The Latest
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Trades teacher contest with $1.5M in prizes kicks off
The Harbor Freight Tools for Schools program pays career technical education instructors and their schools up to $100,000.
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Drones, other contech poised for takeoff in NYC
Adoption of drone technology would greatly improve the speed and efficiency of conducting facade inspections, said a panelist at the 2023 New York Build Conference.
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Opinion
What The New York Times got wrong about construction
What is holding the industry back from broader tech adoption and more collaboration?
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Defunct Katerra sues former CFO for bonus
The failed Softbank-backed startup is alleging its former CFO is obligated to pay back his signing and relocation bonuses amid intensifying scrutiny of executive compensation.
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Construction starts rebound on manufacturing, housing strength
After a massive dropoff in January, new groundbreakings for factories and homes contributed to the bounceback, but jitters remain, according to Dodge.
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Opinion
Will banking woes drag down commercial real estate?
Given the current economic climate, the dominant outlook is that things might get worse, but there is a silver lining, writes proptech executive David Bitton.
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Executive Moves
Skanska USA hires first mass timber, prefab lead
Dean Lewis has 13 years of experience in mass timber roles on the West Coast.
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JFK Terminal 6 work kicks off as overall costs rise $1B
The price tag for the airport’s $18 billion transformation shot up due to inflation for materials and labor, as well as supply chain disruptions.
Updated March 21, 2023 -
Transit leaders worry about accessing new IIJA funds, other system concerns in Senate hearing
While the infrastructure act provided much-needed funds, concerns about smaller agencies’ ability to access them are very real, said one agency director.
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Labor Department seeks to diversify workforce on megaprojects
The new program will offer free assistance to certain federally funded projects to help them find diverse, local talent.
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Retrieved from Raysonho.Executive Moves
WSP USA hires former Jacobs exec as rail business lead
Joseph Black’s 30 years of public and private transportation experience will inform his new role as senior VP for the rail operations and service planning team.
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Solar developer to invest over $600M toward Ohio manufacturing plant
The 1.1 million-square-foot build will utilize 150 union jobs for construction, which will begin in April.
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Project Wins
DOD taps 7 contractors for $2.5B in Navy projects
About 80% of the work will be performed in Guam, per the Department of Defense, with the remainder in other areas of the Pacific and Indian oceans.
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California high-speed rail cost jumps to $128B
The completion date for the first segment from Merced to Bakersfield has also been pushed out to 2030-2033.
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Samsung’s Texas chip plant price tag reportedly surges to $25B
Announced last summer, the chip maker has already spent half of its original $17 billion budget, according to Reuters.
Updated March 20, 2023 -
Bank failures cause uncertainty for contractors
The collapses of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank could weaken this year’s outlook for commercial real estate and construction, an economist said.
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Project Wins
EllisDon tapped for steel furnace job in Ontario
Algoma Steel’s new $508 million facility, located near Michigan, will produce 70% lower emissions compared to its existing operations.
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Tutor Perini ‘negatively impacted’ by legal issues, canceled work
The Los Angeles contractor also said in its earnings call that it lost a record $11 billion in potential new jobs in 2022 when owners canceled projects.
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Biden’s 2024 budget proposal bolsters OSHA funding by 17%
The plan would increase the agency’s number of full-time positions, but it still has a hard time filling jobs.
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Backlog ticks up, remains historically elevated
New work continues to surge despite a gloomy economic forecast and elevated borrowing costs, per analysis from Associated Builders and Contractors.
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Working in person isn’t worth the commute, employees say
At the same time, about half of workers said being in the office is beneficial for career advancement, signaling a potential disconnect in priorities.
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$4B Capital Beltway project stalled as lead partner pulls out
Tutor Perini had been tapped to design and build the toll lanes in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., as part of a public-private partnership.
Updated March 16, 2023 -
Materials prices inch up slightly
Declining energy costs are masking persistent inflation and supply chain challenges, said Anirban Basu, ABC chief economist.
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Design dispute on $1B Texas Harbor Bridge project mostly resolved
Texas DOT had forced Flatiron/Dragados to stop work over safety concerns.
Updated March 15, 2023 -
Opinion
Jobsite safety has slipped since the pandemic, construction CEOs say
Contractors need to up their safety training practices to avoid “dire consequences,” writes consultant Jay Greenspan.