Chairman of the board of Chicago engineering company Alfred Benesch & Co., Muthiah Kasi, has written a book titled �Function Approach to Transportation Projects � A Guide to Value Engineering� to help design professionals, owners, contractors and end users learn the techniques for maximizing cost savings on transportation projects of any size. Related Links: International Code Council Unveils New Web Site New Edition of Detailing for Steel Construction Now Available "Unseen Architecture" Exhibit at Milwaukee's Eisner-American Museum The book takes readers step-by-step from information gathering to project solution. Visit www.benesch.com for more information.

More Than $14.5 Million in Energy Awards Recovery Funding Will Help 9 Wisconsin Companies Finish Energy-Efficiency Projects, Create and Retain More than 400 Jobs. Governor Jim Doyle recently announced more than $14.5 million in funding to help nine industrial companies in Wisconsin complete energy efficiency projects and create and retain more than 400 jobs in the state. �Wisconsin has a tremendous opportunity to be one of the greenest manufacturing states in the country,� Governor Doyle said.� �With this funding, we will be able to help these companies become more energy efficient, so they can retain their competitive edge, reduce energy

Acting on behalf of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, Indiana has requested $2.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to plan, build and launch high-speed rail service from Chicago to Cleveland. A copy of the application is available on the Indiana Dept. of Transportation (INDOT) Web site at http://indot.IN.gov/3064.htm. “With the support of our counterparts in Chicago and Ohio, INDOT submitted one application that Indiana believes stands the greatest chance of being approved by the Federal Rail Administration,” said INDOT Commissioner Michael W. Reed. If the application is approved, initial environmental and feasibility studies would fully consider

The Eisner-American Museum of Advertising & Design is showing “Unseen Architecture: MKE,” an exhibit showcasing creative and inspirational architectural thinking. Related Links: International Code Council Unveils New Web Site New Edition of Detailing for Steel Construction Now Available Alfred Benesch Chairman Kasi Writes Guide to Value Engineering Running through March of 2010, the exhibit highlights unbuilt projects from 18 Milwaukee-area architectural firms. In architecture, the public sees only a small portion of what was conceived, so the Eisner and AIA Milwaukee have joined to explore the concept drawings and models, and to applaud the efforts of what could be. The

The International Code Council has passed the midpoint in developing a draft of a new international green construction code. A report from the work group’s October meeting indicates that the group wants to produce a code that is widely adoptable, enforceable, usable, and effective. Related Links: New Edition of Detailing for Steel Construction Now Available Alfred Benesch Chairman Kasi Writes Guide to Value Engineering "Unseen Architecture" Exhibit at Milwaukee's Eisner-American Museum Topics at the forefront of recent discussions about balancing effectiveness versus adoptability include: Heat Island Mitigation – Decisions regarding to what extent solutions such as trees and landscaping should

The new $8.5-million bridge being built over the Osage River near Tuscumbia, Mo. was the country�s first stimulus-financed project to get under way after President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on Feb. 17. Photo: put photo credit here photo caption here The new 970-ft-long bridge will take the place of a rickety steel-truss bridge that has stood since 1933 and badly needs replacing. As the stimulus bill was developing, the Missouri Dept. of Transportation (MoDOT) laid the groundwork for several projects, including the bridge near Tuscumbia, Mo., which links two sides of the town of about

Cemstone, Mendota Heights, Minn., an Upper Midwest provider of aggregates, decorative concrete and masonry products, has been selected by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI) and its Project Green Fleet program to upgrade 21 vehicles in its ready-mix concrete truck fleet. Photo: put photo credit here photo caption here When retrofitting is completed in January 2010, the vehicles will have diesel oxidation catalysts (DOC) or diesel multi-stage filters that are expected to reduce engine emissions by up to 50%. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to participate in this expansion of Project Green Fleet, as the program provides vital assistance to

Photo: Courtesy of Irgens Development The Riverwoods Corporate Center The Riverwoods Corporate Center, a 46,207-sq-ft office building at 2610 Lake Cook Road in Riverwoods, Ill., has been awarded 3 Globes by the Green Building Initiative (GBI) for high achievement in green design and sustainable building operations. The building was rated using the Green Globes assessment tool and awarded the honor after a rigorous GBI evaluation, in which the facility earned more than 80% of 1,000 possible points in the Green Globes rating system. The building was evaluated in six categories: energy, water, resources, emissions, indoor environment and environmental management systems.

Photo: Rendering courtesy of St. John's on the Lake A rendering shows what the new tower at St. John's on the Lake will look like when completed in 2011. Construction is underway for a new 21-story independent living building for seniors on the east side of Milwaukee, WI. The 88-unit tower will expand the Saint John¹s on the Lake senior living facility. It will sit on Prospect Avenue overlooking Lake Michigan. It was designed by Perkins Eastman architects, Chicago. General contractor is VJS Construction Services, Pewaukee, Wis. The owner says 90% of the subcontractors that will work on the project

The value of new construction starts climbed 12% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $447.6 billion, it was reported by McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Cos. The upward push came from double-digit gains for nonresidential building and nonbuilding construction (public works and electric utilities).  At the same time, residential building in October was unchanged from its September pace. Through the first ten months of 2009, total construction on an unadjusted basis came in at $350.1 billion, down 29% from the same period a year ago. The October statistics lifted the Dodge Index to 95 (2000=100), up