Mortenson Third generation now leads $2.5-billion family owned Minneapolis contractor David Mortenson has been elevated to chairman of M.A. Mortenson Construction Co., as part of the family-owned Minneapolis building contracting giant's planned succession. His father, M. A. “Mort” Mortenson Jr., who was in the role since 1976, now is chairman emeritus. Formerly president, David Mortenson joined the firm in 1991 and was project director of the landmark Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Tom Gunkel remains CEO, and former Chief Operating Officer Dan Johnson is president. Tom Wacker is elevated to COO from senior vice president. Mortenson has 3,800
Related Links: Website of Olsson Associates, Lincoln, Neb. Geotech Engineer Leland Walker, ASCE President and 1960s ENR AwardeeLeland J. Walker, who led efforts beginning in the 1960s to raise engineering education standards and boost the influence and image of civil engineers through industry group collaboration, died on Dec. 31. He was 91.WalkerThe founder of a predecessor of geotech engineer Northern Engineering and Testing, he was the first in that sector to become president, in 1977. of the American Society of Civil Engineers. According to ASCE, he helped spearhead formation of what would become the American Association of Engineering Societies "to
Dodge Construction Starts End 2014 With a 7% Annual Increase Construction starts totaled $575.3 billion in 2014, a 7% increase over the previous year, says Dodge Data & Analytics. Most of the growth came in non-residential building, which rose 17% from the 2013 total. The housing market was up 8%, while non-building construction struggled with a 6% dip."Continued expansion of construction starts in 2014 included more growth for commercial buildings, the first increase for institutional building after five years of decline and a surge of manufacturing-plant projects," says Robert Murray, DD&A chief economist. Manufacturing surged 74%, lifted by large energy-related
Photo Courtesy of Cincinnati Fire and EMs Related Links: Quebec Overpasses Under Scrutiny After 2006 Collapse Near Montreal Fatal Tanker Collision, Blaze on Tenn. I-65 Damages Two Overpass Bridges A stretch of Interstate 75 in downtown Cincinnati will be closed for several days pending investigations into what caused an overpass to collapse around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, crushing a construction worker identified in media reports as 35-year-old Brandon William Carl, of Augusta, Ky.Kokosing Construction Co. was demolishing the overpass as part of an approximately $90-million contract to reconstruct and add a lane on 1.61 miles of I-75 in each
Rider Levett Bucknall Counting Cranes as Market Indicator Residential construction of condominium and apartment projects are leading the U.S. construction industry, according to a new economic index that takes into account the number of tower cranes being operated in major cities across North America.Compiled by cost research firm Rider Levett Bucknall, the North American RLB Crane Index suggests that large-scale residential projects in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York City and Seattle are responsible for the majority of cranes populating city skylines. "We expect that this growth—which includes redevelopment, renovation and expansion projects—will continue to increase throughout 2015,"
It happens every year; ENR's Year in Construction Photo Contest judges find the final elimination round the most difficult. The judges must fight for their favorite photos and debate over which should go into print and which should be cut. This slideshow shows all the photos that almost made it into print and were so good, we wanted to give them some play.
Related Links: FMI While post-recession paychecks for engineering and construction professionals rose about 10% since 2008 in a survey by management consultant FMI released earlier this year, its new report shows that top executives saw their total compensation drop 8% in the same period, mostly fueled by profit impacts and related falloffs in bonuses and stock values that hurt long-term pay."The sharp reduction in CEO, COO and CFO bonuses in 2013 cannot be overlooked," says survey author Mike Rose, although he says executives with cost-control responsibility appeared to fare better.The survey, based on about 75,000 position incumbents, says that since
Related Links: Engineering News-Record Swanke Hayden Connell Files For Protection From Creditors Swanke Hayden Connell, the New York City-based architectural practice, filed for protection from its creditors on Jan. 9 in federal court in Manhattan. With a glittering portfolio of projects that included the restoration of the Statue of Liberty, Trump Tower and offices of some of the most prestigious corporations in the world, Swanke Hayden had dwindled to a small practice in recent years, after two key principals left. The final blow to the company apparently came with a $2.297-million dispute over payments due from a client in Russia.Employment
The Dodge Momentum Index jumped 4% in December, pushing it 17% above a year ago and to its highest level since February 2009, according to Dodge Data & Analytics.The index measures non-residential building projects entering the planning stage, which is a lead indicator of non-residential building activity in the coming year.There were nine commercial building projects that each exceeded $100 million and entered into planning during December. Planning activity in the institutional building market increased 3.8% during the month.
Related Links: Kiewit-Turner Sets Deal to Finish Work on VA Hospital More Troubles, Less Support for Energy Dept.'s MOX Project For the first time, the editors of ENR have compiled an informal list of the year's worst projects. By their nature, bad projects disappoint owners, incite hostility among team members, slip months and years past scheduled completions and drain finances. They also injure and kill workers.Sadly, there are more candidates than a single page can accommodate, but the 2014 projects listed here definitely stand out.In drawing attention to these projects, we hope others can learn some lessons and that all
