President's Message, March 2016

Here in Colorado, we’ve had a mild and rather dry winter. It’s been a bit too warm for my liking, with above-average temps for much of February and March, probably January too. While we had an above-average snowpack in January, it’s dwindled and could use some help about now. Not only do front-range communities look toward that to predict water supplies for the rest of the year, but we also need rain and snow to reduce our wild fire susceptibility. Plus the dog loves it. So, as I write this, during the last week of winter, we’ve started off dry and with nearly 70° F. Tomorrow the high temps are supposed to be below normal (I think we should call that “typical” instead of “normal”, don’t you?) somewhere closer to 30° F and we’re supposed to have snow. Of course, there’s always the chance that they miss the forecast, and tomorrow is sunny and dry all over again.

What does that have to do with construction and CSI? It’s about change and the unexpected, how we anticipate it and how we handle it. What we do every day in our industry, even with the most careful planning, can all go out the window when surprises come along. I recently talked to a contractor who was lamenting the fact that there were hidden sub-surface conditions not even hinted at in the soils report. And I’d venture a guess that many of us have had a remodel project where there were not insignificant surprises lurking behind the wall that was undergoing demolition.

But, if we’ve done our jobs to our highest professional level, we’re prepared. And what CSI has to offer us can be a vital part of that preparation. CSI provides us with education opportunities, such as our CSINext monthly meetings, region conferences and CONSTRUCT, as well as the practice groups. We have access to practice guides that spell out for us the various roles and responsibilities and how construction documents correlate, along with in many cases how to handle the unexpected.

Way beyond the formal education sources, though, we have our CSI network. Look around at the next chapter meeting, yes even at the virtual chapter meeting (you’ll have to look virtually, but you can do that), and you’ll find an expert in the very thing that’s causing your dismay. Need somebody who can take your understanding of applied fireproofing to the next level that helps you solve the problem? Check the member directory. Have to improve the concrete finishing spec for the next project so that your public works facility client is happy? Call the person you just met at the region meeting.

I could go on, but maybe you get the idea. CSI is full of great resources, some easier to see right away like the practice guides or the webinars, but our networking adds another level of expertise. We can all take advantage of that.

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CSINext May 2016 Meeting
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