THE WINNER'S CIRCLE

Indianapolis Chapter CSI Newsletter

September 2016

"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up"

Deep Thoughts

- Vince Lombardi

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

The CSI Indy Trade Show is next week on September 28th. Plan your day around our one and only, chance of a lifetime event. We have a full day of seminars, presentations, exhibits and cash prizes - show me the money! Thanks again to our sponsors, exhibitors and seminars - without this annual event we would not be the best chapter in the known universe.

It won't be long until the next Duckpin Bowling social event at the Fountain Square Theater. Come prepared for some Halloween goodies and a good time throwing wooden balls at inanimate objects. Need I remind you that I will be defending my annual title for best costume?

If you attended Construct 2016 send me your photos and articles and fun items for the newsletter. Any photos of horses and cows would be good - or Fighting Irish crying after their whoopin' by the Longhorns. The Hat was seen paying his respects at Arlington National Cemetery last month. Good American. He always sends me great photos of his travels.

We lost a good friend of the construction industry and CSI last week - Jane Ransel of Spohn Associates. Jane worked for several different construction related companies - Plus 4 Architects, SEA, Mid-America Computers & Spohn Associates. She was a pleasure to be around and a true professional. She will be missed.

Recently Andrew Wahl, new CSI Member, was let go due to a company refocus and is searching to continue his career with a company in the A-E-C industry. Andrew brings a vast network with him along with knowledge of the ever-changing marketplace. Over the past few years, he has worked closely with architects, designers, developers, and GC's selling IT, furniture, and civil engineering services. He would truly be a value-add to any company - good kid. Andrew Wahl graduated in 2014 with a degree in Marketing and Sales from Ball State University. BALL U!

When are the Cubs going to swoon? We are well past June. Could this really be the year?

- Your Humble Narrator

Upcoming Events

Programs Committee

2016-2017 Standing Reservation List

Monday August 8, 2016 at 9:00 AM EDT -to- Friday June 30, 2017 at 1:00 PM EDT

Riverwalk Banquet Center

Indianapolis Chapter CSI Trade Show - Attendee Registration

Wednesday September 28, 2016 from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM EDT

On September 28th, 2016, the Indianapolis Chapter of CSI will present its 42nd Annual Design Indy Tradeshow. It will be held at the JW Marriott in Griffin Hall on the 2nd Floor. There will be three free AIA seminars available for attendees. Click on the "Event Page" link at the bottom of this page for more information about the seminars.

JW Marriott

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

"THEY SHOOT AND SCORE!! HAT TRICK TO CSI INDY CHAPTER!"

To any chapter members who attended last February's "CSI Night at the Indy Fuel" and to those of us what weren't at the event but are going to make the next one...We are currently planning another visit to our lucky-pucksters (try saying that fast!)

There will be more information forthcoming in the next few months (the season starts in October).

Also, don't forget DUCKPIN Bowling in October! 93rd times a charm?

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.

View from the Tower

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney -

I went to CONSTRUCT this year curious as to what the Board and staff had to show us on what they have done over the past year. There were focus groups on how to better market the organization to the public. The moderator was very curious about us and what we have to offer and what we are all about. He will take that information back to the new CEO Mark Dorsey. Mark will be the first to admit he is trying to raise a sinking battleship. We have had troubles with loss of staff, a broken website, education, and difficulty with membership - just to mention a few. He sees all of these items as opportunities and not problems. Several items are being corrected and will be rolled out over time. The first thing to happen is a new website in Beta version, http://www.csiresources.org/home. I need you to go here, fill in your profile and check out the site. Use your curiosity here and in life, and you will never run out of things to be curious about and you will grow. It's always good to stay curious in all areas of your life, work, family, the world and how we all got here.

The past month has been packed full of CSI meetings and fun for the Chapter. Check your email for a lot of fun and education happening in the month of October. Thank you again to Building Excellence for featuring our CSI Indianapolis Chapter Trade Show ad. I look forward to working more with Gary Price and his staff. Please thank them by subscribing to this excellent FREE publication that we should all be receiving, http://www.buildingex.com/Includes/circform.html

I would like to welcome our newest director and the final piece of the puzzle, Ralph Gonzales, to the board. Ralph is fired up and ready to get involved in the inner workings of the Indianapolis Chapter. It's announced that it was time to start planning to attend the Great Lakes Region Conference in Canton, OH May 18-20, 2017. They also let us know at the Region Caucus that the Indianapolis Chapter will be hosting the GLR Conference in 2018. We are looking to get more members to attend the GLR Conference next year by providing help through reimbursement. The reimbursement policy can be found on our web site, http://indianapolis.csinet.org/Main-Menu-Category/Chapter-Info/Member-Resources/Conference-and-Convention-Reimbursement-Requirements.pdf. Don't forget to turn in your reimbursement form and article to all those who qualify that attended CONSTRUCT 2016. Thank you to the following people for attending in Austin, TX and representing the chapter: Ed Brown, Ralph Gonzales, Jack Morgan, Mike Mezo, Bill McGuire, Joseph McGuire, Ken Schmidt, Steve Cane, Ivette Bruns, Paul Sternberg, and Laura Frye. This was our 60th Show and this was Joe's 52nd so next time you see this legend congratulate him.

Also in September, we have our 42nd Annual Trade Show held Wednesday, September 28, 2016, at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. This FREE trade show will include 91 booths, 3 FREE education seminars during the show schedule, and networking with both local and national participants. All 3 classes will provide AIA continued education units. The trade show committee will be sending out emails with a link to register for this great event; forward to ALL your contacts. Additional postcards are still available by contacting Joel Young at Delv Design. Take several and pass them out to people in your office, job sites, students in construction, or professionals in the construction industry. If you can't attend, please tell a friend. We want to make this another great show for the vendors, for without them we would not have a trade show. Please check out the website for registration as well as information on future events and mark your calendars, http://indianapolis.csinet.org/

The Chapter is in need of a 2nd photographer for the months that Terri Truitt is unable. The immediate need is for the upcoming Trade Show. If you are willing to help the chapter out, please contact either Terri or me. And if you don't have a camera, one could be provided to you.

Don't forget that the membership committee is having a special promotion. Anyone who signs up as a new professional member or as a new emerging professional member at the Trade Show or within 30 days after the Trade Show will receive a 30% discount. This will be in the form of a check from the Chapter because there is no way to do this through the online signup. This offer does not apply to students, reinstatements, or renewals. Student members can join for free because of our generous sponsors. Please contact David Young at Brenner Design to find out more, or stop by the CSI booth at the show.

The Disney book was really desired by one person so much there was a trade that happened after the meeting. Book number 3 will be part of a gift basket that will be raffled off the day of the Trade Show. The basket will include 3 bottles of wine from vineyards with Disney ties, 2 books, and 1 is autographed, and other Disney related items. Remember that the more tickets you buy, the better your chance of winning and that all the funds go to help the student scholarship funds. The photo at the end was taken on a trip to Disneyland in 2011. I was curious what it would be like to ride the carousel as an adult, and it made me feel like a kid along with my Mickey ears.

Ralph R. Pitman, Jr. CSI, CDT

Indianapolis Chapter CSI - President 2016-17

Jason Clarkson Joins Stoett Industries / Libart North America

Stoett Industries and its Libart North America division are proud to announce the recent onboarding of Jason Clarkson. Jason joins Stoett/Libart NA as Director of Business Development. He has responsibility for effectively managing activities

towards the achievement of company growth and profitability objectives. In this company ambassador role, Clarkson will be instrumental in establishing a North American representative and distribution network, as well as developing key relationships within the industries they serve.

Jason brings over two decades of operations and sales management experience in the architectural products industry. His background includes extensive experience in launching products, establishing supporting sales and marketing strategies, maximizing a company's market exposure, and ultimately achieving sales volume goals. Clarkson attended Indiana Wesleyan University and is a member of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI).

According to Chris Stover, Owner and founder of Stoett Industries and Libart North America, "We've managed to steadily grow our business since its inception and knew the next stage of growth was dependent upon having the right person in this critical position. Jason's knowledge and experience in building materials will help us further penetrate the residential and non-residential construction markets."

About Stoett Industries and Libart North America:

Since 2003, Stoett has grown into a sophisticated manufacturer of a diverse range of retractable screen solutions and related products for residential and commercial buildings and recreational vehicles. Under the Libart North America banner, the company manufactures "kinetic architecture" which includes operable windows, doors, and skylights as well as retractable enclosures. The privately held company operates from a 70,000 square foot headquarters in Northwest Ohio and is fully committed to its family of employees and local community.

Jane Ransel
Spohn Associates in Indianapolis

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved colleague Jane Ransel, Marketing Manager at Spohn Associates in Indianapolis, IN. Jane's remarkable professional influence and personal inspiration to the entire Spohn team began in January of 2009 and her passion for service to the design and construction community spanned more than twenty years.

Those of us who had the good fortune to know Jane will miss her greatly.... we've lost a truly dear friend. No words can express our gratitude for the opportunity to work with Jane, and in her honor, we will dedicate ourselves to continuing the good work that Jane enjoyed so much.

Jane is survived by her husband of 31 years, John Ransel; her brothers, Jeffery Eno, and John Eno; children W. Andrew Ewald and wife Melissa, and Scott Ewald and wife Rebecca; John's-children Mike Ransel and wife Tiffany, and Susan Lueders and husband Spencer, and Matt Ransel and wife Christine; grandchildren Ellie Ewald, Tyler Roark, Wyatt Johnson, Sydney Ransel, Maddie Ransel, Nate Lueders, Emma Lueders, Adam Lueders, Kennedy Ransel, and Morgan Ransel.

An informal celebration of life will be at Crown Hill Cemetery on Monday, September 12, 2016, at 1PM. Casual dress.

No flowers please.

The family of Jane Ransel requests Memorial donations may be made to 24 Hours of Booty at www.24hoursofbooty.org/donate to support cancer survivorship and wellness programs, or the IU Simon Cancer Center for Pancreatic Cancer. Memorial gifts are payable to IU Foundation/Pancreatic Cancer Research. Please indicate "In memory of Jane Ransel" on your gift. Mail to: IU Simon Cancer Center, PO Box 7072, Indianapolis, IN 46207.

Certification Quiz
Jack Morgan - Quizmaster

1. A variety of policies providing broad protection is called a Comprehensive Policy.

a. True

b. False

2. If the Contractor is delayed in the progress of the Work by the Owner, the Contractor should:

a. Write the AE protesting the changes.

b. Notify the bonding company.

c. Write the A/E requesting a Change Order granting an extension of time.

d. Stop the Work until Owner makes a decision.

3. A result of the Design-Build Project Delivery Method is:

a. The A/E will provide the same level of professional service as a conventionally delivered Project.

b. Construction documents will be more detailed than a conventionally delivered Project.

c. The material selections will be by the Owner.

d. Dispute Resolution will require less of the Owner's time.

4. Which of the following should be avoided in a Specification?

a. Articles (the, an, a).

b. Symbols (#, $, &, ").

c. Abbreviations (conc.,ptwd., aess.)

d. All of the above.

5. In Section Format, PART 3 - EXECUTION contains the following ARTICLES EXCEPT:

a. EXAMINATION.

b. SOURCE QUALITY CONTROL.

c. PREPARATION.

d. ADJUSTMENT.

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

How did we get here? The transition to maintenance activities

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

So far in this series, we first looked at the good old days, when CSI membership rose continually, sometimes at an amazing rate. During the growth period, we saw that membership in CSI offered tangible benefits. CSI was an organization that helped those involved in construction to understand how construction documents are related, how to prepare them, and how to interpret them. Much of that information was developed by CSI members, so there were countless opportunities for members to take an active part in the future of specifications. Face meetings were important because the only other options for communication were written letters, which made real-time discussion impossible, and telephone calls, which were quite expensive.

We then looked at the effect of the economy on membership. Frequently the bogeyman for many things that ailed CSI, I think it is obvious that only rarely was there a correlation between the economy and CSI membership. In some cases, membership grew dramatically during and after recessions. More significantly, upturns in the economy did not result in a return of lost members.

I did not mention a couple of other suggested reasons for membership decline. Some blamed it on member classification, arguing that people didn't want to join an organization that supposedly discriminated against its own members by referring to some as professional, the implication being that other members were less than professional. The membership application form was another target; supposedly, it was too difficult to figure out. Both of these issues were addressed with no discernible effect on membership.

As noted in previous articles, CSI had a lot to offer for many years. The problem now is that we have little to offer that is seen as critically necessary or unique. Organization of construction information, at least in written form, typically follows MasterFormat and SectionFormat, and there has been an increase in the use of UniFormat. Commercial guide specifications are available from BSD, ARCOM, Kalin Associates, SpexPlus, and others, so there is at least a perception that specifications are "taken care of" and they no longer require much attention. Although specifiers often complain about them, manufacturers' specifications are much improved and generally require only simple modifications to be useful.

Because of CSI's success in those areas, and because it has not moved on from them, we don't have much to offer in the way of creative activities. We have gone from an active organization, with many ways to contribute to construction documents and processes, to an organization focused on maintaining what already has been done. That does not mean that maintenance is not important or challenging work, but it's not as enticing as working on new programs.

It's not that there is nothing more to do, or that new programs haven't been proposed. Even ignoring the missed golden opportunity to continue doing what CSI had done best by organizing building modeling information, members have made many interesting suggestions. Here are some of the more recent programs, all of which were initiated just before or since our peak membership.

1997. Contribution to the Uniform Drafting System, maintenance status.
1998. PerSpective. Sold to BSD.
2004. UDS Certification Feasibility Task Team, terminated.
2008. GreenFormat. Updated 2014, little activity since.
2009. Practice Guides (updates of PRM/MOP), published.
2011-2012. Body of Knowledge Assessment. Used by task teams to determine essential information.
2013. Building Technology Education Program Feasibility Task Team, terminated.

Of course, task teams comprise but a small percentage of the total membership, but active task teams indicate to members that something useful is going on.

What else can CSI do? Michael Chusid offers some interesting thoughts.

Create a replacement for the moribund spec-data format for technical information that addresses current concerns and both electronic and digital delivery.
Create standards for incorporating meaningful product information into BIM.
Continued training of newcomers to design, construction, and building management industries in contract documents.
Tools to help coordinate and improve the accessibility of the incomprehensibly broad range of data necessary for construction.
Assess how robotics, 3d printing, holograms, smart buildings, etc., will affect the roles and responsibilities of the players in the construction team.

� 2016, Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC

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

Chapter Photos
Capturing Memories

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.