Teamwork key to speedy I-5 bridge repair in Washington

Three private contractors formed a team that moved in with the state DOT to speed design, reviews and construction after the Skagit River Bridge was broken last spring.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 22, 2014

While contractors look up, architects' billing index falls again

At the same time that numerous reports say most contractors are feeling good about 2014, the American Institute of Architects' billings index, a leading economic indicator, fell again in December.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 22, 2014

Explore the Trendline➔

Preconstruction

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

By Construction Dive staff

Gigantic crane making its way to N.Y.'s new bridge site

Fluor, which leads the consortium awarded the contract to replace the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River in New York state knew right where it could find a heavy – very heavy – lift crane.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 22, 2014

After losing construction jobs in 2012, Florida seeks workers

The Sunshine State took the hardest hit during the recession, lopping off half of its 700,000-strong construction workforce, and now it has to rebuild.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 21, 2014

Tower cranes face tougher standards

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers says tower cranes must meet the same wind-load designs as buildings, turning that from a suggestion into a requirement.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 21, 2014

Contractors like outlook for 2014, even in public sector

Associated General Contractors found in a nationwide survey that there is more optimism than pessimism in the industry.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 21, 2014

U. of Houston keeps hot streak going on national construction exam

Two times in a row, a student in the University of Houston's Construction Management Department has had the nation's highest score.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 20, 2014

Young Americans may want homes, but they're not buying

Unable to rustle up down payments or wrestle with the likely cost of home-ownership, people in their 20s are driving the demand for rental housing.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 20, 2014

DOT issues new rule to speed up highway, transit reviews

The federal agency says that projects being built in existing rights of way and ones with less than $5 million in federal funding can get faster environmental reviews.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 20, 2014

U.S. highway fund likely to hit 'empty' this year

 The appropriations approved by Congress last week and signed by President Obama do not make up for sequestration cuts.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 17, 2014

Little Rock construction workers unearth 19th century sword

A crew from Clark Construction, preparing to build a parking deck on the site of a 19th century mansion, found the rare military sword.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 16, 2014

Worker dies after fall at Florida college building

The victim worked for a firm that was doing air-conditioning work in an auditorium at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 16, 2014

Construction fence at Texas children's hospital is patients' therapy room

In Fort Worth, Cook Children's is undergoing an expansion, and a construction fence has been turned into a painting project.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 16, 2014

Gilbane: Construction spending grew 5% in 2013

The firm expects 2014 to see more even growth and higher margin growth for commercial building.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 16, 2014

Minn. governor seeks $986M for construction projects

Gov. Mark Dayton called it a jobs bill that would repair state colleges, parks, downtown business districts and finish fixing the state Capitol.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 15, 2014

Crowded San Antonio roads to get lanes in $800M project

One interstate, one highway and a state loop road are targeted in a bid to reduce highway congestion in the seventh-largest U.S. city.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 15, 2014

Construction materials prices 'unusually well-behaved'—for now

With the overall price index up a tenth of a percent from November to December, ABC's chief economist it may behave nicely for at least a while.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 15, 2014

U.S. has 32 net-zero-energy commercial buildings

The report is an update from the New Building Initiative, which advocates for buildings that are as energy efficient as possible.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 15, 2014

Toll Bros starts rebuilding wind-wrecked condo project

A fierce wind storm in Raleigh, N.C. last weekend ripped apart a section of a project where Toll Brothers crews had not yet added all the planned bracing.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 14, 2014

Wis. construction death confirmed as a fall, but no more details emerge

Officials in Dane County, Wis., where the Edgewater Hotel is being renovated in Madison, disclosed the name of a man who died in a fall Monday.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 14, 2014

One commercial contractor's view of the top trends of 2013

Englewood Construction Inc., based in Lemont, Ill., says mall reconstruction was big, hospitality was good and restaurants zoomed.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 14, 2014

Ford's 2015 F-150 will be lighter—and tougher

Ford's 2015 model of the workhorse F-150 pickup will be 700 pounds lighter thanks to the use of military-grade aluminum alloy.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 14, 2014

Marijuana legal in Colorado—but not if you work construction

State law may allow pot smoking in Colorado now, with Washington state to follow and perhaps others, but the advice to contractors about employee use has not changed.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 14, 2014

BB&T Ballpark among winners of Global BIM Awards 2013

The stadium in Charlotte, N.C., was received the award for using BIM in a precast-concrete construction project.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 13, 2014

Wis. site accident kills one worker

The accident happened Monday at the site where a lakeshore hotel, The Edgewater, is being rehabilitated.

By Ron Gallagher • Jan. 13, 2014