A parking-deck structure under construction partially collapsed Feb. 14 in San Antonio, injuring two construction workers at the University Health System’s University Hospital site. Related Links: Contractor Sounds Evacuation Alarm Prior to Texas Parking Deck Collapse OSHA investigators yesterday began examining the site, and UHS is in the process of hiring a engineering forensics team to help determine the cause of the accident, says Mark Webb, president of facilities development and project management for UHS. Footage from a nearby security camera caught the entire collapse as it occurred. It appeared to happen as two events, one immediately after the other,
Federal agents found illegal workers hiding at a big federal construction project in Orlando. Related Links: Hiding Illegals? In a Confined Space? Say It Isn’t So! U.S. immigration agents, returning Feb. 9 to a site they had previously visited earlier the same day, discovered six illegal workers hiding in the ceiling of the Orlando Veterans Administration Medical Center, which is under construction. The agents, part of the Dept. of Homeland Security, and the Orlando Police Department received an anonymous tip that “illegal immigrants were stuck in a storage container somewhere on the construction site.� The caller indicated the hidden subjects
As Texas and Louisiana recover from the recession, these six diverse firms with operations in the two states are gaining new work and remain optimistic about the future. Hurricane recovery work will continue as a driver in the region, while the Texas economy shows resiliency. The state reported a strong $11-billion year-end balance for fiscal 2009, which bodes well for state-funded construction programs, according to a survey last year by the National Association of State Budget Officers. Residential construction starts for the south central region are forecast to increase 29% in 2011, with total construction starts set to rise 10%,
We asked the up-and-comers in Louisiana about challenges facing the industry in that state. Related Links: Texas Top 20 Under 40 Also Starring: South Central 14 Under 40 BUSCH Sarah Busch Temporary job hooks her on construction career 34 Project Manager Landis Construction Co. New Orleans As a girl, Sarah D. Busch remembers visiting job sites with her father, but she never dreamed of joining the family business, until a temporary job answering job site phones convinced her construction was in her blood. She learned everything she could and progressed to project manager, heading up jobs for new and repeat
A parking-deck structure under construction partially collapsed Feb. 14 in San Antonio, injuring two construction workers at the University Health System’s University Hospital site. Related Links: Texas Parking Garage Job Idle Until Collapse Cause Known The 10-story, 3,000-plus-car garage is being built in three phases by a joint venture of Zachry Construction, San Antonio; Vaughn Construction, Houston; and Layton of Phoenix, as part of a $900-million system-wide expansion project by the public health system owned by Bexar County. Just before the collapse, workers reported hearing a rumbling sound, and construction supervisors evacuated the site, according to Melissa Sparks with the
ENR Texas & Louisiana congratulates the young men and women in our two-state region selected as the “Top 20 Under 40,” highlighting up-and-coming leaders and exceptional players working in the architecture, engineering and construction industry.
We asked the up-and-comers in South Central about challenges facing the industry in that state. Related Links: Texas Top 20 Under 40 Also Starring: Louisiana Six Under 40 Alabama ALLEN Stephen Allen Creates designs that change college campuses 36 Principal Williams Blackstock Architects Birmingham, Ala. A principal with Williams Blackstock Architects, Stephen Allen led the design team for the Auburn University’s student village, named 2009 Best Higher Education Project by South Central Construction magazine. In addition to his management responsibilities at Williams Blackstock, Allen heads up the firm’s intern development program, mentors young architects and designers and developed a company-wide
Regular readers of Engineering News-Record are familiar with the big names in the construction industry that lead off our annual “Top” lists of firms ranked by revenue.
With the premier issue of the new ENR New York, we are excited to introduce our “Top 20 Under 40.” It showcases exceptional players in the region’s A/E/C industry and takes its place alongside our traditional rankings of contractors, designers and projects.
While some signs suggest the economic downturn has reached bottom, construction activity in the New York region still languishes with little optimism for a quick rebound. Photo courtesy of Connecticut DOT Construction is ongoing at the Q-Bridge (Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge) in Connecticut. Photo courtesy of MTA/Patrick J. Cashin Much of the New York Building Congress’ projections for 2012 include additional funding for MTA projects, such as the Second Avenue line now under construction but not scheduled to complete until 2016. “It’s very much a mixed picture in terms of what to expect,” says Kenneth D. Simonson chief economist of
