Spire Project Controls Experts Spoke at AACE’s 2019 Western Winter Workshop

SPIRE PROJECT CONTROLS EXPERTS SPOKE AT AACE’S 2019 WESTERN WINTER WORKSHOP

Spire representatives had the honor of attending and presenting at the 2019 AACE Western Winter Workshop in the beautiful Lake Tahoe region of California. The Spire team was represented at the Workshop by Managing Consultant Roger Nelson, Senior Consultant Dr. Nour Bouhou, and Consultant Akshaya Iyer, each of whom led presentations at the Workshop. Mr. Nelson and Dr. Bouhou served as Program Chairs on the planning committee for this Workshop, which provided attendees with ample networking opportunities alongside informative discussions with industry professionals. These discussions created an environment conducive to the exploration of potential solutions to the common challenges faced by those in the modern construction industry.

Mr. Nelson and Dr. Bouhou also co-presented on “Weather Delays: How Adverse Weather is Interpreted and Analyzed in the Construction Industry,” a talk that shed light on how public and private contracts define and address weather, industry standards for planning and accounting for weather, and the analysis of weather ex post facto. The presenters included case studies and examples to illustrate how project planners and forensic analysts have accounted for weather impacts, both proactively and retrospectively. Ms. Iyer presented on the “Discrete Analysis Method of Quantifying Damages – Challenges and Lessons Learned.” Her presentation focused on both the strengths and lessons learned for owners and contractors from the use of the Discrete Analysis Method in quantifying damages. She highlighted these aspects through a case study where damages were quantified for a multi-million-dollar residential development using the Discrete Analysis Method.

Mr. Roger Nelson, PE, PSP, LEED AP, Managing Consultant, has over 16 years of experience in both the public and private sectors of the AEC industry. Mr. Nelson delivers construction and program management services by performing contract risk analysis, change order reviews, schedule oversight, and cost management throughout the lifecycle of a project. He also provides forensic services by analyzing, developing, and preparing claim evaluations, and supports clients in mediation, arbitration, and litigation. Mr. Nelson is a certified Professional Engineer (PE) registered in California, a certified Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) with AACE International (AACE), and a LEED Accredited Professional (AP) with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

Dr. Nour Bouhou, PSP, Senior Consultant, provides scheduling and change order evaluation services on large scale mixed-used projects as well as military projects requiring DoD cost-loaded schedule reporting and time impact analysis requirement. In claims situations, she assists with schedule delay analyses, productivity impact assessments and damages quantifications. Dr. Bouhou served as Past Vice President and Treasurer of the AACE International (AACE) Central Texas Section. She is currently the Vice President of AACE International (AACE) Bay Area Section and is certified as a Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) by AACE International (AACE).

Ms. Akshaya Iyer, Consultant, conducts constructability reviews and develops baseline schedules for clients in both the private and government sectors. She periodically updates schedules, performs time impact analyses (TIA) and reports monthly progress on cost-loaded schedules per USACE requirements. She holds an advanced scheduling certification in Primavera P6 Professional. Ms. Iyer assists clients during complex construction disputes by conducting contract reviews, developing as-built schedules, analyzing specific issues for causation, quantifying damages and drafting sections of reports. Ms. Iyer has held the national Graduate International Team Lead position in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) focused on advancing the careers of graduate international students. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the SWE Austin section.