House passes VA bill reducing agency's construction authority

The measure was the result of concerns regarding mismanagement and cost overruns that have plagued the new Veterans Affairs hospital in Aurora, CO.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 11, 2016

Police arrest developer of building that collapsed in Taiwan earthquake

Rescue officials said 39 people died in the collapse last week, and 99 still are missing and believed to be under the rubble.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 10, 2016

Chicago boosts minority contract participation requirements to record-high levels

"Without this program, we’re never invited to the table," a spokesperson with the Women Construction Owners and Executives told the Chicago Sun-Times.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 10, 2016

Obama's 2017 budget slashes several federal construction programs — but 'clean transportation' gets a big win

If the proposed transportation plan doesn't end up scoring approval by Congress, as many expect, the total construction allocation would be nearly unchanged from the previous year. 

By Emily Peiffer , Kim Slowey • Feb. 10, 2016

The Dotted Line: How to navigate 'the 3 Cs' of construction bonding

Experts say that payment and performance bonds aren't exclusively for public projects anymore, and contractors' character, capacity and capital play a crucial role in securing the necessary bonding.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 9, 2016

Los Angeles developers indicted on multimillion-dollar affordable housing fraud charges

Authorities say Advanced Development and Investment Inc. submitted fraudulent invoices that "significantly overstated" the true construction costs for the taxpayer-supported projects.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 8, 2016

PA steel execs ordered to pay $1.3M for DBE fraud

Prosecutors allege Dennis and Dale Weber had full control over the shell company of Karen Construction, a woman-owned business, in order to win state and federal contracts.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 8, 2016

UPDATE: NCDOT claims highway contractor in default after leaving projects

An official with the North Carolina Department of Transportation said the agency wants a new contractor to take over by the end of March.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 8, 2016

NY contractor, supplier pay $1M to settle DBE fraud case

Prosecutors allege ING Civil's CEO worked with a material supplier to create the false impression the company was buying materials from a minority-owned company.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 5, 2016

New Orleans puts Confederate monument removal out to bid after 2 contractors withdraw

The first contractor, H&O Investments, left the project after reportedly receiving death threats.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 4, 2016

AD&C credit standards tighten, but outstanding loan amounts rise

According to the Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey, community banks and credit unions hold the largest piece of outstanding acquisition, development and construction loans.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 4, 2016

OSHA issues $155K fine for IL roofing contractor that 'continues to ignore' fall protection standards

Inspectors said they caught Ziggy's Roofing exposing workers to fall hazards twice in less than a month.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 4, 2016

CO construction company pleads guilty to major fraud, agrees to pay $1.8M

The Department of Justice said MCC Construction used two other companies' minority status to illegally take over nearly $70 million of government contracts.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 3, 2016

Architect faces up to 6 years in prison for VA medical center contract conspiracy

Mark Farmer's plea deal also requires him to potentially pay between $10,000 and $250,000 in fines.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 3, 2016

'Clear the books': States eager for disbursement of $2.1B in unused federal highway funds

The 2016 omnibus bill called for the release of unused Federal Highway Administration funds set aside for projects originally authorized as far back as 10 years ago.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 2, 2016

OSHA fines TX contractor $86K for trench excavation hazards

The agency inspected Hurtado Construction's Katy, TX, worksite as part of its national excavation awareness program.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 1, 2016

Engineer finds construction flaws in tornado-damaged TX school

However, another engineer said the wind force could have been up to two and a half times what codes were meant to handle and could have played a larger role in the wall failure.

By Kim Slowey • Feb. 1, 2016

CA bullet train officials: Project likely to see longer build time, lower costs

The chairman of an independent peer review committee testified that the rail authority needs "significantly closer oversight by a well-funded and long-term branch of the state government."

By Kim Slowey • Jan. 29, 2016

Contractors push back against WA Gov. order to stop Seattle viaduct tunneling

Seattle Tunnel Partners wants Gov. Inslee and WSDOT to allow tunneling to continue at least 250 feet to a concrete "rest stop" for Bertha, the tunnel-boring machine.

By Kim Slowey • Jan. 28, 2016

OSHA slaps MA roofer with hefty $188K fine for 16 safety violations

The agency also added AS Construction to its Severe Violators Program for what it called a pattern of willful and repeated violations.

By Kim Slowey • Jan. 28, 2016

UPDATE: DBIA disputes study claiming design-build projects often delivered on time, over budget

The Design-Build Institute of America said the researchers are "off the mark," as they did not account for possible additional costs resulting from owner-initiated scope changes.

By Kim Slowey • Jan. 27, 2016

Integrated project delivery: A 'new way of thinking' with potential to revamp the construction industry?

Watch out design-bid-build and design-build, there's a new kid on the block.

By Emily Peiffer • Jan. 27, 2016

Avoiding 'the perp walk on the 6 o'clock news': The dangers of workers' comp fraud

"In construction, probably 20%-30% of the workers are misclassified," one expert told Construction Dive. "They are either being paid as independent contractors, or they are being paid cash off the books."

By Kim Slowey • Jan. 26, 2016

CA county CEO: Delivery method for troubled Turner project 'failed us'

Jeff Smith said the design-bid-build contract between the county and the contractor was not the right type for such a "complex" project with incomplete designs.

By Kim Slowey • Jan. 26, 2016

OSHA fines NJ contractor $54K for fall protection violations

OSHA says it inspected Berlin Builders 20 times, making eight citations since the company's incorporation in March 2015.

By Kim Slowey • Jan. 22, 2016