Bulletin/Section News – Source

January 2025 Bulletin

admin — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 13:28:36 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section News for January 2025

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the January 2025 Source, submissions were received from the Boston, Brazil, Houston Gulf Coast, and Toronto sections..

Boston Section

The Boston Section’s annual social was sponsored in October 2024 at Topgolf in Canton, MA. Attendees enjoyed the facility and its recreational offerings. Topgolf is a sprawling entertainment venue with a high-tech driving range and a swanky lounge with drinks and games.

The Boston Section welcomed attendees to its annual social event in October 2024 with a welcome sign at Topgolf. The event was well attended, and attendees enjoyed delicious food, friendly competition, and lively networking.

Attending the Boston Section’s annual social in October 2024 were: Brian Sullivan of PMA Consultants, Dr. Nakisa (Niki) Alborz of Exponent, Rick Treseler of PMA Consultants, and Ammar Altuwaiti of Urban Solutions

Attending the Boston Section’s annual social in October 2024 were: Shabeer Parathodi or RINA North America, Betsy Westergren of RINA North America, John O’Connor of RINA North America – Treasurer of Boston Section, John Morton of STV – VP of Boston Section, and Ammar Altuwaiti of Urban Solutions

In November 2024, the Boston Section members and guests attended a tour of 10 World Trade Center. This facility is a new nexus for wellness and connection in Boston’s Seaport District, one of the world’s most forward-thinking and dynamic submarkets.

Boston Section members and guests in November 2024 toured the 10 World Trade Center. They learned that the construction management for 10 World Trade is a partnership between Suffolk Construction and H.J. Russell. From the eco-friendly redesign of World Trade Center Avenue to smart, energy-saving building features, 10 World Trade is unparalleled in its dedication to sustainability and wellness.

The Boston Section’s fall 2024 event lineup was fantastic, offering both professional insights and opportunities for social connection.

In October 2024, the section hosted its annual social at Topgolf in Canton, MA. The event was a great success, with members enjoying an evening of delicious food, friendly competition, and lively networking. Sponsored by PMA Consultants, RINA North America (formerly Patrick), and J.S. Held LLC, the social event provided a relaxed setting for members to unwind and strengthen relationships within the AACE community.

In November 2024, the Boston Section offered a more technical experience with a tour of the 10 World Trade Center project hosted by Suffolk Construction. Participants gained a behind-the-scenes look at this engineering marvel, which dramatically expands in size as it rises. The tour was followed by a presentation by Jawahar Maran, PE CCP PSP, who discussed DSAA-4282: Leveraging Data Analytics in Construction Projects to Improve Schedule Predictability and Stakeholder Relationships. Originally featured at the AACE 2024 Conference & Expo, this session focused on how data analytics can enhance schedule reliability and foster stronger stakeholder collaboration, providing attendees with practical tools for their projects.

These events highlight the Boston Section’s commitment to offering a well-rounded experience, combining technical learning with opportunities to network. Watch for future opportunities to engage with cutting-edge topics and connect with peers in the industry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aaceboston

Brazil Section

At the Brazil Section, shown from the left are David Chigne – Region 10 – director, Ilma Trindade – the Brazil Section’s President, Betzaida Méndez – the Colombia Section’s Past President, and Aldo Mattos – the Brazil Section’s Past President.

The Brazil Section sponsored a November 2024 section conference. It attracted more than 550 attendees. The two-day event was at Belo Horizonte which is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil’s second-most populous state. It is the first planned modern city in Brazil.

Ilma Trindade, Section’s President of the Brazil Section, gave the opening lecture at the 12th Annual Congress of the Brazil Section in November 2024.

David Chigne, director of AACE Region 10, presents at the 12th Annual Congress of the Brazil Section in November 2024. The title of his lecture was: “Year 2040: The Extinction of Cost Estimators? AACE as a Cornerstone in the Evolution of the Profession.”

The Brazil Section sponsored a November 2024 section conference. The conference location of Belo Horizonte is the capital city of southeastern Brazil’s Minas Gerais state. It is surrounded by mountains and has a population of 2.316 million.

The Brazil Section sponsored a November 2024 section conference. The event brought together professionals from diverse fields and highlighted the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange in advancing cost engineering and project controls across Brazil and Latin America.

The Brazil Section Conference was sponsored in November 2024 in Belo Horizonte. It set a historic milestone for the section and AACE International. With more than 550 attendees, this two-day event marked the largest AACE gathering outside the US. Bringing together professionals from diverse fields – builders, consultants, planners, and executives – the conference showcased the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange in advancing cost engineering and project controls across Brazil and Latin America.

The 2024 program covered a wide range of topics critical to the industry, including cost management, risk mitigation, contract administration, and emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence. Discussions also delved into ESG initiatives and macroeconomic trends shaping Brazil’s infrastructure landscape. The event featured esteemed speakers, interactive presentations, and lessons learned from real-world projects, offering invaluable insights to attendees.

Congratulations to the Brazil Section for its outstanding achievement, and a heartfelt thank you to the dedicated board members, speakers, and participants who made this event a success. Events like this reinforce AACE’s pivotal role in fostering professional excellence and addressing global challenges, including the need for qualified project professionals. Together, we continue to elevate industry standards and shape the future of our profession!

Houston Gulf Coast Section

The Houston Gulf Coast Section offers monthly technical meetings. Attendees can engage in discussions, ask questions, and network with experienced professionals who are eager to share their knowledge and advice.

The Houston Gulf Coast Section offers monthly technical meetings. These meetings feature technical presentations on topics like cost management, scheduling, and real-world project challenges.

Houston Gulf Coast Section’s Martin Darley speaks at the 2024 section symposium. Upcoming 2025 section activities and events are still in the planning stages. Follow the Houston Gulf Coast Section on its LinkedIn page.

The Houston Gulf Coast Section had a successful 2024 Section Conference. The section strives to offer a welcoming and casual environment for attendees at all of its activities and events throughout the year. The Section’s Oscar Agudelo is working on various student initiatives to expand section outreach and attract university students to attend and become involved with section activities and events.

The Houston Gulf Coast Section’s monthly technical meetings are an excellent opportunity for university students to learn about project controls and connect with industry professionals. These meetings feature technical presentations on topics like cost management, scheduling, and real-world project challenges, offering valuable insights into what a career in the field could look like. Beyond the presentations, attendees can engage in discussions, ask questions, and network with experienced professionals eager to share their knowledge and advice. It’s a welcoming and casual environment where students can gain industry insights, build connections, and explore career opportunities while developing skills to help them stand out in the job market. Upcoming events are still tentative. Follow the Houston Gulf Coast Section’s LinkedIn page.

Toronto Section

At the Toronto Section in November 2024. Behrad Kiafar is introduced as the speaker. Behrad’s topic was “Successful Implementation of Continuous Estimating for Target Costing in Collaborative Contracts.”

At the Toronto Section in November 2024. Behrad Kiafar presented a technical talk on “Successful Implementation of Continuous Estimating for Target Costing in Collaborative Contracts.”

Attending the Toronto Section’s November 2024 meeting, shown from left to right, are Ezgi Ozcan, Alper Yesil, Amin Atak, Ebru Kanlikoca, Ceren Tekin, Elif Vardar, and Aine Kiernan.

At the Toronto Section in November 2024. Behrad Kiafar presented a technical talk on “Successful Implementation of Continuous Estimating for Target Costing in Collaborative Contracts.”

Attending the Toronto Section’s November 2024 meeting, shown from left to right, are Andew Illingworth, Matthew Sutherland, Duan Van der Merwe, Owen McElhinney, and Artur Nimaev.

The Toronto Section, AACE’s largest section, hosted another successful monthly technical and networking event in November 2024. Sponsored by Turner & Townsend, one of AACE’s largest organizational members, the session featured Behrad Kiafar, who presented on “Successful Implementation of Continuous Estimating for Target Costing in Collaborative Contracts.”

Behrad Kiafar delivered a thought-provoking presentation exploring how continuous estimating informs design decisions in collaborative projects. Drawing from recent Canadian infrastructure projects, Behrad highlighted how continuous estimating can drive better design decisions in collaborative settings, offering practical strategies and real-world examples.

The Toronto Section continues to provide impactful events combining technical expertise with networking opportunities. Follow the Toronto section for more information about upcoming events: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aacetoronto/.

December 2024 Bulletin

admin — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 19:41:57 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section News for December 2024

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the December 2024 Source, submissions were received from the Seattle Section.

Seattle Section

Seattle Section Announces its 2024 Scholarship Winners

On behalf of the Seattle Section Board of Directors, we are excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 Seattle Section Scholarship winners. Please congratulate Michael Aksdal, Reese Bergeson, and Jude Ziliak. Each student has demonstrated academic excellence, perseverance, and a commitment to making a meaningful impact in their future careers.

Michael Aksdal is a Washington State University senior pursuing a B.S. in Construction Engineering. He maintained a perfect GPA while gaining valuable project engineering experience through internships on four construction projects. Michael is eager to apply his cost management and scheduling skills in future endeavors.

Reese Bergeson, a junior at Western Washington University, is studying Electrical and Computer Engineering. Despite facing significant medical challenges during his undergraduate journey, Reese has channeled his experiences into a passion for biomedical engineering, aspiring to create innovative solutions.

Jude Ziliak, also a junior at Western Washington University, is pursuing a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering with an impressive GPA. Jude is committed to addressing the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, strongly focusing on climate change and energy policy.

We thank all the applicants for their dedication and effort in applying for this scholarship. We hope this support helps each recipient achieve their goals, and we proudly celebrate the accomplishments of these talented individuals. Congratulations once again to Michael, Reese, and Jude!

December 2023 Bulletin

admin — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section News for December 2023

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the December 2023 Source, submissions were received from the Russia Section.

Russia Section

The 12th Russia Section Workshop on Sept. 15 brought together project management professionals and experts in cost engineering. Traditionally, the workshop takes place next to a large PMSOFT project management conference, where large companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, and the Caspian Region gather to discuss practical cases and key global trends in implementing large capital projects. Workshop 2023 gathered more than 100 participants.

The event’s purpose is to provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge and discussion of the latest achievements and best practices in the cost management of projects, assets, products, programs, etc., at all stages of their life cycle.

The workshop featured insightful presentations by renowned specialists, covering topics such as global trends and challenges in cost engineering, value analysis, integrated risk, and cost analysis with an RP review, using machine learning to calculate contingency with systemic risks, and the role of technologies like BIM and AI in project management. During the fascinating discussions, the problems faced in the region and strategies for improving cost management were considered.

Attendees expressed enthusiasm for the interactive sessions and the opportunity to network with colleagues, fostering collaborative initiatives and sharing best practices. The event concluded with optimism and commitment to furthering advancements in cost engineering in Russia.

The most pressing issues discussed at the workshop were:

The importance of improving the accuracy of cost estimation at early stages
The need to develop value engineering practices in companies
Formalization of decision-making processes and evaluation of the quality of project decisions
The importance of independent external expertise for the project
The need to increase the level of maturity of project teams and companies in general in the use of new technologies (AI, big data, ML, etc. ).

The section extends its gratitude to all participants, speakers, and organizers for their contributions to making this workshop a resounding success. The section would like to extend special thanks to international speakers Mark von Leffern, Werner Meyer, Danilo Arba, and Sean T. Regan for sharing their international experience and making our live event a huge success.

The AACE Russia Section Workshop continues to serve as a valuable platform. We look forward to future collaborations and progress with other regional sections and AACE headquarters.

October 2023 Bulletin

admin — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 06:10:00 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section News for October 2023

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the October 2023 Source, submissions were received from the Montreal Section.

Montreal Section

AACE Special Dinner Event – Montreal Section

On the evening of Thursday, May 18, 2023, members of the AACE International community gathered at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Montreal for a special dinner event organized by the Montreal Section. During the event, the section took the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge its 52^nd anniversary as a section, the first Canadian Section, established in 1961. The event also featured Shoshanna Fraizinger, President of AACE, as the keynote speaker, addressing the theme, “Collaborative Contracts: How Estimating Collaborative Projects Can Impact Success.”

During her presentation, Shoshanna highlighted that the significant impact of pandemic-related challenges, such as supply chain disruptions and inflation rates, has led to a noticeable shift from traditional adversarial contracting practices toward collaborative models like Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and project alliancing. Shoshanna also emphasized the importance of ensuring estimates’ completeness, validity, and accuracy as a top priority for all parties. Project estimates are the first input that forms project baselines. Shoshanna also discussed lessons learned from independent estimate reviews in her presentation. She also shed light on the inner workings of the Board of Directors, as well as the dedication of the volunteers and staff at the headquarters.

The HATCH, SNC-LAVALIN, and REVAY sponsored the event that was attended by a range of distinguished guests. Les McMullan, FAACE, from Hatch, gave the opening remarks. The event brought together industry and academia professionals who had the opportunity to network and make connections throughout the evening, especially during the dinner and drinks portion. The networking aspect added value to the event and allowed attendees to foster relationships with professionals and academics in their field.

Attendees at the May Montreal Section meeting.

Les McMullan, FAACE, and Shoshanna Fraizinger, Past-President of AACE International at the May Montreal Section meeting.

Shoshanna on stage at the May Montreal Section meeting.

Student Committee at the May Montreal Section meeting.

Hatch table at the May Montreal Section meeting.

Revay table at the May Montreal Section meeting.

SNC-Lavalin table at the May Montreal Section meeting.

September 2023 Bulletin

admin — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 19:47:23 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section News for September 2023

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the September 2023 Source, submissions were received from the Seattle Section.

Seattle Section

We are excited to announce our 2023 scholarship winners and congratulate them on their achievements!

From a Centrally Valley farming town in California, Madison Meredith is growing right into her MBA program at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Dedication to her hometown community and willingness to make a difference where it counts when it comes to food insecurity, has made Madison a standout choice!

Dani Santa, a junior studying Construction Management at Central Washington University has made it her mission to inspire females in construction. She has always had strong representation in multiple volunteer organizations and is the newly elected president of AGC. Thank you, Dani, for being an amazing applicant!

You may remember our next winner, Cesar Bedolla-Hurtado, a senior studying Structural Engineering at Washington State University. He was one of our 2022 scholarship winners and to no surprise, is still working hard and dreaming big. Through the goal of founding his own company, Cesar hopes to make a difference in the fight against climate change as he innovates the new while protecting the existing! Congratulations Cesar on winning the AACE Seattle Section Scholarship two years in a row!

We at AACE Seattle would like to extend a big thank you to all our applicants, each one of you had such unique, inspiring stories and goals, making each choice a difficult one!

New Board Members

On May 25th, 2023, AACEi Seattle Section swore in the newly elected board members:

President: Jeffery Strawn
Vice President: Josephine Bayan
Secretary: Shruti Kane
Treasurer: Roger Kong
Publicity: Jordan Fette

We are very excited to welcome our new and existing board members to their positions as we prepare for another active year in beautiful, but sometimes rainy, Seattle! A very special thank you to those who finished serving their terms on the AACE Seattle Board, Tonja Stradley – Past President, Andrea Forderer – Past Secretary and Jianhao Zheng – Past Director of Communication. Each board member has left behind a positive and lasting impact on this section, all of you shall be missed.

July 2023 Bulletin

admin — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:14:20 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section News for July 2023

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the July 2023 Source, submissions were received from the Seattle Section.

Seattle Section

On May 11th AACE Seattle Section proudly hosted Dr. Steve Warhoe, who is currently the Vice President of AACE’s Technical Board. Dr. Warhoe is a highly experienced professional with over 35 years of expertise in project management, construction management, project controls, and dispute resolution. The topic of his presentation “RP 120R Demonstrating Entitlement for Contract Change Orders or Claims – As Applied in Engineering, Procurement, and Construction” addressed the necessary elements to determine technical entitlement for a change order request or claim in the absence of clarity in the contract. Dr Warhoe’s collaborative presentation style invited listeners to engage, ask technical questions and come away with new understandings. AACE Seattle Section would like to extend a special thank you to Dr Steve Warhoe for making our live event a huge success.

March 2023 Bulletin

admin — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 11:24:03 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section News for March 2023

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the March 2023 Source, submissions were received from the British Columbia and Seattle Sections.

British Columbia Section

Izad Goftar

The British Columbia Section in Region 1 is announcing and introducing members of its current year Section Board of Directors. In this report, we introduce the Section’s Director of Technology, Izad Goftar. He has a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in project management, as well as a Civil Engineering degree. He currently works as the Scheduling and Costing Team Lead at BC Hydro. Izad worked in different roles such as project manager, and project control manager in several companies and various projects such as mining, hydro, oil and gas projects.

Seattle Section

On March 9, the AACE Seattle Section welcomed back its 2020-2022 President, Kamran Hazini, and his colleague, Craig DeLalla, for a spectacular live event in Seattle.

Deputy Director of Risk Engineering Kamran Hazini and Director of Systems Engineering and Integration Craig DeLalla are both from Sound Transit. Their presentation topic was: Sound Transits New Developed Programmatic Risk Assessment Process. The presentation covered the quantitative risk assessment initiative developed and executed at Sound Transit. This new approach adds an analysis of program risks to quantify the cascading impacts of concurrent delivery of the East Link, Downtown Redmond Link, Lynnwood Link, and Federal Way Link Extension projects. These highly anticipated Light Rail Link extension projects are of vital importance to Seattle and its greater populations.

The presentation was both relevant and insightful as to how rolling out multiple mega projects at the same time comes to fruition successfully. This of course cannot be completed without comprehensive risk assessment, as was beautifully explained during the live event. A special thanks to our past Seattle Section President Kamran Hazini and his college Craig DeLalla for coming back in style and capturing the audience with an amazing presentation.

Montreal Section

Montreal Section’s 3+1 Construction Elevator Pitch Competition 2023

Shown, during a round of discussion between judges and contestants, from left to right are Tala Harb, a project control analyst at WSP; Kristaps Thompson, a senior associate consultant at HKA; Po-Han Chen, professor of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University; Didier Chung Foo, a senior cost consultant at Turner & Townsend; John Prizio, a senior project controls manager from HATCH; and Delaram Sadeghi, a Montreal Section Student Committee volunteer.

Shown above are Montreal Section board members, judges, and volunteers of the Montreal Section Student Committee. Shown seated from left to right are Azadeh Soofypour, Montreal Section Student Committee volunteer; Shrouk Gharib, Student Committee public relations director; Dena Shamsollahi, Student Committee president; Julia Fernandez, Student Committee volunteer; Delaram Sadeghi, Student Committee volunteer; Abdelhady Omar, Student Committee vice president and financial director. Shown standing from left to right are Jideobi Obiefuna, Student Committee volunteer; Didier Chung Foo, a senior cost consultant at Turner & Townsend; Tala Harb, a project control analyst at WSP; John Prizio, a senior project controls manager from HATCH; Po-Han Chen, professor of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University; Kristaps Thompson, a senior associate consultant at HKA; Les McMullan, Global Director Project Controls at Hatch and an AACE International member; Araham Martinez, Student Committee director of planning; Amr Allam, Student Committee director of operations.

Shown above are some of the live studio audience attendees for the thesis presentations.

The AACE International Montreal Section and the Centre for Innovation in Construction and Infrastructure (CICIEM) at Concordia University are pleased to announce another successful annual event entitled “AACE 3+1 Construction Elevator Pitch Competition”. This special event was started in 2019 by the Montreal Section wherein graduate students at the master’s and Ph.D. levels, from different universities around the world, presented their thesis as a short ‘elevator pitch’ to a panel of judges from both academia and industry. This competition is an opportunity to test the graduate students’ skills as they present their thesis topics in four minutes in an engaging, concise, and convincing way, followed by answering questions from the panel of judges.

This year, ten finalists were selected to present their work from a pool of around 30 received abstracts from top universities in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, to name a few, Concordia University, École de technologie supérieure (ETS), University of British Columbia (UBC), Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Hawaii, University of Twente (UT), University Malaysia Pahang, and the American University in Cairo.

The event, which was hosted by the Montreal Section and CICIEM Research Center, featured presentations in three main streams: Construction Projects Planning & Control, ICT and AI in Construction, and Occupational Health and Safety. Participants were challenged to present their thesis topics in four minutes in front of judges and an audience. The event was sponsored by, HATCH, HKA, WSP, Turner & Townsend, and the Montreal Section.

The competition was on February 14, at Concordia 4^th space center and live streamed on both Zoom and YouTube. The judges of the competition joined in person while the contestants joined online to present their research. The judges included Kristaps Thompson, Senior Associate Consultant at HKA, Didier Chung Foo, Senior Cost Consultant at Turner & Townsend, Po-Han Chen, Professor of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University, John Prizio, senior project controls manager from HATCH, and Tala Harb, Project Control Analyst at WSP.

The competition yielded the top three winners and four additional acknowledgments., with six being chosen by the judges and one by the audience. Ahmed Zalook, a PhD student at Concordia University, was the first-place winner of the competition, and he also received the audience award along with another contestant. His research, titled “Automated master planning and scheduling system in panelized homes supply chain,” impressed both the judges and the audience. The second-place winner of the competition was Malcolm Dunson-Todd M.Sc. student at Concordia University, His research, titled “Evaluating Occupational Exoskeleton Efficacy in Construction: Towards Guidelines for the Construction Industry” and Kyeongsuk Lee, Ph.D. Student, Purdue University was selected as a third-place winner, his research, titled “Understanding the role of cognitive failures and anticipatory cues in worker safety performance: toward AI-Informed personalized safety training using multi-modal neuro-psychophysiological responses”. The top three were invited to join a future Montreal Section event to further discuss their projects.

An additional four acknowledgements were made including Austin D McClymonds on “Supporting the Information Exchange Between a BIM model and a Robot Utilizing Parametric Modeling” from Pennsylvania State University, Amir Sanatgar on “Applying Symbolic and Statistical AI for Developing Knowledge Management System in AEC Projects” from Concordia University, Mohamed Sherif on “Automating and optimizing construction design process using computational analysis” from the University of Hawaii and the audience selection: Saman Davari on “An investigation of the coupling of physical and digital assets and resources across lifecycle stages in the built environment” from ETS university.

Thanks to AACE International members and Concordia faculty members, Dr. Osama Moselhi and Dr. Mazdak Nik Bakht, who spoke at the event, and to Les McMullan, FAACE, from Hatch who commended the presenters on their presentations and diversity of subjects, and spoke about the importance of research and innovation, propelling us into an exciting future. Les also gave a short history of AACE International and the Montreal Section and the many benefits of being part of a professional association.

Special thanks to Dena Shamsollahi, Abdelhady Omar, Araham Martinez, Shrouk Gharib and Amr Allam of the Student Committee for another outstanding job organizing, coordinating, and providing publicity. Join us next year for another edition of this premier event.

December 2022 Bulletin

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 14:02:01 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section news for December

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the December Source, submissions were received from the Norway and Seattle Sections.

Norway Section

The Norway Section’s 9th annual conference was conducted the 13^th of October

The Norway Section aims to strengthen the skills and knowledge within cost estimation, cost control and planning in Norway. These annual conferences are one of the main pillars in achieving this together with other activities like courses, certification workshops, and other networking events. This year’s topic was “Megaprojects.” The main goal was to improve risk and uncertainty handling and to get insight and experiences from megaprojects.

About 100 participants attended the event in person. The combination of the different speakers from oil and gas, public sector, consultancies, and academia, gave the day interesting perspectives that triggered enthusiasm and engagement.

The board would like to thank everyone who participated and showed interest in the event, all speakers and especially Aker Solutions who assisted with planning and provided the conference facility.

Seattle Section

The Seattle Section ended the year with another successful live in-person event hosted at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel. On December 8^th, an interested group of local professionals came to hear speaker Joanna Valencia, who is currently the revenue and capital development manager at SDOT. Joanna and her team are launching a multi-year planning effort for an equitable and resilient transportation system in the City of Seattle that considers all travel needs. Her presentation focused on how effective stakeholder engagement leads to success of the development and implementation effort. How to identify which stakeholders should be included during the projects planning phase, how best to reach them and what tactics are used to engage with them to encourage participation. Over the course of the presentation, Joanna demonstrated SDOTs efforts using interactive websites and activities that engaged the audience. The goal of all this work is to build a safe, efficient, and affordable transportation system that works better for everyone. A special thank you to Joanna, for presenting and helping the Seattle section end the year with a bang!

October 2022 Bulletin

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 20:02:32 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section news for October

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the October Source, submissions were received from the Hawaii, Seattle, and Montreal Sections.

Hawaii Section

Shown left to right are Calvin Gidlof, Mario Flores, Scott Arend, Vinson Hiraoka, Landon Loitz, Jeanette Robert. Joe Uno, Chris Baze, Nicki Dockery, Yong Shi, and Alan Davison.

On September 22nd, AACE held the Networking Event at Aiea Bowling. We welcomed 12 members and cost engineer/project control professionals who had a great time socializing and networking with other engineers. Thank you to all who participated in this event.

Seattle Section

On August 8, the Seattle Section hosted its section meeting in-person with guest speaker Raj Paul. Raj has more than 23 years of experience and expertise in managing quality, construction and project management in engineering, construction, and financial services. A large group of interested professionals and peers turned out to see his presentation – “Ghost Impacts – The Project Quality Perspective.” Ghost Impacts explored how despite having the best plans and estimations, a project and/or operation is often impacted negatively by unforeseen and unforeseeable project quality issues. Using real world examples, Raj demonstrated that while some cost and time impacts are tangible and can be quantified, there are many others which are intangible and have significant bearing on the project’s outcome. Thank you, Raj, for delivering a spectacular presentation on an interesting and critical topic, one that relates to all.

Montreal Section

Montreal Section hosts highlights of the AACE Conference & Expo

Shown above are members and guests at the September Montreal Section meeting. The meeting was hosted by Les McMullan, Global Director of Project Controls at HATCH. Attendees heard highlights of four technical papers that had been presented at the 2022 AACE Conference & Expo.

The Montreal Section carried on an annual tradition on September 27 with the first event of the season entitled, “Highlights of the Annual Conference and Expo.” The AACE ConEx was conducted in person in June in San Antonio, Texas. The September Montreal Section meeting was in hybrid mode with 60 in attendance altogether, including 25 in-person attendees at the Hatch office in Montreal.

The purpose of the meeting was to share some highlights from a few ConEx technical papers for those unable to attend the annual Conference this summer, encourage further reading of the papers and viewing of the recordings, and promote attendance at future annual conferences. All these papers had great tips on cost and schedule delivery of projects.

The session was launched by Les McMullan, Global Director of Project Controls at HATCH, who hosted the event. The highlights were presented by AACE members from Hatch who had been at the conference. First up was the paper titled: Governing for Success: Effective Project Governance for Megaprojects by Dr. Ahmed Ewida. For the section meeting, this paper was highlighted by Ashwin Lala, Regional Director, USA. The paper covered a comprehensive governance framework for managing mega projects, taking the complex business environment and critical management processes into account.

Shown above is Ashwin Lala, one of the four Montreal Section members who highlighted a technical paper from the AACE Conference & Expo at the section’s September meeting.

The next paper highlighted was Schedule Delays: Why They Happen & How to Avoid Them, by Vijaykumar A. Damie. The Section highlights were summarized by Nancy Couillard, Project Controls Specialist from Tampa. The paper discussed the causes of schedule delays and how to avoid or overcome them and described the tools that need to be in place, the internal and external causes of schedule delays and other key issues.

Proactive Cost Engineering Techniques to Avoid Common Project Failures, by Chris Carson, CE, DRM, PSP FAACE, was summarized by Beatrice Nasui, lead planner in the Montreal office. The paper provides many recommendations for the identification and resolution of the potential failure points in each of the project phases and offers proven solutions.

Shown above Beatrice Nasui, one of the four Montreal Section members who highlighted a technical paper at the September Montreal Section meeting gives her presentation. Speakers Nancy Couillard and Ashwin Lala are shown standing at left as seated attendees listen to the presentation.

Project Documentation: Supporting your Position, by Chris Caddell, CCP DRMP and Sydney Overman, CST, was highlighted by Les McMullan, Global Director, Project Controls. This presentation, aimed at owner, consultant and contractor, provides recommendations on what data should be collected by whom and how it can be used in addressing and resolving real or potential disputes.

The conclusion of the sessions included audience comments and questions on the subject material covered and discussion on project controls in today’s challenging economic environment. Many thanks to all who attended.

Shown above attendees at the September Montreal Section meeting included four student members from Concordia University who are shown networking with Montreal Section members.

August 2022 Bulletin

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

AACE Bulletin

Bulletin Section news for August

AACE International sections from around the world are encouraged to submit write-ups and photos of their monthly section meetings and other activities. For the August Source, submissions were received from the Hawaii and Seattle Sections.

Hawaii Section

The Honouliuli Water Recycling Facility (HWRF) is shown above. It opened in August 2000, and the facility recycles treated wastewater to serve the irrigation and industrial needs in Ewa.

On Wednesday, August 10, Hawaii Section members and friends gathered for a site tour of the Honouliuli Water Recycling Facility (HWRF). Since opening in August 2000, the facility has recycled treated wastewater to serve the irrigation and industrial needs in Ewa. Water recycling is an important part of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply’s effort to conserve precious ground water for drinking. HWRF provides non-drinking water for commercial and business needs. The project contains Phase 1A and 1B with a total $340 million construction cost. Phase 1A is to upgrade the solids stream process facilities. The improvements will allow digested sludge to be dried into pellets that can be land applied as fertilizer. Phase 1B is to expand the secondary treatment system at the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant in Ewa. The expansion project is needed to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements and accommodate the increasing population on the Ewa Plain.

Seattle Section

The Seattle Section is excited to announce its 2022 scholarship winners and congratulate them on their achievements.

At the University of Washington, Lorena Ware was awarded a section scholarship.

Lorena is returning to school for her master’s degree after 23 years of work in construction management. Her career goals and her drive to create change made her an excellent award choice.

At the Washington State University, Katy Zaharov and Cesar Bedolla-Hurtado were awarded section scholarships.

Katy, is an aspiring bioengineer who wants to change the world of medicine. Her unique story and love for exploration and discovery inspired members of the Seattle Section.

Cesar is an undergrad studying civil engineering with some very big career plans. Cesar wants to revolutionize the world of structural engineering and be a game changer in the fight against climate change.

A big thank you to all our applicants, each one had such unique, inspiring stories and goals. The Seattle Section members truly enjoyed reading your letters.

On August 11, Trent Hogan, Tom Jennings, and Uriel Shirazi delivered a presentation on “How to Leverage 3D Site Models and Construction Data Analytics.” The eye-opening presentation shined light on the digital horizon, where infrastructure projects are using drones and photogrammetry to analyze data on large scale construction. Datumate, a construction data analytics company, blends the science of programing with the digital recording of data through images taken by the drones to create interactive 3D models. This enables owners and construction companies to monitor project progress, ensure quality, and control budgets based on actionable project execution metrics extracted from the field data. A special thanks to Trent, Tom, and Uriel for showing the section meeting attendees the possibilities and benefits of using drone technology in construction. The Seattle Section would also like to congratulate our scholarship winners, who were announced earlier this month, for joining the presentation!

On July 14^th AACE International President Elect Shoshanna Fraizinger swore in the newly elected board members of the AACE Seattle Section. The Section officers for 2022-2023 include:

President: Tonja Stradley
Vice President: Dhinakaran Kuppuswamy
Treasurer: Roger Kong
Secretary: Andrea Forderer
Director of Membership: Payman Shirpay

The Section is very excited to welcome its new and existing board members to their new positions! Shoshanna followed up with a brief update on current events and initiatives at AACE Headquarters. She also highlighted infrastructure projects, current trends, and observations. The presentation gave an overview on the status of infrastructure projects in North America, providing general briefings on the current US and Canadian infrastructure plans, discussed the post Covid infrastructure project impacts and economic considerations and touched on infrastructure planning and investment modernization and innovation considerations. A big thank you to Shoshanna for swearing in our new board members and following up with an informative presentation!