Clarifying Results ENR’s recent editorial and significant aspects of its other coverage suggest a need for clarification on the role and value of the World Trade Center investigation conducted by the Commerce Dept.’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (ENR 7/4 p. 64). The NIST-led investigation and concurrent research and development program addressed specific recommendations for further study contained in the earlier building performance assessment, conducted by the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Congress directed NIST to carry out the investigation based on input from professionals, the public and families of victims. The investigation,
DOLAN Negotiating isn’t easy, no matter what your style is. Negotiating to get what you want takes brains and backbone. You have to think through what you want and the most effective way to get it. And you have to have the moxie to follow through with your plans. You have to go after what you want and to get it you have to be a shrewd negotiator, even while maintaining high ethical standards. Negotiating on a mature, adult-to-adult basis is even more demanding than slipping around and trying to manipulate or trick the people you’re negotiating with. First of
ENR Wins Two Awards From Business Editors The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, is a great place to celebrate. ENR was among the award winners honored there at the June 21 gala of the American Society of Business Publication Editors. It was fun to see the jacket John Lennon wore on the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. And it was a delight to revisit the site where I reported a cover story about the construction of the museum (ENR 10/31/94 p. 34). ENR editors love the drama of construction and see
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued the final draft report of its building and safety investigation of the World Trade Center attack for public comment. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 4. Below are comments from ENR readers on the 30 recommendations for change included in the report. We invite all ENRNR.com and ENR readers to add their comments to the ones that follow by sending them to nadine_post@mcgraw-hill.com. We will be adding comments until the end of the public comment period, Aug. 4. Comments to NIST can be sent by e-mail to wtc@nist.gov, facsimile to 301-975-6122,
STASIOWSKI Several years ago, when the sole principal of one successful Boston-based architectural firm died unexpectedly, the 26-employee firm closed its doors within a very short time. And this is not an atypical story. Unfortunately, few design firms have a leadership transition plan in place to ensure continuity for staff and clients. Many sole principals generate 100% of the firm’s business. When they die, the value of the firm typically dies with them. The principal who spends years building a firm often values loyalty rather than entrepreneurial spirit in his or her staff, thus leaving no true leaders in the
Waterbury Can rejected bidders sue a municipal government for failure to abide by published standards? Can a government agency require that materials come from local suppliers? As attorneys involved in public works, we know that contractors, suppliers and public works agencies may need answers to these questions. We decided to write partly because some suppliers choose not to meet quality, performance and safety standards and then threaten a lawsuit or otherwise attempt to level the playing field. What can public works officials do to prevent this from happening in their next competitive bid? Most importantly, they are not required to
Sound Policy at $295 Billion It’s baffling to us that the industry’s leading publication would tacitly endorse a $284-billion highway/transit reauthorization investment measure that could actually provide no growth for the federal transportation construction market over the next four years. ENR’s rhetorical references to a "charade" and the war in Iraq in your editorial, "Transportation Bill Warning Signs Should Be Heeded," are also out of bounds in the current debate. (ENR 5/9 p. 48). Since 2004, ENR has extensively covered the industry impacts of skyrocketing prices for steel and highway construction materials. If this trend continues for just one more year,
Cho In a land of pink stucco, palms and countless bottles of water, scores of the nation’s top women transportation officials—and their male compatriots—gathered last month to talk business. The site was Phoenix, where appropriately enough highway and light rail construction plans are going like gangbusters. In a somewhat over-air-conditioned Scottsdale conference room, Ann Warner, an official with Bechtel Infrastructure Group, predicted that states will likely have more access to GARVEE bonds, TIFIA loans, toll roads and public-private partnerships—affectionately known as PPP—when the transportation reauthorization bill finally passes. Language in the Senate bill will allow for extra money for the
BRESLIN Due to political, economic and strategic shifts in the marketplace, organized labor faces very hard choices that will reverberate for decades to come. Labor must choose between two starkly different paths. One is to embrace a fundamental change in strategy and structure that leads to new partnerships and increased market share. The other is to stick with the status quo and inertia, leading to unions’ final demise and irrelevance. It is my view that the successful retooling of unions can provide significant added value to our industry. But it is incumbent upon them to embrace the principles of a
Persinger Can a bid require that materials be made in America? Do public works agencies have to accept materials that don't meet bid specifications? Can an agency adopt safety specifications, even if they limit potential project bids? As attorneys involved in public works, we have some of the answers and they might surprise you. We decided to write partly because some suppliers choose not to meet quality, performance and safety standards and then threaten a lawsuit or otherwise attempt to level the playing field. What can public works officials do to prevent this from happening in their next competitive bid?
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