Controlling construction costs: school districts of all sizes and economic status are vulnerable to overcharges and outright fraud. Here's how to keep your team as honest as possible.
She had no financial expertise--in fact, Veronica Klinefelt was a stay-at-home morn with a high school diploma when she won her bid for a seat on the East Detroit School Board in January 1998. But it was enough background to uncover a $3 million construction fraud scheme in her...

Development of a ground-source heat pump system with ground heat exchanger utilizing the cast-in-place concrete pile foundations of buildings.
ABSTRACT Ground-source (geothermal) heat pump (GSHP) systems can achieve a higher coefficient of performance than conventional air-source heat pump (ASHP) systems. However, GSHP systems are not widespread in Japan because of their expensive boring costs. The authors have developed a GSHP system that uses the cast-in-place concrete...

A strategic Integrated Healthcare Facility Management Model.
ABSTRACT. The requirement to reduce expenditure on "non-core" activities, along with building's owners' expectations for improved performance, are the main dilemmas with which a facility manager deals on a regular basis. The primary objective of this research was to identify the effect of defined parameters, such as the actual...

Ground source heat pumps in schools.
According the U.S. Department of Energy, ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems in schools reduce energy use by 25% to 50% compared to traditional systems and result in typical payback periods of two to eight years. (1) However, the U.S. General Accounting Office states that the use of GSHP...

Housing complex wins tax exemption.
Byline: REAL ESTATE By Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard The West University Neighbors community group has given its blessing to a proposed apartment project on East 14th Avenue between Hilyard and Patterson streets. And the Eugene City Council has bestowed its own approval by voting 5-3 to grant...

Traffic jam: move over megaprojects; small, creative options unlock the grid.
CANADIAN CITIES face a litany of challenges to their vibrancy and vitality. Public safety, health care, education, growing income disparity and a paucity of funds are but a sampling. Amidst this long list, one issue has, nonetheless, risen to the top of the urban agenda: mobility and congestion relief....

Analysis of residential system strategies targeting least-cost solutions leading to net zero energy homes.
ABSTRACT The US Department of Energy's Building America residential systems research project uses an analysis-based systems research approach to identify research priorities, identify technology gaps and opportunities, establish a consistent basis to track research progress, and identify system solutions that are most likely to succeed as the...

"Who's your data?".
10 Reasons Why You Need Accurate Building Cost Data Building cost data is essential to any successful appraisal operation. Here are the top ten reasons why: 1 Perform cost approach appraisals. The primary reason most appraisers need Marshall & Swift building cost data...

Emerald utility seeks voters' OK to invest in renewable energy.
Byline: Jeff Wright The Register-Guard The Emerald People's Utility District is ready to invest in wind farms and other renewable energy projects - but first needs a thumbs-up from voters. Measure 20-126 on the Nov. 7 ballot would allow EPUD to enter into multiple contracts...

City loan plugs gap in housing complex.
Byline: Edward Russo The Register-Guard The Eugene City Council on Monday approved a $450,000 loan to give a key boost to a downtown apartment project. The city loan will help plug a financing gap that has led to a delay in the start of the...