Engineering Inc. - January/February 2010 - 28

INsIGhts FRom aCEC’s INstItutE FoR busINEss maNaGEmENt ACEC, APWA to ProduCE ‘GrEEn SCorECArd’; Study mAkES CASE for qbS; 2010 industry trends survey idEntifiES fivE EmErGinG mArkEtS ACEC Works With APWA to Produce ‘Green Scorecard’ The market for residential and nonresidential “green” construction is projected to triple (from $44 billion to $118 billion annually) between 2009 and 2013, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. In response to the growing application of sustainability criteria to projects, ACEC is working with the American Public Works Association to produce a “Green Scorecard” for rating sustainable infrastructure. A draft of this standard is expected to be available for comment during the first half of 2010. ACEC also has collaborated with Colorado State University on a four-day certificate course entitled “Green Infrastructure and Sustainable Communities” in New Orleans Feb. 23–26. Among the presenters are David Carlson of the Federal Highway Administration, Jon Roberts of CTG Energetics and Larry Roesner of Colorado State University (previously with the firm of Camp, Dresser & McKee). Course highlights include the integration of sustainability and context sensitive design into project components. An afternoon field trip will highlight sustainable metro New Orleans projects undertaken since Hurricane Katrina. Visit www.acec. org/education or contact Education@acec.org for registration information. new Study makes Compelling Case for qbS A new study by researchers from the University of Colorado and the Georgia Institute of Technology contains six reasons, backed by empirical data, why Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) is the most efficient method to procure design professionals’ services. According to the study, QBS should be used because it: • Ensures cost-effectiveness in project outcomes; • Lowers risk on complex projects; • Results in better projects and highly satisfied owners; and • Encourages innovation and protects intellectual property. The Analysis of Issues Pertaining to Qualifications-Based Selection report was sponsored by ACEC and American Public Works Association. “This research represents the first nationwide study of the effectiveness of QBS,” says Jeffrey Beard, ACEC vice president and director of ACEC’s Institute for Business Management. To obtain a complete copy of the report and its accompanying charts and graphs, please go to www.acec.org/bookstore and click on the “QBS Study” download.ENGINEERING INC. JaNuaRy / FEbRuaRy 2010 five Emerging markets identified in Latest industry trends survey The annual ACEC Design and Construction Industry Trends Survey report, issued in early January 2010, identifies five emerging markets for engineering firms. 1) Security and Safety—Design and construction for the safety and security of facilities and infrastructure has received renewed attention since the terrorist attacks of 2001, Hurricane Katrina and other typhoons and seismic events in the far west. 2) Renewable Energy (e.g., wind farms, biofuels)—Wind farms now are a mainstream power source—projected to generate 20 percent of the nation’s electrical power by 2050—but also require significant permitting and distribution assistance from the engineering community. Newer technologies for biomass fuels now use many types of organic matter. 3) High-Speed Rail—California is pursuing its San Diego-toSacramento high-speed line, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says plans are in the works for similar systems in the Midwest and in the Northeast, pending dedicated funding and a relatively long permitting, design and construction process. 4) Ecological Restoration Projects—Large-scale environmental restoration projects, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Everglades restoration contracts, are stimulating interest in projects to restore other ecosystems, including the Mississippi River delta wetlands and the Chesapeake Bay estuary. 5) Water Supply (especially where sources are low, contaminated or depleted)—The No. 1 long-term engineering need identified in successive ACEC Design and Construction Industry Trends surveys has been that of adequate water supply. A prolonged and severe drought, coupled with increased water demands in specific areas, is a prescription for shortages. To review all of the findings of the latest Industry Trends Survey, please go to www.acec.org and click the bookstore link on the left, and purchase the download for just $199 or a printed version of the final report for $299. The ACEC Institute for Business Management provides comprehensive and accessible business management education for engineering company principals and their staffs. Visit ACEC’s online educational events calendar at http://www. acec.org/calendar/index.cfm or bookstore at https://netforum. acec.org/eweb/?site=acec_store, or call 202-347-7474, ext. 338 for further information.

http://www.acec.org/education http://www.acec.org/education http://www.acec.org http://www.acec.org/calendar/index.cfm https://netforum.acec.org/eweb/?site=acec_store http://www.acec.org/calendar/index.cfm https://netforum.acec.org/eweb/?site=acec_store http://www.acec.org/bookstore

Engineering Inc. - January/February 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - January/February 2010