Single- and multifamily help total U.S. spending rise

Spending on single-family and multifamily construction in March, aided by some parts of nonresidential, eked out a 0.2% rise in total spending.

By Ron Gallagher • May 1, 2014

Nonresidential construction spending slowed in March

Federal numbers out Thursday show spending in March, measured as an annual rate, was down in nine of 16 categories.

By Ron Gallagher • May 1, 2014

Explore the Trendline➔

Data center construction

New projects from customers like Meta, Google and Amazon make this a burgeoning sector for contractors.

By Construction Dive staff

Border stations, courthouses among top 20 GSA design-award winners

The ports of entry are on opposite northern corners of the country, and the courthouses chosen in annual awards for federal buildings are in Austin, Texas, and New York City.

By Ron Gallagher • May 1, 2014

NJ lays out $3.7B highway and transit spending plan

After all the attention the governor got for one traffic jam in Fort Lee, the Garden State could use some good publicity about roads.

By Ron Gallagher • April 30, 2014

Foreman, ex-worker hurt in Texas construction site shootout

The foreman at an apartment project in Austin fired his gun when a recently dismissed worker began shooting at him.

By Ron Gallagher • April 30, 2014

Structure Tone confesses to scamming clients, to pay $55M

The builder of high-rise, corporate interiors admitted it had subs pad bills for New York City clients between 2005 and 2009.

By Ron Gallagher • April 30, 2014

Florida building demanded designer-contractor collaboration

The Santiago Calatrava-designed building that's the centerpiece of the new Florida Polytechnic University campus has 94 louvered arms that move across the roof.

By Ron Gallagher • April 30, 2014

Two BIM success stories from Case and Bechtel

Case and Bechtel representatives report on ways that using building information modeling has advanced their work for clients.

By Ron Gallagher • April 29, 2014

U.S. home ownership rate hits 19-year low

The tough jobs recovery is part of the reason that only 64.8% of households were owner-occupied homes in the first quarter of this year.

By Ron Gallagher • April 29, 2014

High-tech materials tracking saves on Bechtel project

The contractor saved time and money by using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on materials for constriction of three LNG plants in Australia.

By Ron Gallagher • April 29, 2014

Confused global copper market works to contractors' benefit

Lower prices for wire and transformers are helping restrain the IHS PEG Engineering and Construction Cost Index.

By Ron Gallagher • April 29, 2014

Texas school construction costs total $14B over last 7 years

A database created by state Comptroller Susan Combs shows how local schools spent on construction over the past seven years.

By Ron Gallagher • April 29, 2014

Bad omens: Architects' billings fall in March index

The index, a leading indicator of construction, slipped under 50 last month after going up for two months, putting an increased focus on this month's results.

By Ron Gallagher • April 28, 2014

Construction employment up in 197 U.S. metro areas

Despite the gains, a breakdown of federal jobs data shows few areas are back to where they were before the recession.

By Ron Gallagher • April 28, 2014

Architects design hotel made of shipping containers

OVA Studios in Hong Kong conceived of the Hive, perhaps to win a radical design award.

By Ron Gallagher • April 28, 2014

Historic Detroit apartments to become affordable housing

In Midtown Detroit, a coalition of a neighborhood development corporation and multiple funders are redeveloping apartment buildings believed to date from 1918 and 1924.

By Ron Gallagher • April 28, 2014

New 'solar roadway' technology could disrupt road-building

In a parking lot in Sagle, Idaho, a prototype road surface offers the prospect of generating electricity from roadways paved in glass.

By Ron Gallagher • April 27, 2014

Denver Broncos shut out fans during training camp renovations

Construction at Broncos training camp at Dove Valley require them to keep away fans for safety's sake.

By Ron Gallagher • April 27, 2014

How new immigration policies can help construction

Skilled and unskilled, workers are in short supply – sometimes no supply – for construction, and builders are advocates for doing something – anything – to address the problem.

By Ron Gallagher • April 25, 2014

Drones: A new way of documenting building progress

These are not spycraft. These are battery-powered, multi-rotor fliers strong enough to take a DSLR camera places people cannot go.

By Ron Gallagher • April 25, 2014

Foam flecks in floor puzzle concrete polishers

Concrete Innovations was polishing a store floor when it found puzzling materials in the concrete that turned out to be from wall insulation.

By Ron Gallagher • April 24, 2014

3-D printer cranks out materials for 10 buildings in one day

A Chinese company with a huge 3-D printer squirted out building blocks from concrete and recycled materials for simple but workable structures.

By Ron Gallagher • April 24, 2014

LEGO museum still on paper, but now you can build it yourself

LEGO commissioned a museum for its home town in Denmark from architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), and you can be the contractor with the company's new kit.

By Ron Gallagher • April 24, 2014

For sale in Manhattan: Thin air for $305 per square foot

That was the average last year, anyway, for air above shorter building that developers can "move" to their properties to get taller structures approved.

By Ron Gallagher • April 24, 2014

Calif. would hang subcontractor's wage, tax duties on the prime if sub fails

An amendment to a bill in the California Assembly would make it a contractor's problem if a sub didn't pay wages, remit taxes and the like.

By Ron Gallagher • April 23, 2014