The value catalyst for building advantage

Create value in your company by taking a proactive approach throughout the construction process. 

By Jason Peace, Director Product and Marketing Management, Georgia-Pacific • Nov. 8, 2019

Here's an interactive guide to the most common commercial building code violations

Subcontractors make most of the violations that inspectors uncover, so it's important to know what to look for.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 6, 2019

Plumbing sub on New York healthcare project sues Walsh-Consigli for $22M

In the lawsuit, Brian Trematore Plumbing & Heating claims a "defective design" and lack of communication led to major setbacks on the $545 million Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.

By Jennifer Goodman • Nov. 4, 2019

Grenfell Tower materials likely didn't meet code, 'fueled' deadly fire

Officials in the U.K. have concluded in the first phase of their official inquiry that the fatal June 2017 incident in London​ was due to a combination of unsafe building materials and human error in the design process.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 4, 2019

Trump allows Texas border wall construction to begin without standard environmental reviews

The border wall won't be subject to more than 30 typical regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, a historic preservation act, and safe water acts.

By Kim Slowey • Nov. 1, 2019

Council: No amount of marijuana OK for 'safety sensitive' jobs

The National Safety Council​'s position is complicated for those in construction, as it's hard enough to find workers to fill ostensibly dangerous field positions even without drug screening.

By Jennifer Carsen • Oct. 31, 2019

When construction companies need to build a new identity

Using a DBA or creating a new corporate entity are ways contractors can distribute liability, expand geographically, update brand identity or even take on work that would put them in political crosshairs.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 30, 2019

The Dotted Line: The growing perils of using undocumented workers

Contractors risk heavy financial penalties, legal fees, a bad reputation and even jail if they hire laborers who aren't cleared to work in the U.S.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 29, 2019

Victims of the Hard Rock Hotel New Orleans collapse file lawsuits alleging negligent construction practices

Those injured in the fatal Oct. 12 incident are claiming that, among labor-related and other shortcuts, flawed engineering processes are to blame.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 29, 2019

San Francisco's office development fees set to more than double

The costliest city to build in is set to get even more expensive, with the higher fees, according to a city economic report, even making some projects "financially infeasible."

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 25, 2019

E-verify to be mandatory for contractors in Pennsylvania and maybe more states

President Donald Trump has expressed interest in making the federal, online legal employment status verification system more widespread, possibly as part of a larger overhaul of U.S. immigration law. 

By Jennifer Carsen • Oct. 24, 2019

White House revises NEPA in hopes of faster infrastructure permitting

Until last week's change to the way information will be gathered in environmental reviews, National Environmental Policy Act rules hadn't seen a significant revision since 1986.

By Kim Slowey • Updated Jan. 13, 2020

NTSB determines probable cause for deadly FIU bridge collapse

The board determined that FIGG's design had underestimated demand on the bridge structure, overestimated its capacity and failed to include redundancies that could have prevented the collapse. An independent engineering review failed to catch the errors.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 22, 2019

The construction industry's costliest OSHA fines of Q3 2019

Excavation, fall and trenching hazards dominate the list, although there is one entry that deals with asbestos violations.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 21, 2019

'Human error' cited for deadly Google Seattle crane collapse, 3 firms fined $107K

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries indicated that workers took shortcuts when dismantling the crane in April, which made it more susceptible to the wind that toppled it, taking four lives.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 21, 2019

Report: KCI airport JV contractor allegedly withheld late pay, delay history from application

The issue raises the question of what aspects of a contractor's history should be brought to light during a bidding process.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 17, 2019

Illinois senator resigns amid fed's construction fraud investigation

After stepping down from the transportation committee in October, Sen. Martin Sandoval issued his letter of resignation last week. 

By Kim Slowey • Updated Dec. 3, 2019

Escalation clauses can help contractors mitigate price increases

With savvy planning, contractors can often get owners to help pay when material prices go up during the course of a project.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 11, 2019

Could a deadly fire like the one at UK's Grenfell Tower happen in the US?

Questions about codes' and building materials' roles in fire safety were addressed by experts at the Construct conference.

By Jean Dimeo • Oct. 10, 2019

What builders should know about construction on sacred land

As evidenced by the recent Hawaii telescope project, crews working on historic sites can be stalled by protests or, in other cases, by the findings of artifacts or even human remains.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 9, 2019

New OSHA weighting system could lead to more inspections

The process, rolled out this week, could put increased emphasis on the Fatal Four, a former Department of Labor official said.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 4, 2019

How technology can help contractors prevent lawsuits

When all project players have access to the same tools — such as scheduling software, 3D modeling and data collection — experts agree disputes are more easily avoided.

By Kim Slowey • Oct. 2, 2019

As federal overtime rule drops, experts recommend audits, training

The new rule, which will impact industries including construction, may face legal challenges, but experts say companies shouldn't delay compliance efforts.

By Ryan Golden • Sept. 30, 2019

OSHA gets new construction director

The new head of the Directorate of Construction, Scott Ketcham, will help shape OSHA policy, according to an industry expert.

By Kim Slowey • Sept. 27, 2019

California agency to investigate bullet train board member

This is the second member of the state's High-Speed Rail Authority to come under scrutiny for a conflict of interest.

By Kim Slowey • Sept. 26, 2019