themasonrymagazineoft exas

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THE
LINE
T H E
M A S O N R Y
Winter 2014/2015
M A G A Z I N E
O F
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE TEXAS MASONRY COUNCIL
T E X A S
Volume 18, No.4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A PUBLICATION OF THE ASSOCIATED
MASONRY CONTRACTORS OF TEXAS
Winter 2014/2015
Volume 18, No. 4
TEXAS MASONRY COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
PRESIDENT
Romeo Collazo
ROC Construction, Inc.
1ST VICE PRESIDENT
Trey Atwood
Featherlite
2ND VICE PRESIDENT
Rob Teel
Continental Cut Stone, Inc.
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Mel Oller, Hoggatt LP
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Thad Clecker
Hanson Brick & Roof Tile
BOARD MEMBERS
Bill Seidel, Acme Brick Company
Debbie Brady, Hanson Brick & Roof Tile
Rusty Haile, Acme Brick Company
Stan McCarthy, Acme Brick Company
Bob Whisnant, Headwaters Construction Materials
Jim Wise, Boral Building Products
John Williams, Alamo Cement
4
Using Stone and Tile to Restore
the Kinder Morgan Building
TMC STAFF
8
ASSOCIATION MANAGER
Lindsey Stringer
[email protected]
Rebuilding with Brick after
Tornado Devastation
Executive Vice President
MPP Program
Rudy Garza
[email protected]
Government Relations Specialist
Leila Siqueiros
[email protected]
Government Relations Specialist
Tony Topping
[email protected]
DEPARTMENTS
Masonry Consultant
Harry McGraw
[email protected]
2 On the Level
10 Construction Law: Legislative Kick-off
PUBLISHER
12 In the News
Futura Publishing, LLC
Tom Faulkner, Managing Editor
[email protected]
Patty Huber, Advertising Manager
[email protected]
Neil Faulkner, Copy Editor
Allison Newsum, Art Director
www.texasmasonrycouncil.org
1
On the Level
ROMEO COLLAZO
President
Texas Masonry Council
Happy 2015! The Texas Masonry
Council is beyond enthusiastic to be
stepping into another new year with you
by our side. As we purge forward with
our initiatives, we also want to take a
look back and remember how far we’ve
come over the last few years and what
has made us the premier advocacy organization for masonry in Texas. We believe
linking the past to our present is an
essential key to success.
Trends, strategy, communication,
alignment and change will continue to
mold the future of the TMC. The generation now entering the workforce doesn’t
know about the TMC – let’s change that!
Join your regional masonry associations
and encourage your project managers,
estimators, safety directors, marketing
managers, etc., to get involved not only
on the local level, but the state level
too. Do you remember a time when we
did not have four very successful and
thriving regional associations and state
association? Let’s focus on continuing
to build our industry across Texas. Use
the TMC and your regional associations
to get to know your customers, network,
build friendships, learn from others,
and help us sustain a unified industry
unmatched by any other. A passage from
AMCT (Associated Masonry Contractors
of Texas) President Paul L. Yeatts in 1985:
“I consider it our purpose and responsibility to continue as a group, to gather
information and record and pass on this
information to those who follow us.” This
message still resounds with our group
today! Let’s learn from the past and teach
future leaders the masonry way.
As we embark on our future and
remember our past, let us reflect on the
history of our trade. Every day is simply a
great day to be in the masonry industry!
Masonry is the most time-honored tradition dating back more than 5,000 years
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Texas Masonry Council | The Line
to when the Egyptian Pyramids were
built. Don’t forget about the Colisseum
in Rome, India's Taj Mahal, and the Great
Wall of China – some of the world's most
significant architectural achievements
have been built with masonry.
Remember:
take action and get
involved! Let’s make 2015 the best TMC
year yet!
Remember: your support of TMC in
terms of both time and money is an
investment in your business.
Visit us on the Web at www.texasmasonrycouncil.org and www.masonryordinance.com.

Romeo Collazo
ROC Construction
2014/2015 TMC President
“A PARTNERSHIP
BUILT ON
TEAMWORK”
Cirilo Mondragon, CRU
General Superintendent with
multiple CRU Operators.
Central Road and Utility (CRU) has been in
business for 10 years and has grown from six
employees to 46. “Renting machines saves us time
and money, especially when one of our machines
is not working properly. Renting also helps us free
up assets. Renting machines allows us to eliminate
repair and haul expenses,” states Cirilo.
CRU currently rents a track loader, excavator,
dozer, skid steer loader, wheel loader and a water
truck from The Cat Rental Store. CRU also owns
six Cat® machines. “My dealer treats me like I am
family. If I need parts or service, I can count on
them,” states Cirilo.
HOLT Rental Services
Locations throughout Central,
South, North and Northeast Texas
holtcat.com
San Antonio, Texas
210-333-8505
WAGNER Rents
Service to the El Paso Region
www.wagner-rents.com
El Paso, Texas
915-771-6000
MUSTANG Rental Services
Locations throughout
Southeast Texas
www.mustangcat.com
Houston, Texas
713-838-7368
WARREN
Rental Services
Locations throughout West Texas
www.warrencat.com
Midland/Odessa
866-2WARREN
Stop by your local Texas Cat Rental Store for
quick, easy, hassle-free rentals of the equipment
you want, when you need it.
© 2014 Caterpillar All rights reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” trade dress as
well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.
www.cat.com www.caterpillar.com
1-800-RENT-CAT
USING STONE AND TILE
TO RESTORE
THE KINDER MORGAN BUILDING
By Heather Fiore
The Kinder Morgan Building — formerly known as the El Paso Energy
Building — is a 32-story, 1 millionsquare-foot skyscraper located in the
heart of downtown Houston, TX, which
utilized close to 86,000 square feet of
marble and granite, as well as 51,000
square feet of tile, to complete the
building’s first major renovation.
4
A
little more than 50 years ago, the Tennessee Building was
constructed in the heart of downtown Houston, TX, to serve
as the headquarters for the Tennessee Gas Transmission Co.,
which at that time, delivered natural gas by pipeline to defense
plants in Appalachia during World War II. Three years after it was
constructed, the building was renamed to the Tenneco Building
when it was purchased by Tenneco Inc., a global manufacturing
company. The building was known as the Tenneco building for
more than 30 years, with the company’s letters outlining the top
of the 32-story skyscraper on each of its four sides, until it was
renamed the El Paso Energy Building after it was purchased by
the El Paso Corp. in 1996.
In 2012, the building was again renamed when Kinder Morgan
Inc., the largest midstream and third largest energy company in
North America, purchased it with its $21 billion acquisition of the
El Paso Corp. Today, the building is known as the Kinder Morgan
Building. The majority of the building is occupied by Kinder
Morgan, while EP Energy — originally El Paso Corp.’s exploration
and production arm before it was purchased by a private equity
group — currently leases the top 10 floors.
The 1 million-square-foot building underwent its first major
renovation less than 10 years ago, with the biggest changes
occurring on the exterior ground level, the interior first and
second floors, the sub-basement and the tunnel areas. The
building-wide renovation/repositioning, which took place from
2005 until 2011, was a collaborative effort between the general
contractor, Gilbane Building Co. in Houston, TX; architectural
team at Gensler in Houston, TX, led by John Haba; and installers
Ron LaRicci and Russ Himel of Camarata Masonry Systems, Ltd.
(CMS) in Houston, TX.
“The building occupies an entire city block and has a 360-degree
street front presence,” said John Haba, studio director and senior
associate at Gensler. “Prior to our renovation, the building had a
forbidding street presence and the lobby was on the second floor
with a very unwelcoming entry sequence through low portals
and up a narrow set of escalators. We brought the lobby down to
street level and enclosed it with a very transparent glass curtain
wall. The transparency of the glass allows the interior to flow into
the exterior, [and] the lobby stone and plaza stone are set at the
same elevation.
“We used some beautiful white marble bordered by black
granite for the lobby, [and] the black granite is also outside the
curtain wall and the base of the curtain wall is buried in the stone
so the outside and inside are literally separated only by a piece
of glass,” Haba went on to say. “The entire interior of the building
was renovated up through the tower using white marble in various locations to tie the lobby up through the building to the new
executive levels, which we recaptured from former mechanical
space on the top two floors.”
To complete all of this work, CMS installed almost 86,000
square feet of granite and marble, as well as 51,000 square feet of
different types of tile. For the exterior ground level, 45,000 square
feet of granite was used, including 13,000 square feet of flamed
Sunset Red granite, 28,000 square feet of flamed Victoria White
granite and 2,000 square feet of flamed Impala Black granite on
the floors; and 2,000 square feet of polished Sunset Red granite,
which clads the walls. For the interior first and second floors,
22,000 square feet of polished Calacatta Gold marble, 1,000
square feet of polished Impala Black granite and 100 square feet
of polished Victoria White granite were employed. The sub-basement and tunnel area consist of 17,000 square feet of flamed
Victoria White granite and 500 square feet of flamed Impala Black
granite. The Sunset Red granite was supplied by Coldspring,
while all of the other stone was supplied by Savema of Italy.
“We had a clear design intent for the marble and granite based
on color and feel,” said Haba. “The final stone specification was a
function of design intent, availability and cost.”
Installing the Stone and Tile
CMS was also responsible for the procurement and installation of 8,000 square feet of quarry floor tile, 40,000 square feet of
white glazed wall tile, 2,000 square feet of gray porcelain floor tile,
1,000 square feet of glass tile and 337 lavatory tops throughout all
32 stories and the sub-basement. The tile was supplied by Daltile
and the lavatory tops were furnished by Santucci Group of Italy.
A variety of products from Laticrete and Holcim were utilized
to complete the stone and tile installation. “All the stone was
exterior and interior pavers [and] all were set in a dry pack setting
bed using Holcim Grey Portland Cement or Royal White Portland
Cement and torpedo sand,” said Ron LaRicci, vice president of
CMS, who handled the stonework portion of the job. According to
LaRicci, all of the stone was installed using a dry pack setting bed
as per the Marble Institute of America’s (MIA) recommendations.
“[For the tile], we used Laticrete 253 Gold Thin-Set Mortar for
the floor and walls, Laticrete’s SpectraLock® epoxy grout with 9235
Waterproofing Membrane, and a 3-to-1 sand/Portland mud bed,”
said Russ Himel, general manager of the tile and terrazzo division
at CMS, who was responsible for the tile portion of the project.
The entire installation was completed just shy of two years,
from January 2009 to December 2011, with the stone installation
taking seven months on its own. “Due to a compressed schedule,
Camarata Masonry Systems had as many as 15 setting crews on
this project,” said LaRicci.
Overcoming Challenges
For the tile portion of the project, Himel said CMS typically
employed six tile setters, six helpers and one full-time foreman
for the duration of the project. He also mentioned how both
installation teams encountered several challenges along the way,
given the building’s location, size and status.
“The building is located downtown and [was] occupied during
construction,” said Himel. “Four floors were under construction
at one time and the rest of the building remained open. Keeping
pace with all the trades while maintaining production proved to
be very challenging.
“[Since] the project was located downtown, space to store
materials was [also] limited,” he went on to say. “We had to store
the material offsite and deliver it to the site on a floor-by-floor
basis as needed. In addition to limited space, the restroom floors
were depressed and required a mud bed. Although the actual
installation occurred on each floor, we had to mix the mud in the
basement and wheel the fresh mud via elevators to the restrooms
for the entire project.”
To compensate for the limited access to certain areas of the
building, the renovation was completed in sections so that an
area could be fully completed and new access could be provided to the employees prior to removing the current access. This
5
required additional planning, not only
for the installation of the work but for the
delivery and storage of the new construction material.
Another challenge involved the radius
design of the building, specifically to the
interior first and second floors. CMS had
to tie in multiple areas together that were
built independently without interrupting
the 1/8-inch joint lines in the stone pattern.
In order to complete this task, installers
pulled several string lines every night to
create a grid to layout the next day’s work.
This was even more difficult when dealing
with the limited construction access, and
the ever changing tenant employee accesses and lay down areas, according to LaRicci
and Himel.
“Fortunately, our Houston office is three
blocks from the building, so I was onsite
three times a week on average [to supervise the installation],” said Haba. “As the
project was a full building renovation, there
were many unforeseen surprises that needed close team work between the design
team and construction team to resolve.”
Since the project’s completion three
years ago, CMS and Gensler have received
nothing but good reviews. The Houston
Chapter of the Associated General
Contractors presented CMS with the APEX
10 Interior Finishes Award for the renovations, and the project, along with CMS, also
received The MIA 2012 Pinnacle Award of
Merit in Interior Finishes.
According to CMS’ project description,
“The end result is a visually stunning renovation to one of the most recognizable
buildings in the downtown area. The new
renovation will provide El Paso Energy
with an innovative, more energy efficient
building for their employees for multiple
decades to come.”
“It has been an unqualified success
in moving that section of our city toward
a pedestrian-friendly environment,” said
Haba.
Kinder Morgan Building
(formerly El Paso Energy Building)
Houston, TX
Architect: Gensler, Houston, TX
MEP Engineer: I.A Naman + Associates,
Houston, TX
General Contractor:
Gilbane Building Co., Houston, TX
Stone/Tile Fabricator: Camarata
Masonry Systems, Ltd., Houston, TX
Stone Manufacturers: Savema, Aurelia,
Italy; Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN
(Sunset Red granite); Santucci Group,
Carrara, Italy (lavatory tops)
Tile Manufacturer/Supplier:
Daltile, Dallas, TX
Installation Products:
Laticrete, Bethany, CT; Holcim
Heather Fiore is the associate editor of
TILE Magazine, covering all aspects of the
tile industry. Before her position at TILE,
Heather Fiore was an associate editor for
The Sun newspapers in Central New Jersey.
She graduated from Rider University in
2011 with a B.A. in Journalism and a
focus on News and Editorial. Retrieved
January 14 from Contemporary Stone and
Tile Design at http://www.stoneworld.com/
articles/88249-using-stone-and-tile-to-restore-the-kinder-morgan-building.
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7
After an EF4 tornado devastated historic
downtown Cullman, AL, rebuilding the St. John
& Associates Inc. office building was an integral
part of the community’s reconstruction efforts.
Photo: Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds
REBUILDING WITH BRICK AFTER TORNADO DEVASTATION
Fired clay brick preserves historic character and integrity of downtown Cullman, Alabama.
A
fter an EF4 tornado devastated historic downtown Cullman,
AL, in April 2011, rebuilding the St. John & Associates Inc. office
building was an integral part of the community’s reconstruction
efforts.
Fortunately, none of St. John’s employees were hurt in the tornado, but the SJA building was among those that suffered severe damage. After the storm, St. John and Associates moved to a temporary
office and began to develop plans to construct a new building at the
original downtown site.
Birmingham, AL, architect Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds
(CCRArchitects) designed the civil-engineering firm’s new 4,000-sq.ft. building, winning a gold award in the Brick Industry Association’s
(BIA, Reston, VA) 2014 Brick in Architecture Awards (commercial
category, less than $10 million.)
“This has been one of the most rewarding projects in my career,
being a part of such an event that is so important to the owner and
the city’s recovery,” said CCR’s Richard Carnaggio, AIA, LEED AP.
“The owner has become quite a brick aficionado who now photographs interesting brickwork and has even given a presentation on
masonry coursing in relation to his building and the historic buildings from the city’s past,” he said.
CCR Architects worked with the city council president to review
and comment on new Downtown Cullman Design Guidelines.
8
Developed and implemented in three months, the guidelines
aim to preserve and ensure that new construction is compatible
with the existing historic characteristics of downtown Cullman,
including the rich and diverse historic brick buildings. The design
guidelines for commercial and mixed-use buildings state that permitted materials for exterior detailing include wood, brick, stone,
cast stone, metal, and materials identical in appearance such as
decorative molded urethane millwork. Prohibited materials include
concrete (when not imitating permitted materials), metal used
incompatibly, vinyl, EIFS (exterior insulation and finish systems),
and other materials deemed inappropriate by the design-review
committee.
Building owner Bill St. John spearheaded the guidelines with
his firm’s new building in the same Cullman location at 508 First
Ave., S.E., featuring many historic and industrial details combined
with green building elements. His support expanded the project’s
development, integrating salvaged materials from other devastated
structures, environmentally sensitive materials, and building systems, including key building elements supporting local artists and
craftsmen.
The new building’s structure is shaped from insulated concrete
forms (ICF), which provide excellent thermal characteristics along
with the permanence and strength of reinforced concrete. This sub-
New design guidelines were developed and implemented within three months
of the tornado. The new guidelines aim to preserve and ensure that new
construction is compatible with existing historic characteristics.
Photos: Cohen Carnaggio Reynolds
Masons were especially empowered by the project, which offered a showcase
for their abilities. Hand-carved Alabama marble cornerstones and tribute
stones are set within the masonry that adorns the building’s entrance.
stantial frame provided a stable and authentic mass for the solid
masonry veneer that allowed offsets, corbeling, and detailing that
is difficult in common hollow-core units.
To preserve the historic characteristics of downtown Cullman
and help battle severe weather, distributor Acme Brick Co., Ft.
Worth, TX, provided Cherokee Brick & Tile Co.’s, Macon, GA,
Andersonville brick in modular size—solid brick with no core
holes—selected for its used-brick appearance while maintaining
the full strength of a modern fired clay brick. The brick is accented
with Alabama limestone, also provided by Cherokee. The design
of the replacement building called for a high level of detail work, a
spokesperson for Acme Brick said.
According to Cherokee Brick & Tile, Andersonville brick is from
its Antebellum series, and is primarily red with some charcoal and
white accents. The Antebellum product line was created to produce a very rustic old-world brick. This brick also works well when
trying to match historic buildings, such as the St. John project. The
Andersonville brick was able to uphold the architectural integrity
set forth years prior in the downtown area.
“We salute St. John and Associates for its leadership in bringing
Cullman back from a direct hit by an EF4 tornado, and we are proud
to have provided materials for this landmark project,” said Dennis
Knautz, president and CEO, Acme Brick.
“One hundred years ago, our company suffered a similar calam-
ity when a brand-new brick plant burned to the ground,” continued
Knautz. “Our president’s response was as firm as his resolve: ‘Kelly,’
he told the plant superintendent, ‘we will build her bigger and
better than ever.’ And that’s exactly what Bill St. John and his firm
has done in Cullman, with a new building that marries old-world
character with 21st-century efficiency,” he said.
Cornerstones and Tributes
Hand-carved Alabama marble cornerstones and tribute stones
are set within the masonry that adorns the building’s entrance. They
contrast with the articulated masonry skin and pay homage to the
building’s completion and its owner and serve as a tribute to the
memory of his daughter. As a nod to St. John, a former American
Motorcyclist Association (AMA) racer, a vintage Ducati single-cylinder motorcycle is suspended over the stairway.
The new 4,000 square foot office building features Insulated
Concrete Form construction, hydronic radiant floor heat with locally made Rehau tubing, and a historically accurate brick façade. It
is their hope that the building will be a distinguishing feature of
Cullman’s downtown restoration.
Reprinted from Commercial Building Products magazine, Nov/
Dec 2014 www.cbpmagazine.com and www.sjaonline.com.
9
CONSTRUCTION LAW
LEGISLATIVE KICKOFF
Spike Cutler
Attorney Spike Cutler, and the firm of Cutler-Smith, P.C., are staunch advocates for the rights and interests
of construction trade contractors. Cutler provides legal counsel to a number of trade organizations, including
the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) of Texas, IEC- Dallas, IEC – Fort Worth, the Subcontractors
Association of the Metroplex ("SAM"), the Texas Masonry Council, the United Masonry Contractors
Association of DFW, and the North Texas Stone Fabricators Association. He is also a member of the Attorneys
Council of the National Subcontractors Alliance.
Well, it's that time again – the legislature is in session!
Every session is a new opportunity for
progress – and for damage. This session,
we’ve seen unprecedented turnover in
the legislature, with many new faces in
the House and Senate. Hopefully, these
new legislators have not yet established
excessive ties to hostile interests - but
few have established bonds to our interests, either!
We dream of having all of our business ills fixed with legislative action,
but you have to pick your battles. With
this in mind, several issues are being
targeted as ripe for action in the 2015
Texas legislative session by the Texas
Construction Association, legislative
policy advocates for the subcontracting
industry, with which the Texas Masonry
Council is affiliated.
Consolidated Insurance
Programs
Consolidated Insurance Programs
(including Owner Controlled Insurance
Programs and Contractor Controlled
Insurance Programs) have been a hot
button for a while; while purporting to
supply consistent coverage to all participants in construction projects, their real
purpose and effect are to move money
from your pocket, into the pockets of
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the plan sponsor, whether it be a project
owner or a general contractor. Subs rarely know the terms of a controlled insurance program upfront, or the cost of
participating, and inevitably lose money
as a result of excessive premium/participation deducts from their contracts, and
inadequate coverage and protection.
TCA is pursuing legislation to require
that subcontractors be provided information on coverages and limits in writing prior to bidding on projects, thus
allowing genuine pricing and risk consideration.
Lender Notice to
Contractors
As it stands now, construction lenders can declare the borrower (the owner,
typically) in default, and foreclose on
projects, without the construction team
receiving any notice of any kind; this
leads to the painful circumstance of
contractors continuing to work, incurring expense for labor and materials,
with no solvent party meaningfully obligated to pay them. Worse, a properly-secured lender can foreclose on a project
and extinguish mechanics lien claims of
most contractors on the project.
Legislation to be sought in this session would require that, in the event a
lender determines it will no longer dis-
burse funds under a construction loan,
the lender would be obligated to notify
the construction team so contractors and
subcontractors can suspend work and
avoid "throwing good money after bad."
While the banking industry may not like
this kind of language, it is difficult to offer
any argument against it which bears up
under any meaningful scrutiny.
Retainage Trust Fund
Retainage, valued at 10% of the project value, is routinely held as work proceeds on private construction projects. If
the owner becomes financially unable to
honor its obligations (including the circumstance when a lender stops funding
draws), accrued retainage, representing
labor and materials which have already
been provided by the construction team,
is often uncollectible.
Legislation addressing this issue
would require that all retainage withheld from draws be placed in a separate account (a form of escrow), for the
benefit of the construction team, so
that if the project fails, the retainage
fund will actually be there to partially
compensate contractors for the work
they've already performed. The retainage trust fund requirement could also
be satisfied through the use of a surety
bond, under most legislative scenarios
currently under consideration.
Worker Classification
A persistent problem in construction(worse in some trades than others)
is "worker misclassification," where individual laborers are treated as "independent contractors," when in fact they are
simply functioning as employees of a
trade contractor. This misclassification
puts legitimate contractors, those which
properly classify their employees and
pay withholding and employment taxes
on them properly, at a competitive disadvantage.
Legislation to be proposed would
require construction employers to properly report the employment status of
each of their employees, and create
substantial monetary penalties for
improper classification of employees
as independent contractors. This legislation would serve to remove unethical
and inadequate competitors from the
marketplace, improving the business for
all levels of the contract chain.
bers, are well-represented by the efforts
of the Texas Construction Association
and its able lobbyists. There is nothing
more effective, however, than business
owners and employees getting face time
with their legislators, explaining the
importance of construction businesses to legislators, and asking for their
support of important construction law
reforms. Don't be afraid to call or visit
your legislators and, if you are asked to
support the lobbying efforts directed at
these goals, be prepared to do so, with
contributions of money, time and effort.
The cause is worthy, and you might
even enjoy yourself!
Lien Law Reform
Finally, the "holy grail" of legislation;
Lien Law Reform.
Texas has what has been often
described as the most complicated mechanics lien law in the country,
with many traps for the unwary. Texas
mechanics lien law usually protects
owners of projects from being obligated
to pay subcontractors and suppliers if
the Owner’s GC fails to pay.
Other states have substantially stronger lien laws, laws which effectively
protect the rights of subs and suppliers
to payment. A stronger and simpler
mechanics lien law would improve the
industry across the board, because it
would motivate owners to better qualify general contractors, validating the
ability and inclination of contractors to
pay their subcontractors, rather than
diverting money to their own purposes.
Legislation would be intended to dramatically simplify the Texas mechanics
lien law, and enhance the protection
given thereby.
Legislative Advocacy
The interests of Texas subcontractors,
including Texas Masonry Council mem-
11
IN THE NEWS
New OSHA Reporting Rules on
Workplace Deaths, Hospitalizations in
Effect as of January 1, 2015
Effective January 1, 2015, all employers under the jurisdiction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
will be required to report all work-related fatalities within
eight hours and all in-patient hospitalizations, amputations
and losses of an eye within 24 hours of finding out about the
incident.
The federal agency noted that even employers who are
exempt from routinely keeping OSHA records due to company size – such as companies with 10 or fewer employees who
do not have to routinely keep injury and illness records – or
industry must comply with the new reporting guidelines.
Previously, employers only had to report all work-related
fatalities and hospitalizations of three or more employees
involved in the same incident.
“Work-related fatalities must be reported within eight
hours of finding out that a worker has been killed,” said Dr.
David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational
safety and health.
There are some circumstances that are exempt from the
reporting requirements:
• Only fatalities occurring within 30 days of the work-related incident must be reported.
• For an inpatient hospitalization, amputation or loss
of an eye, incidents must be reported to OSHA only if
they occur within 24 hours of the work-related incident.
• If an injury resulted from a motor vehicle accident on a
public street or highway, except in a construction work
zone; employers must report the event if it happened
in a construction work zone.
• If an injury occurred on a commercial or public transportation system (airplane, subway, bus, ferry, street
car, light rail, train).
• If the injury occurred more than 30 days after the
work-related incident in the case of a fatality or more
than 24 hours after the work-related incident in the
case of an in-patient hospitalization, amputation or
loss of an eye.
• Employers do not have to report an in-patient hospitalization if it was for diagnostic testing or observation
only. An in-patient hospitalization is defined as a formal admission to the in-patient service of a hospital or
clinic for care or treatment.
• Employers do have to report an in-patient hospitalization due to a heart attack, if the heart attack resulted
from a work-related incident.
According to the safety agency, the updated reporting
requirements are meant to enhance safety and prevent future
injuries by assisting employers and workers in identifying and
eliminating workplace hazards.
12
OSHA provided an outline of the information required at
reporting:
1. The establishment name;
2. The location of the work-related incident;
3. The time of the work-related incident;
4. The type of reportable event (i.e., fatality, in-patient
hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye);
5. The number of employees who suffered a fatality,
in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an
eye;
6. The names of the employees who suffered a fatality,
in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an
eye;
7. Your contact person and his or her phone number; and
8. A brief description of the work-related incident.
There are three ways for employers to notify OSHA:
• Contact the nearest OSHA area office during normal
business hours.
• Call the 24-hour OSHA hotline at 1-800-321-OSHA
(1-800-321-6742).
• Report the incident online at www.osha.gov/report_
online.
•
According to the federal safety agency, if the local office is
closed, an employer should report the incident by contacting
the 800 number or reporting it on the website.
Masonry Planning Policies Now the Norm
in Texas Metro Areas
Ten years ago convincing a Texas city to adopt a local ordinance requiring new construction to be clad in true masonry
products was the exception, not the rule. Nothing could be
further from the truth today, as Masonry Planning Policies
(MPP’s) have become the norm across the major metropolitan
areas of Texas.
In 2005 the Southwest Brick Institute embarked on a
methodical process of developing a professional, well-organized and focused program. This program was established
to convince local municipalities that building with masonry
(adopting masonry ordinances) was the best way to ensure
their towns maintained a stable tax base, provided greater
energy efficiency and safer structures. Through targeted marketing efforts, face-to-face sales calls, conference sponsorships, group presentations, and most importantly, developing
personal relationship with municipal decision-makers, the
MPP program has achieved unbelievable success.
“When I started with the Southwest Brick Institute in 2005
there were less than 20 cities in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex with masonry ordinances. Only a handful in each of the
Houston, San Antonio and Austin areas…so less than 50
statewide,” says Rudy Garza, Texas Masonry Council Executive
VP. “How times have changed. Now adopting an MPP has
become the norm, not the exception. Cities actually come to
us asking for our expertise as they move through the process
of adopting masonry requirements.” The 10-year effort has paid off with Texas now having over
220 masonry planning policies adopted and in place! “We just
kept chipping away and now we have a program in Texas that
is literally the envy of the entire national masonry industry,”
added Garza. Since the transfer of the Masonry Planning Policy program
from the Brick Industry to the Texas Masonry Council three
years ago, the MPP program added an additional staff member to cover the fast growing Central Texas, Austin and San
Antonio markets. “The additional funding and partnerships
brought forth by the transfer of the MPP program to TMC was
just the shot in the arm the program needed,” says long-time
industry partner Stan McCarthy of Acme Brick Company. “Rudy
and I have had many conversations over the years about gaining the support of the entire masonry industry that were benefiting from the work of the MPP Program. The TMC transfer
plan made perfect sense on multiple levels and now we can
see that is was the right move.”
One lesson learned along the way was that what works in
one part of Texas doesn’t necessarily work in another part of
the State. Texas is a huge state and the culture in Houston is
different from that in DFW and Austin. The MPP staff learned
that although the MPP message is consistent, the way they
approach and present it in Houston may be different from the
way they would in Austin. Adapting these approaches and presentation styles is
what has added to the success of spreading the message
of the many benefits of the Masonry Planning. “I’m not so
sure I would have achieved the same level of success passing policies in the Dallas area that I have in the Austin and
Central Texas area,” says Government Relations Specialist
Leila Siqueiros. “I grew up in the Austin area and went to
college here. I know how people think here and understand
their vision for the area. I also understand the culture so I am
able to relate to the municipal staff and elected officials on a
more personal level. I’m not sure I could do that in Houston
or Dallas.” Perhaps nothing has put the MPP Program on the map more
13
with municipal officials than TMC’s high profile presence at
conferences attended by municipal decision-makers. TMC (and
formerly the Brick Industry Association) has been the title sponsor the Texas Municipal League Conference for the past seven
years. This annual conference is attended by 5,000-7,000 locally
elected municipal officials and senior staff members. The title
sponsorship allows TMC to exhibit at the conference, as well
as have the TMC name prominent throughout the conference.
This supports making a presentation to a captive audience
through a training session. TMC is the only sponsor allowed to
put on a training session during the conference. Tony Topping,
TMC Government Relations Specialist in Houston said he was
shocked at the impact and visibility TMC has at the conference.
“Although I have worked in municipal government for almost
10 years, this is the first year I attended the TML conference,
primarily because it is reserved for the very top level municipal
officials,” said Topping. It was interesting to attend as a sponsor/exhibitor. Everywhere I looked our TMC logo was staring
me in the face. Then when I attended the TMC MPP training I
was amazed that we literally had a captive audience of 300-plus
municipal decision-makers listening to our message. You simply can’t put a price on that type of exposure. No wonder every
city I visit has already heard of TMC.” “We have no plans on letting up,” says Garza. “Every week
I get a phone call from a local official telling me that competing product manufacturers are trying to diminish the masonry
policies we have. They aren’t going to stop so we aren’t going
to stop. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we plan on finishing the race.”
For more information about the MPP Program, contact
Rudy Garza at [email protected].
Sundance Square/Acme Brick Win
2014 “Brick in Architecture” Design
Competition
The Brick Industry Association recently announced the
winners of its prestigious 2014 Brick in Architecture awards
competition. Two commercial buildings using Acme brick
were declared “Best in Class” winners.
Independent industry professionals from around the country reviewed and scored each of the entries. Of the more than
150 total entries, representing some of the country’s premier
architectural firms, 40 projects were chosen as the best in
their field. Winners hail from across North America, truly reinforcing the national status of the award.
The Sundance East and Sundance West buildings in Fort
Worth, Texas’ famed Sundance Square were judged the Best in
Class winner in the commercial category. Entries were judged
based on their creative use of brick masonry and the practical
nature of their design.
For Sundance East, the architects selected Acme Brick’s
Tulsa "Crimson" and Tulsa "Tuscany." Sundance West’s exterior utilized Acme’s famed “Dove Gray” blend and buff colored
“Ridgemar” both from the company’s Perla plant near Malvern,
Arkansas.
Commenting on the award, Acme Brick Company’s President
and CEO, Dennis Knautz said, “The Sundance Square area of
downtown Fort Worth is one of the best public spaces in the
nation. It has a European piazza feel that is complemented
nicely by the Acme Brick buildings anchoring the east and
west ends of the square. We’re honored to have played a part
in the creation of buildings that were winners in this prestigious national competition.”
Architect: David M. Schwarz Architect
Associate Architect: Bennett Benner Partners
Landscape Architect: Michael Vergason Landscape
Architects, Ltd.
Builder: The Beck Group
Manufacturer: Acme Brick Company
Mason Contractor: DMG Masonry
Acme Brick Company, founded in 1891, is the nation’s
largest brick maker. Acme operates 26 brick plants and has 70
company-owned sales offices across 17 states, plus a nationwide network of independent distributors. Other Acme operations include American Tile & Stone; Featherlite Building
Products; Innovative Building Products; and Texas Quarries.
Acme Brick Company has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. since 2000.
For more PRESS information contact: Ron Taylor /Ashley &
Taylor Adv. & PR (8l7) 377-l042, (817) 874-8206 (cell) or [email protected].
14
Obama's Immigration Order Will Ripple
across Texas Labor Force
He worked as a construction finisher, earning $65,000 a year
for the Marek Family of Companies. He was a great employee,
a family man and the kind of longtime employee no company
wants to lose.
But Stan Marek , the company's president and CEO, said he
had to fire his finisher several years ago when he learned his
Social Security number was false after the employee tried to
use his medical insurance.
Now that President Barack Obama's executive order on
immigration will offer work permits for certain immigrants
here illegally, Marek said he'll waste no time offering a job
to the former employee, who's currently supporting his three
U.S.-born sons on a $10 -an-hour job working illegally for a
subcontractor on some of Houston's biggest building projects.
"He'll be the first one I'll hire back," said Marek, who's kept
in touch with him over the years.
And he's not the only one. Marek has a list of employees
he's terminated over the years after immigration and health
insurance audits revealed they weren't authorized to work in
the U.S. He said conversations with business owners revealed
many employers have their own lists of workers they want back.
Obama's executive order announced Thursday is expected
to stay the deportations of about 5 million immigrants and
grant them temporary work permits, giving them the same
legal protections on wages, health and safety that U.S. workers
take for granted. It's considered the most expansive change to
the immigration system in nearly half a century.
The impact is expected to be sweeping. In Texas , which
has the greatest number of people living here illegally after
California , an estimated 743,000 immigrants of about 1.5
million could receive permits, according to an analysis of
U.S. Census data released this week by the Migration Policy
Institute , a research organization in Washington D.C.
They'll qualify either as parents of U.S. citizens or legal residents or through Obama's expansion of the so-called dreamer
program for young adults. Of people illegally in Texas, 243,000
work in construction and 167,000 in entertainment, accommodation and food services, two of the industries likely to be
most affected by Obama's action.
Boost Wages
It's expected to boost wages over time as workers have
more options than a small pool of low-paying jobs in industries where employers turn a blind eye to their legal status.
The President's Council of Economic Advisers said it would
also slightly expand the nation's economy, estimating economic output would increase between 0.4 percent and 0.9
percent over a 10-year period.
"The legal labor market will expand and the newly documented will be eligible for higher wages and that will boost
the economy," said Bill Hammond , president of the Texas
Association for Business .
Still, he and others stressed that Congress must approve
comprehensive immigration reform. He's worried Obama's
action has rankled Republicans to the point it's no longer
possible. GOP lawmakers in Washington and Texas denounced
the president's plan as an abuse of power and amnesty, saying
it was unfair to immigrants who follow the rules and come to
the U.S. legally. "Our biggest concern is that this will lessen
the chances of permanent reform," Hammond said.
But he said demand for workers in certain industries and
areas around the state are so critical that this will at least
help. In Houston, a labor shortage in construction is leading
to scheduling delays and significant cost overruns.
Around the Eagle Ford shale, for instance, a fast-food job
can pay $15 an hour."Employers are much more concerned
about having people who can come to work and do the job,
and they don't have to worry about their status than they are
about having to pay a dollar or so more an hour," he said.
Across industries, employers said Obama's move is a huge
step to a more stable and better-trained workforce. Though
there's a lot of "political swirling" about it, for the "every day
go-to-work crowd" there's hope the business community will
get clarity, said Jerry Nevlud , president and CEO of the Houston
chapter of the Associated General Contractors , which represents about 500 members in commercial construction.
"A lot of our workforce doesn't have the proper work papers,"
he said. Now they'd be able to stay on payrolls, and companies can invest in training and development. That stability will
encourage workers to consider construction as a career, not just
a short-term job helping to raise wages and retain workers. The
bottom line for the industry is that it's a good thing."
Pool of Workers
The hotel, restaurant and agriculture industry is also
expected to benefit by having a larger pool of legal workers,
industry experts said. Nationally, the White House estimates
more than 250,000 migrant and seasonal farm workers will
receive permits. In Texas, about 85 percent of all agricultural
work is done by people who are here illegally, according to the
Texas Farm Bureau .
Though more legalized workers create more job competition, it generally doesn't adversely affect native-born
Americans because they aren't competing for the same
jobs, said Gary Burtless, a former economist with the U.S.
Department of Labor who studies labor market policy for the
Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington, D.C.
"I don't think the effects of changing legal status is adverse;
if anything it may very well be positive," he said, primarily
because those immigrants are already here and working."
Many jobs likely wouldn't exist without a large unskilled immigrant labor force, he said. "You wouldn't have as many people
mowing lawns and cleaning gutters," he said. "A lot of these
things just wouldn't get done or people would do them themselves and they would be done less frequently."
Work Authorization
Sherrie Kossoudji , a social work professor at the University
of Michigan , studied the impact of President Ronald Reagan's
legalization of immigrants in 1986. She found it led to an average 6 percent wage increase because they were able to find
better jobs.
15
"If you're undocumented and you work in the back of the
restaurant, your chances of being promoted to the front are
really low," Kossoudji said, referring to the better paying server positions. "But once you have papers, being promoted to
the front isn't a problem anymore."
Still, the work authorization is temporary and not a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship, said Aimee Chin,
an economics professor at the University of Houston who
specializes in labor economics and immigration. Workers will
face uncertainty. And companies looking at an applicant for a
mid- or high-level job may be reluctant to make investments
in training and education for fear employees would work only
a couple of years before losing authorization.
That short-term horizon also has a psychological effect,
Chin said. Instead of going to college and investing in their
future, workers may prefer to spend the three years working
while they can.
Still, Jose Santa Cruz, a 33-year-old father of two small
children from Michoacan, Mexico, said Obama's order would
make a "huge difference." He came to Houston 15 years ago
and works in the construction industry laying cement.
"I'm really happy," he said. "Now I can get a better job and
give my children a better life."
He said it's been difficult to find steady work because most
of the big construction companies require proof of legal status. The work permit, he said, is "going to make it a lot easier."
Reprinted in part from the Houston Chronicle, November
23, 2014.
Five-year Outlook Report Paints Solid
Gains for Unit Masonry
U.S. demand for clay or concrete brick and block is forecast
to rise 8.8 percent per annum from a $5.8 billion base in 2013
to $8.9 billion by 2018. Recovery across all building and construction market segments will be the primary driver as unit
masonry shipments improve from declines rooted in the 2006
home building market contraction and subsequent economic
recession.
In a new study with five-year forecast horizon, Bricks,
Blocks & Pavers, market researcher Freedonia Group notes
that new housing demand will have a particularly significant
impact on clay brick, with volume climbing 11 percent annually, from $1.5 billion in 2013 to $2.55 billion in 2018. Structural
block shipments are projected to reach $3.7 billion over the
next five years, sustaining projected annual growth just shy
of 8 percent.
Increasing interest in outdoor aesthetic features such as
terraced landscaping and paver patios or walkways will continue to support hardscaping product demand, while pursuit
of green building solutions boosts permeable paver sales.
Demand for pavers and segmental retaining wall, or outdoor
wall block, is concentrated in residential project improvements and repairs, Freedonia researchers observe. Through
2018, they project annual growth rates for pavers and SRW at
8.7 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively.
Source: Concrete News
16
Construction Firms Add 48,000 Jobs in
December as Sector's Unemployment
Rate Drops to 8.3 Percent, Employment
Hits Five-Year High
Nonresidential Construction Employment Gains
Outpace Residential as Firms Struggle to Keep
Pace with Rising Demand While Coping with
Growing Shortages of Qualified Workers.
Construction employers added 48,000 jobs in December
and 290,000 for the year, the largest annual increase since
2005, as the sector's unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, according to an analysis by the Associated General
Contractors of America. Association officials said many firms
are expanding payrolls to keep pace with growing construction
demand, but are having a hard time finding qualified workers
to fill key positions.
"Construction firms are clearly ramping up their hiring to
keep up with swelling demand for construction," said Ken
Simonson, the association's chief economist. "Demand for
workers to construct apartments, pipelines and huge industrial projects is likely to remain robust in 2015."
Construction employment totaled 6,166,000 in December,
the highest level since March 2009, with a 12-month gain
of 290,000 jobs or 4.9 percent, Simonson noted. Residential
building and specialty trade contractors added a combined
13,500 employees since November and 132,100 (6 percent)
over 12 months. Nonresidential contractors hired a net of
34,400 workers for the month and 158,200 (4.3 percent) since
December 2013. The heavy and civil engineering construction
segment, which includes pipelines, petrochemical and power
plants, and public works construction, added 11,600 jobs in
December and 57,900 (6.6 percent) over the year.
The number of workers who said they looked for work in the
past month and had last worked in construction fell to 680,000
from 958,000 a year earlier. The latest total was lower than in
any December since 2000. In addition, the average workweek
for craft workers ("production and nonsupervisory employees") lengthened to 40.1 hours, the most since the series
began in 1947, as firms ask employees to work more overtime
to make up for the difficulty in finding additional workers.
Association officials said the construction employment
gains come as more contractors report having a hard time
finding enough qualified workers to fill available positions.
They urged Congress to act quickly to reform and increase
funding for the Perkins Act, which funds most career and technical education programs in the country.
"We need to make sure our education system is giving students an opportunity to qualify for the high paying opportunities that the construction industry is creating," said Stephen
E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. "The
more paths to success we give students, the more likely they
are to succeed."
Source: AGC of America Association, January 2014. For
more information, contact Brian Turmail,
(703) 459-0238; [email protected].
EU Approves Holcim, Lafarge Cement
Merger: Deal Subject to Significant Asset
Sales across Europe
Cement companies Holcim Ltd. and Lafarge SA cleared
a major hurdle toward their planned $43 billion merger after
antitrust authorities in Europe said the deal could go ahead,
subject to significant asset sales across the region.
The deal, if approved by other global competition regulators, would reshape the global cement industry, spawning a
construction-materials juggernaut. It had been expected to
face significant hurdles from antitrust authorities, particularly
in Europe, given the scale of the two companies’ operations
in the region.
Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s top antitrust
official, announced the decision on Twitter late Monday.
“Acquisition of Lafarge by Holcim is subject to conditions.
The merger can proceed,” Ms. Vestager tweeted, adding that it
would be “good for growth.”
The EU’s approval is conditional on divestments by the two
companies that Ms. Vestager described in a statement as “very
substantial.”
Holcim will have to sell all of its businesses in the Czech
Republic and Slovakia, two plants in Spain, and most of its
activities in France relating to cement, ready-mixed concrete
and aggregates, according to a statement from the European
Commission, the bloc’s top antitrust regulator.
Lafarge will be required to sell all of its businesses in
Germany and Romania, as well as U.K. businesses that are
carried out through Lafarge Tarmac, a joint venture with
Anglo American PLC, with the exception of a single cement
plant.
The companies won’t be allowed to close the deal until
the commission has approved the buyers of the assets, the
regulator said.
“With the remedies, we have ensured that the creation of
an increased global footprint of the group will not come at the
expense of competition in the EU,” said Ms. Vestager.
In twin statements, Holcim and Lafarge said they were
“actively pursu[ing] negotiations for the sale of these assets
with potential buyers, who will have to be preapproved by
the European Commission.” Lafarge said it still expected the
merger to close in the first half of next year.
Holcim, of Jona, Switzerland, and Paris-based Lafarge have
been working with regulators around the world to satisfy anticompetition fears.
The two companies are awaiting approvals from other parts
of the world, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and India
for the deal to proceed. Authorities in some countries, such
as Russia and South Africa, already have given the deal their
blessing. Holcim and Lafarge had combined sales of $39.3
billion in 2013.
Analysts estimate the two companies could raise as much
as 10.3 billion Swiss francs ($10.7 billion) from the sale of
cement factories and other facilities.
Unveiling their merger plans in April, the companies had
pledged to sell assets that generate roughly €5 billion, or
$6.8 billion, in annual revenue to address competition con-
cerns. Holcim finance chief Thomas Aebischer has said some
60 parties, a mixture of buyout firms and building-materials
companies, had submitted bids for all or some of the assets.
Holcim has said it expects to agree to deals with potential
purchasers by the end of this year or early 2015 as it moves
ahead with its timetable to complete the merger during the
first half of next year.
For more information, contact Tom Fairless at [email protected] and John Revill at [email protected]. Acme Brick’s Blade Cut Brick Debuts on
New Texas A&M San Antonio Campus
Construction of Texas A&M San Antonio’s new Central
Academic Building opens a new chapter for the revered A&M
system, and an entire new product line for Acme Brick. Texas
A&M’s new, expansive San Antonio campus is a bold commitment to an underserved South Texas market.
Acme Brick’s staff worked closely with the design team to
create a blade cut brick for a smoother surface texture than
tradition manufacturing methods. The creative use of Acme’s
new, smoother blade cut brick helped the architects interpret
regional tradition and architectural history in striking ways.
This is most dramatically seen in the spandrel portion of the
Central Academic Building’s frontispiece where Acme full 4x8
solid units were cut in half at 45-degree angles in the field to
create the wall’s staggered 45-degree sawtooth brick pattern.
In the architect’s words, “We designed Texas A&M San
Antonio to reflect historic traditions and sources of architecture in South Texas, drawing on the examples of Mission
San Jose, Spanish colonial buildings, and even Granada. With
brick specifically, we looked at how many variations, patterns,
and shadow effects we could achieve with a single modular
brick. Acme was willing to reconsider the manufacturing process to create just the right consistent look across the growing
campus with a less-textured blade cut brick, and then help
us shave costs by creating a thin brick for monumental archways. Acme’s local sourcing was important in ongoing efforts
to build responsibly now, and over the full development of
the 694 acre site.” – Geoff Edwards, AIA, Principal, Muñoz &
Company Academic Building.
Architect: Muñoz & Company, San Antonio
Associate Architect: Bennett Benner Partners
General Contractor: Bartlett, Cocke, San Antonio
Manufacturer: Acme Brick Company
Mason Contractor: Shadrock & Williams, Helotes, TX
17
Acme Brick Company, founded in 1891, is the nation’s largest brickmaker. Acme operates 26 brick plants and has 70 company-owned sales offices across 17 states, plus a nationwide
network of independent distributors. Other Acme operations
include American Tile & Stone; Featherlite Building Products;
Innovative Building Products; and Texas Quarries. Acme Brick
Company has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berkshire
Hathaway, Inc. since 2000.
L.A. Fire Should Be a Wake-up Call on
the Risks of Tall Wood-Framed Buildings:
Use of Non-Masonry Materials Comes at a Price
The massive Los Angeles fire that consumed a huge apartment building under construction raises a key issue in urban
development and the building codes that govern it.
Why was a seven-story, high-density residential building in
the heart of downtown Los Angeles being built out of wood?
“It is part of trend to relax fire protection provisions in
building design and construction to permit taller woodframed structures," says Stephen S. Szoke, PCA senior director of codes and standards. "It saves on initial costs by using
cheaper building products rather than traditional non-combustible materials such as masonry or steel."
In most jurisdictions, building codes do not allow woodframed buildings to exceed four stories because of concerns
over fire safety. But wood-framed buildings are getting taller
and taller, as developers push for lower cost construction
alternatives and the wood industry lobbies for code changes
that permit it to expand into high-rise.
Wood-framed buildings are particularly vulnerable to fire
when they are under construction and sprinkler systems are
not yet operational. Sprinklers can also fail to operate following disasters or when the water supply is disrupted.
According to the LA Times, the Los Angeles building was
1.3 million square feet with what engineers call a “pedestal
design”: two non-combustible concrete-walled floors at the
bottom and five wood-framed ones above.
“Provisions in the model code and California code only
permit a maximum height of four stories for wood construction, five if the lower floors are non-combustible materials
and there is a two-hour separation between the lower floors
and wood frame floors,” says Szoke. “However every authority
is capable of permitting deviations from the specific code
requirements.”
But as the California fire shows, lower-cost wood-framed
construction comes at a price.
“Common sense shows that buildings built of non-combustible (masonry) materials are not the same risk of fire damage,” says Szoke. “In every one of these fires that involved pedestal construction like this big one in L.A., the lower portions
and stairways and elevator shafts built of non-combustible
materials tend to fair quite well. The photographs routinely
show that it is only the wood portion that is missing."
18
In Canada, with its strong and influential wood industry,
recent and pending building codes revisions will permit woodframed structures for multifamily and office buildings up to six
stories tall, according to an article in the December 1, Globe
and Mail.
Currently wood-framed buildings are limited to four stories
in most Canadian jurisdictions. Richard McGrath, director of
codes and standards/engineered structures for the Cement
Association of Canada, participated in the National Building
Code review and is quoted in the Globe and Mail story.
“From a technical point of view, I certainly feel we are
increasing the fire risk in these structures irrespective of the
fact we are heavily sprinklering these buildings,” he says.
PCA and other concrete interests have long advocated a
balanced approach to fire protection that includes both active
(sprinklers) and passive (noncombustible building materials)
systems.
"Construction fires are far too common to abandon the
stringent fire protection criteria of the model code," concludes
Szoke. "If anything, the current code provisions should be
more stringent, especially in disaster prone areas.”
Source: PCA Blog, by Bruce McIntosh, December 9, 2014
House-Approved Omnibus Bill Cuts
Federal Construction Spending 4.5%
On December 12, 2014, The U.S. House of Representatives
passed a $1.1 trillion funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2015 by
a vote of 219-206. The bill funds most of the government
through September 2015. The House will also take steps to
allow the Senate time to vote while avoiding a government
shutdown at midnight tonight. The omnibus bill included
many policy riders important to construction, including species protections and suspending elements of the truck-driver
hours of service regulations.
Federal agency construction accounts will see a mixed bag
of funding levels in 2015. Difficult fiscal times have resulted
in deep cuts to some accounts—as is the case for military
construction—while others remain flat when compared to FY
2014 levels. However, the bright spots remain with the Army
Corps Civil Works and the General Services Administration
construction programs. The total funding for federal construction accounts tracked by the Associated General Contractors
is over $106 billion for FY 2015. This number represents a
nearly $5 billion cut from FY 2014 levels. A complete run
down of the accounts can be found here.
Below is a summary of the FY 2015 funding levels for some
of the larger federal construction accounts.
Transportation
The bill appropriated MAP-21 authorized levels of nearly
$41 billion for the federal-aid highway program and nearly $9.5 billion for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
through formula grants. FTA also saw an appropriation of
$2.1 billion for the new starts program. The Federal Aviation
Administration’s Airport Improvement Program is funded at
$3.35 billion which is the same level as FY 2014. Amtrak ($1.1
billion) and TIGER grants ($500 million) saw funding cuts from
FY 2014.
Water Infrastructure
State Revolving Funds (SRF) for Clean Water and Drinking
Water got a bit of good news in the bill – no cuts. The clean
water SRF’s saw level funding from FY 2014 at $1.449 billion,
as did drinking water SRF’s at $907 billion
Military Construction
Military construction accounts will be funded for FY 2015
generally along the lines of the president’s budget request,
which called for steep cuts. Overall, military construction
experiences a more than $3 billion (40 percent) cut in FY 2015
compared to FY 2014 levels. The Army will experience the
deepest cut, as its construction funds are cut by over $575 million (52 percent) in this fiscal year. In addition, Congress continues to wind down the 1990 and 2005 Base Realignment and
Closure Commission (BRAC) rounds’ funding, as Congress
cuts a third of the funding—$136 million—for FY 2015.
Additionally, funding is prohibited for any future BRAC rounds
in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2015.
Corps Civil Works
The U.S. Army Corps Civil Works Program funding will
remain steady and strong in FY 2015 at over $5 billion, among
the highest level of funding through the annual appropriations process. The construction account funding of $1.639
billion is an increase of $514.5 million above the president’s
budget request, including $112 million in additional funding
for Inland Waterways Trust Fund projects. The operations and
maintenance account is funded at $2.908.5 billion, $308.5 million above the president’s budget request and $47.5 million
above FY 2014, including at least $42 million in additional
funds for inland navigation. No less than $1.1 billion is provided from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, a $100 million
increase.
General Services Administration
While the General Services Administration’s construction
program experiences a $255 million cut in FY 2015 compared
to FY 2014, the $1.3 billion for construction accounts is still
more than the funding received in fiscal years 2011, 2012 and
2013 combined. The construction and acquisition account
remains steady in FY 2015 at over $500 million. The reduction
in FY 2015 comes largely from the major repairs and alterations account.
Policy Riders
Of the potential environmental policy riders that were initially discussed as part of the appropriations deal, few made it
over the finish line. AGC and the other members of the Waters
Advocacy Coalition had been working to bring the provisions
from the House-passed appropriations measures into the
compromise bill. However, provisions blocking funding for
the administration’s regulations on climate change and Clean
Water Act jurisdiction, among the most controversial potential inclusions, ultimately failed to be included in the final
legislation. What was included were provisions that would
prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from listing the
greater sage-grouse as endangered or threatened and stop
the service from working to implement protections for the
Gunnison sage-grouse, which the agency listed as threatened
last month. Industry groups and some western state governors have fought a potential listing for the sage-grouse, arguing that enacting federal protections for the birds' expansive
territory would severely curtail construction and development
in these areas, particularly for the oil and gas industries.
The funding bill also contains a provision that would suspend part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s
(FMCSA) hours-of-service limits on truckers. The provision
suspends the requirement that truck drivers must include two
1:00 to 5:00 a.m. off-duty periods during a consecutive 34-hour
off-duty period before their weekly driving hours would
restart. The provision also removes the once-per-week limit of
the use of the restart. These two restrictions were part of the
FMCSA hours-of-service rule that went into effect on July 1,
2013. The reset requirements have been a problem for trucking
companies, including construction companies since they were
imposed. Sen. Collins (R-Maine) included the language in the
year-end funding bill because she believes that the requirement has the perverse effect of putting more trucks on the
road during heavy traffic periods. AGC worked with a coalition
of trucking interests in support of the Collins amendment.
The suspension is only in place through the end of FY
2015 and would have to be reinstated at that time unless the
rules are changed. The provision calls for FMCSA to conduct
a study of the operational, safety, health and fatigue aspects
of the restart provisions in effect before and after July 1, 2013
and report to the House and Senate Committees. AGC will be
providing information to the FMCSA concerning the impact of
the reset rule on construction industry drivers.
Source: Associated General Contractors of America
December 2014
Construction Industry to See More
Balanced Growth in 2015
Dodge Outlook Report Predicts Rise in
Construction Starts for Commercial and
Institutional Building, accompanied by
Moderate Improvement for Housing and a
Stabilizing Public Works Sector
In late 2014, Dodge Data & Analytics (http://www.construction.com) released its 2015 Dodge Construction Outlook, a
mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business
planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction
starts for 2015 will rise 9% to $612 billion, a larger gain than
the 5% increase to $564 billion estimated for 2014.
“The construction expansion should become more broadbased in 2015, with support coming from more sectors than
was often the case in recent years,” said Robert Murray, Chief
19
Economist and Vice President for Dodge Data & Analytics.
“The economic environment going forward carries several
positives that will help to further lift total construction starts.
Financing for construction projects is becoming more available, reflecting some easing of bank lending standards, a
greater focus on real estate development by the investment
community, and more construction bond measures getting
passed. While federal funding for construction programs is
still constrained, states are now picking up some of the slack.
Interest rates for the near term should stay low, and market
fundamentals (occupancies and rents) for commercial building and multifamily housing continue to strengthen.”
Based on research of specific construction market sectors,
the 2015 Dodge Construction Outlook details the forecast as
follows.
• Commercial building will increase 15%, slightly faster
than the 14% gain estimated for 2014. Office construction has assumed a leading role in the commercial
building upturn, aided by expanding private development as well as healthy construction activity related
to technology and finance firms. Hotel and warehouse
construction should also strengthen, although the pickup for stores is more tenuous.
• Institutional building will advance 9%, continuing the
moderate upward trend that’s been established during
2014. The educational building category is now seeing
an increasing amount of K-12 school construction,
aided by the financing made available by the passage
of recent construction bond measures. Healthcare facilities are expected to show some improvement relative
to diminished activity in 2014.
• Single family housing will rise 15% in dollars, corresponding to an 11% increase in units to 700,000 (Dodge
basis). It’s expected that access to home mortgage loans
will be expanded, lifting housing demand. However, the
millennial generation is only gradually making the shift
towards homeownership, limiting the potential number
of new homebuyers in the near term.
• Multifamily housing will increase 9% in dollars and 7%
in units to 405,000 (Dodge basis). Occupancies and rent
growth continue to be supportive, although the rate of
increase for construction is now decelerating as the
multifamily market matures.
• Public works construction will improve 5%, a partial
rebound following the 9% decline estimated for 2014.
Highway and bridge construction should stabilize, and
modest gains are anticipated for environmental public
works. Federal spending restraint will be offset by a
greater financing role played by the states, involving
higher user fees and the increased use of public-private
partnerships.
• Electric utilities will slide 9%, continuing the downward trend that’s followed the exceptional volume of
construction starts that was reported during 2011-2012.
With more projects now coming on line, capacity utilization rates will stay low, limiting the need for new
construction.
• Manufacturing plant construction will settle back 16%,
following the huge increases reported during both 2013
20
(up 42%) and 2014 (up 57%) that reflected the start of
massive chemical and energy-related projects. Next
year’s volume remains quite high by recent historical
standards.
The 2015 Dodge Construction Outlook was presented at
the 76th annual Outlook Executive Conference held by Dodge
Data & Analytics in Washington, D.C. Copies of the report with
additional details by building sector can be ordered at http://
analyticsstore.construction.com/index.php/2015-dodge-construction-outlook?sourcekey=PRESREL. Additional reports
and projections are available from Dodge Data & Analytics at
http://construction.com/market_research.
Dodge Data & Analytics is the leading provider of data,
analytics, news and intelligence serving the North American
construction industry. The company’s information enables
building product manufacturers, general contractors and
subcontractors, architects and engineers to size markets, prioritize prospects, target and build relationships, strengthen
market positions, and optimize sales strategies. The company’s brands include Dodge, Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge
BuildShare®, Dodge SpecShare®, Sweets, Architectural
Record, and Engineering News-Record. To learn more, visit
www.construction.com.
Product Category Rules for
Manufactured Concrete and Concrete
Masonry Products Released
(Herndon, VA) – ASTM International, with stakeholder input from the National Concrete Masonry Association
(NCMA) and other manufactured concrete product companies, has developed new Product Category Rules (PCR) for the
concrete masonry industry to develop Environmental Product
Declarations (EPD) for concrete masonry units, segmental
retaining wall units, articulating concrete block, manufactured
stone veneer, and related units.
“With increasing emphasis on material transparency in
high performance and sustainable codes and standards, the
need to develop tools for concrete masonry producers to meet
these needs was recognized by NCMA”, says Robert Thomas,
NCMA President. “Developing product category rules will
facilitate development of environmental product declarations
for manufactured concrete and concrete masonry products.
Such declarations will help to highlight the environmental
attributes of these products.”
EPDs are fast becoming a highly regarded way to demonstrate a company’s commitment to environmental sustainability, quality and responsibility. Developing an EPD will
give concrete masonry producers the opportunity to show the
environmental impact of their product, allowing LEED credits.
The NCMA is the national trade association representing
the producers and suppliers of concrete masonry products,
including concrete block, manufactured stone veneer, segmental retaining walls and articulating concrete block, www.
ncma.org.
Architects View 2,000 Years of Brick
History at 2014 TSA Convention in
Houston
Historic bricks from the Roman Forum and other world
landmarks were displayed in the Acme Brick Company booth
at this year’s convention of the Texas Society of Architects
(TSA) in Houston.
The brick were from Acme’s “Walter R. Bennett Collection”
which is housed at Acme’s Fort Worth, Texas headquarters.
Bennett, son of company founder George Bennett, traveled
the world collecting bricks from every continent for his collection. Bricks on display in the Acme Brick booth at TSA are
from Pompeii, the Roman Forum, the Great Wall of China, Phi
Mai Temple in Thailand, the U.S. Capitol Building, Boston’s
Old State House, the foundation of the Statue of Liberty,
Knights of Pythias Hall in Fort Worth, Texas and the Citadel
Laferriere in Haiti. Bennett’s goal was to demonstrate that cultures around the globe valued genuine brick as the ultimate
building material. A dramatic, circular 6‘x 44’ photographic
mural depicting these sites served as a backdrop to the collection.
L-R, Stan McCarthy (Acme Brick), James Perry (VP, TSA),
Michael Malone (President Elect, TSA), Val Glitsch (President, TSA),
Dennis Knautz (CEO, Acme Brick)
The brick shown at the Houston event were protected by
Pinkerton, the famed risk management agency that traces its
roots back to 1850. Acme Brick CEO and President, Dennis
Knautz said, “Most of the brick in this collection are one of a
kind and irreplaceable, so we thought it wise to hire the best in
the business to keep them secure.” Scott Spencer, Pinkerton’s
Houston Operations Manager said, “We were honored to be
selected as the security provider for this museum-quality collection, and have a wealth of knowledge in keeping priceless
collections secure while preserving the exhibit experience for
all visitors to enjoy.”
Scott Spencer, Pinkerton’s Houston Operations Manager
The TSA convention was attended by some 3,500 architects
and industry professionals November 6 & 7, 2014 in Houston’s
George R. Brown Convention Center. Acme Brick executives
believe that the educational brick display has increased architects’ awareness of the role that hard-fired brick has played in
cultures worldwide.
Acme Brick Company, founded in 1891, is the nation’s
largest brick maker. Acme operates 26 brick plants and has 70
company-owned sales offices across 17 states, plus a nationwide network of independent distributors. Other Acme oper-
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21
ations include American Tile & Stone; Featherlite Building
Products; Innovative Building Products; and Texas Quarries.
Acme Brick Company has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. since 2000.
About Pinkerton
Pinkerton traces its roots to 1850, when Allan Pinkerton
founded the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Today,
Pinkerton offers organizations a range of corporate risk management services from security consulting and investigations
to executive protection, employment screening and protective
intelligence. With employees and offices worldwide, Pinkerton
maintains an unmatched reputation for protecting clients and
their assets around the globe. For more information, visit:
www.pinkerton.com.
Texas Bricklayers Become Heroes
A driver received medical treatment after a fiery crash in
the Fort Bend County, Texas, area, thanks to quick-thinking
bricklayers. Witnesses say the driver, identified as Cathan Paul
Kirkwood, was going southbound near Shadowbend Drive and
Winding Brook West when he lost control for some unknown
reason. The car then crashed into a tree and burst into flames.
Passersby and a crew working a brick fence stopped when
they saw the crash and ran to help pull the driver out of the
burning vehicle. At first, they tried to use a fire extinguisher and
bricks to break the car's window, but when that didn't work they
used a sledgehammer from the crew's equipment to bash out
the car's back window, which they used to get him out.
David Hollek, one of the good Samaritans, said, "(It was)
scary. Surreal. He was hitting that fire extinguisher and the
window just wouldn't give. I'm not sure if it was good safety or
bad safety, because we couldn't get through the window and
we couldn't get through the air bags. If these guys hadn't been
here, I don't know how we would have had the manpower to
get him out."
Rescuers didn't know how many people were inside the
vehicle, the smoke too thick and inflated airbags too big to
see inside.
Jose Melendez, one of the bricklayers who used his sledgehammer to free the man, said, "For some reason we came over
here to work. Now I understand why."
Melendez says they were put on the scene as guardian
angels to help a perfect stranger in his time of need.
Kirkwood's wife says he has a broken leg, but will be all
right. He was admitted to the emergency room. Ironically, she
is an emergency room doctor at another hospital and is so
grateful to those who saved her husband's life.
This article first appeared at http://abc13.com. Copyright
©2015 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.
22
SAMCA News & Upcoming Events
A significant milestone has been reached by the San Antonio
Masonry Contractors Association – its 20th Anniversary. In
the summer of 1995, SAMCA was established. During that
first year, the officers were: Anton Shadrock – President; Dan
Martinelli – Vice-President; Jay Rudd – Secretary; and Danny
Bryant – Treasurer.
Some of the original members have continued their membership and support of SAMCA for 20 years. Those who were
original charter members and continue to be members are the
following: Shadrock & Williams Masonry; C & S Contractors;
Custom Masonry; Acme Brick/ Featherlite; Alamo Cement;
Capitol Cement; I-10 Building Materials; and Safway Services.
C.L. Crow Masonry was a charter member. However, Travis
Crow did not renew his membership this year because he is
retiring. TXI was a member and is now Oldcastle Texas.
Other charter members have gone out of business or
dropped their membership. Those who were charter members but are no longer affiliated with SAMCA are: Hansen
Masonry; Rudd & Adams Masonry; Teneyuca Masonry; Johnson
Masonry; Lacy Masonry; Wallace Masonry; Elite Masonry;
Zuehl Masonry; Saf-T-Green; Eagle Concrete Products; Best
Masonry; and Mustang Industrial Equipment.
SAMCA Events
Thursday, April 9 - Golf Classic – The Republic Golf Club
Thursday, June 11 - Golden Trowel Awards Banquet –
The Club at Sonterra
Friday & Saturday, July 17, 18 - Fishing Tournament –
Aransas Pass
Friday, September 11 - Sporting Clay Tournament & BBQ
Cook- Off
Thursday – Sunday, October 15-18 – Four Wheeling
Adventure
Wednesday, October 21 – Moonlight Golf Tournament –
Alamo Golf Club
Friday, December 4 - Holiday Celebration & Awards Banquet
Texas Projects Named in ENR
Best of 2014
Renovation/Restoration
JE Dunn Construction worked with Harris County to redevelop Robert E. Lee Elementary School, originally built in
1919-1920, into the Leonel J. Castillo Community Center.
Community members had expressed a strong desire for a
neighborhood center in the historic Heights area north of
downtown Houston.
Photo by G. Lyon Photography Inc.
Leonel J. Castillo Community Center
The biggest challenge to renovating and reconstructing the
historic building was saving the structure itself. After years of
neglect and damage from Hurricane Ike in 2008, the building
was on the verge of collapse. As a temporary fix, the county
shored up the crumbling exterior walls and the disintegrating
roof structure with bracing.
After asbestos abatement, a detailed demolition and safety
plan was created to preserve the structure and protect workers. The old asphalt and wood frame roof was replaced with a
metal frame, single-ply roof membrane with insulation. Due to
the delicate condition of the walls, the roof had to be replaced
section by section, with the walls shored up to prevent col-
lapse and reduce cracking.
Exterior wall shoring used tilt-wall bracing and helical
ground anchors. Three primary exterior walls, including the
main front facade and wing walls, were preserved, and the new
community center was built behind them.
A structural steel frame built on the new foundation supports the building and bolsters the existing exterior walls. The
front-entry portico was demolished and reconstructed to its
original look. Existing architectural elements were salvaged
and restored for reuse to preserve the appearance of the original portico.
Most of the unusual techniques utilized on the project were
related to historical preservation. The team had to restore the
plaster on the 14-in.-thick existing walls, composed of clay tile
masonry and brick with a veneer of exterior plaster and paint.
To do this, the team applied a fiberglass mesh system over
the plaster veneer after repairing cracks and decayed areas.
The Castillo Community Center was completed on schedule and within budget. To make the most of the county's
tight budget, the project team used JE Dunn's cost-control
procedures and technology to track accounts from inception
through contract completion, identifying any potential variances before they occurred.
The project was designed and built to energy-efficient,
green standards. It has replaced a deteriorated, vacant building that was potentially dangerous and created a strong community asset that has improved neighborhood amenities and
aesthetics.
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KEY PLAYERS:
General Contractor: JE Dunn Construction, Houston
Owner: Harris County - Construction Programs Division,
Houston
Lead Design/Civil: PGAL, Houston
Structural: Norex Engineering, Houston
MEP: Johnston Engineering, Houston
Historical Consultant: ArchiTexas, Austin, Texas
Health Care: Best Project
The 12-story University Hospital expansion features an
84-bed emergency center, including 10 trauma rooms, two
floors of surgical suites, 420 private inpatient rooms, three
rooftop gardens, a new central plant and a 3,300-space parking garage. With the renovation of two existing towers incorporated into the design, the project totaled 2 million sq ft.
Photo by Charles Davis Smith
University Health System New Trauma Tower
To allow the existing hospital to remain fully operational
and accessible during all phases of work, the project was
"hyper-tracked" in multiple document packages and overlapping phases. The plan included housing the construction
parties under one roof, which helped foster a collaborative
environment.
Maintaining the original budget on a five-year project was
a major challenge. Approximately $40 million worth of materials and equipment were purchased in bulk and preordered,
sometimes as much as a year in advance. The project was
completed within budget and on schedule.
Planning, design and construction occurred concurrently
during the project. The job consisted of constantly moving
parts. For example, the ZVL team chose to construct offsite
parking for the hospital's use in the first phase. This allowed
an existing parking lot on the south side of campus to be
repurposed as a helipad. Moving the helipad in turn allowed
demolition of the existing parking garage and helipad to begin
a new parking garage. In another phase, an MRI facility was
moved from the imaging building into refurbished space in
the existing hospital. This allowed demolition of the imaging
building to prepare for the new 12-story tower.
To mitigate concerns about the effect of construction on
patients, ZVL developed a Patients First program. This meant
a ZVL representative walked the project and the hospital daily
to make sure that patients' needs were continuing to be met,
checking signage, access, sound levels, visual cues and other
potentially problematic construction-related issues to ensure
everything was functioning within the guidelines set by the
hospital.
The material palette of the exterior was drawn directly
from the historic roots of San Antonio. Crews installed Bexar
County Pecos red stone at the base and placed Texas limestone throughout the main atrium lobby.
KEY PLAYERS
General Contractor: Zachry/Vaughn/Layton (ZVL), Houston
Owner: University Health System, San Antonio
Lead Design: Perkins+Will, Dallas
Site Project Managers: Broaddus+Muñoz, San Antonio
Contractor’s Corner
If you would like to see your business card listed in this section, seen by 10,000 readers, contact Pat Huber at (512) 310-9795."
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inspired
for the
ages
Soaring twin spires proclaim
the special role of Saint Martin’s
Episcopal Church as a beacon of
peace and inspiration amid a densely
urban environment. Its monumental
presence fits well among neighboring
high-rises, while its solid brick walls
insulate it from city sounds. Architects
created a refined blend of crisp Acme
Brick to carry the weight and rise
of the formal Gothic design and to
provide delicate shifts in color to
express historical details and patterns.
“We worked closely and extensively
brick structures. The custom blend also
with Acme Brick to get the custom brick
allowed for corbelling, basket weave
blend just right for this Gothic-inspired
patterns, and other details that recall
modern building. We collaborated to
brick churches of long ago in Germany.
create both a strong, solid line for such
Using shaved bricks, we even created
a tall building and subtle variations in
true load-bearing arches—over 200!”
color for warmth and richness, which
—John Clements, AIA, Principal,
tied-in well with the church’s original
Jackson & Ryan Architects
Saint Martin’s Episcopal Church, Houston
Architect: Jackson & Ryan Architects
General Contractor: Tellepsen Builders
Masonry Contractor: W.W. Bartlett