THE WINNER'S CIRCLE

Indianapolis Chapter CSI Newsletter

April 2016

"It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart."

Deep Thoughts

- Rainer Maria Rilke

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

Thanks to Andrew Huehls, David Young and Kent Hughes for their terms as CSI Indy Board of Directors. We truly appreciate your service! And congratulations (or condolences?) to the new members of the Board of Directors - Ken Schmidt, David Fryman and Angela Julian. Always good to have new blood.

Product Representatives! Material Suppliers! Contractors! Exhibitors! Don't forget to register for the 42nd Annual CSI Indy Trade Show on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 at the JW Marriott. Over 2/3 of the booths have already been sold - so don't dilly dally.

Spring is here. That means rain, flowers, sunshine, road construction and playoffs - both NBA and NHL. Go Pacers and Blackhawks!

I hope you didn't turn green the morning after St Patrick's. Don't forget to celebrate the wonderful women in your life on Mother's Day!

- Your Humble Narrator

Upcoming Events

Programs Committee

Indianapolis Chapter CSI April Meeting: BIM Innovation

Thursday April 21, 2016 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM EDT

Whether you're currently using BIM software or feeling the pressure to implement it, this presentation will look at what one small architecture firm did differently to move their practice into innovation. Discover how they're staying competitive and are overcoming the barriers that can often keep firms on the sidelines of BIM engagement.

Willows on Westfield

2016 Indianapolis Chapter CSI GOLF Outing!

Thursday June 2, 2016 from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT

It's time to "GRIP 'EM & RIP 'EM"! The golf course is calling your name. Hire your caddy, get out your mojo, & join us for a fun-filled event! Prizes awarded, lunch included, raffle tickets available, optional dinner following, & fun for all. Let's hit 'em looonggggg! SPONSORS: If you want to sponsor but not play, select the SPONSORS under FEES.

Golf Club of Indiana

Indianapolis Chapter CSI Trade Show - Early Bird Booth Registration

Wednesday September 28, 2016 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT

This is a chance to sign up for early bird booth registration to the 42nd Annual CSI Indianapolis Trade Show on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 at the JW Marriott Indianapolis.

JW Marriott

Indianapolis Chapter CSI Trade Show - Exhibitor Registration

Wednesday September 28, 2016 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT

This is a chance for exhibitors to sign up for booths to the 42nd Annual CSI Indianapolis Trade Show, #DESIGNINDY2016. It will be held at the JW Marriott Indianapolis on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 from 3-7pm.

JW Marriott

View from the Tower
Joel H. Young, Assoc. AIA, CSI, CDT, LEED Green Assoc.

As I get to the end of my term as President, I must make a confession. I feel like I'm running out of things to write about... I sat there last night trying to write, and I got a serious case of writer's block. I worked in Revit on one of my projects for a short bit and went to sleep at a decent time. So, as you might guess, I came up with my writing mission as I was showering this morning (where I come up with my best ideas).

I'd like to take a moment in this edition to highlight the significance of two of the things that make the CSI experience more complete and fulfilling: our Conferences and our annual Trade Show.

As many of you already know, our Great Lakes Region Conference is upon us, from May 12-14. This year the event is in Louisville. As always, there will be some fantastic leadership sessions, and education sessions, with tons of networking interspersed throughout. Details of the event are here: http://www.csiglrconference.com/. There are stipends available for members wishing to attend, and this year I've been given a lot of information about how to cash in on that benefit. It is not limited to Chapter leaders, so please contact myself or Ed to find out more of those fine details.

The Great Lakes Region Conference, and the National Conference (now known as CONSTRUCT), are events that I admittedly did not attend until my tenure on the Board. But I hope to convince my fellow chapter members to consider these events, and to leverage the business advantages to justify your attendance. Think about it. You are bumping elbows with a wider network of construction professionals around the country. And you get to share ideas and experiences with those same people. Plus, the better leadership / miscellaneous knowledge you take from this, the better equipped you are to perform your job. In a nutshell, that's the mission of CSI - and the Conferences are a boiled down experience to show you what it's all about.

Our Indianapolis Annual Tradeshow offers similar benefits, but is more of our local Indiana flavor. Here you can enjoy your time with fellow professionals that you likely see regularly, and there is a direct benefit to that personal handshake. You will be hearing more details regarding our Tradeshow in the coming months. Attendance is our main focus this year, and we really need every Chapter member, friend, and co-worker there. Not only is it valuable to attendees, but it's what keeps our Chapter alive financially. Without a robust Tradeshow, we do not have the ability to have our monthly dinners, events, and all of the other things that make our Chapter so great.

About the photo: Collin has now learned how much fun it is to play outside. He really loves his slide (in the photo), and he also has a water play table that he has fun throwing rocks and toys into... until he splashes himself in the face. Then he wonders how that cruel water jumped up and hit his eye, and he rubs it for a moment, and repeats. So funny to watch!

Keep an eye out in your email for upcoming events!

Please feel free to contact me at any time. I welcome any suggestions, questions, concerns, or constructive criticism regarding Chapter business. You can reach me at 317.879.6052, and by email at joelyoung3@gmail.com (for normal correspondence), or joel@delvdesign.com (for more urgent matters).

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

Great Lakes Region Conference

Website: www.csiglrconference.com

May 12 - 15, 2016 in Louisville, KY

Who Should Attend: All current and future officers and committee chairs of CSI Chapters in the Great Lakes Region

Schedule (refer to website for more detailed schedule)

Thursday, May 12th, 2016

3:30 - 5:30 PM Hospitality Suite

5:30 PM - 9 PM Louisville Chapter Monthly Meeting

9 - 11 PM Hospitality Suite

Friday, May 13th, 2016

7:30 - 9:15 AM Continental Breakfast

8 - 9 AM Executive Committee Meeting

9:15 - 11:15 AM Region Board Meeting

9:15 - 10:15 AM Education Session

10:15 - 11: 15 AM Sponsor Table Tops

11:30 - 1 PM Luncheon

1:15 - 2:15 PM Leadership Breakout Sessions

2:30 - 3:30 PM Leadership Breakout Sessions

3:45 - 4:45 PM Education Sessions

5 - 6:30 PM Hospitality Suite

6:30 - 9 PM Louisville Host Chapter Event Awards Dinner & Gala - Kentucky Derby Museum

9 - 11 PM Hospitality Suite

Saturday, May 14th, 2016

8 - 9 AM Continental Breakfast

8:30 - 9:30 AM Great Lakes Region (Panel of Key Note Speaker)

9:45 - 10:30 AM Gr-8 Lakes Region:

10:45 - 11:45 AM GLR Strategic Plan

12 - 2 PM Great Lakes Region Annual Meeting & Luncheon

Tickets

$160.00 2016 GLR Conference Louisville Chapter Member

$160.00 2016 GLRC Conference Guest Chapter Member or Non-Member Guest

$40.00 2016 GLRC Gala Louisville Chapter Member

$40.00 2016 GLRC Gala Guest Chapter Member or Non-Member Guest

Great Lakes Region Conference

This is your friendly reminder to book your hotel as soon as possible. A block of rooms have been reserved for May 12, 2016 - May 15, 2016. The special room rate will be available until April 12th or until the group block is sold-out, whichever comes first.

Special room Rate: $129 per night

Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn

2735 Crittenden Drive
Louisville, KY 40209
Tel: +1-502-637-2424
Fax: +1-502-637-2429

To book your hotel, register for the conference, or sign up as a sponsor, please go to the GLRC website: www.csiglrconference.com

Thank you,

Brent Guiliani

Baines Builders Products, Inc.

Georgetown, KY

Cell: (859) 940-1528

Fax: (502) 370-4816

2016 CSI Scholarship Recipients Selected

Mike BD Brannan, Architect, Indianapolis CSI Education Foundation

The CSI Indianapolis Chapter, Education Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2016 CSI Scholarship. The Foundation is the tax-exempt 501(C)3 charitable organization chartered by the Indianapolis Chapter in 2010 to further the educational goals of the Chapter.

For 2016 three candidates were selected. Angelia Wimbley, an IUPUI Interior Design student, took first place with a $1,200 award. The $1,000 second place award goes to Zachary Bradby, a Ball State Architecture undergrad and a two-time CSI scholarship recipient. Rounding out the field with an $800 award is Caylon Beville, a Ball State Architecture Masters candidate.

Student scholarships began in 1991 with the Educational Memorial Trust, the predecessor to the Foundation, and have continued under the auspices of the Foundation. Nearly $50,000 has been awarded since the inception of the program.

Congratulations to our winners, who will be invited to attend the June Awards Banquet and Annual Meeting to receive their check in person. Thanks also to the members of the Foundation Board and Scholarship Committee for their time and effort in the review of the candidates.

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. As a result of a widely held misconception that a Contractor's responsibility for defective Work lasts only for the one year guaranty period:

a. The Supplementary Conditions should state that the period last a specific additional length of time.

b. EJCDC and AIA documents state Correction Period instead of Guaranty Period..

c. The Owner accepts any repairs after that date.

d. The courts relieve the Contractor of his responsibility.

2. What technology is rapidly shifting emphasis from 2-dimension CAD drawings to 3-dimension thinking?

a. NCS (National CAD Standard)

b. BIM (Building Information Modeling)

c. UDS(Uniform Drawing System)

d. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

3. Which of the following is not a construction schedule milestones?

a. Submit approval

b. Project delivery and team selection processes

c. Procurement (bidding/negotiating/purchasing) activities

d. Contract completion

4. Which of the following is a Stage of the Facility Life Cycle?

a. Preliminary Project Description

b. Facility Maintenance

c. Project Permitting

d. Project Conception

5. Under AIA A201, the responsibility to pay sales, consumer, use, and similar taxes for the work provided is by the:

a. A/E

b. Owner

c. Contractor

d. Installing subcontractor

e. None of the above

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

Key clauses of the general conditions; means and methods
Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC

In the last post, we looked at the complementary clause, and saw how powerful it can be; we also looked at the limits of that power. Many architects know of that clause, and I have occasionally heard it cited, something like this: "I don't care if there is no specification for it; it's on the drawings, and you have to provide it!" In the same conversation, it wouldn't be unusual to hear, "No, I don't know how you're going to do it - that's means and methods!"

Although architects aren't shy about citing "means and methods" it seems many of them don't understand the full impact of what they're referring to. Turning again to the AIA A201, here's what Article 3 says (my italics).

� 3.3 SUPERVISION AND CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES

� 3.3.1 The Contractor shall supervise and direct the Work, using the Contractor's best skill and attention. The Contractor shall be solely responsible for, and have control over, construction means, methods, techniques, sequences and procedures and for coordinating all portions of the Work under the Contract, unless the Contract Documents give other specific instructions concerning these matters.

� 3.3.3 The Contractor shall be responsible for inspection of portions of Work already performed to determine that such portions are in proper condition to receive subsequent Work.

� 3.4 LABOR AND MATERIALS

� 3.4.1 Unless otherwise provided in the Contract Documents, the Contractor shall provide and pay for labor, materials, equipment, tools, construction equipment and machinery, water, heat, utilities, transportation, and other facilities and services necessary for proper execution and completion of the Work, whether temporary or permanent and whether or not incorporated or to be incorporated in the Work.

Read that again, and again if necessary, and think about what is required. Now let's list the contractor's responsibilities.

Supervise and direct the Work.
Decide the proper way to do everything (means, methods, techniques).
Decide when and how everything should be installed (sequences, procedures).
Schedule the work of subcontractors and suppliers (coordinate).
Determine if work already done is ready for the next step.
Provide and pay for everything needed to complete the Work.

If architects understand all that, why do they waste time specifying things the contractor is responsible for? Is it necessary to explain how ceramic tile, or floor coatings, or roofing should be installed? Is it necessary to tell the contractor when activities should take place? Is it necessary to state that work of one section should be coordinated with work specified in another section? Does the architect need to state that prior work must be ready before proceeding with subsequent work? Does the contractor need to be told what is included for a specific activity, or who will pay for it?

The answer to all those questions is "No!" Unless, that is, the architect has decided to do those things, in which case the contractor is relieved of responsibility for them, as stated at the end of 3.3.1.

What then, is the architect's responsibility? After seeing what the contractor is required to do, there isn't much left. The architect must:

Design and draw the appearance of the building, in sufficient detail to allow the contractor to build it.
Specify those items that are needed to achieve the design intent. As noted in the last post, if the documents show tile but do not state what it is, the contractor can get it at the dollar store.
Specify reference standards as needed to get the desired performance.
Observe the construction as required by the owner-architect agreement, process payment applications, and so on.
Use Division 01 to specify requirements not found in the general conditions.

Relying on the conditions of the contract and Division 01 will allow the architect to eliminate common redundancies, resulting in shorter specifications that will be easier to write, easier to understand, and easier to enforce. Needless references to the conditions of the contract and Division 01 can be eliminated, as can repetitive specifications for bidding requirements; submittals; substitution requests and prior approval requests; delivery, storage, and handling; cleaning; responsibility for payment of testing and corrective work; and so on. Instead of regurgitating manufacturers' specifications, a simple "Comply with manufacturer's installation instructions and recommendations", stated once in Division 01, will suffice.

Does that mean the architect cannot say anything about installation? No, but it's good to remember that when that happens, the architect has usurped the contractor's authority, and assumed the contractor's responsibility. Before doing so, architects must make sure they know more than the manufacturer and installer.

Note that nowhere do the general conditions require the architect to explain to the contractor how to run the job, nor do they require the architect to explain to installers how to do their jobs. A moment's thought should be enough to understand why this is so. Manufacturers' representatives have often told me that they have difficulty keeping up with changes in their products, even though those products represent only a small part of the entire building. If that's the case, how can an architect be expected to know everything about the multitude of products in a typical building?

As noted in the conclusion of the previous post, there is no substitute for showing everything required both on the drawings and in the specifications. However, doing so without understanding the means and methods clause will result in needless repetition and greater potential for contradictions, but more important, it may also result in the architect assuming additional risk.

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

Chapter Photos
Capturing Memories

We searched deep into our archives and found this gem...

The 'Original' inspection team - boy do they look intimidating!

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.

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.