THE WINNER'S CIRCLE

Indianapolis Chapter CSI Newsletter

June 2015

"In architecture the pride of man, his triumph over gravitation, his will to power, assume a visible form. Architecture is a sort of oratory of power by means of forms."

Deep Thoughts

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Please let us know if you have any ideas for future newsletters.

Your Humble Narrator,

Mike Halstead
Indianapolis CSI Newsletter Co-Editor

Mild Mannered Reporter,

Ryan Muzzillo
Indianapolis CSI Newsletter Co-Editor

The Insider

Summer is here! As we know, it may not rain in Indianapolis in the summer time, but the humidity feels like rain. Oh well - better than freezing.

Thanks to Ralph Pitman for taking on the task of amending our Chapter By Laws and Administrative Guide. No fun there. Hey Ralph - want to review my will, healthcare, and life insurance?

We had a great time at the Past Presidents Forum two weeks ago. Many of you don't know what that is - that is because it's a special club for Past Presidents only. Joel Young knows all about it now. If you work hard enough, Grasshopper, you too can be a Chapter President.

The evil twin of The Hat turned up last month at the AIA Convention in Columbus. Not sure if it's the evil twin of The Hat or the spawn of The Hat's stay in NOLA last month.

Friendly reminder - everyone wear your bow tie to the Awards Banquet this month at the Columbia Club to honor Joltin' Joe McGuire.

- Your Humble Narrator

Upcoming Events

Programs Committee

2015 Indianapolis Chapter CSI Awards Banquet

Thursday June 18, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT

The Indianapolis Chapter CSI will host its annual Awards Banquet at the Indianapolis Columbia Club on Thursday evening, June 18th.

Columbia Club

2015 Standing Reservation List

Thursday December 31, 2015 at 1:00 PM EST

Willows on Westfield

View from the Tower
David Young AIA, CSI

Well, this is it - my last View from the Tower! As I was warned, the year went by more quickly than you can imagine. We made some inroads and met some goals, and some things didn't get done. I am told that you use your "Past President" year to finish up those items. I want to sincerely thank the Board for choosing me to lead and for putting their trust in me. I hope it was a good year for everyone, and that you enjoyed my unique style. But it is time to pass the gavel to your next very capable leader: Joel Young. He is already stepping right up.

I wish to thank the Board and all Committee Chairs for doing their parts so well, which allowed me to concentrate on being the conductor of this great group. It is such a pleasure to go to Construct or a Regional Conference and see the great respect the rest of the country has for our chapter. I am humbled to have led it for a short time.

Special thanks to Ken Schmidt and Mike Halstead for stepping up to co-chair the Sponsorship Committee and to Joyce White for taking on Orientation Committee to plug the last holes in my administration. Thank you!

I also must thank my wife of 29 years, Carin, for putting up with all of this. Many things were left undone at home, there were many late nights, and there were more meetings than you can imagine. She not only put up with it all, but she took up the challenge to prepare dinners for the Board Meetings. She made f

abulous meals, and she made sure that there was vegetarian, gluten free, and no chocolate in the dessert for Ralph. What a wonderful help mate and partner!

A good wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. Proverbs 31:10-11

Last month was Orangutan Twofer Month and by all accounts it was fabulous!

Our 21 May Chapter Meeting program was "The Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center at the Indianapolis Zoo: Designing for Two Species." Presenter Jonathan Hess, AIA is a Principal and the President of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf in Indianapolis. He was Partner-in-Charge and the Lead Designer on the Orangutan Center. It was followed by a unique opportunity on Saturday 30 May: "A Day at the Indianapolis Zoo - Orangutan Exhibit Field Trip." It was a family event, and 51 members and guests attended. We took our not-quite-four granddaughter, Genevieve. I was planning on her running out of steam after a couple of hours, but she lasted until dinner time, and still could have stayed longer. I have never heard so many comments about a program or presentation - all of them positive!

Also in the last month, on 4 June was the annual 26th annual Bud Reed Memorial Golf Outing at The Golf Club of Indiana. 52 particpated in one of those perfect days that you hope for. Congrats to Team Patterson-Horth with their low score of 61! Kudos to Chris Hughes and David Fryman, Golf Committee Co-Chairmen, for an outstanding event.

It is almost too late to sign up, but Thursday 18 June is our annual Awards Banquet to be held at the Columbia Club. Pete Baker and Terri Truitt have put a lot of effort into making this a memorable event - one not to miss. If you have not experienced an Awards Banquet, bring your spouse or significant other and join the celebration. You will see firsthand just how many individuals are involved in making our chapter so great. I have a big pile of awards to hand out, and Ken Schmidt is doing the same with attendance awards. See Joe McGuire get his pin for 54 years of Perfect Attendance. We will also be awarding our three Member of the Year Awards:

J. Warren Hoy Memorial Award - awarded to a Chapter Product Representative Member who has rendered outstanding and selfless contributions and service to the Chapter.

Fran E. Schroeder Memorial Award - awarded to a Chapter Design Professional member who has rendered outstanding and selfless contributions and service to the Chapter.

Member of the Year Award - awarded to a Chapter member who has rendered outstanding and selfless contributions and service to the Chapter during the current fiscal year.

Nice dinner, nice historic location, nice people, nice view of the Circle, good food and drink . . . . . well , you get the picture. Like I said, it is almost too late to sign up, . . . . . . . but if you would still like to attend, get thee ahold of Pete Baker at 630.947.3427 or Terri Truitt at 317.504.3593 at once!

Event Look-Ahead:

10 September - 41st Annual Trade Show. #Design Indy 2015. Save the date! At the JW Marriott. New classy venue and new lower rates for vendors!

In the planning stages:

Indians Game at Victory Field - this Summer. If you would like to help with the planning, contact Mark A. Smith at mrksmith@comcast.net

Duck Pin Bowling -this Fall. All 80 of us who attended last Fall had such a blast that we want to make it an annual event. If you would like to help with planning, contact Jeremy Hoffman at jhoffmanc1869@gmail.com

The June President's Question:

I assumed I was done with these. Nobody gives away gift cards at the Awards Banquet! Well, why not?

As a last little way to honor Carin, I do this month's question for her.

Question: Carin's maiden name was: a. Andersson. b. Bostr�m c. Fredriksson d. Svensson

Be the first to email the correct answer to davidyoung327@gmail.com with the subject heading "Carin" and you will receive a $25 gift certificate from Amazon.com. The correct answer and winner will be revealed at the Awards Banquet. You must be present to win.

Remember: I am here to serve our members. davidyoung327@gmail.com 317.777.0855 cell

Please feel free to share any suggestions, complaints, or needs regarding our chapter - or especially if you wish to volunteer for any of our committees. We are such a great chapter because so many help in their own way. And now I get to help Joel pick up the loose ends I left behind! Thank you!

CSI Indianapolis Chapter . . . UNITING, CONNECTING, BUILDING . . .

Sincerely,

David Young AIA, CSI

2014-2015 Indianapolis Chapter CSI President

YouTube Channel

Visual Education

The Indianapolis Chapter CSI has entered into a new phase of the digital communication era, and now has a dedicated YouTube Channel for the benefit of our membership.

Certification Quiz

Jack Morgan - Quizmaster

1. Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on

human health and natural environment by:

a. Efficiently using manpower resources during construction.

b. Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity.

c. Reducing waste, pollution, and environmental degradation during construction

d. Increasing volatile organic compounds in construction materials.

2. Project Record Documents consist of the following except:

a. Drawings

b. Project Manual

c. Submittals

d. Spare Parts and extra stock materials

3. The Contractor's Superintendent:

a. Cannot be changed without the Owner's consent

b. Communication is as binding as if given by the Contractor

c. All of the above

d. None of the above

4. Two parties responsible for submittal of a set of Construction Documents to the AHJ for permit review are:

a. Owner & Architect

b. A/E & Owner

c. Contractor & subcontractor

d. Subcontractor & Engineer

5. Bid shopping is the practice of:

a. Negotiating with two or more subcontractors for the lowest price.

b. Revealing the sub-bid of one subcontractor to another to obtain a lower price.

c. Encouraging cost cutting between subcontractors in Value Analysis.

d. Achieving the lowest sub-bid for the Owner's benefit.

Answers located at the end of this newsletter....

Table Tops

Kent Hughes

Indianapolis Chapter CSI

The Indianapolis Chapter of CSI is accepting reservations for Table Tops for upcoming Chapter meetings. The list of programs for upcoming Chapter meetings is published in this newsletter, the web site, or contact Program chairman Jeremy Hoffman - jhoffman@crewtech.com , if you would like to target a particular meeting, be sure to make your reservation early. We do have a limit of four spaces available for Table Tops in a standard meeting room and 10 if we have a double room.

Table Tops are an opportunity to promote your company, products, or services to all attendees of our regular chapter meeting during the social hour. There is a maximum of 20 minutes for Table Top presentation at a regular Chapter meeting. You have the floor for maximum of five minutes after dinner before the speaker to communicate to the entire group if there are four presenters. If there is a greater demand, the 20 minutes will be divided by the number of presenters and rounded down to the nearest 30 seconds.

The Table Top presentations are FREE, one time, to new members, and cost current Indianapolis Chapter members only $75. Non-members get the same opportunity for $125. A 30 by 60 table with a cover and skit will be included. All proceeds go to support the Chapter. Payment is due at the time of setup.

Another opportunity for a Table Top is during an Education Seminar. The cost is if you combine it with the Chapter meeting and Education Seminar the cost would be $100 for current members and $150 for non-members.

If you would like to schedule a Table Top for a future meeting or seminar, contact:

Kent A. Hughes RA CDT - American Structurepoint

khughes@structurepoint.com - 317.690.5820

Be sure to put 'Table Top Request in the subject line

Chapter Photos
Capturing Memories

Channeling my inner Kurt Vonnegut!

Past Presidents Forum

Orangutan Exhibit Visit

notebook

Board of Directors' Minutes

Online Archive

Minutes of the Indianapolis Chapter CSI Board of Directors can be read here. Please contact the president with any comments or questions.

Education Foundation New Members & Officers Announced

Indianapolis Chapter, CSI

Jack Morgan - Education Foundation President

At the June 2015 meeting of the Education Foundation, the following have been determined as new members of the Education Foundation as the Class of FY 18:

Glen Baines

Ron Boots

Scott Perez

Blake Wagner

With the new arrivals, two current members are stepping off the Education Foundation:

Pete Baker

Bill White

Dan McCloskey resigned earlier due to work demands. Ron Boots agreed to fill the reminder of Dan's term.

Thanks to all three for their contributions to the Foundation.

To determine officers for the upcoming Fiscal Year, we relied on an e-mail balloting system.

New officers for the upcoming Fiscal Year are:

President - Kristin Welty

Vice President - Mike Brannan

Secretary - Chuck Thompson

Treasurer - Blake Wagner

Congratulations to all the winners!

The Indianapolis Chapter, CSI - Education Foundation, helps encourage the construction education of students attending Indiana Colleges and Universities by awarding scholarships to help defray the student's costs. The scholarship applications are sent out at the first of the year with the submission deadline at the end of February. The Foundation is a tax-exempt IRS 501, (c ), (3 ) not-for- profit organization. Tax- deductible donations are appreciated.

Vent

An editorial section for members to "let it out" about the Construction Industry, the Chapter, CSI National, etc. Members can email the Co-Editors anonymously with comments for publish by clicking on the image to the right.

Under-specifying - less is not always more

� 2015, Sheldon Wolfe RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC

One of my favorite tales I use when teaching about specifications happened to me shortly after I took my first job as a specifier, at the University of Minnesota. Prior to taking this job, the sum total of my experience with specifications consisted of copying specifications onto drawing sheets. This activity was presented to me as little more than a mindless job, a necessary evil that was to be done as quickly as possible, with no explanation of what specifications are. As you might expect, there was no mention of CSI, MasterFormat, or SectionFormat.

This seminal event in my life as a specifier took place within a few weeks of starting my new job. It started with a phone call from one of the construction administrators.

"The contractor wants to know what kind of pipe we want for the bollards."

I didn't know, but I was sure it was in the specifications, so I responded, "It's in the specs, isn't it?" (Brilliant, don't you think?)

"It is, but the contractor says he needs to know more."

At this point, I'd like to commend the contractor for asking the question. It would have been entirely correct for the contractor to provide anything that complied with the specifications, but as we'll see, that could have create just a bit of a problem. Instead, the question was asked, and I learned a most valuable lesson about reference standards.

I don't recall exactly what our specifications said, but it wasn't much more than "Bollards: ASTM A53." Apparently, that wasn't enough. Because of my lack of familiarity with specifications, I didn't know why, but I was bound to find out.

I found a copy of ASTM A53, and the title - Standard Specification for Pipe, Steel, Black and Hot-Dipped, Zinc-Coated, Welded, and Seamless - immediately made it clear that I was in trouble. ASTM A53 doesn't cover just one type of pipe, but several: It could be black or galvanized, and it could be seamless or welded.

Looking further, I discovered that welded pipe could be either furnace-welded or electric-welded, and that seamless pipe had two Grades. No wonder the contractor was confused!

My education didn't stop there. The standard has several appendices, one of which is a four-page table of combinations of dimensions, weights, and test pressures for plain end pipe. There is a similar table for threaded pipe, and a few other tables of properties for good measure.

As noted, I'm glad the contractor asked the question, for a couple of reasons. It's too easy to complain about contractors, and blame them for everything that goes wrong. In truth, they often do things as they should be done even when they are not clearly described in the contract documents, and sometimes when they aren't there at all.

The other reason is that this problem was a great introduction to the proper use of reference standards. At the time of this misadventure, I think I had heard of CSI, but had not yet joined the local chapter; it was to be still longer before I studied for the CDT/CCS exam, where I would have learned about reference standards.

Lessons learned from books and teachers are valuable, but they are no substitute for lessons learned in the School of Hard Knocks.

Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments at http://swconstructivethoughts.blogspot.com/

Quiz ANSWERS:

1. b 2. d 3. c 4. a 5. b

In This Issue

Meeting

Information

Date:

June 18, 2015

Location:

Willows on Westfield

Fees:

Member - Free

Guest - $20

Student - $10