiff shows that juries can be unpredictable.The case involves a hotel that was getting a heating and cooling system upgrade in Las Vegas. Because the case is under appeal, I can't reveal the name of the case or the parties. I can tell you enough about it to show you
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