Infras tructure Monthly Published by: The Right Hire

Matt Plotkin, President 310-844-7481 Mattp@therighthireinc.com www.therighthireinc.com

$139 MILLION TARGETED TO UPGRADE TRANSPORTATION AND ENHANCE ECONOMIC GROWTH

Caltrans Press Release 9/10/09

Allocations include $2 million from federal stimulus fundsSacramento -

Today, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated$139 million to improve the state's transportation system and provide further support for the state's economy. The allocations include $2 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The remaining $137 million in allocations came from assorted transportation accounts funded by state and federal dollars.

"From one end of the state to the other, transportation projects are providing good paying jobs and improving mobility for people and businesses in California," said Caltrans Director Randy Iwasaki. "Our focus has been and continues to be ensuring that California gets the maximum benefit from the stimulus funding."

More than 140 stimulus transportation projects worth $1.1 billion have been awarded contracts to begin work, and many more projects are in the pipeline - $724 million in federal stimulus funds are

projected to be awarded by November.

Among the 44 projects that received funding allocations today were:

Riverside County - $11.2 million to repair and resurface nine miles of heavily used State Route 91 between McKinley Street in Corona and the Orange/Riverside County line. This project will improve ride quality and safety for more than 200,000 motorists who commute daily on this section of highway.

Bay Area - $10 million to the Novato Narrows Project, which is widening eight miles of Highway 101 to six lanes between Novato in Marin County and Petaluma in Sonoma County.

Los Angeles - $4.4 million to construct and install devices to remove metal pollutants and trash from storm water runoff on eight miles of State Route 60 from Monterey Park to the City of Industry.In addition, $61 million was allocated to Caltrans to cover operating costs for its three intercity passenger rail lines. The Pacific Surfliner, the Capitol Corridor and the San Joaquin are the second, fourth, and sixth busiest intercity passenger rail services in the nation. Collectively, more than five million persons rode these trains in fiscal year 2008-09.

PAGE 1TRANSPORTATION FUNDS INCREASEDState and Federal Governments allocate an additional $139 million for projects throughout California

PAGE 2NEWSLETTER INTRODUCTIONThe Right Hire is proud to introduce Infrastructure Monthly, dedicated to the Construction and Civil Engineering industries.

PAGE 2PIPELINES BURSTINGThroughout California there have been an uptick in the numbers of pipes breaking causing floods.

PAGE 3CONCRETES CARBON FOOTPRINTIs concrete adding to or helping solve global warming?

PAGE 3ROADWAY COST ESTIMATORCalculator that gives estimated costs for concrete and asphalt.

PAGE 4TAX CREDITS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMESWays your home can provide tax credits

INFRASTRUCTURE MONTHLY ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 2009

Breaking Pipelines Create Problems Throughout California

By: Matt Plotkin

It's 10:30 on a Saturday night in September and the street of Coldwater Canyon in Studio City is covered in several feet of water. The cause was not from El Nino, a severe rain storm or a hurricane, but rather a 64 foot pipeline that had burst open, causing massive flooding in the streets. Local homes, cars and businesses were damaged. Large pieces of concrete were ripped from the ground and the water damaged roads. And many people were forced to relocate, either to a shelter or a hotel, until local officials were able to clean up the water and restore order to the neighborhood in Studio City.

The question then turns to how this happened and how it could have been prevented. The evidence points to the 100 year old pipeline that was scheduled to be replaced in the next

couple of years. The very same pipeline burst in September 1993, almost 16 years to the day of the current flooding. As the cleanup crew worked hard and long to fix the pipeline and drain all the water, a bigger issue should be confronted.

Whenever there is talk of infrastructure projects, we hear about the roads and bridges that are crumbling. We hear talk of high speed rails and fixing our freeway system to alleviate traffic. What hasn't been mentioned is the need to fix and replace our old pipelines that run under our streets, which are 100 years old in some cases, in badly need of repair and have recently been reeking havoc throughout California.

In the month of September in Los Angeles alone, there have been more than 35 pipelines that have burst. In 2006, there were 13. A major 100 foot pipeline in Folsom broke last February, causing a 16 hour outage, and San Diego had a pipeline burst recently, that left an entire neighborhood of

homes and businesses without water for almost an entire day.

The bottom line here is that our pipelines in California are getting old and need to be replaced. This should be one of the priorities of the government, at times taking precedent over fixing our roads. While a series of potholes may cause a commuter to change their route, a bursting pipeline creates a problem for the entire community, whether it's through flooding, causing local residents to go without water, or damaging our roads at the same time. After all, pipes are a major part of our infrastructure and should no longer be overlooked.

THE RIGHT HIRE PRESENTS:INFRASTRUCTURE MONTHLYBy: Matt Plotkin

Welcome to the first issue of Infrastructure Monthly, provided and created by The Right Hire. Each month, you can expect a mix of Civil Engineering and Construction articles, along with business tips and ideas, industry trends, and the latest alternative energy news. In every issue, this newsletter will aim to inform and educate its readers on the latest infrastructure news.

The Right Hire is a recruiting firm focused in the infrastructure fields of Construction and Civil Engineering. We have worked with companies of all sizes to find the top talent on the market today. Contact us today to find out how we can help streamline your recruiting process.

INFRASTRUCTURE MONTHLY ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 2009

How Solid Is Concrete's Carbon Footprint?

Many scientists currently think at least 5 percent of humanity's carbon footprint comes from the concrete industry, both from energy use and the carbon dioxide (CO2) byproduct from the production of cement, one of concrete's principal components.

Yet several studies have shown that small quantities of CO2 later reabsorb into concrete, even decades after it is emplaced, when elements of the material combine with CO2 to form calcite.A study appearing in the June 2009 Journal of Environmental Engineering suggests that the re-absorption may extend to products beyond calcite, increasing the total CO2 removed from the atmosphere and lowering concrete's overall carbon footprint.

While preliminary, the research by civil and environmental engineering professor Liv Haselbach of Washington State University re-emphasizes findings first observed nearly half a century ago--that carbon-based chemical compounds may form in concrete in addition to the mineral calcite-now in the light of current efforts to stem global warming."Even though these chemical species may equate to only five percent of the CO2 byproduct from cement production, when summed globally they become significant," said Haselbach. "Concrete is the most-used building material in the world."Researchers have known for decades that concrete absorbs CO2 to form calcite (calcium carbonate, CaCO3) during its lifetime, and even

longer if the concrete is recycled into new construction--and because concrete is somewhat permeable, the effect extends beyond exposed surfaces.While such changes can be a structural concern for concrete containing rebar, where the change in acidity can damage the metal over many decades, the CaCO3 is actually denser than some of the materials it replaces and can add strength.Haselbach's careful analysis of concrete samples appears to show that other compounds, in addition to calcite, may be forming. Although the compounds remain unidentified, she is optimistic about their potential."Understanding the complex chemistry of carbon dioxide absorption in concrete may help us develop processes to accelerate the process in such materials as recycled concrete or pavement. Perhaps this could help us achieve a nearly net-zero carbon footprint, for the chemical reactions at least, over the lifecycle of such products."That is the thrust of Haselbach's current NSF-funded work, where she is now looking at evaluating the lifecycle carbon footprint of many traditional and novel concrete applications, and looking for ways to improve them."This work is part of the portfolio of studies that NSF is funding in this vital area," added Bruce Hamilton, director of NSF's environmental sustainability program and a supporter of Haselbach's work. "Research relating to climate change is a priority."

Roadway cost estimatorThe American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) introduced an online calculator that helps agencies, planning organizations, road builders, and contractors calculate estimated fuel and cost savings associated with building with concrete pavement versus asphalt.The ACPA Green Streets Calculator (www.pavements4life.com/greenstreets) illustrates that concrete roads deflect less under loading, allowing trucks to get better fuel mileage; and concrete uses less fuel to construct than asphalt roads.The online calculator accounts for highway/roadway design including road length, total road width, concrete thickness, comparable asphalt thickness, traffic, and fuel costs. Then the utility determines the minimum, average, and maximum impact of using concrete versus asphalt in relation to fuel usage and environmental impact. Visit www.pavements4life.com/greenstreets to try out the online calculator.

INFRASTRUCTURE MONTHLY ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 2009

Tax Credits for Energy Efficient Home Improvements

In February, President Obama signed a stimulus bill (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) that made some significant changes to the energy efficiency tax credits.

* The tax credits that were previously effective for 2009, have been extended to 2010 as well.* The tax credit has been raised from 10% to 30%.* The tax credits that were for a specific dollar amount (ex $300 for a CAC), have been converted to 30% of the cost.* The maximum credit has been raised from $500 to $1500 for the two years (2009–2010). However, some improvements such as geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, and solar panels are not subject to the $1,500 maximum.* The $200 cap on windows has been removed

Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 & 2010 (for existing homes only) for:

* Windows and Doors

* Insulation

* Roofs (Metal and Asphalt)

* HVAC

* Water Heaters (non-solar)

* Biomass Stoves

INFRASTRUCTURE MONTHLY ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 2009