Richard Korman/ENR Maria Leo, right, mother of crane operator Donald Leo, who died in the 2008 tower crane accident, and attorney Bernadette Panzella, criticize acquittal of crane owner James Lomma outside Manhattan courtroom. Richard Korman/ENR James Lomma, left, leaving the defense table minutes after his acquittal in state court in Manhattan on manslaughter charges. Related Links: Acquittals in Ground Zero Fire Trial Acquitted Master Rigger Seeks Return of License Lomma Employee Plea Deal 2010 Tudor Van Hampton Blog on Lomma Case In six terse sentences following two months of testimony and technical detail, a state court judge in Manhattan cleared

Related Links: Building Sequence Probed at Cincinnati Casino Collapse Six contractors building Cincinnati's $400-million Horseshoe Casino did not take steps to ensure the building was stable before pouring a concrete floor atop the steel-framed structure, according to U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration citations issued earlier this month. The probe calls into question the roles, responsibilities and inspection procedures of the trades working on the project.The building is a straightforward design, with beam-to-column double connections. "I think the lesson to be learned is that every structure is unique, and every structure needs new consideration for safety," says Jeffrey L. Garrett,

Courtesy Chrysler Group LLC A steel box encloses two steel pressurized tanks on the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty CNG, which can haul 1,580 lb in the bed and tow up to 7,650 lb. Ram claims it is the first factory-made truck to run on CNG and gasoline. Related Links: DOE's Chu: Natural Gas Is a 'No-Brainer' Driving Rams Natural Gas Pickup Truck The so-called green truck segment is growing fast. By the end of this year, the number of alternative-fuel commercial vehicles on the road in the U.S. is expected to rise to more than 150,000, a 16% annual increase,

Ford Motor Co. Starting in 2013, Ford will bring its European-style Transit van to North America. Ford Motor Co. Since the 1960s, Ford has sold more than eight million E-Series vans. Related Links: Ford's F-150 Targets 23 Miles Per Gallon Battle of the Vans Rages On It's nearly the end of an era for Ford's E-Series work van, the trusty steed of plumbers, electricians and painters for more than 50 years.As the sunset approaches on the E-Series, Ford says it will offer its replacement, the rear-wheel-drive Transit, with a 3.5-liter, direct-injection, EcoBoost V-6 engine.The EcoBoost V-6 has become a popular

Tudor Van Hampton Energy Secretary Chu speaks at the Green Truck Summit, held at this year's Work Truck Show. Tudor Van Hampton Commercial fleets have adopted CNG and propane more than any other alternative fuel, according to NTEA. Related Links: Concrete Mixer Saves Money With Natural Gas DOE's Chu Defends Decision to Support Solyndra Natural gas is "no longer a debate" for fueling commercial vehicle fleets, said U.S. Dept. of Energy Secretary Steven Chu at this year's Green Truck Summit, which opened March 5 in Indianapolis.Chu likened America's fuel crisis to a beef-eater who can no longer afford to buy

Tudor Van Hampton U.S. machinery exports rose 43% last year as construction starts remained sluggish. Sany America Inc. Sany late last month assembled its first excavator in the U.S. at its Peachtree City, Ga., plant. Related Links: Cat Shifts Some Production Back to U.S. While U.S. construction starts slipped slightly last year, machinery exports grew by double-digit percentage points, with shipments to Canada, Australia and Latin America leading the way.This 43% export increase, reports the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, follows a 28% rise in 2010 after a steep 38% decline in 2009."Export sales continue to help U.S. construction equipment manufacturers

Tudor Van Hampton Ram has expanded its line of Tradesman work trucks to include crew and extended cabs. Related Links: New York International Auto Show Chrysler Group LLC's Ram brand will make an "important announcement" at the New York auto show next month, booth staffers at this year's Work Truck Show told ENR.Employees aren't saying what the news will be, but some media have already speculated that Ram will unveil its next-generation pickup truck in New York.At the Work Truck Show, held March 6-8 in Indianapolis, Ram displayed a growing lineup of Tradesman crew cab and extended cab half-ton pickups.

The U.S. Coast Guard gave Illinois Constructors Corp. just five days to make critical repairs to a 1912-era railroad bridge on Chicago's South Side, but the $1-million job took seven.

AP/Wideworld Casino floor collapsed as workers were pouring concrete, injuring 13 people. Investigators looking into the cause of a non-fatal construction collapse of a casino floor in Cincinnati in late January and a casino garage deck in Cleveland in late December are searching for common clues, while contractors have added quality controls for extra safety.The developer of both casinos, a joint venture between Rock Gaming LLC and Caesars Entertainment Inc., insists the accidents are not linked. "These are two different construction management companies, two different contractors, two different sites, two different areas," Steve Rosenthal, manager of the $400-million, 354,000-sq-ft Horseshoe

Photo by Tudor Van Hampton Attendance at this year's World of Concrete is expected to reach 50,000, slightly higher than last year's 48,554. Related Links: Clean Diesels Debut at World of Concrete New Concrete Transit Mixers Get a Turn McCarrans $99 Million Air Traffic Tower Takes Shape The annual World of Concrete show opened its doors with moods and traffic slightly higher than last year."There is a tinge of optimism," said Ed Sullivan, chief economist for the Skokie, Ill.-based Portland Cement Association, on the first day of this year's show in Las Vegas. "Only recently have we seen the job