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BUSINESS NEWS

PPG COMPLETES COLORFUL COMMUNITIES PROJ- ECT IN ZHANGJIAGANG, CHINA PPG Industries announced the completion of a Colorful Com- munities project in Zhangjiagang, China, that helped to revitalize the Nansha Primary School as part of its global charitable-giving effort. The Colorful Communities program provides PPG employee volunteers, products, and financial contributions to bring color and vitality to com- munities where the company operates around the world. Launched in 2015, the program in- creases PPG’s commitment to invest in com- munities by adding $10 million to support ef- forts made during a 10-year period. The project brought together nearly 170 vol- unteers who renovated and decorated the school’s nearly 1,000-square-meter play- ground fence. PPG awarded a grant of more than $40,000 to the TEDA Charity Association to support this revitalization project. “It was a meaningful day for the students, our employees and PPG,” said Kent Chen, man- ager of PPG’s Zhangjiagang plant. “Children are society’s future. We are pleased to help them create a better campus environment. Overall, with the participation and cooperation required to complete the task, this was an ex- cellent opportunity to enhance our teamwork.” More than 1,200 students attend the centu- ry-old Zhangjiagang Nansha Primary School. The Zhangjiagang event is the second Colorful Communities project in China.

AISI PUBLISHES THREE S900-SERIES TEST STAN- DARDS The American Iron and Steel Institute has published three test standards in its S900- series. The test standards include: ❚ ❚ AISI S914-15 provides a method for determining the strength and deformation behavior of joist connectors used in cold- formed steel light-frame construction. In this edition, changes are made to allow the 1/8-inch deflection limit to exclude the initial deflection up to 10 percent of the ultimate load for gravity loading only. ❚ ❚ AISI S915-15 is a new test standard that provides the methodology to determine the strength and deformation behavior of through-the-web punchout bridging connectors for cold-formed steel wall stud bracing for nonstructural and structural wall studs in light-frame construction. ❚ ❚ AISI S916-15 is a new test standard that establishes a rational method of determining the strength and stiffness of nonstructural interior partition wall assemblies framed with cold-formed steel. In addition to the cold-formed steel framing, gypsum board panels are considered part of the wall assembly. This standard provides an alternative to the calculation of capacity based on AISI S100, North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members. It also permits manufacturers to determine limiting height values for the assemblies.

KCCT PARTICIPATES IN CHARITY EVENT KCCT won the Structural Ingenuity award in CANstructionDC 2015 for its design of Wash- ington Dulles International Airport. CANstruc- tion is a unique charity that hosts competi- tions showcasing structures made out of cans of food, which are then displayed as a giant art exhibition. Transportation was this year’s theme. KCCT, founded 32 years ago with commis- sions for domestic and international transit projects, has since transitioned to architec- ture, interior, and masterplanning projects, in- cluding international projects in more than 140 countries, so the firm decided to pay homage to Washington Dulles International Airport, where the journey to visit those international projects begins. KCCT was one of 24 DC area architecture and design firms to participate. The KCCT team used 3,360 cans of food to create Dulles: 2 Pringles to Paradise. CANstructionDC 2015 collected 68,313 pounds of food and $5,070 for the Capital Area Food Bank, which translates to 69,600 meals. The event, sponsored by the Washing- ton Architectural Foundation, was held in late November at the National Building Museum. At the end of the event, all food was donat- ed to local hunger relief organizations. Since 1992, CANstruction has helped collect nearly 30 million pounds of food in more than 150 cities nationwide.

Take a look at each element of your strategic plan and ask: “What specific action, and by whom, will move us toward our plan goals?” Imbed these actions and behaviors into the way things are done on a daily basis. Avoid the trap of assigning committees only to have those committees meet once or twice to debate tasks and actions and then revert to old ways of doing things and get lost in the urgency of the work at hand. These are just a couple of ideas on how you can make the most of that valuable strategic plan, turning it into daily actions that actualize your plan’s aspirational goals. It’s up to you to develop a new way of life in your firm to make each part of your strategic plan come true. EDWARD FRIEDRICHS, FAIA, FIIDA, is a consultant with Zweig Group and the former CEO and president of Gensler . Contact him at efriedrichs@zweiggroup.com. “Take a look at each element of your strategic plan and ask, ‘What specific action, and by whom, will move us toward our plan goals?’ Imbed these actions and behaviors into the way things are done on a daily basis.”

ED FRIEDRICHS, from page 3

the firm expects it and team leaders model the behavior as they watch work progressing. It happens when leaders lean over a desk or computer terminal to look for ways to think more creatively about the problem being solved, suggesting the team involved reach out to other individuals in the firm who might offer a unique and inspirational point of view. Who knows better than the leadership team where those spe- cific areas of expertise reside? It is leadership’s responsibility to probe, connect and then follow up to see what happened. That’s how a culture of creative connectivity evolves, not be- cause it is written in a strategic plan. It becomes a way of life. “Instilling that attitude and culture is not a result of writing about it in a strategic plan. It happens when the firm expects it and team leaders model the behavior as they watch work progressing. It happens when leaders lean over a desk or computer terminal to look for ways to think more creatively about the problem being solved.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER Januray 25, 2016, ISSUE 1136

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