The Ceilings and Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA) is now accepting entries for its 2009 Construction Excellence Awards, which will highlight exceptional work on projects completed in 2009. This year, the competition includes a new category called “Boutique” for any unique interior project less than 10,000 sq ft. To be eligible for the CISCA Excellence Awards, a project must be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Qualified entries must be received at CISCA no later than Jan. 15, 2010. Winners will be recognized at the awards breakfast on April 23, 2010, during CISCA’s national convention in Denver, Colo. Category descriptions, entry

Walton Construction, St. Louis, has completed construction of Chesterfield Medical Institute, a new 20,000-sq-ft medical office building and ambulatory surgical center in Chesterfield, Mo. Related Links: Wis. Div. of State Facilities Will Require Construction-Waste Recycling in 2010 Plug-in Chargers for Electric Vehicles Installed at Chicago�s Aqua Building Ragnar Benson and William Charles Collaborate on Two Healthcare Projects Purdue University, Dow AgroSciences and Indiana Partner for Venture at Purdue Research Park Holland Construction Completes Addition Two Weeks Early Wrightwood Crossing Project Under Way; LEED Platinum Certification Planned Kaiser Electric Wires Casino Queen�s New Sports Bar Walton Construction Completes Chesterfield Medical Institute

Starting in 2010, Wisconsin’s Div. of State Facilities will require contractors to recycle construction and demolition waste generated on many of its projects. Related Links: Plug-in Chargers for Electric Vehicles Installed at Chicago's Aqua Building Ragnar Benson and William Charles Collaborate on Two Healthcare Projects Purdue University, Dow AgroSciences and Indiana Partner for Venture at Purdue Research Park Emerson Network Power Opens LEED-Certified Learning Center Holland Construction Completes Addition Two Weeks Early Wrightwood Crossing Project Under Way; LEED Platinum Certification Planned Kaiser Electric Wires Casino Queen's New Sports Bar Walton Construction Completes Chesterfield Medical Institute Starting in 2010, Wisconsin’s Div.

E&B Paving Inc., Anderson, Ind., has received two national awards from the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) for its paving work on highway and airport runway projects in Indiana. E&B’s concrete division, based in the firm’s Rochester, Ind., office, won the ACPA Gold Award in the Airport: Concrete Overlays category for its work on the Delphi, Ind., Airport. The company also won the ACPA Silver Award in the Urban Arterials & Collectors category for its work on State Road 66 (Diamond Avenue) in Evansville, Ind. E&B Paving will be formally recognized for these national awards at the ACPA annual convention

Judy Faulkner is founder and CEO of Epic Systems Corp., a leading medical software provider headquartered near Verona, Wis. Related Links: Reconstruction of CTH A and refilling of Lake Delton Col. H. Weir Cook Terminal Building at Indianapolis International Airport Art Institute of Chicago, Modern Wing and Nichols Bridgeway To keep pace with phenomenal growth, Epic is roughly doubling the size of its headquarters to accommodate all of its 3,400 employees. In addition to running the company, Faulkner, once described by a colleague as “very smart, very passionate, very focused,” is also deeply involved in planning and constructing Epic’s headquarters

After lying fallow since 1989, this undeveloped block in Chicago’s Loop had begun showing promise of growing active in 2005—until the developer’s financial woes left much of it dormant once again. Since taking over as the new developer in 2007, Freed has revived many of the block’s building projects, and the nearly completed Phase 1 developments are bringing new life to the block bordered by State, Washington, Dearborn and Randolph streets. Photo courtesy of Gensler Construction of the retail and entertainment mall used �up-down� construction in which the basement was excavated as the building rose overhead. Trucks hauling the excavated

Oscar J. Boldt Construction Co., a division of The Boldt Co., Appleton, Wis., is Wisconsin’s largest general contractor and ranked 12th in Midwest Construction’s 2009 Top Contractor listing. Boldt Provides Long-Term Care for Hospitals Photo courtesy of Children�s Hospital of Wisconsin The new 12-story West Tower at Children�s Hospital of Wisconsin, opened in May of this year, is a recent major project that Boldt completed for the hospital. Related Links: Chicago�s Block 37 Really Springs to Life The company serves construction-related needs of customers in a wide range of industries that includes general construction, power generation, industrial work, recreational facilities,

Learning about trends that will affect customers and finding new options that meet their needs is a good strategy for future success. TOENJES Q: I read about wind-farm construction in a recent article. I think they’ll do little to meet America’s energy needs, but I don’t want to be closed to new ideas. I am thinking about upgrading our skills to pursue opportunities in emerging markets, but don’t want to waste time on something that’s only a passing fad. Which emerging markets do you think will be strong in the years to come and why? A: You are right in

Owners often require that contractors procure performance bonds to guarantee the contractor’s faithful performance of the contract. Statutes require performance bonds on public construction projects. MROWIEC The performance bond surety’s liability to the owner for the contractor’s failure to complete the contract is not controversial. Absent defenses, the surety must either complete the contract or pay the penal sum of the bond. But what if the contractor apparently completes the contract successfully, the standard contractual warranty passes without discovery of any defect and one is discovered during the longer period of an extended contractor’s warranty required by the contract and

Related Links: Illinois DOT Seeks $300-Million TIGER Grant for Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program Indiana Seeks $71.4 Million in Stimulus Funds for Northwest Rail Improvements Landscape Architect Society Now Offers Sustainability Guides On Line Portland Cement Association Offers Sample Ordinance For Sustainable Construction Missouri DOT Starts Work on Page Extension for Route 364 Geotechnology Awarded Contracts on Missouri Bridge Program and Army Corps of Engineers Project New International Code for Commercial Buildings will Draw on California Green Building Standards Chicago Aviation Commissioner Discusses O�Hare Modernization at North American Forum The Illinois Dept. of Transportation (IDOT) has launched a