According to a recent article, the U.S. General Services Administration has awarded $4 billion of its $5.5 billion of Recovery Act funds to convert existing federal buildings into LEED-certified green buildings.  GSA Administrator Martha Johnson claims that the GSA's green investments "will save taxpayer dollars in energy efficiencies and builld a more sustainable economy."  More than 390 projects have been awarded funds, covering all fifty states, two U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.For the complete article from GovernmentExecutive.com, please click here.

April 22, 2010 | 3:00pm-4:30pm ETFor owners seeking a third-party green-building certification, it is essential to all parties that the green building objectives and responsibilities are clearly delineated in order to effectively achieve project goals.The contracting mechanisms for building green projects can play a key role in outlining measurable objectives and designating roles and responsibilities.  Using the ConsensusDOCS 310 Green Building Addendum as a baseline for examples, attendees will learn from green building experts how to:Identify unique risks in building greenReview contractual best practices for green buildingDistinguish project participants and their respective roles and responsibilitiesDetermine the green building facilitatorRegistration:AGC Members:  $20Non-Member:  $49Duration: 90 minutes (including live Q & A)Register today!  AGC Members receive a special discounted price of just $20.  Please contact Megan McGarvey at mcgarveym@agc.org or 703-837-5369 should you have questions.

Join key players in the building construction industry at the AGC Building Contractors Conference in Midway, Utah, June 9-12, 2010. This Conference consistently offers a worthwhile and constructive experience to industry leaders who gather to network, exchange ideas, and hear presentations offering timely guidance and best practices. The AGC Lean Construction Forum will feature several sessions, including Lean Construction 101 and case studies.Conference Topics Include:Building Construction MarketOwners RoundtableLean ConstructionEnvironmental and Safety RegulationsGreen Construction/SustainabilityBuilding Information ModelingSurety/RiskFuture of the Construction IndustryLook for more information at www.agc.org/bcc. Register today!

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"3938","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-full wp-image-843 alignright","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"180","height":"153","alt":"u0026lt;br /u0026gt;"}}]]Building contractor sessions and issues were prominently featured at AGC's 91st Annual Convention and Pavilion held last month in Orlando, Fla.  Both the Industry Liaison Committee and Construction Marketing Committee held sessions on Building Information Modeling (BIM), with a focus on BIM from an owners perspective and using BIM for interviews andpresentations.  The Lean Construction Forum held a session highlighting AGC's current and future efforts related to this exciting topic.  The Project Delivery Committee heard from Dr. Keith Molenaar about research that investigates the influence of project delivery methods on sustainable design and construction.  The keynote speaker for the Building Contractors Division Meeting was Jack Blitch from Walt Disney Imagineering (photo at right).  Blitch provided a look from Imagineering's early days to the present and how BIM and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) are a part of their construction practice.  Along with professional development sessions and other programs, the Convention proved to be a worthwhile experience for those who made the trip to Orlando.AGC's 92nd Annual Convention will be held March 21-25, 2011 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev.

The AGC of America National Committee Chair of the Year Award is presented to a chairperson in recognition of his/her outstanding achievements and accomplishments in the past year.  This year Chuck Greco, president & CEO of the Linbeck Group LLC in Houston, Texas, was awarded this honor at AGC's 91st Annual Convention and Pavilion in Orlando, Fla., for his leadership of the AGC Lean Construction Advisory Committee.  Under Chuck's guidance, the Lean Construction Advisory Committee launched the AGC Lean Construction Forum and its Web site.  The Forum also held more[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"3920","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-full wp-image-836 alignright","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"203","height":"151","alt":"u0026lt;br /u0026gt;"}}]]than seven hours of educational sessions at the AGC Building Contractors Conference in January 2010 and hosted a session at the recent AGC Annual Convention.Chuck spearheaded development of a lean construction curriculum, credential, and instructor program, and is now leading the establishment of a business plan to implement these efforts.  AGC President Doug Pruitt commented in presenting the award that "Chuck's enthusiasm, leadership and passion for lean construction and the AGC community has led to numerous lean initiatives and a multitude of benefits for all AGC members."For more information about the AGC Lean Construction Forum, visit www.agcleanforum.org.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set new rules for certain contractors who renovate or repair housing, child-care facilities or schools built before 1978.  Workers must follow lead-safe work practice standards to reduce potential exposure to dangerous levels of lead during renovation and repair activities.EPA's "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (RRP) rule takes full effect on April 22, 2010.  Specifically, the requirements apply to renovation, repair or painting activities where more than six square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed in a room or where 20 square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed on the exterior.  The affected workers include builders, painters, plumbers and electricians, for example.  RequirementsThe current RRP requirements require paid contractors and maintenance professionals to be trained and certified on certain mandated lead-safe work practices before renovating or repairing housing and facilities for children built before 1978.   AGC contractors need to be focused on the following compliance dates:December 2008 - Pre-renovation education requirements took effect on December 22, 2008, and require workers to distribute an EPA educational pamphlet called Renovate Right to occupants, post signs and retain records for three years; andApril 2010 - Training, certification, and work practice requirements take effect on/after April 22, 2010.As of April 22, 2010, the rule will be fully implemented.The Federal Register cite is 73 FR 21691-21769, April 22, 2008 - online at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/2008/April/Day-22/t8141.htm and http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8141.pdf.  The final rule (codified at 40 CFR Part 745, Subpart E) became effective on June 23, 2008; however, within the regulatory text you will the compliance/effective dates listed above (see "Section 745.81 - Effective Dates").Compliance AssistanceAGC has distributed news articles (as in previous Building Material articles) to chapters and members explaining the legal requirements and contractor responsibilities, and we've encouraged AGC Chapters to consider becoming accredited training providers (http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/agcmmq/issues/2010-01-11/7.html). An EPA compliance guide is available at http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/sbcomplianceguide.pdf.  EPA also issued an Enforcement Alert in January 2010, available here.  For copies of the educational brochures on this new program, call 1-800-424-LEAD. Expansion of Lead Paint Requirements?A recent article run in the March issue of Building Material explains that EPA is currently considering whether or not to expand and strengthen requirements of the 2008 Lead RRP rule to cover renovations of both the exteriors and the interiors of all public and commercial buildings.  Please click here for the article.For more information on EPA's lead program, visit http://www.epa.gov/lead.

June 16-17, 2010 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Early Bird Discount Ends May 24This year's program will build upon the previous series of successful meetings and will cover standardized practices, definitions and terminology in an effort to create a unified understanding of the four steps to successful project delivery, plus the ability to use Project Delivery Systems, definitions, selection and implementation. To learn more and register click here!

A recent Bloomberg article exposes the fact that U.S. lenders are currently sitting on approximately $1.29 trillion in cash, nearly matching the amount of existing business loans dollar for dollar.  Large banks are keeping cash locked up, despite the increased demand for more liquidity. To read the complete article, please click here.

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) March 4 introduced the "Building STAR Energy Efficiency Rebate Act of 2010" (S. 3079), a bill that would provide $6 billion in federal investment through rebates and financing incentives. The bill would cover about 30 percent of the cost of installing energy efficient products and/or providing energy efficiency-related services (e.g., energy audits) in commercial and multifamily residential buildings this year.  It is estimated that the $6 billion in funding for the Building STAR program would spur $18 to $24 billion in total spending, creating up to 200,000 jobs in the construction, manufacturing and other related industries.  The program is designed to work quickly and includes simplified application procedures for building owners.Building STAR is the companion to Home STAR, a similar rebate program for home owners being developed by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which today held a hearing on both proposals. AGC is a participating organization in the coalition that developed and is promoting Building STAR and was quoted in a BNA Construction Labor Report article addressing the Building STAR bill.For more information, contact Karen Lapsevic at (202) 547-4733 or lapsevick@agc.org.

According to Reed Construction Data, construction starts were up 4 percent in January, with a 47 percent increase in commercial building starts from December 2009.  However, this is not a sign that the recession has drastically improved, but that "a hint of improvement" may be coming.Despite this news, the building recession seems to be deepening still.  Market indicators used to measure monthly nonresidential construction are negative, and many projects are being delayed or cancelled, according to another Reed report.  Some projects are being halted due to lower than expected building operating income, and the inability to obtain financing is still causing cutbacks as well. The U.S. Architecture Billings Index is at its lowest level in the past six months, according to a Reuters article.  The AIA's Kermit Baker cites strict lending, a "skittish" bond market, and declining property values among the problems aggravating the recession.  For more information on January's construction starts, please click here.  For market indicator charts, and information on the building recession, please click here. To access the Reuters article on the Architecture Billings Index, please click here.