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April 16, 2009

INDUSTRY ACCESS*

CSI Updates Exam for Construction Documents Technology Certificate

The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) announced it is updating its certificate exam for the Construction Documents Technology (CDT) program. The changes will be reflected in the fall 2009 CDT certificate exam.

To maintain the program's high standard of quality, CSI and Prometric, a testing and assessment provider, conducted an analysis of the CDT Certificate exam. The analysis evaluated the relevancy of its content in relation to the comprehensive knowledge and skills that construction professionals need to write and manage construction documents.

Test specifications (weighted content areas) have been updated to reflect the results of the analysis and to more accurately describe the knowledge being tested.

The new CDT exam in the fall will incorporate the following new topics:

Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)
Green Building - GreenFormat[tm] and Sustainability

The new topics will be included in the "Fundamentals" category. That category represents 8% of the questions on the exam.

For more information on the CDT Certificate, please visit the CSI Certification Web page.

Click here for more Industry Access news including recent new hires, merger & acquisition activity and who's offering new products.

* DHI Members may submit news releases to be considered for inclusion in DHI's IndustryWatch. Send to: jmadden@dhi.org.

BUSINESS UPDATE

Economists in the latest Wall Street Journal forecasting survey expect the recession to end in September, though most say it won't be until the second half of 2010 that the economy recovers enough to bring down unemployment. Gross domestic product was predicted to contract in the first and second quarters of this year by 5.0% and 1.8%, respectively, on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate. A return to growth -- a modest 0.4% -- isn't expected until the third quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the most recent period for which data are available, the economy contracted 6.3%. Full Story

The March Producer Price Index for Wood Doors (flush & panel, interior & exterior) was up 1.8% from 2008 and the Other Wood Doors (Incl. garage, screen, storm, etc.) PPI was up 2.9% compared to a year earlier. Compared to February, the unadjusted January PPI was up 0.1% for Wood Doors and the PPI for Other Wood Doors was unchanged, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The PPI for Metal Doors, Sash & Trim was up 1.6% from February and up 6.1% from 2008. The PPI for Builders Hardware was up 8.2% from 2008 and down 0.1% from a month earlier. Click here to view the full March Producer Price Index report. (PDF file - Wood Door information is on page 16, Builders Hardware is on page 21 and Metal Door data is on page 22)

CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN

The World Health Organisation launched a campaign to get countries, especially in disaster-prone areas, to spend more money on hospital safety to ensure buildings are not damaged when needed most. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the cost of constructing, or retrofitting, buildings able to withstand earthquakes, floods or strong winds was insignificant when compared with the cost of having hospitals collapse in the midst of a disaster, reported the New York Times on the Web. Full Story

In Canada it appears that construction plans for the entire country have been put on hold, but a closer look at individual provinces indicates that this is not the case. For example, the total value of building permits issued over the past six months in New Brunswick is up 35% on a year-over-year basis. This increase is due to very strong increases in institutional (+165%) and industrial (+162%) spending plans and smaller increases in the value of commercial (+ 19.4%) and residential (+8.8%) permits. The value of building permits issued over the past six months is also up on a year-over-year basis in Manitoba (+12.4%), Newfoundland (+11.7%), Nova Scotia (+6.6%) and Quebec (+1.4%), reported Reed Construction Data. Full Story

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections announced that construction of the first of three new state prisons will begin this summer in Centre County, on the grounds of an existing state prison, State Correctional Institution Rockview. The new medium-security prison, which will hold 2,000 inmates, is expected to open within three years. It will cost about $200 million, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Full Story

Thomas Properties Group, was just selected by Korean Air to develop the airline company's $1 billion mixed-use project in Los Angeles. Plans call for the prominent parcel to sprout a 2 million-square-foot LEED-certified complex encompassing a 60-story trophy high-rise--the first green office high-rise in Los Angeles--with nearly 1.2 million square feet of Class A office space, and a 40-story structure offering a premier hotel with as many as 700 guestrooms topped by condominium residences, reported Commercial Property News. Full Story

SECURITY & SAFETY

Pueblo City Schools will have much tighter security and state-of-the-art fire alarms when students return in August, thanks in part to a $1.3 million grant from the Colorado Department of Education. The money comes from the Building Excellent Schools Today program. By the start of the new school year, each campus will have doors that, once bells ring and children are inside, may only be accessed by people with cards or by being unlocked by school staff members after visitors are identified over a video system. During the school day, all doors will be locked, and even card-access points will be limited, reported Buildings.com. Full Story

Corrections.com discusses integrating building design into security systems. Full Story

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Georgia lawmakers approved a $1.2 billion bond package that will help fund school construction projects. The bond sales will pay for a $26.6 million special collections library at the University of Georgia and a $19 million addition to a laboratory at Kennesaw State University, among other things. The package includes $300 million designated for local school construction, reported The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Full Story

The federal government is about to undertake what the General Services Administration calls the largest public building project since construction of the Pentagon during World War II: consolidating the Department of Homeland Security on the historic site of a former mental hospital. Coming during a deep recession, the $3.4 billion, 4.5-million-square-foot public works project is being hailed as a boon to the local economy, reported the New York Times on the Web. Full Story

SMALL BUSINESS NEWS

Congress is currently finishing up its two week spring recess. Small Business News will return in the next issue with the latest updates.

DHI NEWS

Space is LIMITED for DHI's May MEGA School
May 10th – 17th, 2009 in Lansdowne, VA

With 29 different courses available, this upcoming National Education session offers something for all levels of education. Class sizes are limited, so make sure you secure your spot BEFORE THEY SELL OUT! Click here for a complete list of courses, and to register and reserve your room online.

Don't Miss DHI's FREE ONLINE Program
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 2:00 PM EST
"LEED and Its Impact on Our Industry"
Presented by Stephen Farley, CSI, CDT
Marshfield DoorSystems, Inc.

LEED has come to the forefront as the primary green building rating system for commercial construction projects. Though there are many benefits to LEED, there is also much confusion about the rating system. This seminar will cover market trends for green building construction and the various LEED rating systems. It will also review estimating LEED specifications, choosing products, and required certifications for bidding LEED projects. Join us for this informative session and see how LEED will impact you and your business.

Please note that you must load the VCE program onto your computer prior to the event. Click here and follow the prompts. If you have any questions please contact DHI directly at 703-222-2010.

DHI's 2009 Membership Directory "GOES GREEN"

The NEW Virtual 2009 DHI Membership Directory is now available at www.dhi.org.

Log in using your DHI Member ID and password and begin exploring this new fully searchable and eco-friendly electronic publication. With enhanced networking capabilities, hyperlinked emails and websites, it provides you with direct access to your key contacts. If you have any questions or need additional assistance accessing the directory, please contact our Member Services department at 703-222-2010.