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| MCAA National Update for June 4, 2012 |
GROUNDBREAKING MEP DEFINITION OF SPATIAL COORDINATION NOW AVAILABLE FROM MCAA
MCAA, in partnership with SMACNA and NECA, was successful in developing and placing a landmark definition into the new national BIM standard that provides a well-defined and repeatable framework for installation level spatial coordination of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems (MEP). This definition, under 5.5.1 Scope of the National BIM Standard - US v2 (NBIMS-US v2), is available for viewing or download at www.mcaa.org/private/bim. The complete section under which 5.5.1 Scope falls is Section 5.5 Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection Systems (MEP) Spatial Coordination Requirements for Construction Installation Models and Deliverables - November 2009, Revised May 2012. By prescribing and defining this consistent framework for spatial coordination, 5.5.1 Scope can help ensure savings in time and change order costs that can occur only with a clear interpretation of where coordination ends and new or redesign begins. NBIMS-US v2 is an initiative of the National Institute of Building Sciences buildingSMART alliance, and the full version of the standard can be found at http://www.nationalbimstandard.org/user_questionnaire.php. For more information, contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org). |
MSCA's OPTIONAL PROGRAM WILL HELP YOU TAKE ENERGY SOLUTIONS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
 MSCA is offering an optional program on October 14, during its Annual Educational Conference (October 14-17, 2012, Carlsbad, CA) that will enlighten you on the true value of improving energy efficiency and help you understand what it takes to get efficiency projects approved. Led by Mark Jewell of the Energy Efficiency Funding Group, Inc., the program will enable you to identify potential new accounts, present an energy solutions package effectively to a building owner, address and resolve objections and leverage the ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager energy performances benchmarking tool to open doors and document progress. The details of this excellent, high value program are at
http://www.msca.org/msca2012. Be sure to include the program when you register for MSCA LIVE 2012. |
REGISTER NOW FOR QUALIFIED-LEVEL ARC FLASH SAFETY TRAINING!
Two NFPA 70E Qualified-Level Arc Flash Safety Training sessions are being offered for MCAA/MSCA members' employees who are potentially exposed to live conductors of 50 volts of electricity or more during their workday. Two training sessions will take place on June 13, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time. This web-based, 90-minute course is being offered at a special rate exclusively for MCAA/MSCA members. Presented by the Hilgeman Group, the session covers all OSHA and NFPA requirements, includes a discussion of best practices and NFPA's recent changes to the 70E requirements and provides participants with real-world accident information that will reinforce the importance of this training. All participants will receive customized training certificates. This training is an excellent value and could save lives. For more information or to register, go to ahilgeman@frontier.com. |
ALI IS THE EDGE YOUR COMPANY NEEDS
 With the economy still struggling, businesses need every possible edge to help them compete effectively for new opportunities. MCAA's Advanced Leadership Institute (ALI) provides you with the leadership and strategic planning skills that you will need to make a bottom-line difference for your company. Its exceptional curriculum features a timely and very challenging new case study that thrusts you into the middle of a job site crisis. You will learn with other top industry executives in a dynamic educational environment led by world-renowned faculty. Make ALI a top priority for yourself or your top executives to ensure your company has what it takes to move ahead and stay there. ALI's Course 12 dates are September 30 - October 5 and November 11 - 16, 2012. For more ALI information, go to http://www.mcaa.org/ali and then contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org)for an e-application. |
HOUSE VOTES DOWN PROPOSED BAN ON PLAs Bipartisan support in Congress for project labor agreements (PLAs) picked up with a House vote that turned back another attempt to ban PLAs as a project delivery option on federal projects. A bipartisan majority is growing to affirm the law and the President's Executive Order 13502 confirming established labor and procurement practices that allow federal procurement agencies to use their best proprietary judgment in deciding whether a PLA is the best option for ensuring successful project delivery, workforce staffing and performance, and other performance metrics for the benefit of the agency program and the taxpayers generally. The House voted in favor of the Grimm Amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 5854) that stripped out the provision in that bill that would have banned agency discretion to consider using a PLA on any project. The majority favoring continuing the option for agencies to consider using PLA's was bipartisan, with 34 Republicans joining 184 Democrats; those favoring banning the proven PLA option included only one Democrat among the 197 Republican "no" votes. This vote helped offset the recent narrow defeat on the National Defense Authorization Act, where a similar PLA ban slipped through by merely a one vote margin, as many PLA supporters were absent from the vote. |
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