February 2014
Vol. 57 Iss. 2
Monthly Meeting
Recap
February 24, 2014
Doubletree Hotel
Milwaukee City Center
611 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203
On Monday, February
24th, John Denton and
Ron Greiber of Quast Consulting lead an interesting
and informative presentatio
on:
President’s Tidbits
By Justin Ritter, CSI, CDT
Greetings Milwaukee Chapter Members,
This month I want to highlight some upcoming opportunities to get more involved
with CSI on a level above the
local chapter. I (along with
two Milwaukee chapter
members) recently attended
the CSI Master Specifiers
Retreat in Amelia Island, FL.
It was a chance for specifiers
and product representatives
Today’s Building Envelope
Challenges
About the Presenter:
Jon Denton is with Quast
Consulting and Testing, Inc.
They provide third party consulting and design support
for architects, contractors and
owners. They also provide
laboratory project-specific
mockup testing and window
certifications, along with field
static air and water testing on
new or failed construction.
Jon has been providing design and consulting services
to get together in a more intimate setting. We had twelve
30-minute one-on-one sessions as well as numerous opportunities to network with
the rest of the attendees in a
more informal setting. It is a
unique opportunity for specifiers to get more information
on manufacturers, products,
and suppliers and for manufacturers to further build on
relationships, gain leads, and
promote their products. I encourage you to apply to attend this event next year in
Scottsdale, AZ in January
2015.
On a national CSI level,
there is also the CSI Academies, coming up in Indianapolis, IN – March 27-29.
This is an opportunity for
everyone to improve their
performance in their construction industry skills.
There are learning tracks for
product representatives, con-
as a third-party reviewer for
the last 15 years. He spent
20 years with a commercial
window manufacturer designing and testing custom
curtainwall and window systems for project-specific
buildings.
Designing and testing products and systems has helped
him immensely in understanding and assuring proper
primary weathering line interfacing of all
components/substrates on the
exterior wall assembly.
tract administrators, and
specifiers. Just ask Steve
Groth about the benefits of
this event. He has attended
multiple times, and is an outspoken advocate. You can get
more information here:
http://csinet.org/MainMenu-Category/Education/CSI-Academies
A little closer to home, you
can get involved on the Region level. The NCR (North
Central Region) Conference
will be in Wichita, KS, May 1
– 3, 2014. I have attended the
last two NCR region conferences, and have enjoyed them
greatly. Region conferences
are filled with networking
and education opportunities
for all construction-related
professionals. There are also
leadership education sessions
for those in a CSI leadership
role. You can learn more and
register here: http://midkansas.csinet.org/Functional-
Join Us In March
Mark your calendar to attend
our next chapter meeting on
March 24, 2014. Watch your
email inbox for more information on presentation
specifics. 
Please rsvp to
[email protected] if
you plan on attending. We
hope you can make it!
Menu-Category/UpcomingEvents/2014-NCR-Conference.html
Sincerely,
Justin Ritter CSI, CDT 
In Remembrance
Ralph W. Liebing, Cincinnati architect, died February
9, 2014, at age 78. He was a
1959 graduate of the University of Cincinnati School of
Architecture. Following service as a NIKE Missile Control Officer, with the Army
Air Defense Command,
Liebing practiced in Cincinnati with Pepinsky. Grau,
Schrand and Shorr, PistlerBrown, and Glaser, Myers &
Associates. Thereafter, he
served some 14 years as
Building Commissioner for
Per-SPEC-tives
Why Johnny Doesn’t Read...Specs
By Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI,
CDT
Cincinnati, OH
Why doesn’t Johnny [i.e.: too
many architects, engineers,
contractors, sub-contractors,
suppliers, representatives and
manufacturers] read the specifications?
Good question-- oddly
enough easily answered.
Those “Johnnies” either don’t
know they should read the
specs, or they know they
should and simply ignore that
fact! That breaks down to
page 2
Hamilton County. After his
government service, he practiced with firms in Lexington,
and Bowling Green, KY,
overseeing several large projects on the campus of Western Kentucky University.
Later he practiced in Cincinnati with PACE Engineering
(Fluor Daniel), Lockwood
Greene, Jacobs Engineering
Group, where he was a Senior
Resource Architect, responsible for training, specification
writing and codes and regulations. At his death he was a
Senior Architect-Specifications, and training instructor
for Hixson, Archtitects / Engineers / Interiors.
In addition to practicing,
Liebing was an adjunct faculty member at the U.C.
School of Architecture for 11
years, the College of Applied
about 10% for the former and
90% for the latter!
They don’t know?????? Well,
sure, from our [spec writers]
side of things, it is hard to realize this simple fact. But
Specifications carry such a
low priority and are so grossly
misunderstood, maligned,
shuttled off and ignored in
academic circles as well as in
professional circles, they have
all but disappeared-- yet they
exist on most every project!
Why is that? How can that
be? Simply, it is the height of
hypocrisy that they are being
done solely because solely of
the factual need for them,
and in spite of the distinct
lack of respect for them and
the lack of understanding of
what they do, the protection
Science for 22 years, and also
taught full-time, for a time, at
the ITT Technical Institute
in Dayton. In addition he
taught in the carpenters'
union apprentice program,
several community education
programs, and short courses
at other colleges.
He was the author of eleven
textbooks on architectural
drawings, contract administration, and the construction
industry overall. One book
remained in the catalog of
John Wiley and Sons, publishers, for over 30 years. He
also published several articles
in professional magazines and
monographs for various technical organizations. Also, he
was a web site columnist for
the Construction Specifications Institute, and wrote a
number of papers and articles
for CSI newsletters and other
they provided, and the value
of the information they contain-- and then all but totally
ignored!
Talk about stupid situations-this is a classic, yet virtually
like no other!
Look! Just as the Agreement
[in Contract Documents] is a
highly veiled and lesser considered document, so too are
specifications. There is such a
high priority and emphasis
on graphic representation
that the written documents
are deemed nuisance simply
since Johnny isn’t the most
interested or best reader,
Johnny need not concern
himself with them. That simple! Almost ludicrous, nonsensical and pathetic!
professional outlets.
Liebing leaves his wife, Arlene, a daughter, Alissa
Welling (Bob), a granddaughter, Mya and a son,
Allen.
Ralph wrote the popular perSPEC-tives column that we
regularly include in our
newsletter. Below, we have included his last column entry
that he wrote a few days before his passing.
He will be missed by the CSI
community dearly. 
Obviously such word-mongers as attorneys, feast on
words, and the twists and
turns that can be imposed on
and through them. Hence,
the immediate use of specifications in the court room!
Two or three things really
and truly, if not drastically,
need to happen-- and there
appears to be no current appetite for any of them.
First, there is an absolute necessity to stridently get fundamental understanding of
specifications [and NO, not
all the intricacies, nuances,
quirks and inner workings of
them] in the professional
schools. There is no option
continued on page 5
m.s.n.
Member
pecifics
Mind Your Membership
Membership
Milestones
If you’ve already renewed ... thank you!
February Anniversaries
About to Expire
Memberships
David Dixon
Mike Muller
Manfred Moritz
James Fleming
Mike Werblow
David Dixon
Jason Raiten
Matthew Martino
13 years
6 years
3 years
2 years
2 years
Welcome to our newest
member: James Foertsch
M
Each month we feature a different CSI Milwaukee Chapter member’s story. Get to
know a bit about your fellow
members and how they benefit from being a CSI member!
Member: David Velcheck,
CCS, RRC
Employer and CSI Division:
Velcheck & Finger Roof
page 3
2/28/2014
2/28/2014
2/28/2014
Please renew – we'd hate to
lose you!
Congratulations
To ALL!
eet
ilwaukee
embers
Expired Memberships
Consulting & Service/Division 7
Your Location? Pewaukee,
WI
Where are you originally
from? Marshfield, WI
Why did you join CSI?
I originally joined CSI in
1990 to gain a better understanding of a project manual
and coordination of construction documents. I then took
the CCS exam and continued
with CSI to meet new people
in the construction industry
John Bunn
Mike Muller
Jason Puestow
Andrea Breen
Ruben Rivera
1/31/2014
1/31/2014
1/31/2014
12/31/2013
1/31/2014
Please renew within the grace
period– we'd hate to lose you,
too!
and attend continuing education events (dinner meeting,
symposiums, etc). My time
with CSI has always been very
rewarding both personally and
professionally.
appreciate receiving the Construction Specifier magazine
for timely information on construction technology and
building challenges. 
What do you want to get
from your CSI membership
and specifically, from the
Milwaukee Chapter?
I like to attend dinner meetings and other educational offerings to make sure I stay
current with the CSI format
changes and new trends in the
construction industry. I also
m.s.n.
Why Join CSI?
CSI is a must for any professional involved in designing,
supplying, building, negotiating, planning, contracting or
any other function in the
construction-building industry. CSI members bring real
world solutions to this everchanging climate. Learn
more about our different
membership types, discounts,
resources, and educational
opportunities.
Becoming a CSI member
gives you a wealth of benefits,
including construction industry news and resources, standards and formats,
networking opportunities,
webinars, events, and member
discounts.
Member Types
$240 - Professional: You author, manage, or communicate building information; to
create, interpret, or use construction documents; or to
educate, support, or assist the
construction industry.
$115 - Emerging Profes-
sional: You have less than
three years experience.
$27 - Student: You are a fulltime student in a construction-related curriculum.
Questions? Contact Lynn at
[email protected], or 608232-4372 and CSI at
[email protected],
www.csinet.org/FAQ or 800689-2900 (M-F, 9-5P, E.T.).
CSI BOGO
Buy-One/Give-One Member
Referral Campaign
You already know involvement in CSI is a good investment. Now you can share
CSI with others who haven’t
yet experienced the benefits
of membership. When you
recruit one professional
member who joins, CSI will
provide you with one membership to GIVE to a potential new member.* You’ll be
able to sponsor another colleague in CSI, and make your
network and chapter that
much stronger.
How it works:
•Recruit an individual to join
as a professional member.
Make sure they enter your
name and member number
under “Member Referral Information.” (They need to
have the right information
about you!)
•CSI will send you a membership to give to a potential
new member. We will mail
you a special membership
certificate to give to someone
who is not a CSI member,
good for one full year of CSI
membership.
•The person to whom you
give your gift will need to
join by the deadline cited on
the certificate.
•All new memberships are for
one year. Renewal fees will be
at full price.
•This offer cannot be applied
to renewals – including renewing your own membership.
•Former members who left
CSI more than two years ago
are eligible to receive this
gift.
•Chapter dues are not covered by this offer.
With your help, we can recruit others in the industry to
join our ever-growing community.
For your help, CSI will also
award you 25 CSI Bucks for
purchasing CSI products or
services.
Milwaukee Chapter Meeting Special Discount
Once again, Milwaukee
Chapter CSI will be honoring the “Pay for 7 meals and
get the 8th meal free” plan.
Contact Lynn at
[email protected], or 608232-4372 for more details. 
Find more membership information on our website:
milwaukee.csinet.org
page 4
m.s.n.
Why Johnny Doesn’t Read...
continued from page 4
here for planting the seeds of
basic understanding of their
use, relationships and value
[and not necessarily including the writing of them].
Second, we absolutely need
to teach the concept and reality of three [3] CDs just as
we [in some places, at least]
teach the three Rs. Students
deserve [!!!!!!] and need to
know these documents on
sight and to understand their
unique individual contributions and impact on all projects and contributing parties.
Each contract document
needs to be properly founded
and given its true lasting and
ever-present relationship to
the others and to each project’s work.
Third, there is need to bring
this same understanding to
all those allied with, or associated with construction
projects. The success of projects involves a straight line
progression with no distractions via disputes, claims and
other “non-essential” exercises. It needs the cooperation and full understanding
of each team member to pull
together, cooperate and truly
understand their direct contribution and their impact on
others. Specifications go a
long way to setting the format for all this, IF all participants read, know about,
understand and comply as re-
Milwaukee Chapter
page 5
quired. This is not to set subservience in place, but merely
to hone relationships to the
point that the project moves
closer and close to that
proverbial “well –oiled machine”.
Now if you agree with and
buy into all this [and hopefully you do] then what entity is best positioned to
address these needs? Who
can best bring the needed
understanding to all these
parties-- academic, professional and project? Where
does the deepest pool of
specifications knowledge and
expertise lie? CSI! 
Fantasy Football
and CSI
by Troy Steege, CSI, AIA
Are you using the best fantasy football skills in managing your CSI membership?
Well ahead of his Super
Bowl win with the Seattle
Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch
was honored with being a
first round selection by the
Farmers in the Pigskin Fourteen Fantasy Football draft.
That’s my team, in a league
in which I act as Commissioner. And many should be
able to appreciate the balance
between this tongue-andcheek notion, and the seriousness and dedication of
those entrenched in the fantasy football culture. For me,
this is a year-round activity
which starts with a look
ahead to the next season
once the order has been
placed for the league champion trophy.
Fantasy Football: A game in
continued on page 6
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m.s.n.
Fantasy Football and CSI
continued from page 5
which users act as general
managers of football teams,
virtually built from real football players in the National
Football League. Football
players at various positions
are represented, and virtual
scoring relates to actual scoring and accomplishments in
real NFL games.
For me, fantasy football begins in the spring of each
year, poring over statistics,
depth charts, and schedules
like a spec writer might take
apart a thermal and moisture
protection section in Divi-
sion 07. I read and study and
discuss, and do everything I
can to out-think the experts.
It’s a hobby, and just through
the uprights as something
that is good and healthy
without being an obsession,
but I often think that the
world would be a much better place if I focused these efforts on something else. If I
was as motivated with my investments, would I be retired
already? What if I channeled
these efforts into the church’s
confirmation program; would
there be class full of future
bishops? Most recently, the
guilt extended to CSI. What
continued on page 7
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Protection and Repair
page 6
m.s.n.
Fantasy Football and CSI
continued from page 6
if I was as committed with
CSI?
This got me to thinking. In
reality, fantasy football and
CSI aren’t all that different.
Let me explain...
First let’s cover some terminology:
Keeper League: A fantasy
football league where a team’s
players can be retained from
one season to the next.
Free Agent: A player that is
not actively on the roster of a
team in the league, and can
be picked up and added to a
team by a general manager.
Waivers: A process through
which free agents and other
players that have been released by teams are made
available to the fantasy football league so that general
managers have the option to
add these players to their
team.
Flex Player: A slot on a fantasy football roster that may
be filled by an NFL player
who may play at one of several actual, real positions.
Handcuff: A backup to a star
player that a fantasy football
general manager may also
have on their roster as a substitute in the event the star
player is injured.
The first, and most obvious
correlation between fantasy
football and CSI is the notion that both strive to assemble a winning team, in
what is essentially a keeper
page 7
league. The objective of CSI
is not to be successful in the
course of a single season, or
calendar year, but to establish
a strong roster of members to
champion the organization’s
ideals over time. Membership retention is key, and unfortunately, the retention rate
of CSI members under the
age of 50 is only 56% (that’s a
#CSIStats fact). That’s the
equivalent of looking to your
aging quarterback to win
games for you, and scouring
the list of untested free agents
to fill in at the skill positions
on your roster.
Often, the greatest success in
building a quality fantasy
football team comes from
taking a chance on young talent, and stockpiling this. In
the league I was part of this
past season, half of my roster
of 15 players was comprised
of young running backs as I
waited for one of them to
break out with a monster performance (two of them hit;
thank you Le’Veon Bell and
Bobby Rainey). CSI is no
different in the need to bring
in young members in numbers, and look to them for the
ideas that will shape the future of the organization.
Youthful membership leads
to growth, which is a quality
shared by 1 out of every 4
CSI Chapters that receive an
Outstanding Chapter Commendation.
So how are the free agents
picked up, and how does this
growth occur? Hard work.
Fantasy football will keep you
up nights. While the waiver
process basically puts general
managers on a waiting list to
acquire the preferred free
agents each week, once this
waiver process is complete, it
is open season to pick up any
available player at any time.
For me, this may mean getting up early in the morning
after the waiver process has
been completed to see which
free agents were overlooked
that could be added to my
team.
This is about recruiting, really.
The key is building a roster of
talent and being vigilant in
this pursuit. Stay informed
about many individuals, stay
connected with these individuals, and do everything to
add them to the team. The
idea is not to remain complacent about the makeup of a
roster, but to always look for
ways to improve this. For
fantasy football, this may
mean putting aside apprehensions about picking up a
free agent, or making a trade
with another team. For CSI,
this may mean putting aside
apprehensions about contacting someone as a prospective
member, or taking the opportunity to make a connection
and promote something the
organization is doing. Remain vigilant. One e-mail
won’t complete the transaction and close the deal. Develop and maintain
relationships, and always be
looking for the next prospect
that can be added to the roster..
Find players and build the
team. Develop talent and
improve the team.
If you have the numbers, the
talent will be there as well.
Often, specifically for CSI,
the talent is versatile such
that individuals can offer
value at several positions. In
a given year, 1 in 5 CSI chapter leaders holds more than
one position. This is the same
thing as a good flex position
player in fantasy football. A
flex position is one open to
players from different skill
positions. This lends to versatility in the roster so that
different star players can be
used in different roles for different situations (usually
schedule related) throughout
the course of a season. Numbers, talent, and versatility all
contribute to the success of
an organization.
All of this is good, but is
there a clear strategy of succession as part of the CSI
membership? Just having
younger talent available is not
enough. Younger talent
needs to be an active part of
the roster. A common strategy in fantasy football is
termed “handcuffing” a star
player, usually a starting running back. This is a roster
strategy where in addition to
the star player, that star
player’s backup will be on a
roster as well. For the Farmers (my team), this would
have meant that in addition
to owning Marshawn Lynch,
I would have also owned his
backup, Robert Turbin. The
concept is that if Marshawn
Lynch were to have been injured during the course of the
season, Robert Turbin would
have stepped in as the lead
running back for the Seattle
Seahawks, and there would
have been a seamless transition at this position on my
team. The same applies to
CSI. There need to be handcontinued on page 9
m.s.n.
The Construction Specifications Institute
CDT, CCS, CCCA & CCPR Programs
Early Application Deadline: January 31, 2014
Final Registration Deadline February 28, 2014
Test Date: March 31 – April 26, 2014
CDT
Construction Document Technology: A comprehensive study of the
construction process, drawings, contracts, and specifications. This program
emphasizes the fundamentals of construction documents and contracts. This
is a prerequisite for the other 3 certification programs.
CCS
Certified Construction Specifier: This is a nationally recognized certificate
for design professionals who manage projects, write specifications, and
administer contracts. Conditions of the contract, use of Division 1, bidding
document preparation, and specification writing are among the focal points of
this 18 year old program.
CCCA
Certified Construction Contract Administrator: This program is for those
primarily involved in construction contract administration. Emphasis is on the
roles and relationships between parties during construction, contract
modification procedures, dispute avoidance and resolution, quality assurance,
and project closeout procedures.
CCPR
Certified Construction Product Representative: This program is for those
involved in construction product sales and services, focusing on being more
effective in serving design and construction professionals from the initiation of a
project to the filing of warranties.
By learning the CSI method of specification preparation and organization you will
strengthen your understanding of all phases of the design and construction process.
These programs have resulted in improved in-house quality control, communications,
and accepted proposals for goods and services.
The Milwaukee Chapter of CSI will offer an 8-week study session from Wednesday,
February 5 through March 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, and held at HGA Offices, 333 East
Erie Street. These classes will offer up to 20 AIA Learning Units. IDP registrants can
earn up to 40 supplementary education elective hours for passing the CDT certificate
program. 40 core minimum hours in Training Area 9 - “Specifications & Materials
Research” for passing the CCS certificate program, and 40 core minimum hours in
Training Area 12 - “Construction Phase-Office” for passing the CCCA certificate
program.
For more information contact: Ron Burns, CSI, CCS at (414) 278-3333,
[email protected] or go to: www.csinet.org/certification
page 8
m.s.n.
Fantasy Football and CSI
continued from page 7
cuff members to work with
the current leaders, and then
transition into these leadership roles to ensure continuity. Get people involved in
CSI and give them purpose,
and avoid having 1 in 6 leave
because they were not satisfied with the experience.
Despite being projected to
finish with a 1-13 record, my
team finished respectably,
made a playoff run, and finished 4th out of a total 14
teams. Had I stayed with my
original roster of drafted
players (graded as a ‘D’ by the
experts), the result would undoubtedly have been quite
different, and likely somewhat unhealthy for me. But
the strategy of acquiring new
players, always looking to
improve the roster, and having confidence in these
moves took the season in a
completely different (and
healthier) direction. If score
were kept on player transactions only, my average of
nearly 3 roster moves per
week would have smashed
the competition.
The challenge to CSI, and to
each of us, is to build our
roster, develop young talent,
and improve our team. The
challenge is also to take
things from our professional
and personal lives that will
make CSI better, and share
these to always move our
strategies forward. The question is really this: Is CSI a
team that has the talent to
make a championship run,
and maintain this as a dynasty over time?
Postgame: If you’re wondering who won my fantasy
football league, it was my
wife, Liz. While I was working statistical voodoo and developing my own metrics for
success, she elected to build
her team by deferring completely to the pre-draft player
rankings of the experts. The
elusive Silver Swine trophy
now bears her name, not
mine, and the cycle will start
for me again as I look to this
as my North Star in 2014.
Maybe I should vary my approach this coming season,
take a cue from the spec
writers, and rely upon the
knowledge of the experts. 
BuchNotes #53
by Ed Buch, CS, CCS, AIA
Los Angeles, CA
The Flatiron, The New York
Landmark and the Incomparable City that Arose With
It, is an engaging history of
the New York City architectural icon. The book provides
detailed insight into the life
and times at the turn from
the 19th to the 20th century
in New York City, the practice of design and construction at the time, the
personalities involved, and
the origin of the George
Fuller Construction Company, an early giant in the industry.
George Allon Fuller trained
as an architect at MIT, graduated in 1876 and went to
work for the NYC firm of
Peabody and Stearns. Fuller
was more interested in the
construction of projects than
in their design and very
shortly founded his own construction company. In the
years following the civil war,
structural steel was just starting to be used in building
construction. Equally as important, the invention of the
elevator brake by Elijah Otis
made elevators safe and the
construction of buildings
higher than 4 stories practical. Now, many were being
constructed as high as 10
stories.
Like NYC, Chicago was experiencing a building boom
as a result of the great
Chicago fire in 1871. In
1883 George Fuller moved
his family and his business
there. His construction company promoted the use of
structural steel and in 1890
Fuller constructed the first all
structural steel office building, the 10 - story Rand McNally Building. At the time
structural steel was seen to be
revolutionary and it was accepted only reluctantly by the
public. Building owners
loved it since it allowed more
useable floor space to rent as
compared with traditional
bearing wall construction, especially in high rise buildings, and was less costly to
build. By 1892 there were
over a dozen “skyscrapers”,
10 to 12 stories high, in
Chicago’s Loop.
In 1897 Fuller Construction
returns to NYC. This was
perfect timing since many
continued on page 10
Be sure to get your
Milwaukee Chapter
CSI stress ball!
We all know how much
CSI membership can help
reduce stress and here's
the proof.
Just $1 each; the profits
will help fund scholarships
through the Milwaukee
CSI Education Trust. Contact Lynn Javoroski ([email protected]) to place your
stress ball order.
page 9
m.s.n.
BuchNotes #53
continued from page 9
land owners wanted to construct taller buildings to maximize their rental income,
and this was just the type of
experience Fuller brought
with him from Chicago.
When Fuller fell ill with
ALS his son-in-law, Harry
Black, took control of the
Fuller Co. and expanded it
with projects up and down
the east coast. George Fuller
died in 1900. Harry Black
rapidly turned the company
into a real estate trust with
ownership in many properties
in addition to its construction
work. In 1901 Black purchased the Flatiron site and
asked Daniel Burnham to design a skyscraper to house the
headquarters of the Fuller
Co. This in itself was unusual
since Chicago architects
didn’t work in NYC, or vice
versa. In addition to having
to design on a tiny 9,000 SF,
triangular shaped site, Burnham had to deal with the
“problem of the skyscraper”,
how to make it a beautiful
building using an architectural vocabulary that was
rooted in traditional, classical
details.
Following the start of foundation excavation in May
1901, a building permit application was made on Aug.
1, 1901 for construction of
the steel framed building, 286
ft. high with floors framed in
steel supporting concrete
decks poured over hollow
clay tiles. The exterior was to
be clad in terra cotta except
for the first floor that would
be clad in limestone. The first
permit application was rejected based on a requirement
for additional calculations
page 10
and details for the steel framing and, in particular, the
framing to resist the high
wind load expected against
the very narrow building.
Another requirement called
for the addition of exterior
fire escapes. Eventually this
requirement was dropped
once the structural issues
were resolved. At the same
time Fuller had 15 other
buildings under construction
in New York City alone.
Construction was taking
place in the era of increased
unionization of labor and
trade workers. Fuller avoided
trouble with the unions by
bribing their leadership. By
June of 1902 much of the exterior terra cotta had been installed.
The first tenants moved into
the Flatiron Building in the
fall of 1902, before construction was complete. The
building boasted having its
own steam and electrical
plants and it had 6 hydraulic
elevators. Since 1899 skyscrapers were required to
have standpipes for fire protection and the Flatiron included a 6” dia. standpipe
from the basement to the
roof. Fire protection in high
rise buildings was a big concern to the public given several recent fires that had
taken many lives.
The Flatiron cost $2 M to
build when it was completed
in 1902. The public loved the
Flatiron for its very narrow
wedge shape, a “slice of cake”,
but the architectural critics
didn’t think so highly of it.
Montgomery Schuyler, writing in Arch. Record in Oct.
1902 dismissed it as “awkward”. On the other hand,
the famous photographer Al-
fred Stieglitz almost made a
career photographing it and it
was the subject for many
painters in the years after
construction was completed.
The book also includes a description of society life at the
time for the wealthy who
wintered in Palm Beach,
Florida and spent their summers in the Catskill Mountains resorts. By the
mid-1920s, with the beginning of architectural modernism arriving in NYC, the
Flatiron was on its demise,
looking shabby and in a
shabby neighborhood.
Harry Black committed suicide in 1930 at the age of 68.
He lost money in the stock
market crash of 1929 but, unlike many other speculators,
was far from broke. For a guy
who started out knowing
nothing about design or construction, but who had the
good fortune to marry the
boss’s daughter, he had a remarkable effect on the evolution of the skyline of New
York City.
The book was written by
Alice Sparberg Alexiou. Her
grandfather was an owner of
the building in the years after
WWII. It was published in
2010 by Thomas Dunne
books with 298 pages that include several period photographs. 
Milwaukee Chapter
m.s.n.
page 11
m.s.n.
page 12
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m.s.n.
The Board
Committee Chairs
Officers
President: Justin Ritter, CSI, CDT
920-428-2220 | [email protected]
President Elect: Ron Burns, CSI, CCS
414-278-8200 | [email protected]
Academic Affairs: Troy Steege, CSI, AIA
920-209-7501 | [email protected]
Awards: Open
Vice President: Greg Kempen, CSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA
414-278-3474 | [email protected]
Certification: Ron Burns, CSI, CCS
414-278-8200 | [email protected]
Secretary: Steve Etelamaki, CSI, CCCA
414-410-2937 | [email protected]
Electronic Communications: Steve Etelamaki, CSI, CCCA
414-410-2937| [email protected]
Treasurer: J. Gerard Capell, FCSI, AIA, CCS
414-962-4638 | [email protected]
Past President: Steve Etelamaki, CSI, CCCA
414-410-2937 | [email protected]
Directors
2014: Troy Steege, CSI, AIA
920-209-7501 | [email protected]
2014: Open
Education: Vacant
Membership: Lynn A. Javoroski, FCSI, CCS
414-510-6057 | ljavoroski@flad.com or [email protected]
Nominating: Steve Etelamaki, CSI, CCCA
414-410-2937| [email protected]
Planning: Vacant
2015: Len Severson, CSI
920-279-7032 | [email protected]
Programs: Steve Etelamaki, CSI, CCCA
414-359-3060 | [email protected]
Robert Kartes, CSI
414-520-5422 | [email protected]
2015: Pat Brennan, CSI
414-232-4137 | [email protected]
Public Relations: Dan Witzlib, CSI
262-623-2292 | [email protected]
2016: Matt Martino, CSI, CDT
386-626-6847 | [email protected]
2016: Dan Witzlib, CSI
262-623-2292 | [email protected]
Tabletops: Open
Region Representative: Lynn A. Javoroski, FCSI, CCS
414-510-6057 | ljavoroski@flad.com or [email protected]
Past Presidents
2013: Steve Etelamaki, CCCA
2012: Jeff Loss, AHC
2011: Patrick Brennan
2010: Cory Erickson
2009: Gary A. Kretchmer
2008: Jennifer Simchick, CDT
2007: William J. Crowley, CDT
2006: Gregory M. Bednar, CDT
2005: James Pankowski, CDT
2004: Gunnar Prawitz, CCS,
CCCA
2003: Devon R. Miller, CCS
2002: Andrew J. Pace
2001: Lynn A. Javoroski, FCSI,
CCS
2000: Christine M. Ahl, CCPR,
CCCA
1999: James C. Drzewiecki, CCCA
1998: Andrew J. Pace
1997: Charlie W. Hart, CDT
1996: J. Gerard Capell, FCSI,
CCS
1995: James L. Hopp, CDT
1994: David Kluge, CCS
1993: David F. Brandt, FCSI, CCS
1992: Steve D. Heaton, CDT
1991: Larry R. Earll, CCS
1990: Thom A. Osenga
1988-89: Thomas F. Tarkowski,
FCSI, CCS
1987: Richard E. DeLisle, CCPR
page 14
Coordinators
1985-86: Carl A. Reinhard, CCS
1984: Rae R. Reuss (dec)
1983: Richard H. Walter
1982: Robert W. Morrison (dec)
1979-81: Theodore C. Hunt (dec)
1977-79: John L. Casey, Emeritus (dec)
1975-77: Donald W. Osenga (dec)
1973-75: Clarence Huettenrauch, FCSI, CCS
1971-73: Francis R. Manci (dec)
1969-71: Walter E. Zoller (dec)
1967-68: Mark A. Pfaller (dec)
1966-67: Carrol R. Maguire (dec)
1965: Eugene N. Grotenhuis
1964: Richard E. Schweisberger
(dec)
1963: Erwin A. Lambrecht (dec)
1962: Wallace R. Lee, Jr.
1961: Karl Roesser
1960: Lester G. Seubert, FCSI (dec)
1959: Arthur O. Reddemann
1957-58: Alfred C. Kluge, FCSI (dec)
Fellows of the Institute
Alfred C. Kluge, FCSI (dec)
Lester G. Seubert, FCSI (dec)
Clarence Huettenrauch, FCSI, CCS
Thomas F. Tarkowski, FCSI, CCS
David F. Brandt, FCSI, CCS
Lynn Javoroski, FCSI, CCS
J. Gerard Capell, FCSI, CCS
Meeting Reservations: Jeff Loss, CSI, AHC
414-384-4448 | [email protected]
email [email protected] to reserve your spot
at each meeting
m.s.n. Staff
Editor: Angie Larimer, CSI
262-650-6443 | [email protected]
Webmaster: Pat Brennan, CSI
414-232-4137 | [email protected]
Policy
milw • spec • news is a monthly
publication of the Milwaukee
Chapter, Construction Specifications Institute, Inc. It is published 12 times a year and
distributed free of charge to
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nationwide. m.s.n does not ap-
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guarantee the validity or accuracy
of any data, claim or opinion.
Blanket republication rights are
granted CSI and its Chapter for
original articles if credit is given
the author and the m.s.n.
m.s.n.