Meetings 2008-2009

Sponsored by the

Canaveral Council of Technical Societies (CCTS) and the

Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACEi)

North Florida Section

Cost Engineering/Aerospace Seminars

North Florida Section

Upcoming Meetings

2008-2009

Meetings and Seminars, Workshops, Special Events • (For the 2007-2008 program list, click here.)

Regular meetings held on third Thursdays, except during summer months, unless otherwise noted. Everyone is welcome, membership is not required.

Note: This presentation from US Cost was cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances, and has been re-scheduled for January 15th, 2009. See description below. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Two special 4-hour seminars on Cost Engineering will be presented on June 24th (Seminar A) and July 1st (Seminar B). Co-sponsored by the Canaveral Council of Technical Societies (CCTS) and the North Florida Section of AACEi, these are special opportunities to learn valuable information and techniques from master instructors in their fields.

Seminar A (June 24th): Introduction to Cost Estimating/Cost Engineering and Blueprint Reading

Seminar B (July 1st): Aerospace Cost Engineering

Each seminar runs from 12:00 to 4:45 p.m. (revised times). Location: Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa, FL. Registration fees: $250 per person per seminar before May 15th; $300 per person per seminar May 15th and after. Materials and refreshments included. AACEi Recertification Credits have been approved for 0.45 each seminar. Proceeds benefit scholarships and other community programs.

Spaceport America: Project History, Design and Status

“The next chapter in space transportation is being written right now in the State of New Mexico. Forward-thinking pioneers are developing both vertical and horizontal launch vehicles using the power of free-market enterprise. As the nation’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, Spaceport America is designed with the needs of the commercial space business in mind. Unique geographic benefits, striking iconic design and the tradition of New Mexico space leadership are coming together to create a new way to travel into space. When it comes to outer space, New Mexico is bringing it down to earth!

“In June 2006, New Mexico announced that DMJM Aviation had been selected to provide architecture and engineering services for Spaceport America. The project will integrate building materials and methods that promote environmental quality, economic vitality and social benefit.” (From SpaceportAmerica.com)

AECOM: DMJM Aviation has recently completed the detail design of Spaceport America in New Mexico. Funding has been approved and construction has commenced on the nation’s first purpose built commercial space facility with first licensed vertical launches scheduled for 2009 and horizontal launch facilities ready for 2010. This presentation will cover overall project history, design, and current status of this facility. Speaker: John D. Zukley, Manager, Project Controls, DMJM Aviation: AECOM.

Siemens Energy, Inc. (formerly Siemens Power Generation), Orlando, FL, 6:30 p.m. Optional dinners at extra cost per person with advance reservations required by 10/15/08. Please specify for dinner and meeting, OR meeting only.

Update: If you missed the meeting, download the PowerPoint slideshow, with bonus information and a link to Spaceport America videos here.

Cost Escalation: What’s Ahead and How to Handle It

This panel discussion on a topic of utmost importance and timeliness in the current economy will feature four distinguished experts from a range of industries and experience. Aspects to be covered include history and cost escalation trends, causes of cost escalation, how much escalation to put into your estimates, good resources to use, and tips and pitfalls. Combined results of our Cost Escalation Survey will also be available at the meetings and posted on this Web site.

Our panel members will be:

· Joseph A. Brown, CCE (Moderator) President of Con$truction Co$t Con$ultant, Inc., Mr. Brown is a graduate of the University of Florida, with a B.B.C. degree. He has over 30 years of successful constructing, bidding, proposals, building, planning, programming, scheduling and cost engineering experience. He has prepared and reviewed construction cost estimates amounting to over $30 billion and has been a consultant to commercial, industrial and residential complex interests in several states, including work for the Walt Disney World Contemporary Resort Hotel. Mr. Brown has successfully prepared estimates for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NASA and Air Force facilities; and has received the prestigious Astronauts’ Silver Snoopy for professional excellence and his contributions to the success of the manned space efforts. He has published numerous papers and books, and is an accomplished lecturer, conducting 47 cost estimating seminars in 17 countries, six continents. Mr. Brown, who is an AACEi Fellow, has been AACEi internationally certified since 1976, through September 2009.

· Glenn C. Butts, CCC, is currently employed by NASA as a facility cost estimator. He has a unique perspective of the construction industry and has a broad gamut of experience gained from employment by very small to very large construction companies, doing everything from manual labor to project management. He holds Florida state certified licenses for general, mechanical and plumbing contracting; is a certified welder; an EPA certified universal refrigerant technician; an AACEi certified cost consultant; and winner of the CCTS Technical Achievement Award, and the 2008 AACEi TCM Excellence Award.

· Michael J. Cook, MBA, J.D., has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, specializing in estimating and project controls. He has successfully negotiated, bid and managed a wide range of projects including commercial, health care, heavy industrial, custom residential, Corp of Engineers, Federal, state and local government buildings, and petrochemical. He has held positions as project estimator, chief estimator, and director of estimating and purchasing, and project manager. Currently, Professor Cook is a member of the undergraduate and graduate faculty at the M.E. Rinker School of Building Construction, in the College of Design, Construction and Planning at the University of Florida, teaching courses in estimating, bidding strategies and construction contract law. In addition to teaching, Professor Cook provides consulting and expert witness services to a variety of private and public clients.

· Michael Doyle, Manager of Estimating Services, Camp Dresser McKee (CDM). Mike graduated from Purdue University in 1965 and obtained a Professional Engineers license from the State of Ohio in 1973 (No. 37496). He worked as a project engineer on a number projects early in his career. He started Estimating in earnest in 1968. In 1990 he became the Vice President of Estimating at Danis Environmental Industries. For the next 12 years he oversaw the estimating of 600 million to 900 million dollars worth of water and wastewater treatment plant work annually. Currently as Manager of Estimating Services at CDM, he oversees approximately 35 estimators in 4 locations throughout the United States. CDM estimating performs all types of estimating from Engineer’s Opinion of Probable Cost of Construction to Design-Build Estimates, to Hard-Bid Estimates.

Siemens Energy, Inc. (formerly Siemens Power Generation), Orlando, FL, 6:30 p.m. Optional dinners at extra cost per person with advance reservations required. Please specify for dinner and meeting, OR meeting only. To reserve, contact info@nflaace.org.

· To download speaker presentations and the N. FL AACEi Cost Escalation Survey results, go to the Resources page.

Controlling Costs with US COST Programs and Services. US COST has been a very active member in AACEi for the past 20 years as both an estimating firm and an estimation solution software and services provider. They are global construction cost control and software development specialists. US COST understands that nobody likes surprises when it comes to project costs overages and therefore, hundreds of companies and government agencies have relied on U.S. COST to help them create, manage and share capital project estimates and cost data for over 24 years. Presented by Jared Carlson, US COST Strategic Business Development.

Mr. Carlson will cover several specific topics of interest to cost engineers, including:

∙ Success Enterprise, their networked, SQL Server driven enterprise estimating and estimate management system. It allows multiple users to collaborate on cost estimates via their Internet browser with a "zero client” footprint.

∙ Success Schedule Exchange integrates Success with Primavera P3e/c utilizing Primavera's API. Using one screen to view both Primavera and Success data, a user can selectively copy Estimate data to Schedule activities and vice-versa.

∙ Success Design Exchange allows cost estimates to be created from a BIM model. Users can map items from Autodesk's Revit and Bentley's Triforma to Success detail items or assemblies, and then use this mapping to instantly create a detailed Success cost estimate with a complete quantity take-off.

∙ RSMeans Databases and Assemblies when used in conjunction with Success Solutions, tens of thousands of line items can be searched, evaluated, and added to your project within moments. The RSMeans data is also available in assembly format to allow for even faster estimate creation without losing any of the detail. Estimates can also be adjusted for specific regions of the country by instantly applying the RSMeans city index factors.

(Re-scheduled from September 18th, 2008)

(Tentative) Utility Scale Photovoltaic Power Plant Technology and Cost Reduction

For more than three decades, utility scale solar generated electricity has been dismissed as too costly. But the cost of solar generated electricity is consistently coming down, while the cost of more traditional electricity is increasing. Advances in solar cell technology, conversion efficiency and system installation have allowed utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants to achieve cost structures that are competitive with other energy sources.

The presentation will give a technical overview of the three recently announced PV solar power plants contracted with SunPower Corporation by Florida Power & Light in Florida, as well as review the technology and cost reduction roadmap for the construction of PV Power Plants.

Speaker: Matt Campbell serves as the Senior Product Manager of Power Plant Systems for SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR), a global leader in PV power plants and high performance solar technology. SunPower has constructed over 250 Megawatts of PV Power Plants and large-scale commercial systems around the world including the recently completed 14 megawatt system at Nellis AFB, Nevada, the largest in North America. Prior to joining SunPower in 2004, Matt was the co-founder and COO of Iris AO, a manufacturer of MEMS adaptive optics semiconductors. Prior to Iris AO, Matt worked in Venture Capital technology investing. Matt holds an MBA from UC - Berkeley and a BBA in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

(Tentative) Scheduling and Cost Engineering on Overseas Projects: Challenges and Solutions Details to follow.

TBA