senate to vote on bill that includes energy-efficient building credits
12/19/2019
Congress is considering legislation that would include a tax deduction for the construction of energy-efficient commercial and multifamily structures.
The bill, just recently the subject of negotiations between White House officials and Congressional leaders, largely provides for the extension of tax credits related to home purchases and mortgages into 2020.
Those credits were initially phased out at the end of 2017.
The energy efficiency component of the legislation will provide for a deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot for any commercial or multifamily structure exceeding energy efficiency requirements.
The legislation has won the support of the National Association of Home Builders, while the American Council on Renewable Energy criticized the bill for not doing more to promote renewable energy.
“Given bipartisan support for tax incentives for energy storage, offshore wind, electric vehicles, and other critical clean energy priorities, this outcome is deeply disappointing,” Gregory Wetstone, chief executive officer of ACORE, said in a statement.
The legislation is currently awaiting a final vote in the Senate.
By Garry Boulard
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new defense act legislation includes funding for kirtland air force base projects
12/19/2019
Kirtland Air Force Base, on the southeast side of Albuquerque, is poised to see new construction with the passage of the massive National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.
That $738 million legislation includes $15.5 million to build the Combat Rescue Helicopter Simulator Facility at Kirtland.
That long-planned facility will be specifically designed to house the equipment used by the 58th Special Operations Wing, including the new HH-60W simulators.
Also in line for work at Kirtland: a UH-1 replacement facility designed to house simulators used for flight crew training.
The UH-1 replacement aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to the 58th Operations Wing by the end of the 2022.
Funding for the Kirtland projects was earlier this year at risk when the appropriation was diverted to pay for a part of the construction of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.
The bill, now passed by both the House and Senate, has restored that funding.
In a statement, New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich said the defense bill provides “major investments to ensure our Armed Forces are equipped with the most modern technology so we can stay ahead of our adversaries.”
The full Senate has approved the defense authorization legislation on an 86 to 8 vote. It is now awaiting President Trump’s signature.
By Garry Boulard
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additional funding for next phase of albuquerque recreation complex secured
12/18/2019
Members of the Bernalillo County Commission have voted in favor of committing $1 million to help launch the second phase construction of the Mesa del Sol Regional Outdoor Sports Complex on the south side of Albuquerque.
Work on the first phase of the big project, which will ultimately see the construction of 32 athletic fields, is already underway.
Besides building ten new fields, the phase two work will also see the construction of parking space, roadways, landscaping, and common areas.
Another fourteen fields are slated to be built during the project’s phase three. Those fields will be especially designed for cricket, football, rugby and cross country teams.
The Bernalillo commission vote comes after that same body had approved an earlier $1 million for the first phase construction. That funding came from a combination of money from the county’s general fund, general obligation bonds, and state capital outlay from 2016 and 2018.
In lauding the most recent commission vote, member Maggie Hart Stebbins predicted that the completion of the project will see a complex providing “young athletes from around the country better access to competitive soccer and football facilities.”
Stebbins added that the complex will also give “the country, the city, and the state a state-of-the-art facility to attract large scale regional and national tournaments.”
Bernalillo County officials have also recently disclosed that they will be asking the New Mexico State Legislature next month for $5 million in additional capital outlay funding for the complex.
By Garry Boulard
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construction companies expected to increasingly embrace new technology in 2020, says report
12/18/2019
Virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality are all high-tech and highly-developed tools that are expected to enjoy increased use by contractors and builders next year, according to a new report.
The publication Interesting Engineering is positing that the use of such tools can only increase due to the simple fact that “buildings are becoming ever more complicated, and these technologies are helping architects and construction teams improve designs and detect design errors.”
Virtual reality uses 3D modeling and visualization techniques as a regular part of the design process. For architects, builders, and engineers, it means seeing a given project in 3D as a means of understanding how it works.
Augmented reality is a copied view of real world environments where the elements are segmented by a computer-generated sensory input. In essence, this technology takes the real world and adds to it with a 3-D model of an architect’s design.
Mixed reality blends real world with the virtual world with the goal of creating an environment where both the physical and digital segments can interact. The “mixed” part comes with blending the real and virtual worlds through immersive technology.
Not only does such advanced technology help designers and contractors to get inside a building, but it allows clients to explore designs more fully before construction and, perhaps most importantly, provide a permanent, multi-dimensional record of the building itself.
Adds Interesting Engineering: “To date, architects and design teams greatly improve building design through interactive design and gesture interfacing. 2020 is set to see this technology’s influence on the industry expand even further.”
By Garry Boulard
