Total construction spending remained in a holding pattern in March as strong gains in apartment construction and modest growth in homebuilding and private nonresidential activity offset falling public outlays, according to a recent analysis of new Census Bureau data by the Associated General Contractors of America. “Overall construction spending has increased from a year ago but has stayed in a narrow range since December,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “It is encouraging that spending remained level despite severe winter weather that may have delayed some projects, and the totals are likely to grow moving into spring.”Construction put in
We are facing a shortage of skilled workers. We hear that message almost daily. Many reports say the shortages are already here. We have heard the reasons: an aging work force, letting 30% of our people go during the recent downturn, a weak immigration policy, bad industry image and students unaware of construction career opportunities. The time to focus on solutions is now. The shortage must be solved at the local level but first we need a national strategy. In mid-February, President Obama wrote a letter of apology to Ann Johns, an art history professor at the University of Texas.The last
Faced with what could be an unprecedented labor shortage as the economy picks up, construction professionals are uniting in a mission to rebuild the pipeline of young workers that once flowed into the industry from vocational and technical education programs across the country. Image courtesy of AGC AGC of America economist Ken Simonson (right) and Phil Washington, general manager of Denver's Regional Transportation District, helped to launch AGC's new workforce initiative program in Denver in April. “Somewhere in recent decades, our country made a collective decision that everyone should attend college. The robust work force and technical education programs that
New construction starts in March advanced 7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $521.4 billion, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. Nonresidential building picked up the pace after its lackluster performance at the outset of this year, while nonbuilding construction managed a moderate gain. Meanwhile, residential building settled back as single-family housing remained sluggish. During the first three months of 2014, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were reported at $107.4 billion, down 2% from the same period a year ago. The latest month’s data lifted the Dodge Index to 110 (2000=100), up
Costruction is a risky business full of jobsite hazards, from life-threatening falls to blunt trauma injuries, but more insidious dangers exist, like crystalline silica inhalation, which can lead to a type of cancer known as pneumoconiosis. It’s what coal miners call “black lung” disease, where tiny airborne particles cause lesions and scarring on the lungs, gradually leaving workers unable to breathe. Courtesy of National Association of Home Builders Silica becomes a corrosive airborne inhalant during most construction tasks and can lead to a disease known as silicosis or grinders asthma. Silicosis, its equally harmful cousin, currently affects 1.7 million workers
The U.S. Green Building Council recently ranked Colorado eighth in the nation in LEED projects. The 2013 ranking was down from third overall in 2012 and second in 2011. But the state certified 124 LEED projects last year, compared to only 99 in 2012, representing more than eight million sq ft of real estate, says Angie Fyfe, USGBC Colorado executive director.“We had lower LEED [certified] square footage here last year, which is how the council ranks states, but Colorado had a 25% increase in the number of LEED projects certified,” Fyfe says.The LEED approval process can often take 2.5 years
Following a modest two-month recovery in the level of demand for design services, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) again turned negative last month. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lead-time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the March ABI score was 48.8, down sharply from a mark of 50.7 in February. This score reflects a decrease in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 57.9, up from the reading of 56.8 the previous
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25) showed that the overall new business volume for March was $7 billion, up 3% from a year ago. Month-over-month, new business volume was up 30% from February. Year to date, cumulative new business volume increased 6% compared to 2013. The MLFI-25 index reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $827-billion equipment finance sector, Receivables over 30 days increased to 2.1% from 1.8% the previous month, and were up slightly from 2.0% during the same period in 2013.Charge-offs were down at a new all-time
Denver architecture firm RNL has appointed John Yonushewski, principal, to the role of chief operating officer and David Carnicelli to studio lead for the firm's private-sector architecture studio. Ian Roth has been promoted to director of building information modeling, and Jeff Anglada has been named director of RNL's Los Angeles office. Merlin Maley has been promoted to associate principal and Western region transit director, and Ken J. Anderson, associate principal, has been elevated to Eastern region transit director. Marc Herndon has also been promoted to associate principal. Dominic Weilminster and Matt Shawaker have been promoted to senior associates, and Leslie
As placemaking has become perhaps the essential element in creating value in today’s retail environment, can older shopping centers legitimately compete? The answer is a resounding yes, as outdated shopping centers from coast to coast have been reborn through updated graphics, lighting, signage, landscaping improvements and minor architectural updates—all of which have served to increase consumer traffic and convince shoppers to stay longer and spend more. The question is why? If most of us inherently see things such as wall murals, new landscaping and improved signage as decoration, why do these elements attract shoppers in sufficiently high numbers to transform
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