Infraday - State of The Market - April 23

10:00-11:00: Remote Construction Workers? Online Collaboration in the time of COVID-19

In many areas of the United States, construction is being deemed an essential service amid ongoing shelter-in-place restrictions. While there are aspects of building that do require an in-person presence on a job site, many jobs in construction might be done remotely. Adjusting to a remote work lifestyle represents a major shift for a vast majority of construction professionals. How can mass (forced) adoption of remote working accelerate nascent trends in the construction industry? Panelists will provide best practices in overcoming challenges in navigating a new type of jobsite. 

Moderator:

Christopher Villari, Head of Communications, North America, Turner & Townsend

Panelists:

Antonio Valenzuela, Public Works Director, City of South Fulton, GA

Burcin Kaplanoglu, PhD., Executive Director, Innovation Officer, Oracle Construction & Engineering Global Business Unit

Dan Ringo, Director of Public Works, City of Pontiac, MI

Kini Knudson, Street Transportation Director, City of Phoenix

Mark Muenzer, Community Development & Transportation Director, City of Redwood City, CA

11:00-12:00: Post CARES Act Infrastructure Stimulus Funding: How will the industry deliver?

While the government’s response thus far has been centered around mitigating the pressing health and economic issues related to the pandemic, lawmakers have begun to consider longer-term impacts of the crisis, and the subsequent need for new infrastructure investment to get the American economy back on track. In the case that a stimulus does in fact pass, will there be there be a reprioritization of projects and programs for people most impacted by COVID-19? Also, will the public and private sector be able to coordinate in such a way to efficiently deliver on the stimulus? This panel brings together key stakeholders from the public and private sector to discuss what could be in the potential post-virus infrastructure plan. 

Moderator:

Dominic Leadsom, Director of Corporate Compliance and Assurance, North America, Turner & Townsend

Panelists:

Eric Newman, Accountant and Treasury Manager, City of Stamford, CT

Denise M. Berger, FAIA, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for the Northeast, AECOM

David Elder, AICP, Assistant Planning Director, Office of Strategic Planning and Projects, Bureau of Policy and Planning, CT DOT

Michael Ereti, Director of Capital Projects, Houston Public Works

12:00-1:00: Mental Health Awareness & Reducing Density at a Jobsite

Social distancing. What are the practical solutions to reduce density? How do we address employees worries about coming into contact? As COVID-19 mortality rises into the tens of thousands and the number of infections well over half a million, it’s likely the labor work force will have some apprehension about going back to work prior to approved pharmaceutical and vaccine therapies. How does the industry address the physical and mental health concerns of the workforce? And, can we leverage modular construction, remote/robotic drone inspections, autonomous rovers, 360 cameras, and artificial intelligence to reduce worker density on sites? 

Moderator:

John Robbins, Managing Director, USA, Turner & Townsend 

Panelists:

Keith B. Gabriel, Economic Development, Site Readiness Manager, Certified Drone Pilot, Duke Energy

John Travers, Building Official, Building Services Division, City of Fort Lauderdale, FL

Joseph Barr, Director of Traffic, Parking, and Transportation, City of Cambridge

Todd Kinskey, Director of Planning & Community Development, City of Dayton, OH

1:00-2:00: Contracts in a Post Pandemic World: What Will Change 

All contracts contain Force Majeure language, but an epidemic or pandemic can be a gray area for both the Client and contractor and what relief is available to them. Unfortunately living in this gray area today means contracts in the future will undoubtedly change to better address such unprecedented global events. Panelists will discuss what contractual issues they have faced on their projects as a direct result of COVID-19 and their plans for contracts in the future as a result of those experiences.

Moderator: 

James V. Hamilton, Business Development Manager, AMECO

Panelists:

Anthony Sanger, Senior Vice President & Head of Program Advisory (Americas), Turner & Townsend

Allan Marks, Partner, Milbank

Scott Blumenreich, Chief Innovation & Technology Officer (CITO), City of Centennial, CO

Clarence Boone, Senior Director of Economic Development, The City of Stonecrest, Georgia

2:00: End of Meeting