CSI Blog

When CSI published the first "Recruiting Young Specifiers” blog on 12/06/2022 , there were three conversations on the Community Connect Forum about how CSI, the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) industry, and individual firms can recruit new talent and appeal to a larger demographic of the emerging workforce. These threads were “ Thoughts from a Specifications Intern ,” “ Why Young People Should Consider a Career in the Construction Industry ,” and “ Recruiting Young Specifiers ,” which began as a roundtable discussion at the 2022 CSI National Conference in Denver. Since the blog was published in December, numerous ...

The Construction Documents Technology ( CDT ® ) certification provides a comprehensive program of study for anyone seeking to enhance and demonstrate knowledge of writing, interpreting, enforcing, and managing construction documents. Here, three architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) professionals share how earning this valuable certification informed and impacted their professional careers. “Studying for and passing the CDT exam made all the difference in the world for my career in architecture. It is what eventually led me to become a specification writer. I took the exam early in my career when I was still drawing stair ...

Technology often improves the efficiency and swiftness of business communications. Increasingly, many project owners, design professionals, construction managers as advisor (CMa), and contractors rely on e-mail or messages sent via online project document management systems for routine, written communications. While improved efficiency and speed are the benefits, there are drawbacks to relying “too much” on e-mail and other, similar, less-formal types of written communication while implementing a capital project, including: Potential for important or consequential communications, including contractually-required notices, to be mistaken as routine ...

The Construction Documents Technology (CDT ® ) certification provides a comprehensive program of study for anyone seeking to enhance and demonstrate knowledge of writing, interpreting, enforcing, and managing construction documents. Pass the CDT exam, and you'll join an elite group of professionals known in the industry for their comprehensive knowledge of the 8 CDT Knowledge Domains. CSI offers the CDT certification examinations twice annually in the Spring and the Fall. Early Bird Registration for the Spring 2023 exam cycle opens February 1, 2023 and runs until March 3, 2023. Find out more about how you can invest in your future at https://www.csiresources.org/certification/exam-registration. ...

Happy New Year! As we begin 2023 with a fresh start, the CSI Team wanted to suggest three key ways you can expand your professional community, supercharge your career, and hone your public image in the New Year. #1) Volunteer Giving back to your professional association is rewarding, and helps you get to know your CSI community more deeply. Not only will you gain new knowledge and skills, but you are able to share your own expertise. Besides bragging rights that your volunteerism had an impact on the construction industry, you also earn 2 CSI Learning Units per year, which you can submit toward CSI Recertification. Here are just a few ways ...

Happy Holidays! We hope you are getting ready to spend some quality time with family and friends. Prior to the festivities and observations, this question was posted in the CSI Community Connect Forum, the go-to resource where you can connect with architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) peers in real-time: “Whether it was Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets, LEGOs, or some other holiday gift that helped show you the potential of an AECO career, and why?” Here are some of the replies. You can add your voice to the conversation here . I enjoyed Lincoln Logs, followed by building blocks (Legos today). Maybe the most inspiring ...

CSI Board of Directors Chair-Elect William Sundquist, FCSI, published a timely article titled, “Permeable Pavers: Resilience for Your Home and Community,” in Elemental.Green , a resource for green home building and design. In the article, Sundquist, a Regional Sales Manager for Whitacre Green clay pavers states, “As our landscape keeps evolving with the built environment, the need for environmentally friendly outdoor building materials becomes more and more necessary for our communities. Landscapes have changed from natural open spaces that could absorb most rainfall events. Today, our communities divert large amounts of rainfall runoff and discharge ...

This is the second in a two-part series on this blog on schedules of values in construction, comprised of: (a) Part 1 – Fundamentals (addressing what are schedules of values, standard forms, and contractual requirements); and (b) Part 2 – Construction (addressing development, submittal, and review of schedules of values). The schedule of values is a critical document that facilitates proper disbursement of progress payments to a construction contractor, especially when payments are on a lump sum or cost-plus-a-fee basis. This blog post addresses the schedule of values during the project’s construction stage. Preparing and Submitting Schedules ...

The CSI Community Connect Forum is the go-to resource where you can connect with architecture, engineering, construction and owner (AECO) peers in real-time, keep up on current events, get informative professional insight, and even share interesting information about yourself. Currently, there are three conversations discussing how CSI, the AECO industry, and individual firms can recruit new talent and appeal to a larger demographic of the emerging workforce. Along with threads discussing, “ Thoughts from a Specifications Intern ,” and, “ Why Young People Should Consider a Career in the Construction Industry ,” is a conversation ...