As part of its effort to enhance safety on the state highway system, the Colorado Dept. of Transportation has installed a pilot system to monitor the structural behavior of its bridges. CDOT installed the equipment in early Steptember under the Williams Canyon Bridge on U.S. 24 at the west end of Manitou Springs. With the technology in place, CDOT will be able to monitor the structure’s movements from its Denver headquarters. It is the first bridge in the state to have this technology. “We’re in the testing phase at this point but it’s important to find out how well it works in
Construction employment stagnated in August, while the industry unemployment rate fell and a majority of companies reported difficulty finding workers, according to a recent analysis of new government data and an industry survey by the Associated General Contractors of America. “After a strong rebound in 2012, construction hiring and spending have been stuck in neutral through most of 2013,” said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. “Yet the unemployment rate for former construction workers hit the lowest August level in five years, suggesting that experienced workers are leaving the industry rather than returning to it. As a result, firms are
New construction starts are forecast to rise 6% this year to $506 billion, according to a Midyear Update to the “2013 Construction Outlook” from McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. This is the same rate of increase for total construction starts predicted last October, and follows the 8% gain that took place in 2012. “The recovery for construction continues to unfold in a selective manner, proceeding against the backdrop of the sluggish U.S. economy,” said Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw Hill ConstructionHere are the main points by sector for the 2013 construction market:•
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) saw a jump of more than a full point in July, indicating acceleration in the growth of design activity nationally. The American Institute of Architects reported the July ABI score was 52.7, up from a mark of 51.6 in June. This score reflects an increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 66.7, up dramatically from the reading of 62.6 the previous month. “There continues to be encouraging signs that the design and construction industry continues to improve,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit
U.S. construction machinery exports dropped 21% during the first half of 2013, with $10.8 billion shipped to global markets compared to $13.7 billion at midyear 2012, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The AEM off-road equipment manufacturing trade group consolidates U.S. Commerce Dept. data with other sources into global trend reports for members. Nearly all world regions recorded double-digit declines, except Central America, with a double-digit gain. For construction equipment exports for the first half of 2013, compared with midyear 2012:• Exports to Europe declined 20% for a total $1.4 billion, and dropped 15% to Canada for a
In August 2007, the safety of bridges on the U.S. highway system came into the spotlight following the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a result of that accident, Colorado took a closer look at its bridges and how to accelerate replacement of poor bridges across the state. Six years later, the Colorado Dept. of Transportation rates 95% of the state’s bridges in “good” or fair condition. CDOT’s rapid progress on repairing and replacing the state’s deficient bridges is due to the FASTER (Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery) legislation passed in March 2009.
New construction starts in July decreased 2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $479.1 billion, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The nonbuilding construction sector, comprised of public works and electric utilities, pulled back in July after being lifted in June by several very large projects. At the same time, nonresidential building strengthened in July, regaining some of the upward momentum that began to take hold in April and May, while residential building in July showed further growth.For the first seven months of 2013, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were reported at
Clark Prothero, Robert Wilson and A. Scott Young have assumed leadership roles at consulting and program management firm Raba Kistner Infrastructure in Lehi, Utah. Gary Raba, former RKI president, has accepted the position of chairman of the board of parent company Raba Kistner Inc. Related Links: Wheeler Employeees Work as Volunteers in Mexico ENR Mountain States 2013 Top 20 Under 40 Prothero, RKI vice president, becomes the office leader with responsibility for the Utah and New York offices. Under Prothero, the Utah office has worked on several projects, including the I-15 CORE, for which RKI performed independent quality assurance.Christine King
A team of researchers led by Colorado State University engineering professor John van de Lindt has spent the last month shaking a four-story building in San Diego to learn how to make structures with first-floor garages better withstand seismic shocks. “Earthquakes are particularly damaging to buildings with open spaces at street level because they collapse; the first-floor parking makes the building structurally weak and soft,” van de Lindt says. “There are tens of thousands of these multifamily buildings throughout California and much of the U.S., making this a serious safety issue.”Since July, the team has successfully tested a variety of
The Dept. of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden has published a report on the land-use requirements of solar power plants based on actual land-use practices from existing solar facilities. “Having real data from a majority of the solar plants in the United States will help people make proper comparisons and informed decisions,” says the report’s lead author Sean Ong. The study, called “Land-use Requirements for Solar Power Plants in the United States,” was written with NREL colleagues Clinton Campbell, Robert Margolis, Paul Denholm and Garvin Heath.Ong gathered data from 72% of the solar-power plants installed or under construction
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