Dodge index retreats in July, but remains well ahead of 2013

McGraw Hill Construction's Dodge Momentum Index for nonresidential construction fell 4.4% from June, but the company says that may just be a spring rush easing back to normal.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 7, 2014

No one is letting Congress off the hook because Highway Trust Fund patch passed

Lawmakers better think again if they thought they were leaving Washington this month in good graces, as transportation interests are demanding they get right back to work on a long-term solution.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 7, 2014

Explore the Trendline➔

Preconstruction

Careful collaboration before shovels hit dirt is key to a successful project, experts say.

By Construction Dive staff

MIT research opens door to understanding how bonded materials fail

Bonded materials are a wonder of modern science and have proved themselves useful and valuable in a lot of fields, including construction, but can fail – and no one has been able to explain just why.  

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 7, 2014

Industry groups' economists modestly optimistic for rest of 2014

Some sectors are seeing more growth than others, according to the number-crunchers at Associated Builders and Contractors, the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Home Builders.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 7, 2014

New IL laws put $1.1B into multi-year highway program

Gov. Pat Quinn signed bills that authorize the money for the Department of Transportation's 2015-2020 capital program and bonding to raise it.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 7, 2014

Virginia county may leave LEED behind as it weighs costs

It's been the rule in Loudoun County since 2008 that new county buildings have to meet LEED Silver standards, but a recent project has supervisors asking questions.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 7, 2014

Paper trail moved to cloud for Daytona Speedway renovations

General contractor Barton Malow took the whole $400 million job into the cloud, and everything involved is wholly online.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 6, 2014

Renovating NOLA's airport: Bell rings for Round 2 in effort to pick contractor

The New Orleans airport authority is trying for a second time to select a contractor for renovations after the first review committee was mired in controversy. 

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 5, 2014

Majority stake sold in troubled Brooklyn project

Greenland USA makes a deal for 70% of the project, but Atlantic Yards is now Pacific Park Brooklyn.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 5, 2014

Smoky fire at hotel renovation sends seven workers to hospital

The crew was working Monday in a century-old hotel building in San Francisco that closed last year for upgrades.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 4, 2014

Flaggers on Iowa bridge project keep waiting drivers smiling

The pair know they're holding up people in a work zone on Iowa 17, so they have adopted a pay-it-forward strategy.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 4, 2014

Facebook's prefab data centers cut construction time, costs

The company has come up with its own "rapid deployment" standardized design and assembly method to put up data centers across the globe.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 4, 2014

Feds charge steel erector with fraud for One World Trade Center work

Federal agents arrested Larry Davis, who owns DCM Erectors Inc., saying he used a minority-owned firm and a woman-owned company as fronts to quality for work performed by his firm.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 4, 2014

Elderly woman's unhappiness with nearby construction leads to armed standoff

A 90-year-old woman pointed a shotgun at construction workers in Channelview, Texas.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 3, 2014

June construction spending down, but May better than reported

Construction spending reported by the Commerce Department illustrates why no one should panic over one month's data.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 3, 2014

U.S. construction unemployment hits lowest rate since 2007

In the report on July job creation were 9,100 new jobs in nonresidential work and 13,000 in residential.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 3, 2014

Congress passes last-minute Highway Trust Fund fix

Before Congress left Washington for a month, the Senate backed down from its proposal for funding only through mid-December, instead sending the House's 10-month plan to President Obama.

By Ron Gallagher • Aug. 1, 2014

British contractors' merger talks derailed over U.S. subsidiary Parsons Brinkerhoff

Carillion said Parsons Brinkerhoff, which Balfour Beatty is shopping around, would have to be in a combined company.

By Ron Gallagher • July 31, 2014

Professionals' opinions vary on best building-delivery method

Owners like the fixed-cost of manager-at-risk, while contractors like design-build to hold down costs and architects are divided.

By Ron Gallagher • July 31, 2014

President Obama orders federal contractors to disclose labor violations

A new executive order will make companies that want federal contracts over $500,000 disclose any violations in past three years.

By Ron Gallagher • July 31, 2014

Latest GDP numbers are good, but construction figures are even better

Widespread relief greeted the report of 4% growth in GDP and fixed investment in nonresidential projects grew 5.5%.

By Ron Gallagher • July 30, 2014

U.S. Senate passes $8B Highway Trust Fund fix

As states who depend on federal money for highway work and the contractors they hire watch, senators have moved to force a real fix in December.

By Ron Gallagher • July 29, 2014

Renaissance in civil, heavy work is benefiting job-seekers

As necessity drives government to find ways to finance infrastructure work, civil companies are trying to expand to meet the demand.

By Ron Gallagher • July 29, 2014

Good design can turn time cards into job data-trackers

If cards are designed to collect the right data about activity and materials, not just hours, they become much more valuable.

By Ron Gallagher • July 29, 2014

Aecom to buy Hunt Construction

Acquiring Hunt expands Aecom's ability to manage construction and adds U.S. business contacts in the stadium-building business.

By Ron Gallagher • July 29, 2014