the georgia contractor - july/august

Volume 7, Issue 4 July | August 2011

THE VOICE OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OF GEORGIA

The Georgia

CONTRACTOR

THE CASE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE& REFORM

Contractor_JulyAugust2011:July/Aug05_ContractorMagazine 7/27/11 4:06 PM

Letter from the EditorJuly | August 2011

A D V E R T I S E M E N T SAIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

A4 Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Engineered Restorations Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Georgia Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

IBEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

JAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

LPA Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

MidSouth Machine & Service Company. . . . . . . . . . 12

NES Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover

Prime Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

RHD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

S&ME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Silt-Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover

T. Wayne Owens & Associates, PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Utilities Protection Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

Dear Readers~

This edition of The Georgia Contractor is informative andinsightful.

The Associated General Contractors of America are repre-sented with an excellent overview in The Case for Infrastructureand Reform, a detailed report by AGC for thoughtful consider-ation. As Stephen Sandherr, CEO, says in his article for ourreaders, “this report asks many of the same questions federalofficials are likely to pose about the size and structure of the fed-eral role in infrastructure. It explores the rational for continuedfederal investments. It examines many of the significant eco-nomic, safety, environmental, and health benefits of investing ininfrastructure. And it identifies many of the problems with ourcurrent federal approach.”

As you well know by now, I have a soft spot for our futurewell trained employees, and we like to support CEFGA for thatvery reason—and for the sake of competition SkillsUSA. ScottShelar has taken a moment to give us the winner of the nation-al competitions in Kansas City—what a great event it was. Heis reminding us of the March, 2012, exposition celebratingCareers in Construction—an outstanding annual event that setsthe standard for young men and women who enjoy buildingthings with their own hands and opening opportunities they didnot know existed.

The story that will make all of us proud is the descriptionof the launch of Atlantis STS-135 by Stephanie Aurora Lewis.She was present as the last shuttle visiting the Internationalspace station as it took off. We can be proud of our ability tocreate one of the most complex structures ever built to fly.America can look back on the last thirty years with a sense ofgenuine accomplishment. As Stephanie points out, the experi-ments conducted at the space station in the areas of biology,physics, astronomy, and meteorology all have impacted ourlives. Their efforts have helped in breast cancer research and willhelp achieve further advances in many of the sciences men-tioned.

I would like to mention one more important point, andthat is that you can read all this on www.thegeorgiacontrac-tor.com. Here our magazine is on display. You can turn thepages and read it on your iPad, iPhone or another electronicdevice. You’ll love it.

R. Petersen-FreyEditor-in-Chief

3July | August 2011

Contractor_JulyAugust2011:July/Aug05_ContractorMagazine 7/27/11 4:06 PM

3Commentary

6CEFGA, AGC Young Leadership Program & GEICC Sponsor State

Champions at SkillsUSA National Championships

10The Case for Infrastructure & Reform

16Westside Reservoir Park ~ Atlanta’s Next Great Green Frontier

19Georgia Contractor News

20Dump Truck Professional Certification Program

22The Final Launch

24Digging Out of a Tough Economy

26Georgia’s Aggressive New Immigration Law ~ The Trend in ICE Investigations

28Maintaining & Protecting Our Roads & Infrastructure

30Lessons Learned: KARST Environments

4 The Georgia Contractor

www.thegeorgiacontractor.com

Managing EditorR. Petersen-Frey(770) 521-8877

Advertising DirectorBo Ingram

(770) 761-5920

Art DirectorPamela Petersen-Frey

(770) 521-8877

The Georgia Contractor is published bi-monthly on a calendar year basis. It is a maga-

zine designed around the construction industry associations and their

members. It is supported by associations and their members. Executive,

editorial, circulation, and advertising offices: 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton,

Georgia 30115 • Phone: 770.521.8877 • Fax: 770.521.0406

e-mail: [email protected]. Send address changes to your

association and/or to TGC Publishing LLC.

Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of any of the

associations or publisher nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content

or omission and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or

advertisements appearing herein. Parts of this magazine may be reproduced with the

written consent of the publisher.

The Georgia Contractor The Georgia

Contractor

On The Cover

THE CASE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE& REFORMWe are in a new period where the needto tackle ever-larger federal deficits andthe growing debt they create will drivemany of the decisions being made inWashington. This new era is forcingmany officials to reflect on the proposerrole for the federal government andwhat type of infrastructure projectsought to qualify for limited federalinvestments.

See the story on page 10

5July | August 2011

July | August 2011

6

10

16

CONTENTS

Contractor_JulyAugust2011:July/Aug05_ContractorMagazine 7/27/11 4:07 PM Page 4

7July | August 20116 The Georgia Contractor

By Scott Shelar | Director | CEFGA

he SkillsUSA NationalChampionships, held in Kansas

City, Missouri, took place June 20-24, 2011, as part of the SkillsUSA47th annual National Leadership andSkills Conference (NLSC), a showcaseof career and technical education stu-dents.

The SkillsUSA Championships is the national-level competition for public high school and col-lege/postsecondary technical students enrolled incareer and technical education programs. SkillsUSAorganizes this event, and it is considered the singlegreatest day of industry volunteerism in Americaevery year at an estimated cost of more than $35 mil-lion. Each SkillsUSA Championships contestant is astate-level gold medalist.

CEFGA (the Construction Education Founda-tion of Georgia), the AGC Young Leadership Pro-gram and GEICC (the Georgia Energy and Industri-al Construction Consortium) provided more than$12,000 in travel scholarships for Georgia’s statechampions to represent the state in Kansas City.

Begun in 1967, the SkillsUSA National Cham-pionships has grown from 54 competitors in threecontests to more than 5,500 competitors in 94hands-on skill and leadership contests this year. Skill-sUSA adds contests to the SkillsUSA Championshipsto meet the demands of new and expanding occupa-tions. SkillsUSA affiliated instructional programsrepresent 130 different occupational areas. The com-petition show room floor encompasses more than 16football field’s worth of space.

For the third year in a row, Georgia ranked 4thin the nation, in medallion count, behind only Flori-da, Texas, and Massachusetts. Georgia high schoolcompetitors brought home 23 medallions and 67 topscorer positions, indicating an increase over last year’splacement. A pinnacle achievement for SkillsUSAmembers as part of the new Work Force Ready Sys-tem is the awarding of Skill Point Certificates. Earn-ing a Skill Point Certificate is a significant achieve-ment that documents a student’s knowledge andabilities within a certain area. This criterion is devel-oped and endorsed by industry representatives. 88Georgia students earned Skill Point Certificates, sig-nifying that they achieved technical competenciesand proficiency on the national level.

Following is a list of students sponsored byCEFGA, the AGC Young Leadership Program and

sponsor state champions

at skillsusa national

championships

TCEFGA, AGC YOUNG LEADER-

SHIP PROGRAM GEICC


GEICC. Congratulations to these studentsand their advisors for a great showing inKansas City. Thank you for making Georgiaproud!

Architectural DraftingChris RichardsonWestover HS (Albany)State Champion

3D Visualization and AnimationRyan Evans, Jacob JenningsCentral Education CenterState ChampionsNational Silver Medalists

Building MaintenanceEdgar GonzalezCross Keys HS (Atlanta)State Champion, National Finalist4th Place

CabinetmakingDavid ThompsonFranklin Co. HS (Carnesville)State Champion, National Finalist9th Place

CarpentryKyle StephensChestatee HS (Gainesville)State Champion, National Finalist7th Place

Diesel Equipment TechnologyLandon EurekLumpkin Co. HS (Dahlonega)State Champion

HVACMatt WarrenJordan HS (Columbus)State Champion

Industrial Motor ControlGlavin EakesCamden Co. HS (Kingsland)State Champion

MasonryMichael “Cole” DasingerHarris Co. HS (Hamilton)State Champion

PlumbingBrett JenkinsThomson HS (Thomson)State Champion, National Finalist4th Place

Electrical WiringEric AllenFranklin Co. HS (Carnesville)State Champion

Sheet MetalDylan McClellanHarris Co. HS (Hamilton)

State Champion, National Finalist8th PlaceTeamWorksCameron Gardell, Hanan Mitchell,Andrew Mitchell and Steven WoodCamden Co. HS (Kingsland)State Champions, National Finalists10th Place

Tech Prep: Architecture & ConstructionRonald Falber-StroudHelen McEachernManuel Montes de OcaMaxwell High School (Lawrenceville)State ChampionsNational Bronze Medalists

WeldingDrew SwaffordCedartown HS (Cedartown)State Champion

Welding FabricationAppling Co. HS (Baxley)State Champions

Welding SculptureChase HorneLee County HS (Leesburg)State Champion, National Finalist5th in Welding Sculpture

For more information about CEFGA orSkillsUSA, please call Scott Shelar, execu-

98 The Georgia Contractor July | August 2011


By Stephen E. Sandherr | Chief Executive Officer | Associated General Contractors of America

THE CASE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE& REFORM

e are in a new period wherethe need to tackle ever-largerfederal deficits and the grow-ing debt they create will drivemany of the decisions beingmade in Washington. This newera is forcing many officials toreflect on the proposer role for

the federal government and what type of infra-structure projects ought to qualify for limited

federal investments. In an effort to anticipate and answer

those questions, the AssociatedGeneral Contractors of Ameri-

ca recently released TheCase for Infrastructure &

Reform. This newreport asks many

of the samequestions

federaloffi-

cials are likely to pose about the size and structure offthe federal role in infrastructure. It explores therationale for continued federal investments. It exam-ines many of the significant economic, safety, environ-mental and health benefits of investing in infrastruc-ture. And it identifies many of the problems with ourcurrent federal approach.

Most important, it offers a series of reform pro-posals that we feel are vital to improving infrastruc-ture programs and refocusing federal investmentswhere they are most-needed and most-appropriate.If acted upon, these proposals should significantlyimprove the efficiency of federal infrastructure pro-grams, helping win back the confidence taxpayersonce had in the federal government’s ability to investtheir infrastructure dollars both wisely and well.

The report begins by noting that the federal gov-ernment has a clean and compelling responsibility toinvest in transportation facilities that support interstatecommerce. The federal government, for example, hasa vital role to play in maintaining our national eco-nomic security by investing in the infrastructure that isvital to commerce. After all, the Constitution is quiteclear that it is the responsibility of the federal govern-ment to facilities interstate commerce.

In addition, many federal infrastructure programshave traditionally been self-funded. Since the 1950s,highway users have provided all of the funds for con-struction of the Interstate Highway System and itsongoing maintenance. Meanwhile, state resolvingfunds for new water system projects are financed bythe repayment of previous loans from the program.

W

July | August 2011 11The Georgia Contractor10


Eliminate Transportation Spending Pro-grams that Are Not Truly Federal. Con-gress and the Administration should eithereliminate programs that are not truly feder-al and/or devolve them to state and localgovernments where they would be moreappropriate.

Give State and Local Officials MoreFlexibility. Aside from setting minimumsafety standards and ensuring high levels ofdesign and construction quality, federalinfrastructure programs should eliminatethe high cost of accepting federal funds byeliminating uniform requirements, includ-ing Buy America provisions, and thetremendous amount of paperwork thatcomes with them.

Streamline Federal Reviews and Set Spe-cific Deadlines for Completing Them.Congress and the Administration shouldstreamline the environmental review processand set specific timelines for completion ofeach step of the process. They should alsocreate higher thresholds and time limits on

when individuals and interest groups can filelawsuits to stop or delay key projects.

Re-Embrace the User Pays Principle.Today highway users and general taxpayersare being forced to subsidize forms of trans-portation they don’t use or benefit directlyfrom.

Washington should return to a truerform of user pays where transit, rail, bicycleand highway users each contribute to por-tions of the highway trust fund that financetheir form of transportation.

Establish a Clean Water Trust Fund.Consistent with the need to embrace theuser pays approach for funding infrastruc-ture, the Administration and Congressshould work together to establish a CleanWater Trust Fund that will allow for futureinvestments to come from dedicated andsustainable long-term funding sources.

Establish a National Infrastructure Bank.Consolidate existing federal transportationinfrastructure lending programs and similar

infrastructure programs into a singlenational infrastructure bank. At currentmarket conditions, if the bank were capital-ized at $1.5 billion annually, it could lever-age those resources into as much as $51 bil-lion worth of infrastructure projects.

Establish a Postal Rate-like Commissionfor Setting Transportation User Fees.Establishing a similar institution for trans-portation infrastructure would depoliticizethe process of setting transportation userfees, making it easier to finance neededrepairs to our aging transportation network.

Encourage Greater Private Operation ofTransit Services. Federal officials should putin place provisions that encourage and rewardcommunities willing to partner with the pri-vate sector to operate, on a contract basis,transit systems, or that allow multiple privateoperators to run different parts of their tran-sit systems in a competitive manner.

Encourage States to Enact WorkablePublic Private Partnership Laws. Estab-

July | August 201112 The Georgia Contractor 13

Infrastructure investments also are crucialto national economic security and protect-ing businesses and citizens from the hiddentax they would bare should our infrastruc-ture be allowed to fail. The report alsomakes clear that investing in the mainte-nance of infrastructure is far cheaper thanpaying to fix those facilities once they break.

And of course, ensuring a continuedfederal role in infrastructure is the best wayto ensure the health, safety and economicvitality of sparsely populated rural commu-nities. Many of these communities lack theresources needed to finance the construc-tion of major infrastructure projects.

The federal government, however, isuniquely suited to supporting infrastructureinvestments in these communities.

But just because there is a clear needfor a continued federal role in financinginfrastructure projects doesn’t mean manycurrent federal infrastructure programsaren’t in need of a change. Indeed, many ofthe flaws with our current federal approachundermine and devalue federal infrastruc-ture investments, reinforcing public skepti-cism in the government’s ability to efficient-ly and effectively meet basic needs.

Nowhere are those flaws more glaring-ly apparent than with our current approachto surface transportation funding.

Where once the program was narrowlyfocused on building the Interstate HighwaySystem, gas tax dollars are now being usedto protect covered bridges, encourage stu-dents to walk to school and build local bikelanes. Indeed, only about 68 percent of fed-eral transportation funds go to constructionand maintenance of highways.

Meanwhile, the federal process forapproving new highway and transit projectshas become so slow and inefficient that itnow takes an average of 13 years to go fromconcept to completion for a new highway.Worse, federal rules actually bar transporta-tion officials from competing for billions ofdollars in private sector equity that is cur-rently being invested in infrastructure proj-ects worldwide.

That is why the Associated GeneralContractors of America undertook anexhaustive review of the many ideas cur-rently being offered for reforming infra-structure.

We met with leading policy thinkersand former members of the President’sCouncil of Economic Advisors, reviewedreports from two Congressionally-charteredstudy commissions and even convened, incooperation with The Weekly Standard, ourown policy panel to discuss the best way toreform our approach to infrastructure.

The association compiled those reformproposals and has selected many of the mostpromising ones. In addition, we crafted newproposals based on many of the insights andobservations others—including our mem-bers—have made about our current infra-structure approach. Our recommendationsinclude:

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1514 July | August 2011The Georgia Contractor

lish a new Public Private Partnership Inno-vation Fund, which could be funded fromunused transportation earmarks and otherappropriate sources. States will be able towin competitive grants from this fundbased on their success in enacting workablePublic Private Partnership enabling legisla-tion and entering into viable public privatepartnerships.

Establish Public Benefit Bonds. Establish-ing Public Benefit Bonds would allow inter-national commercial banks, pension funds,life insurance companies and other similarinstitutions that cannot benefit from tax-exempt bonds to invest their billions in U.S.infrastructure, instead of in overseas projects.

Establish a Federal Multiyear CapitalBudget for Public Works. Establishing afederal multiyear capital budget for publicworks will make it easier for officials to planfor, and finance, major long-term infra-structure projects. Such an approach ispreferable to the current federal budgetingprocess for key infrastructure like water andwastewater facilities that discourages goodlong-term asset management by focusing onfunding short-term needs only.

Reform the Water Resources Develop-ment Act. Congress must act quickly topass a new Water Resources DevelopmentAct that allows navigation and flood controlprojects that have been vetted and identi-fied by the Corps of Engineers and theBureau of Reclamation to be funded. Inaddition, it should de-authorize older andunneeded projects where construction hasyet to get underway.

Pass Infrastructure Bills on Time. Withoutinfrastructure legislation in place, state andlocal officials have no way of knowing howmuch they’ll be able to invest in criticalprojects, forcing costly delays.

Eliminate the Current Practice of Ear-marking Federal Infrastructure Funding.Congress and the Administration mustestablish a system that allows federal, stateand local officials to accurately assess andaddress documented infrastructure priorities.

Reform and Re-Establish Build AmericaBonds Program. Congress should reformthis now-expired bonding program byrequiring a portion of the transaction feesfirms collect when the bonds are issued tobe set aside for a special insurance pool tocover potential defaults.

Repeal Three Percent Withholding Taxfor Government Contracts. Beginning in2013, federal, state and most large localgovernment bodies will be required to with-hold three percent from all payments forgoods and services—including construction—they purchase. Given the extremely nar-row margins on which most constructionfirms are now operations—on average 3.2percent—this new mandate will needlesslyinflate the cost of public construction.

Even if we weren’t on the brink of a new eraof federal austerity, the fact is that our fed-eral infrastructure programs have become soconvoluted, unfocused and/or ineffectivethat public support for funding them hasdeclined precipitously.

That a nation obsessed with traffic and

commuting patterns would chronicallyresist federal gas tax increases is a clear indi-cation that most Americans no longerbelieve that the people who built the Inter-state can make it better.

Reforming the federal approach toinfrastructure is crucial to ensuring Ameri-ca’s continued prosperity and national eco-nomic security. That is because the strengthof the nation’s infrastructure has a directimpact on the health of its economy, espe-cially in the supply chain, just-in-time mod-el most U.S. businesses have embraced. Intoday’s economic environment, allowingvital infrastructure to deteriorate further istantamount to undermining our nationaleconomic security.

It is because the health of our infra-structure is so critical to the strength of oureconomy that AGC’s government relationsteam has been actively promoting this planon Capitol Hill since we released in May.Meanwhile our media outreach effortsresulted in coverage in several constructiontrade publications, including EngineeringNews-Record, Better Roads and Roads &Bridges. We have also partnered with theconservative weekly magazine, The WeeklyStandard, to highlight and promote theplan and demonstrate to conservative-lean-ing audiences in particular the importanceand value of investing in infrastructure now.

We also are encourage all our mem-bers, and anyone else interested in thestrength of our infrastructure and our econ-omy, to review the plan and urge theirmembers of Congress to act on it.The fact is that in the crisis-driven environ-ment in Washington, it is hard to get elect-ed officials to focus on making broaderstructural reforms.

That is why it is so crucial that theyhear directly from their own constituentsabout why improved federal infrastructureprograms are essential for our long-termeconomic viability.

Read the plan online at www.agc.org.

Stephen E. Sandherr is the chief executive offi-cer of the Associated General Contractors ofAmerica. v



At the heart of this effort is the Atlanta BeltLine project, thelargest urban redevelopment project currently under way in theUnited States. Using a 22-mile network of mostly abandoned raillines, the Atlanta BeltLine is being built as a system of dense,live-work development that includes badly needed greenspace,parks, bike paths and similar recreational and lifestyle amenities.The vision for the Atlanta BeltLine originated in a Georgia Techgraduate student’s thesis and has evolved into a sustainable rede-velopment initiative that addresses transportation, parks andpublic spaces, affordable housing, economic development andsustainable resource management.

The Atlanta BeltLine will create 22 miles of pedestrian-friend-ly rail transit, 33 miles of multi-use trails, 1,300 acres of new parks,more than 5,000 units of affordable workforce housing, and 30,000new jobs. It will also remediate more than 1,000 acres of brown-fields, address stormwater runoff and use sustainable methods tomanage resources and keep long-term maintenance costs low.

And, in its fifth year of development, the Atlanta BeltLine isalready making an impact on the City’s water infrastructure.Recently, the City celebrated the opening of a new Atlanta BeltLinepark in the Old Fourth Ward community, the Historic FourthWard Park. Providing the anchor for the new park is a two-acrestormwater detention pond that can store stormwater from a 500-year storm, if necessary. The pond, construction of which was fund-ed by the City’s Department of Watershed Management, will dra-matically reduce sewer overflows and flooding in the low-lying area.

“The detention pond represents what can happen when theCity and a dedicated community work together to resolve an issue,”says Kimberly Parmer, who managed the project for the Depart-ment of Watershed Management. “Building the pond instead ofpursuing alternative options for elimination of sewer overflowssaved money and provided an aesthetic amenity that the communi-ty loves.”

A few miles northwest of the Historic Fourth Ward Park,another park, the Westside Reservoir Park, is envisioned as one ofthe signature pieces of the Atlanta BeltLine. The park is a primeexample of the BeltLine vision—a planned park that will be thelargest in the city. Built on the site of a former granite quarry, thepark’s centerpiece will be a 1.9-billion-gallon water reservoir.

In Atlanta, water has been a central focus of residents, politi-cians, businesses and neighboring states for decades. Even beforebeginning work on the Atlanta BeltLine, the City had undertakena $4 billion, federally mandated effort to upgrade its aging sewersystem. And, for the last two decades, the state of Georgia has beenat odds with neighboring states Florida and Alabama regarding theuse of water from the Chattahoochee River, a primary source ofwater for the Atlanta region.

The Bellwood Quarry, located in northwest Atlanta and for-merly managed by Vulcan Materials Co., provided granite for roadsand infrastructure for more than 100 years. In 2006, the City ofAtlanta, Vulcan and Fulton County, which owned the massiveproperty, negotiated a deal to sell the site to the City for construc-

WESTSIDE RESERVOIR PARKATLANTA’S NEXT GREAT GREEN Frontier

By Atlanta BeltLine Inc. & the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management

ike many cities across the country, Atlanta is grappling with aging infrastructureand increased competition from other cities to attract new residents, jobs and busi-nesses. In response to these challenges, the City is implementing strategies toimprove quality of life, generate economic development and sustainably manageits resources. L


19

tion of a new 300-acre park with a drinkingwater reservoir in the old quarry pit. Sincethat time, Vulcan has transferred is opera-tions off of the site and started remediationactivities. The site is now being managed bythe City’s Department of Watershed Man-agement.

From 2007 to 2009, Atlanta BeltLine,Inc., the organization responsible for theplanning and implementation of theAtlanta BeltLine project, and the City ofAtlanta’s Bureau of Planning created a mas-ter plan for the area around the future park,using significant input from the communi-ty. The plan included the 45-acre reservoirin the quarry pit, multi-use trails, hikingand bike paths, multi-use sports fields and alarge meadow for passive recreational space. The reservoir will hold a 28-day backupwater supply, which will be critical to suc-cessfully addressing citywide droughts.

The future park is located just west ofMidtown Atlanta in one of the fastest grow-ing areas in the city. The area has alreadyexperienced significant growth, and thepark is expected to generate some of themost robust development along the entireAtlanta BeltLine. Its location near the Chat-tahoochee River intake, from which riverwater is piped to the City’s treatment plants,makes the reservoir well-positioned to ben-efit from an existing water source.

Because of the park’s proximity to theAtlanta BeltLine corridor, alternative transitwill be another important component tothe park’s development. The park will beserved by three transit alternatives: theBankhead MARTA Station, MARTA busroutes and Atlanta BeltLine transit. Thepark will also be accessible via the AtlantaBeltLine multi-use trail system and thefuture extension of the Silver Comet Trail –a widely used trail extending from theAtlanta suburb of Smyrna to the Georgia-Alabama border.

While significant progress has beenmade since the purchase of the property bythe city, much remains to be done beforeconstruction can begin. Approximately halfof the land envisioned for the park is nowowned by the City, and Atlanta BeltLine,Inc. is working with the various abuttingproperty owners to acquire the rest of the

parcels. In the next five to seven years, theDepartment of Watershed Managementwill begin work on the reservoir itself, andpieces of the park will be developed in phas-es as funding becomes available.

While the site is not yet open to thepublic, people can access the future park aspart of the free Atlanta BeltLine tour, whichruns every Friday and Saturday morning,and includes a stop at the quarry site. Peo-ple can reserve seats on the tour online attours.beltline.org. The quarry is consideredby many to be the highlight of the tour. Inits current state, the quarry pit is visuallydramatic with large, jutting pieces of gran-ite and a greening meadow adjacent to itwhere the quarry activities used to take

place. The site also boasts excellent views ofthe Atlanta skyline.

Cities rarely have the opportunity orthe land necessary to develop 300-acreparks. Even rarer is acquisition of a site thatcan also serve as a water reservoir. OnceWestside Reservoir Park is complete, it willbe a national model for how to repurposeindustrial land to serve the needs of thepublic and improve quality of life.

“This park will not only provide recre-ational opportunities for Atlantans, it willalso help us address a critical infrastructureneed,” says Brian Leary, President and CEOof Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. “It provides a ben-efit not often seen in construction of apark.” v

GeorgiaNewsContractor

July | August 2011The Georgia Contractor18

Construction Employment Slips Againin June, Extending Five-year Slump,as Downturn in Public Works OffsetsLimited Private-sector GainsDrop in Construction UnemploymentRate Suggests Workers are Leaving Indus-try, Threatening Later Growth; OfficialsCall on Federal, State Governments toPromptly and Fully Fund InfrastructureProjects

Construction employment remainedmired in a five-year-long slump as theindustry shed another 9,000 jobs fromMay to June, according to an analysis ofnew federal employment data releasedtoday by the Associated General Contrac-tors of America. Association officials saidthat declines in public sector constructionactivity will negate any pickup in privatesector demand unless Congress and statespromptly and fully fund needed infra-structure spending and streamline theapproval process for public projects.

The industry unemployment rate fellfrom 20.1 percent a year ago to 15.6 per-cent in June 2011, said Ken Simonson,the association’s chief economist. Howev-er, Simonson noted that the June 2011employment total of 5,513,000 was only2,000 higher than in June, 2010, andmore than 2.2 million, or 29 percent,below the peak in April 2006.

“Even with the drop in the industryunemployment rate, the lack of hiringmeans that people are leaving construc-tion, not going back into it,” Simonsonsaid. “That will make future expansionall the more difficult.”

The construction economist notedthat employment in heavy and civil engi-neering construction—the segment thathad previously added jobs as a result offederal funding for stimulus, military base

realignment and Gulf Coast hurricaneprotection projects—shrank for the sec-ond month in a row, by 1,800 jobs,although the June 2011 total was 23,000jobs or 2.8 percent higher than a year ear-lier. Residential building and specialtytrade employment dropped a combined9,900 jobs in June and 35,000, or 1.7percent, over the past 12 months.

Nonresidential building and special-ty trade contractors added a net 2,700jobs for the month and 16,200 jobs, or0.6 percent, over 12 months.

“In the second half of 2011, thereshould be a strong gain in apartment andmanufacturing construction; someimprovement in construction of hospi-tals, distribution centers and hotel reno-vations; and ongoing strength in powerand energy projects,” Simonson predict-ed. “But job creation in these niches maybe swamped by further declines in publicconstruction and continued weakness insingle-family homebuilding, office andretail work.”

Association officials said that it isvital for public officials at all levels of gov-ernment to renew commitments to main-tain and update infrastructure. The con-struction association also reiterated its callto streamline approvals of public works.

“The announcement yesterday of theoutline of a long-delayed federal highwayand transit funding authorization, with aquicker approval process, is an encourag-ing note, but the proposed funding levelis grossly inadequate,” said Stephen E.Sandherr, the association’s chief executiveofficer. “Meanwhile, a budget stalematein Minnesota has already led to a halt instate highway projects there, adding tothe unacceptably high loss of construc-tion jobs. Other road, school and public

works projects are at risk of shuttingdown soon unless government officials actpromptly.” v

IRS Increases Mileage Rate to 55.5 Cents per Mile The Internal Revenue Service todayannounced an increase in the optionalstandard mileage rates for the final sixmonths of 2011. Taxpayers may use theoptional standard rates to calculate thedeductible costs of operating an automo-bile for business and other purposes.

The rate will increase to 55.5 cents amile for all business miles driven fromJuly 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2011.This is an increase of 4.5 cents from the51 cent rate in effect for the first sixmonths of 2011, as set forth in RevenueProcedure 2010-51.

In recognition of recent gasolineprice increases, the IRS made this specialadjustment for the final months of 2011.The IRS normally updates the mileagerates once a year in the fall for the nextcalendar year.

"This year's increased gas prices arehaving a major impact on individualAmericans. The IRS is adjusting the stan-dard mileage rates to better reflect therecent increase in gas prices," said IRSCommissioner Doug Shulman. "We aretaking this step so the reimbursementrate will be fair to taxpayers."

While gasoline is a significant factorin the mileage figure, other items enterinto the calculation of mileage rates, suchas depreciation and insurance and otherfixed and variable costs.

The optional business standardmileage rate is used to compute thedeductible costs of operating an automo-


July | August 2011The Georgia Contractor20 21

bile for business use in lieu of trackingactual costs. This rate is also used as abenchmark by the federal government andmany businesses to reimburse theiremployees for mileage.

The new six-month rate for comput-ing deductible medical or moving expenseswill also increase by 4.5 cents to 23.5 centsa mile, up from 19 cents for the first sixmonths of 2011. The rate for providingservices for charitable organizations is setby statute, not the IRS, and remains at 14cents a mile.

The new rates are contained inAnnouncement 2011-40 on the optionalstandard mileage rates.

Taxpayers always have the option ofcalculating the actual costs of using theirvehicle rather than using the standardmileage rates.

Mileage Rate Changes

Thank you for subscribing to the IRSNewswire, an IRS e-mail service. If youknow someone who might want to sub-scribe to this mailing list, please forwardthis message to them so they can subscribe.This message was distributed automaticallyfrom the mailing list IRS Newswire. v

PurposeRates 1/1through6/30/11

Rates 7/1through12/31/11

Business 51 55.5

Medical/Moving

1923.5

Charitable 1414

Dump Truck ProfessionalCertification Program

By Bill Johnston

In the fall of 2009, the Georgia Construc-tion Aggregates Association (GCAA) deter-mined that there was a need within thedump truck industry for a focused drivertraining program to enhance the interac-tion between truckers and quarry operatorsand improve the professional image of thedump truck driver. The “Dump Truck Pro-fessional” (DTP) certification program isthe training program that has been devel-oped to address the need for aligning thetrucker and the quarry operator to achievehigher performance standards and focus onsafety in all aspects of driver activities.

By January 2010, a coordinating com-mittee established goals for this trainingprogram and a consultant was hired todevelop the program. The GCAA DumpTruck Steering Committee developed a cri-terion that was considered necessary forsuccessful truck driver performance.

The committee determined that thistraining program should be made accessibleto all truck companies regardless of geo-graphic location. It must be simple toadminister, offer effective training, verifi-able by testing and include a continuingeducation component. The DTP programis available to all dump truck companiesregardless of their affiliation with GCAA.The DTP program was designed to make itvery easy to participate. There are simplesteps for registration, training, certificationand continuing education. It is available oneither an online/internet basis or by a spon-sored classroom training format.

By utilizing existing committeeresources within the GCAA and assistancefrom the Georgia Department of PublicSafety, Commercial Compliance Division,expert knowledge was gathered to formulatethe most timely, relevant, and critical com-pliance information available. The programconsists of five separate modules to providethe necessary training. The DTP trainingprogram features these different topics.

• Safety• Community Awareness &

Relations• Environmental Compliance• Legal Compliance & Ethics• Motor Carrier Compliance

These five areas are recognized as the mostcritical performance areas as they relate tothe interaction between dump trucks, quar-ry operations, communities and the travel-ling public. Each module has a test toensure that the participant has reached anacceptable understanding of the materials.

In order for a driver to participate inthe DTP program, the GCAA committee

has developed a two-tiered qualificationprogram. The minimum criteria for a driv-er to begin the certification program wereestablished.

Minimum Requirements-Driver Qualifications

• Hold a valid CDL• Hold a valid DOT Medical Card• Drug and alcohol free while on

duty• Pass the five module tests

A “Certificate of Completion” is awardedwith the successful completion of the fivemodules.

Certification Requirements

• DTP Certificate Completion• 12 months driving experience with

one company• three years overall CDL driving

experience• an industry acceptable driving

record

For a driver to receive their DTP Certifica-tion, they must also verify these additionalrequirements. Once a driver has completedthe DTP training program, they receivetheir “Certificate of Completion.” After itis verified that they have met all certifica-tion requirements as determined by theGCAA, the driver receives their DTP Certi-fication. A wallet-sized card is issued toconfirm their certification status. The certi-fication is valid for a period of three years.It is renewed by completing the continuingeducation module. The continuing educa-tion module contains information toupdate drivers on issues or regulations thathave changed since receiving their initialcertification.

An added benefit available to the truck-ing company is that once 100 percent of allthe companies drivers have received theirDTP certification, the GCAA MemberCompany will be recognized as a “CertifiedDTP Company.” This standard is acknowl-edged by an award and publicly displayed bytruck stickers applied to all their trucks.Theyare also listed on the GCAA Web site.

Future and existing customers can check theGCAA Web site for company compliancewith this training program.

The DTP Certification program firstbecame available in September of 2010.Since that date, over 210 drivers havereceived their certification. Also, more thanten companies have complied with the 100percent participation requirement for inclu-sion as a “Certified DTP Company.”

With the development of a classroomtraining program, additional interest intraining has resulted. For information onthe DTP training program and certifica-tion, contact the GCAA office at (678)473-0012 or go online to www.gcaa.organd click on the DTP link for informationor registration. v

Pile Dynamics Inc. develops break-through test for concrete foundationsin partnership with FGEA new solution for integrity evaluation ofconcrete foundations has been developed bythe Pile Dynamics (PDI) - Foundation &Geotechnical Engineering, LLC (FGE)partnership: the Thermal Integrity Profiler(TIP).

TIP uses the heat generated by curingcement (hydration energy) to assess thequality of cast in place concrete foundationssuch as drilled shafts, bored piles, augeredcast-in-place, continuous flight auger pilesand drilled displacement piles. Becausetemperatures within the concrete founda-

tion are dependent on its diameter and dis-tance to the center of the shaft, TIP meas-urements may be used to estimate the actu-al shape of the shaft including the previous-ly difficult to determine thickness of con-crete cover.

The Thermal Integrity Profiler, whichis based on research conducted at the Uni-versity of South Florida and originallyimplemented by FGE, is attractive in that itassesses the concrete quality of the entirecross-section and along the entire length ofthe foundation. Another major advantageof the TIP is its early testing time; testresults are available as early as 12 hours afterconcrete is poured, allowing construction tocontinue.

The TIP is available in two types ofthermal data acquisition systems: eitherwith an infrared probe that is inserted inCrosshole Sonic Logging-type access tubes,or with thermal wires™ that are attached tothe reinforcement cage prior to concreting.Either way, data is collected by ThermalAcquisition Ports, transferred to the TIP,and downloaded to a computer for furtheranalysis and result presentation by the Ther-mal Analysis Reporter software.

In addition to the Thermal IntegrityProfiler, Pile Dynamics produces severalother quality assurance and quality controlproducts for the deep foundations industry.Its products are recognized throughout theworld as the ultimate solutions for testingand monitoring of deep foundations. v


time to find out if the shuttle would indeeddepart on time.

Fueling takes 12 hours and began on-time at the KSC launch site. Slightly aftermidnight, the astronauts were woken andfinal preparations made. Once inside theshuttle, air was pumped into their suits toremove any wrinkles that may have existedbetween their bodies and their seats as thiswould prove to be uncomfortable for theflight's force and duration. The astronautsfinalized preparations, were briefed withone last weather report, and waited for twohours before take off. The rocket boosterscause the shuttle to move backwards withthe needle arcing to the rear, then itstraightens up, and vibrates with insur-mountable force as it begins to move off ofthe launch pad toward orbit. The magni-tude of the ignition is such that a personstanding within 800 feet of the engineswould be killed instantly by just the soundof the explosion.

While on the STS-135 mission, therewill be repairs for within the ISS, scientificexperients, and a space walk for repairs onthe ISS exterior systems. The recent SpaceStation IMAX movie begins as an astronautfinds that he has lost contact with the ISSwhile working on a part on the ISS. Hebegins to drift off into space, no longerunattached to any hardware. Avoiding anastronaut's worst nightmare, he is able tofire up his jet pack from the controls on hischest to move in from abysmal space back tohis partner astronaut that reattaches him tothe ISS. On this mission, Magnus will con-trol the space arm that will help Ron Fos-sum and Mike Garan (who are temporarilyresidents on the ISS) make their repairs tothe ISS during their dangerous space walk.The smallest error on her part could be fatalfor the astronauts and detrimental to theISS. Her technical experience, like her col-leagues, is vastly underrated.

Over the past 30 years, the NASA shut-tles have supplied work on the HubbleSpace Telescope and have helped conductexperiments in biology, physics, astronomy,and meteorology on the International SpaceStation. Impacting earth, it was in this lab-oratory that significant advances in breastcancer research, improved design of safechild car seats, and breakthroughs inresearch on muscle atrophy, bone loss, crys-tal formation, recycling water, plant growth,and much more were realized. The Atlantiscrew plans to return to earth on the 42ndanniversary of the Apollo 11’s touchdownon the moon on July 20th, 2011.

The Most Complex Machine Ever BuiltWatching the launch made all of us take astep back and seize only a very, very smallglance into the kind of human ingenuity ithas taken to make it possible to send astro-nauts to space. The amount of people andintelligence backing these missions is hardto begin to depict and describe. As a teaser,let’s look at some information about theshuttle's main engine courtesy NASA.gov.

Developed in the 1970s by NASA’sMarshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville,Ala., the space shuttle’s main engine is themost advanced liquid-fueled rocket engineever built. Its main features include variablethrust, high performance reusability, highredundancy and a fully integrated enginecontroller. The shuttle’s three main enginesare mounted on the orbiter aft fuselage in atriangular pattern. Spaced so that they aremovable during launch, the engines areused, in conjunction with the solid rocketboosters, to steer the shuttle vehicle. Each ofthese powerful main engines is 14 feet long,weighs about 7,000 pounds and is 7.5 feetin diameter at the end of its nozzle. Theengines operate for about 8.5 minutes dur-ing liftoff and ascent, burning more than500,000 gallons of super cold liquid hydro-

gen and liquid oxygen propellants stored inthe external tank attached to the undersideof the shuttle.

The engines shut down just before theshuttle, traveling at about 17,000 milesper hour, reaches orbit. The main engineoperates at greater temperature extremesthan any mechanical system in commonuse today. The fuel, liquefied hydrogen at-423 degrees Fahrenheit, is the secondcoldest liquid on Earth. When it and theliquid oxygen are combusted, the temper-ature in the main combustion chamber is6,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than theboiling point of iron.

In fact, one space shuttle main enginegenerates sufficient thrust to maintain theflight of two and one-half Boeing 747 air-planes. The space shuttle main engine alsois the first rocket engine to use a built-inelectronic digital controller, or computer.The controller accepts commands fromthe orbiter for engine start, change inthrottle, shutdown and monitoring ofengine operation.

Another hallmark of the shuttle pro-gram is the outstanding display of team-work and leadership that expands not onlyacross our nation, but internationally.NASA has plans for continued research eventhough the space shuttle program hasexpired. Nonetheless, one could have cutthe emotion with a knife there at CapeCanaveral on Friday before and afterAtlantis took off. “After the wheels havestopped and the displays go blank and theorbiter is unpowered for the final time...there will be a rush of emotion when we allfinally realize that’s it, that it’s all over, thecrowning jewel of our space program, theway we got back and forth from low-Earthorbit for 30 years… we’ll realize that’s allover," Astronaut & Commander of AtlantisChris Ferguson said before launch. “That’sgoing to take a little while to deal with.” v


n incredible sight, over one mil-lion people crowded aroundevery nook and cranny atCape Canaveral on a swel-

tering Florida morning tosneak a peak at what is

likely America’s greatest engineering accom-plishment. One amongst many, I was pro-foundly moved by the massive explosion ofliquid hydrogen and oxygen as the Atlantisshuttle took off toward the InternationalSpace Station for the last time. The soundof its booming exit to space caused the spec-tators to cheer in unison. Decidedly, onemust experience a launch in person to fullyrealize its blazing splendor.

A vastly influential architect of the20th Century, Le Corbusier too wasinspired by leading engineering ideas andmaterials of his day when designing VillaSavoye, his most famous building. In fact, itwas also with great appreciation that hewrote in Towards a New Architecture,“Engineers unknown to the world at large,mechanics shop and forge have conceivedand constructed these formidable affairsthat steamships are. We land-lubbers lackthe power of appreciation and it would be agood thing if, to teach us to raise our hats tothe works of ‘regeneration,’ we had to dothe miles of walking that the tour of asteamship entails.” Like Le Corbusier, howcan we be inspired by NASA’s feats of engi-neering and incorporate some of its lessonsinto our own work?

An Exciting FridayAt 11:29am EST on Friday, July 8th, 2011,the long-awaited final shuttle missionAtlantis STS-135 launched from theKennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral,Florida. Atlantis held the small four-personcrew of Christopher Ferguson, Doug Hur-ley, Sandra Magnus, and Rex Walheim. Theday before the launch, many administratorsfrom the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) didnot believe the launch would leave asplanned due to the following weather condi-tions. A small liquid nitrogen leak exposed

to lightening from as far as 25 miles awaywhile fueling the shuttle could result in anexplosion. Low cloud cover could make anemergency landing impossible because of

impaired visibility. Aware of these and othervariables, the crowds watching nearby werewaiting on pins and needles until just nineminutes before the expected target launch

The Final Launch By Stephanie Aurora Lewis, NCARB, LEED AP

Page 22 photo: Space shuttle Atlantis, secured atop a mobile launcher platform, is moments from liftoff from Launch Pad 39A, overlookingthe Atlantic Ocean at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff was at 11:29 a.m. (EDT) on July 8, 2011. Onboard are NASA astro-nauts Chris Ferguson, commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, both mission specialists. STS-135 will deliver theRaffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts for the space station. Atlantis also carries the Robotic RefuelingMission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return witha failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shut-tle Program. Photo credit: NASA

A


July | August 2011The Georgia Contractor24 25

Digging Out of a Tough EconomyBy Vikki McReynolds

he economy does have apulse. The stock market

is our friend again. But theutility industry in Georgia isstill digging out of the rubbleof the economic downfall.

This is because Georgia’s housing market isstill in the tank, and the Federal Reservechairman just announced that the economymay not bounce back as soon as he hadexpected. It appears that late 2012 or early2013 is the best recovery prediction. Add aPresident election to the mix and you canjust image why nothing will be happeningin 2012.

Water projects on the books slowed toa trickle because of the recession. Thosewho depended upon the private develop-ment sector years ago tried to diversify andmoved over to the public works sector onlyto find out that all but dried up. Those inpublic works moved over to commercialprojects which finally caught up with atanked economy and no work could befound there. Prices got low and bidderswere undercutting just to keep cash flowing.Contractors were forced to sell, rent or letequipment go. Along with that went theircapitol and leverage for loans. Banks werenot helping either by holding onto themoney the Federal Government gave themfor bailouts.

Basically, the only work that has beenaround has been in federal contracts andsome larger private utility companies hav-ing rehab and new installs and unless youwere already an approved contractor withthose companies, it was hard to get a footin the door.

Recently, and unfortunately, naturaldisasters such as the flooding and damagedue to tornado’s and fires helped those whocould mobilize and work out of state but forthe most part Utility Contracting in Geor-gia is still suffering.

Two years ago, in the same magazine,I stated that the trend has been one of

camaraderie and sharing for those able tosurvive, and that it may take several yearsfor all construction segments to pull outand that it would be a late as 2015 beforewe would see any relief. I am not one toever want to be the bearer of bad news oreven have a negative view of thingsaround, but it just goes without saying thatthere is just not way to sugar coat the real-ity of what has or is happening.

Therefore, the question arises “What isgoing to happen with Utility Contracting inGeorgia?” There is hope on the horizon.The answer to that question may lie in thepowers to be. These powers are Georgia’svery own state officials. Georgia is in waterwars with Alabama and Florida and it cameto the forefront very early that Georgia willneed to address future water needs. Gover-nor Nathan Deal and the Georgia GeneralAssembly have stepped up to the plate.

Earlier this year Governor Dealpledged $300 million in state funds to gotoward Georgia’s water infrastructure. Inaddition, Senator Ross Tolleson worked onSenate Bill 122 (The Georgia Public/PrivateWater Supply Act of 2011) for several yearsto give way to public private partnership forwater infrastructure. As chairman of theSenate Natural Resources Committee,Tolleson passed the most comprehensive

water conservation bill in Georgia’s historylast year, which outlines proactive steps inplanning for water enhancement duringfuture extreme drought conditions andadditional water emergencies.

“This bill is entirely about local con-trol. It simply gives local governmentsanother tool to finance an infrastructureproject to meet that community’s waterneeds,” said Tolleson in a recent keynote toGeorgia Utility Contractor members attheir annual conference June 16-19, 2011.“The Water Supply Act compliments theconservation bill we passed last year, andputs Georgia on the path to ensuring wecan maintain the water resources needed tokeep up with a rapidly growing state.” TheAct does the following:

Authorizes local governing authori-ties, local water authorities, and the Geor-gia Environmental Facilities Authority toenter into contracts with private entities toconstruct water projects, which includereservoirs and projects to treat and disposeof sewage.

The procedure outlined in Senate Bill122 for the formation of a public-privatepartnership contract is almost identical tothe procedure outlined in current law forpublic-private partnerships for transporta-tion projects.

A designated lead local authority willevaluate a project, with the advice and inputof affected local governments, to determineappropriate or desirable levels of state, local,and private participation.

The lead local authority must thenissue a public, written request for proposalsat least 90 days prior to the date set forreceipt of the proposals and, after a 30-daypublic comment period, must hold at leastone public hearing.

A designated representative of the leadlocal authority will engage in individual dis-cussions with each respondent deemed fullyqualified. Any affected local governmenthas the right to ten-days notice of, and par-ticipation in, the discussions. If GEFA is a

participant in the project, a representativemay participate in the discussions. Thesediscussions will not be public meetings andmay include estimates of total project costs.

The designated representative must, inan open and public meeting, select in orderof preference one or more respondentswhose qualifications and proposed servicesare deemed most meritorious.

Negotiations must then be conductedby the designated representative with theselected respondents. Each participatinglocal governing authority, participatinglocal authority, GEFA, and the Departmentof Community Affairs, or affected localgovernment has the right to notice of, andparticipation in, such negotiations. Negoti-ations will not be public meetings.

Before making the final selection, thedesignated representative must consult, inan open and public meeting, with the rep-resentatives of any participating local gov-erning authority, participating local author-ity, GEFA, the Department of CommunityAffairs, and affected local government.

The designated representative mustthen select for approval by the lead localauthority the respondent(s) for projectimplementation based upon a thoroughassessment of the ability of the project tomeet the goals of the local authorities, con-sistent with applicable state-wide andregional water plans. The contract(s) mustnot exceed 50 years in duration and are sub-ject to approval by each local governingauthority, local authority, GEFA, and

affected local government.However, nothing in this legislation is

construed to delegate the power of eminentdomain to any private entity with respect toany project commenced or proposed

The process outlined in the bill issimilar to the public/private procurementcode that has been successfully imple-mented at the Georgia Department ofTransportation and would provide a new,viable option for financing as local gov-ernments and the state continue to facesignificant budget challenges. The legisla-tion aligns with Governor Nathan Deal’sefforts to ensure that Georgia will be abeleto meet its long-term water needs.

State leaders are working to ensure thatany legislation regarding Georgia’s watersupply meets the recommendations of theWater Contingency Task Force, a group ofgovernment, business and environmentalleaders from across the state. Early last year,the task force recommended that any futurewater planning focus on statewide conserva-tion, capture and control of the state’s watersupply. As continued access to adequatewater resources remains in question forfuture use, Tolleson’s bill could be used toaccelerate access to the creation of truewater supplies for needy areas of the state.

This combined effort to Georgia’swater infrastructure is sure to bring a spurto the utility contracting industry.

Other utility services specifically gastransmission and distribution lines, have afederal focus of rehabilitating those lines

especially those that are in dire need ofupgrades, etc. For the most part this hasalready happened in Georgia so it will be forthose willing to work and get on the bid-ding list of the larger gas pipeline compa-nies to obtain that work.

Other industries do help spur the util-ity contracting industry as well. Thisincludes transportation rehabs as well asnew or widening projects. With the optionof a regional transportation tax this is alsoa glimmer of hope. Believe it or not, if thefederal government can come throughwith money for the Savannah Port upgradethis will have lasting effects on many con-struction industries and will help with acome back.

Although the outlook is bleak rightnow, hope is on the horizon. For thosewho can diversify and hang on, there willbe a rising of the tide. We hope it is soon-er than later. v

USE A COMPANY YOU CAN TRUSTWITH YOUR TRANSLATION PROJECT,

because a little mistake in another language can have unpleasant results.

A4 INC. (770) 521 8877

“Gort! Klaatu Borada nikto.”

Vikki McReynolds

T



ince the 2003 creation of Immi-gration and Customs Enforce-

ment (ICE), the federal agencyresponsible for enforcing immi-gration laws at the worksite, the

construction industry hasbecome a favorite target of govern-

ment investigations. The U.S. governmentestimates there are approximately 11 millionimmigrants living here illegally. With thebulk of these workers believed to beemployed in construction, landscape, lodg-ing and agriculture, these industry employ-ers are often the hardest hit.

Upon taking office, President BarackObama and his administration pledged topunish employers who hire undocumentedimmigrants, and they have done so byimposing onerous fines and criminal sanc-tions on employers deemed in violation. In2009, $1 million in fines was levied onemployers found to be using illegal immi-grants. In 2010, ICE issued an estimated$7 million in fines. In addition, an internalICE memorandum was uncovered detailingthe agency’s strategy to continue worksiteinvestigations and to develop “criminal cas-es against employers who hire and use ille-gal workers.”

ICE agents are encouraged to prose-cute employers who knowingly hire unau-thorized workers after finding evidence ofmistreatment of workers, trafficking,smuggling, harboring, Visa fraud, docu-ment fraud and other violations. Those atrisk of prosecution? Management—rang-ing from business owners to corporatemanagers to supervisors. Offendingemployers may be excluded from doingbusiness with the federal government andreceiving loans under the Recovery Act;they may also be subjected to criminalsanctions and administrative fines. Thememo outlines the use of informants,cooperating witnesses, undercover agents,consensual searches and Form I-9 audits.

According to the memo, ICE’s “mostimportant administrative tool” in conduct

ing inves-tigations is the Noticeof Inspection (NOI). These inspec-tions include a detailed review of anemployer’s entire employment eligibilityverification process, including its I-9 forms,training and record-keeping procedures.NOIs and ICE audits have resulted in thelayoff of 25 percent of one national compa-ny’s workforce, fines of $40,000 for Form I-9 violations at one location of a nationalchain and subjected one company to courtsupervision for three years, a criminal fineof $250,000 and forfeiture of $1.334 mil-lion in assets for harboring unauthorizedworkers.

Arizona’s Immigration LegislationHowever, when states attempted to curb thehiring of illegal immigrants, the federal gov-ernment balked and took legal action toprevent state enforcement. In Chamber ofCommerce of the United States v. Whiting,opponents attacked Arizona’s 2007 manda-

tory E-Verify legislation, arguing the fed-eral Immigration Reform and ControlAct of 1986 prohibits states fromimposing sanctions for hiring illegal

immigrants. But the federal lawexempts “licensing and

similar laws,” andthe issue waswhether Arizona’s

law fell under thatexemption. The

five-to-three deci-sion, issued by the

U.S. Supreme Courton May 26, 2011,

upheld Arizona’s right torequire employers to

check the federal E-Verifysystem before hiring new

workers and to penalizeemployers who are caught

repeatedly hiring illegal immi-grants.

The Court’s decision didnot address the closely watched

Arizona S.B. 1070, which hasspurred considerable controversy.

While federal law requires certain aliens toregister with the U.S. government, and tohave registration documents in their posses-sion at all times, the Arizona Act addition-ally makes it a state misdemeanor crime foran alien to be in Arizona without carryingthe required documents. It further bars stateand local officials or agencies from restrict-ing enforcement of federal immigrationlaws, and cracks down on those sheltering,hiring and transporting illegal aliens. Ari-zona passed the law after years of frustrationover problems often associated with illegalimmigration, including drug traffickingand violent kidnappings. That border stateis a gateway into the U.S. and, therefore,home to an estimated 460,000 illegal immi-grants. The U.S. Department of Justice andseveral civil rights groups are currently chal-lenging S.B. 1070.

Although the E-Verify program gener-

ally remains voluntary, by Presidential Exec-utive Order, federal contractors are requiredto use E-Verify for all new hires andemployees assigned to a federal contract.

Georgia’s Immigration ReformSimilar to Arizona, Georgia is estimated tohave 425,000 illegal immigrants who coststate and local taxpayers roughly $2.5 bil-lion a year. This money goes to subsidizingservices such as K-12 education, health care,public safety, and other state and local serv-ices. Georgia’s construction, landscape,architecture and restaurant businesses havetraditionally relied on unregistered workersto provide low cost labor. The Federationfor America Immigration Reform (FAIRUS) reports that the average illegal workermakes $5.45 while the current minimumwage for registered workers is $7.45 anhour, plus the usual benefits.

On May 13, 2011, less than two weeksbefore the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Ari-zona's 2007 mandatory E-Verify, Gov.Nathan Deal signed Georgia's own sweep-ing immigration enforcement measures.The “Illegal Immigration Reform andEnforcement Act of 2011” is patterned afterArizona’s 2007, and more controversial2010, legislation and requires privateemployers with more than ten employeesand public employers, such as state agenciesand counties, to register and participate inE-Verify in order to verify employment eli-gibility of newly hired employees.

Before a county or municipal corpora-tion issues or renews a business license,occupational tax certificate or other docu-ment required to operate a business, evi-dence of compliance with the E-Verify pro-visions must be submitted in affidavit form.Private contractors and subcontractorswishing to bid on contracts with publicemployers for the physical performance ofservices such as construction projects mustfirst provide affidavits of compliance withE-Verify. To assist, the Attorney Generalwill post a standardized form affidavit onthe Department of Law’s website by January1, 2012.

This legislation has teeth. For exam-ple, effective July 1, 2011, it became afelony to use false information or documen-

tation when applying for a job. Criminal orcivil action can be issued, including up to15 years in prison and $250,000 in fines,against an applicant who violates this provi-sion. Further, the Commissioner of Laboris authorized to conduct 100 or more ran-dom audits of employers per year.The law allows an employer found to havecommitted a “good faith” violation 30 daysto demonstrate compliance with the law.These requirements become effective onJanuary 1, 2012, for employers with 500 ormore employees, on July 1, 2012, foremployers with 100 to 499 employees, andon July 1, 2013, for employers with 11 to99 employees. Private employers with 10 orless employees are exempt.

This controversial legislation hasalready been challenged and on June 27,2011, a federal judge in Atlanta temporari-ly blocked portions of the Act, includingprovisions that allow police officers to checkthe immigration status of suspects withoutproper identification and penalize peoplewho knowingly transport or harbor illegalimmigrants while committing anothercrime. It is expected that the ruling will beappealed.

RecommendationsEmployers should conduct internal I-9audits to identify issues and correct viola-

tions. This should include an evaluation ofthe employers’ current record-keeping prac-tices, to determine if new training programsare needed for human resources personnel.Legal counsel should assist in developingbest practices, including establishing proto-cols for the verification of the identity andwork eligibility of new hires, advisingemployers on safeguards against discrimina-tion in the I-9 process, and advising on theuse of E-Verify.

Employers who receive an NOI shouldcontact counsel as quickly as possible, sincethese notices only provide three days for theemployer to submit the I-9 to ICE forreview. Counsel should review payroll toidentify discrepancies between the numberof employees and the company’s I-9s. Priorto submission, employers should check I-9s,correcting those with obvious errors.Employers demonstrating good faith effortsto comply with immigration laws mayavoid criminal penalties and be assessedlower civil fines if violations are uncovered.

The construction industry should payspecial attention to Georgia’s new immigra-tion reforms, if the pattern of being afavorite target of federal probes repeats itselfat the state level. Consulting legal counselshould be the first step in formulating yourcompany’s best practices for dealing withimmigration issues. v

Georgia’s Aggressive New Immigration Law The Trend in ICE Investigations

S


July | August 2011 2928 The Georgia Contractor

ach year, more than three tril-lion miles are traveled on

America’s roads, with a consid-erable amount of those—more than 300 million—occurring right here in

Georgia. Our location and excellent roadnetwork means Georgia serves as a primeconnecting route for vacationers and forfreight movement. Georgia is the mainroute by which tourists from all over theUSA and Canada reach popular year-rounddestinations in Florida. And when we addthe increasing numbers of tractor trailerstraveling throughout the state, our roads arealmost always crowded.

So why is it that every summer, theGeorgia Department of Transportation car-ries out statewide construction projects thatfurther delay traffic? Well, roads, like any-thing else, require maintenance and upkeepto stay in a state of good repair and thewarm summer months are best suited tocarry out this work in the shortest possibletime. For roads, a typical life cycle coversabout 15 years. Once a road is constructedand opened to traffic, deterioration beginsimmediately.

Temperature changes, precipitation,and the wear and tear from cars and trucksall play a role. Deterioration starts out assmall cracks, stress points and even settling.This type of deterioration is normal andgenerally repairable if caught early enough.If left unchecked, the level of deteriorationbecomes more visible, ultimately resulting infailure of the road surface through disinte-gration. Maintenance, preservation and rou-tine resurfacing must be performed regular-ly to ensure the integrity of the pavement.

In the last three years, the Departmenthas completed 357 resurfacing and repavingprojects during the spring and summer sea-sons. By embarking on the resurfacing atthe time it is needed, the life cycle of thepavement can be extended for years, andprovide a more comfortable surface forvehicles traveling on the roads.

Preventive maintenance saves taxpayer

dollars from more costly repairs later; itkeeps the roadway from total deteriorationand preserves one of our most valuableassets—our transportation system. Thecosts associated with delaying maintenancecan be staggering—up to 14 times morethan the cost of proper maintenance. Inother words, a total reconstruction projectgenerally costs $14 for every $1 in preven-

tative maintenance costs that would havebeen spent if repairs had been made asneeded. Beyond the greater costs due todelayed maintenance, the time required tobring roadways back to useable conditionsis more extensive and causes even moreinconvenience to motorists.

The Federal Highway Administrationstresses the need for maintaining roads andbridges to enhance safety, provide mobility,promote economic development and ensurea usable transportation system for thefuture. Good roads are the route to every-thing from education and jobs to vacations,shopping and entertainment. For these rea-sons, we try to minimize interruptions totraffic flow as much as possible. Summerconstruction causes delays and inconven-ience but it is vital to Georgia’s economicgrowth and to our quality of life.

So, when you see crews at work onGeorgia’s many roads, remember, it is topreserve one of our most valuable assets.Finally, please slow down and drive atten-tively and cautiously through constructionzones. v

Maintaining & Protecting Our Roads & InfrastructureBy Vance C. Smith Jr. | Commissioner | Georgia Department of Transportation

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n the concrete business, ‘hotweather’ creates situations thatrequire special procedures forproper concrete mixing, placing,finishing, protection, and curing.‘Hot weather’ includes high

ambient air temperatures, high concretetemperature, low relative humidity, and/orhigh winds. Any one of these conditions canimpair the quality of freshly-mixed orplaced concrete. is “Lessons Learned”briefly discusses the affects of hot weather,and some construction practices to mitigateits impacts. e American Concrete Insti-tute’s publication ACI 305R is an excellentreference for further information.

Effects of Hot Weather on Concretee most pronounced effects of hot weath-er on concrete are an increased rate of set-ting and rapid water loss. Higher tempera-tures can cause a lower slump, and conse-quently a decrease in workability. Plastic-shrinkage cracking of placed and fin-ished concrete is frequently associated withhot, windy weather, and is most often theresult of rapid evaporation of moisture fromthe concrete surface. Hot weather can affectboth the early and ultimate strengths ofconcrete. Although initial strength may beaccelerated, the 28-day strength of concretecured at elevated temperatures may be low-er than that of concrete cured at more mod-erate temperatures.

A decrease in slump as mentionedabove can lead to the addition of wateronsite for increased workability. Additionof water beyond the amount required by theapproved mix design can increases thewater-cement ratio which can result indecreased compressive strength and anincreased likelihood of shrinkage cracking.

Hot Weather Concrete Construction Practicesere are several basic precautions thatshould be considered to reduce the damag-ing effects of hot weather on concrete:

• Use mix designs that are less suscep-tible to the effects of hot weather.e use of low-heat-of-hydrationcement and certain admixtures(such as hydration retardingand/or water-reducing admix-tures) are two commonapproaches.

• Keep concrete as cool as rea-sonable. ACI 305R does notstate a maximum “as-placed” or “as-delivered”concrete temperature, but90°F is commonly used.In some instances, substi-tuting chilled water orshaved or chipped ice for a portion ofthe required mix water is needed.

• Schedule large concrete pours in the ear-ly morning or evening when tempera-tures are cooler.

• Limit the amount of time between con-crete loading at the plant and placementand finishing at the site.

• Limit addition of water at the job site,except to adjust slump upon arrival(when permitted by mix design).

• Avoid or limit the use of hydrationaccelerating admixtures.

• Use temporary wind screens and watermisting nozzles to reduce surface mois-ture loss during placement.

Initial curing is critical for concrete quality.Once the concrete has been delivered to thesite, placed, and finished, efforts must con-tinue to protect the concrete during curing.e most effective technique of curing ismoist curing by continuously wetting theconcrete surface, and it is the best method fordeveloping the maximum potential for con-crete strength and reduction of shrinkage

cracking. Curing compounds are also verypopular. While curing compounds can beeffective, they must be sprayed onto the con-crete in sufficient quantity and evenly toretain moisture in the concrete. e manu-facturer’s recommendations should be fol-lowed to obtain the desired results. Curingcompounds are typically not used for indoorfloors due to possible adhesion compatibilityissues with finished flooring materials.

Special attention should also be paid tothe laboratory-cured concrete test cylinders.ey should be stored on the job site for theinitial curing period of approximately 24hours at a temperature between 60°F and80°F for normal strength concrete, and becovered to prevent loss of moisture. istypically requires a temperature-controlledconcrete cylinder curing box that utilizes airconditioning, ice, or other means to main-tain the cylinders at 60°F - 80°F.

Detailed planning for hot weather con-crete is essential. A special pre-placementmeeting is highly recommended to clarifythe requirements for hot weather concret-ing, to address the wide range of possibleactions, and to define responsibilities.


Hot Weather Concrete ~ an annual revisitObservations & Lessons from the School of Experience By ECS Corporate Services LLC.

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