Written by AGC contractor members and professional industry practitioners, the new Project Delivery Systems textbook provides detailed information on traditional and alternative project delivery systems. It includes chapters on Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, Construction Management At-Risk, Construction Agency and Program Management. The book breaks down each delivery system by "typical" and "defining" characteristics and comes complete with self-tests and case studies to emphasize points covered in the text. 180 pages. 2004. Item No. 2915

 To order go to www.agc.org/bookstore or call 1-800-242-1767.

All AGC Chapters and general and specialty contractor members are encouraged to submit applications for the new Education Excellence Awards (EEAs) program before the May 1 deadline.  EEAs are designed to recognize the most innovative and collaborative training and development programs sponsored by AGC Chapters and contractor members. AGC has waived the requirement that the application be submitted online and now offers downloadable applications in PDF format to make it easier to apply.

Please note: All supporting material must be received by AGC by 5 p.m. EST on May 1, 2009.

Awards will be given to a Chapter and member in each of the following categories:

• Craft
• Supervisory
• Project & Executive Management

One award will be given to the outstanding Instructor of the Year, and a Grand Award will be presented to a firm or Chapter that demonstrates learning and performance as a top concern, reaching the highest level of excellence for construction training and development programs at all levels of the organization.

The first awards will be presented at the joint HR Professionals and Training & Development Conferences, Oct. 28-29 in Atlanta, Ga. Don't miss out on this exciting new program.

For more information, contact Meri Woods at (703) 837-5366 or woodsm@agc.org.

On April 10, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule that would require reporting of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a wide range of sources, including all facilities that produce cement and manufacture lime. The agency is seeking public comment on the proposed threshold for reporting and whether to include monitoring and reporting requirements for in-use fleets, as well as other provisions in the proposed rule. Comments are due June 9, 2009.

In general, the proposed rule would require certain facilities to monitor and report their GHG emissions directly to EPA on an annual basis. When the rule is finalized, facilities will need to determine whether 1) their activities alone trigger the reporting requirements, or 2) their emissions levels meet the threshold for reporting. EPA has identified approximately twenty categories of industrial activities that are large sources of emissions. Facilities that perform those activities must report emissions. For example, ALL facilities that engage in the production or manufacturing of cement, lime, iron, or steel would need to monitor and report their emissions.

The proposed rule would not require control of GHG emissions, but will likely complement a future federal program to reduce emissions by providing baseline information and a structure to track emissions and progress.

For more information, click here.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently provided guidance to employers in response to questions about the interpretation of the premium assistance subsidy for continuation coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). 

This subsidy was established as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and provides a premium reduction for health insurance as well as additional opportunities to elect COBRA continuation coverage for employees who were "involuntarily terminated" between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, and their eligible family members, also known as Assistance Eligible Individuals (AEIs).  As a result, these individuals must receive notification of the premium subsidy and in some cases the ability to re-elect coverage through an "Extended Election." 

The IRS guidance, known as Notice 2009-27, uses several example scenarios to define "involuntary termination" and provides other interpretive guidance about the mandate.   In addition, the Department of Labor recently issued model COBRA notices related to the ARRA, including an "extended election" notice which must be mailed to qualifying AEIs by April 18, 2009. 

 For more information, contact Tamika Carter at (703) 837-5382 or cartert@agc.org.

Beginning on Friday, April 3, 2009, employers were required to start using the new I-9 form to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired employees and employees with expiring employment authorizations, according to the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  The new form is available on the USCIS website. 

Originally scheduled for implementation on February 2, 2009, USCIS delayed the requirement for employers to use the new form in response to a request from the new Administration to allow time to further review the implications of the interim rule.  With the new form, employers are no longer able to accept expired documents for verification purposes and must adhere to a newly revised list of acceptable documents. 

 For more information, contact Tamika Carter at (703) 837-5382 or cartert@agc.org.

October 28-29, Atlanta, Ga.

Planning is underway for two of AGC's most sought-after annual conferences: the HR Professionals Conference and the Training & Development (T&D) Conference.  For 2009, both conferences will be held concurrently, October 28 - 29, in Atlanta, Georgia, with some pre-conference events scheduled in the evening on October 27.  The Conferences will take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, and will offer one track for each conference plus some joint sessions, allowing participants to attend both conferences for the cost of one, migrate between conference tracks and network with both HR and training professionals for the duration. 

From legal guidance to using Web 2.0, and everything in between, these two conferences will be intense, covering everything HR and T&D professionals need to know to be successful in the construction industry.  With lots of expert speakers providing compliance-related content and guidance for HR professionals, and interactive sessions that are guaranteed to help T&D professionals remain up to date on cutting-edge techniques, attendees will learn best practices for maximizing efficiency and effectiveness within their organizations.

During these budget-strained times,  AGC will offer a discounted rate for the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th participants from companies or AGC chapters that would like to send two or more participants (e.g., an HR professional and a training professional.)  Times are tough, and AGC plans to provide a program that will be not only cost-effective, but will actually save companies substantial money in the long run. 

Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for more details.  We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!

For more information, contact Tamika Carter at (703) 837-5382 or cartert@agc.org.

After May 31, the 1997 A-series documents (including the AIA A-201-1997) will no longer be available and users of AIA's contract documents software will not be able to generate licensed final versions of those documents. 

When AIA released its 2007 suite of A-series contract documents in November 2007 (AGC unanimously decided not to endorse the AIA A-201 2007), it granted users of its 1997 documents an 18-month period to "transition from retired to new documents."  Contractors that want to avoid violating AIA's licensing agreement should not offer the A401-1997 or other 1997 A-series AIA documents after that date, and should be aware that clients offering the documents after that date could breach AIA's licensing agreement. 

Switch to ConsensusDOCS today and use the only standard construction contract documents endorsed by 22 industry associations, including AGC!  AGC members receive a 20% discount on all ConsensusDOCS products when purchased through the AGC Bookstore.  If the AIA A201 is mandated, then please refer to the AGC members-only Commentary at www.AGC.org/cs/contracts.

For more information, please contact Carrie Ciliberto at 703-837-5367 or cilibertoc@agc.org.

In response to inquiries we received regarding how to get construction project owners to use ConsensusDOCS standard contract documents, we developed the "Top Ten Reasons Owners Should Use ConsensusDOCS" brochure.  Please feel free to distribute this electronic brochure to all owners with whom you work and to others as you deem appropriate.

Top Ten Reasons Owners Should Use ConsensusDOCS Contract Documents For Their Next Project!

• 1. Owners Sit in the Driver's Seat
• 2. Save Transactional Costs and Time
• 3. Attract the Best Contractors and Get the Best Pricing
• 4. Better Project Results
• 5. A Balanced Contract Gives Owners a Greater Role
• 6. Prevent, Mitigate and Resolve Disputes and Claims
• 7. Establish Positive Working Relationships and Direct Communications
• 8. Utilize Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Electronic Communications
• 9. IPD Agreement Takes Collaboration to a Higher Level
• 10. A Balanced Approach to Liability Exposures

For more details and a copy of the complete electronic brochure, please click here.

For more information, please contact Carrie Ciliberto at 703-837-5367 or cilibertoc@agc.org.

AGC of America and the National Association of State Facilities Administrators (NASFA) have collaborated on research regarding state-by-state information on Construction Management At-Risk (CM At-Risk, CM@R, CM/GC, GC/CM, CMc).  This ongoing project seeks to compile data from every state on CM At-Risk in five areas: state building construction, K-12, higher education, local government, and horizontal non-building Department of Transportation projects.  A clickable map detailing the results and overview PDF are available here. 

If you have any questions, updates or edits regarding this project please contact Cassia Griffin at griffinc@agc.org or (703) 837-5408.

June 10-13, 2009, Hot Springs, Va.

Register today for the AGC Building Contractors Conference, June 10-13 at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va.  Join top building construction professionals, owners, specialty contractors and service & supply companies as they discuss the current market, the challenges it presents and the innovative solutions that industry-leading firms are implementing. 

Planned program highlights & topics for the AGC Building Contractors Conference include:

• Guiding your firm through tough economic times,
• How owners plan to address their construction needs in this market,
• Creative service offerings that customers need in a tight economy,
• The best ways to "right size" your staff,
• Best practices and important topics such as BIM, Green Construction, and Integrated Project Delivery, and
• Networking opportunities including a luncheon, evening receptions, and a golf tournament.

Interested in sponsoring the AGC Building Contractors Conference and showcasing your firm before owners and leaders of this market?  Click here for available sponsorship opportunities!

For more information and to register, visit www.agc.org/homestead.