New leadership program for ethnically diverse women aims to open new doors
At AIA Conference 2018, eight resolutions were passed by the members in attendance.
Issue 50
May 2020
South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency: Offering Easy and Efficiency to Small Businesses – June, 2020
Since its inception, the South Central Texas Regional Certification Agency’s mission has been to make things as easy and efficient as possible for small, minority and women-owned businesses, and even in the midst of a pandemic, that mission has remained the same. SCTRCA, a 501c3 nonprofit, was founded in 1998 following the model of its…
Container Activity Slowing at Port Houston First-Quarter Volume Still Up
Container activity at Port Houston, the largest container port on the United States Gulf Coast, began slowing in late March as expected as the coronavirus outbreak continued to threaten countries across the globe, including the U.S. Port Houston handled a total of 248,280 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in March, a drop of 11 percent compared to…
Texas’ Thirteenth Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of Texas Central
On the heels of a four-year long court battle, the Thirteenth Court of Appeals of Texas has ruled in favor of Texas Central, holding that it is both a railroad company and interurban electric railway. This legal process stems from landowners along the proposed route in Leon County who argued that the Texas Central project…
Texas Central High-Speed Rail announced that their planned high-speed rail project from Dallas to Houston could be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is one of those moments where we have to acknowledge how small our world really is,” said Carlos Aguilar, CEO of Texas Central High-Speed Rail. “Our engineering partner is in Italy, our operations partner is in Spain and our technology provider is in Japan. Our financial partners are in those countries, as well as…
Worker Exposure Risk to COVID-19
Classifying Worker Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 Worker risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, during an outbreak may depend in part on the industry type and need for contact within 6 feet of people known to have, or suspected of having, COVID-19. OSHA has divided job tasks into four risk exposure levels,…
U.S. Department of Labor Issues Guidance for Respiratory Protection During N95 Shortage Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued interim enforcement guidance to help combat supply shortages of disposable N95 filtering face piece respirators (N95 FFRs). The action marks the department’s latest step to ensure the availability of respirators and follows President Donald J. Trump’s Memorandum on Making General Use Respirators Available. Due…
12 Proven Practical Steps to Obtain Building Permits in any Economic Market Condition
Scratching your head attempting to figure out how to obtain your building permit when the Permitting Center is closed to walk-ins during epidemic? You are not alone. Our toll-free line has been ringing with questions from Architects to Contractors. Questions like the following: Can you tell me if the City of San Antonio is still…
Texas Oil and Natural Gas Industry Launches Coalition to Develop Industry-Led Solutions to Minimize Flaring and Methane Emissions
An alliance of Texas oil and natural gas trade associations, along with nearly 40 Texas energy companies, today announced they have formed a coalition to work together on environmental progress. Focused on industry-led solutions to minimize flaring and methane emissions, the Texas Methane and Flaring Coalition (the Coalition) will collectively identify and promote operational and…
City of Fort Worth, PeopleFund launch new microloan program supporting local businesses
The City of Fort Worth is teaming up with PeopleFund to launch the Business Resiliency Microloan Program, which is prepared to provide at least $850,000 to eligible businesses in Fort Worth who are being impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll or accounts payable, or cover other…
MASK AMBITION
A chance Facebook friendship between an Atlanta-based physician and a digital transformation expert from ExxonMobil could help unlock a wave of medical masks that health care workers need to help treat patients with COVID-19. Justin Sink, a digital transformation and innovation advisor at ExxonMobil, saw a March 19 Facebook post from his friend Dr. Susan…
USING NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE METHANE EMISSIONS
Reducing methane emissions in oil and gas operations is an important way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Advances in technology can help detect and identify the sources, and improve the ability to respond quickly. But there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why ExxonMobil is leading testing for the most promising next-generation methane detection technologies at 1,000 sites in Texas and…
Technology Drives Innovation in the Construction Industry
Construction technology is undoubtedly one of the most exciting pockets of innovation in today’s economy. Funding in U.S.-based construction technology startups surged by 324 percent to nearly $3.1 billion in 2018, compared with $731 million in 2017, according to Crunchbase data. Investment spans hardware, software, AI and other exciting technologies. For too long, the construction…
Supporting Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
To help small businesses, Entergy Texas has created a hub of resources to connect owners to information, tools and opportunities that could help during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Small businesses are the backbone of the communities we serve,” said Steve Pilgrim, director of business and economic development for Entergy Texas. “During these challenging times, we hope…
Council Approves Centerpiece Development for Upcoming Trinity Mills Station
Carrollton City Council unanimously approved an agreement for a 125,000-square foot, six-story Class A office structure to serve as the marquee building within new Trinity Mills Station urban development. The City of Carrollton, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), The Integral Group, and Koa Partners signed a Master Development Agreement (MDA) for the entire Trinity Mills…
Post-coronavirus contingency planning for contractors, owners
One would be hard-pressed to find any construction industry player that hasn’t been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While a few U.S. jurisdictions have banned construction work altogether, many more have limited which projects can move forward. However, according to John Robbins, managing director and USA and North America head of real estate for Turner &…
Architect’s Guide to Business Continuity now available
New AIA resource provides guidance for firm resiliency. In an effort to assist architecture firms with navigating adverse business conditions, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is releasing a new resource: Architect’s Guide to Business Continuity. “Firms across the country are facing pressures from all sides—from transitioning offices to teleworking models, to work stoppages, to repositioning…
Architect Standard of Care Relative to Site Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Architecture firms are undoubtedly facing many challenges and decisions as they deal with the impact of COVID-19. Most architecture firms are working remotely, either by their own choice or at the direction of local authorities. However, many construction projects are continuing. Architects and their firms that need to provide contract administration services or other contractual…
Issue 49
April 2020