The talk on "Hudson Rail Yard Platform Challenges" was given by Mr. Nicholas Mazzaferro, P.E., who presented the challenges met with the construction of major buildings in the air space above a highly active rail yard. Some specific topics included the structural conditions and design, HVAC fire and life safety and the use of BIMS and 3D computer imaging to understand existing field conditions and to assist in design tasks.

The attendees at the lecture were able to understand the conditions and engineering items that were needed to address the building over the rail yard. Attendees were also exposed to numerous engineering tools used to design and plan the construction for the facility.

Mr. Karl Silverberg presented the second lecture on "Construction Contracts." His presentation was on the main provisions in a typical construction contract, including the role of the parties, the claims and change order process, the differing site condition clause (both Type I and Type II), time extensions, no-damage-for-delay provisions, notice provisions, resolving ambiguities, warranty provisions, owner's implied warranty to the contractor, payment terms, termination for cause and termination for convenience.

Each of the attendees was able to recognize the key provisions in a contract so that each party knows their rights and responsibilities. From this information, attendees will be able to facilitate a successful project because disputes can be discussed in a knowledgeable manner and claims would be able to be resolved in an efficient manner so that all involved parties can maintain a team approach to delivering a project which is on time and on budget.

The final lecture of the evening presented by Mr. Kyle Twitchell, P.E. on the "Construction and Structural Rehabilitation for Urban Agriculture." Mr. Twitchell discussed how building owners are looking to install green roofs. Existing buildings in New York City have the potential to be developed for urban farming with a varying degree of reinforcement and rehabilitation and Mr. Twitchell provided several case studies which demonstrated the potential of certain types of green roofs in New York City.

Each attendee was educated about the different types of building stock in the city and the concerns related to evaluating the building including the installation of heavy green roofs as well as the potential options for reinforcing of buildings.