On the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, One World Trade Center steadily progresses toward a late 2013 completion date. The spire on top of the 104-story skyscraper will reach 1,776 feet, a symbolic reference to America’s independence. David Childs of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Architect, is the…
When trouble, in the form of adverse changes in financial conditions or the property marketing environment, strikes during the period between construction contract signing and completion of procurement and construction activities, the developer often will have to consider taking the course of action that will maximize value for all stakeholders.…
Whose turn is it to take out the trash? With no “rules” about floating debris, the Headquarters for Ocean Policy is faced with a dilemma – who should bear the cost of cleaning up the millions of tons of debris that originated in Japan after the tsunami and is expected…
Welcome to Washington DC. Federal officials claim the board overseeing the Metrorail line to Dulles is “dysfunctional, out of control and secretive.“ When art meets building. Local artists brought in to beautify a Minneapolis construction site during renovation . Wonder how much replacement ink cartridges cost. A professor from USC…
The Olympics are in full swing, with the world’s attention on the playing fields and pools dotting the United Kingdom. But how about the venues themselves, how green are they? The London Organizing Committee planned the Games with a green tint, focusing on sustainable principles for everything from stadium construction,…
Form over function gone too far? Ticket-holders in some seats in The London 2012 Aquatic Center will get a refund because “the angle and curve of the aquatic centre roof” obscures the views of divers. The building was designed by Zaha Hadid, who denies that the design is the reason…
Throughout the world, the popularity of “green roofs” is on the rise. ENR.com reports that green roofs are being used to mitigate various environmental problems facing urban areas, most notably, storm water management. According to the EPA, green roofs also help combat a problem known as “Heat Island Effect” by…
Time to revise the game plan. New Jersey officials re-evaluate planned infrastructure projects in light of Super Bowl 2014. Bottom line: be prepared for some gridlock. Oh, and bundle up since this will be the first ever outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather city. There’s an app for that! Bluebeam…
Under the Texas code, the workers’ compensation exclusive remedy bar applies up and down: barring injured employees of subcontractors from bringing common law tort suits against a general contractor which provided workers compensation insurance, and also in reverse, barring injured employees of the general contractor from bringing suit against a…
Effective July 1, 2012, all of the existing statutes governing mechanics liens, stop notices and payment bonds in California will be repealed and replaced by updated statutes. The law will also result in new statutes governing stop notices (on both public and private works), payment bonds and related claims. The…