July 12, 2021

Check out the July 12, 2021 edition of ENR, featuring the second quarterly cost report, the Top 500 Design Firms Sourcebook, projects, news and much more!

Airlines’ Approval Clears New Pittsburgh Terminal for Takeoff

Jim Parsons

June 28, 2021

No Comments

Originally scheduled to begin construction in April 2020, the terminal was temporarily grounded along with the rest of the U.S. commercial aviation industry by the coronavirus pandemic.

Energy Construction

Court Ruling Adds Scrutiny in FERC Pipeline Approval Review

Mary B. Powers

June 27, 2021

No Comments

D.C. appeals court June 22 reversal of an operating natural gas line's 2018 certification is a focus as the agency considers changes in how it decides need for interstate pipelines.

Federal Construction

GAO Faults Corps of Engineers on Fast-Tracked Border Wall Contracts

Mary B. Powers

June 22, 2021

One Comment

About $4.3 billion was awarded without competition in the Trump era, a watchdog report says. Many awards lacked full scope details, raising the risk of higher project costs.

US Supreme Court Backs $1B Pipeline, 5-4, in State Eminent Domain Battle

Mary B. Powers

Debra K. Rubin

June 29, 2021

No Comments

PennEast natural gas line from Pennsylvania to New Jersey has federal power to seize NJ-owned land, said justices, despite Justice Amy Coney Barrett-led dissent; project still lacks key approvals but industry welcomes ruling

Contract Disputes

Kiewit Said to Withdraw From $2B Newark, NJ AirTrain Competition

Richard Korman

June 23, 2021

No Comments

Contractor's exit appears linked to payment claim on completed Port Authority of New York-New Jersey Goethals Bridge P3 project.

California Regulator Sets Record Clean Energy Order for Utilities

Mary B. Powers

June 30, 2021

No Comments

State PUC tells providers to procure 11.5 GW of renewable power for delivery from 2023-2026, its largest-capacity single procurement and largest requiring only clean energy sources.

LNG Canada Megaproject Ramps Up Amid Changing Energy Markets

Scott Van Voorhis

Debra K. Rubin

June 30, 2021

No Comments

Fluor-led work on B.C. natural gas export terminal, part of estimated $31-billion project, pushes ahead to make up for COVID-19 delay; but final investment decision for $8.1B Goldboro LNG project in Nova Scotia will not be made, developer said July 2.

Infrastructure Funding

Biden, Senate Group Strike Deal on Infrastructure Framework

Tom Ichniowski

June 24, 2021

No Comments

Multiyear plan has a $579-billion increase spread over various sectors but legislation is far from final.

Maine Lawmakers Resume Action to Shift Grid Control to State

Johanna Knapschaefer

June 30, 2021

No Comments

Consumer owned power utility would buy out private providers, if measure passes and is not vetoed, with possible impact on $1B transmission line project; governor has been skeptical in public statements.

Nuclear Plant Construction

Vogtle Project Owner’s Quality-Assurance Gets NRC Scrutiny

Scott Judy

June 22, 2021

No Comments

Georgia nuclear powerplant site's need for construction remediation of installed electrical cable systems triggered US Nuclear Regulatory Commission action

Failures

Engineer Probing Champlain Towers Debacle Eyes Possibility of Three Successive Collapses

Computer model being prepped of remaining unstable structure will aid rescuers in advance of a hurricane

Nadine M. Post

June 30, 2021

6 Comments

Investigators probing the trigger of the progressive collapse of a section of the Florida residential condominium are preparing a computer model of the unstable 12-story tower remains to advise about vacating rescuers in the event of a hurricane.

2021 2Q Cost Report: Raises Are Back for Professional Staff But at Conservative Rates

High materials costs and other pressures may curb bonuses, but need for staff could change that

Bruce Buckley

July 1, 2021

No Comments

While demand for experienced construction professionals runs high in many sectors, average compensation remains soft following the uncertainty created by the COVID- 19 pandemic.

2021 2Q Cost Report: Industry Execs Believe Recovery Is in Full Swing

Labor and materials challenges remain, but optimism is high.

Jonathan Keller

July 1, 2021

No Comments

The first six months of 2021 have seen big materials cost hikes, increasing labor shortages and uncertainty over federal action on a major infrastructure package.

2021 2Q Cost Report: Supply Issues Persist Even as Lumber, Other Prices Stabilize

Jeff Yoders

July 1, 2021

No Comments

While price increases in softwood lumber have pushed new home costs higher due to homebuilders’ extensive use of the material, estimators for all other building types have felt the pinch as well.

2021 2Q Cost Report: Residential Sector Continues to Lead Economic Recovery

Alisa Zevin

July 1, 2021

No Comments

As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes in the U.S. and restrictions on work and other interactions are lifted, the construction sector’s rebound is underway, with some markets bouncing back faster than others, analysts say.

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: COVID Hits Hard

Manufacturing is down almost $20 billion in 2020

Pam Radtke Russell

June 30, 2021

No Comments

But construction of data centers, warehouses and distribution centers are off the charts, Steve Jones, Dodge Data & Analytics senior director of industry insights and research, told ENR’s FutureTech conference.

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: PFAS in Groundwater

Tetra Tech seeks to treat the pervasive chemicals

Pam McFarland

June 30, 2021

No Comments

Tetra Tech designed a system to treat PFAS chemicals detected in the Orange County, Calif., Groundwater Basin, which provides up to 77% of the supply for local water agencies.

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: Backup Power for Texas

Battery storage units will provide needed grid reliability

Autumn Cafiero Giusti

June 30, 2021

No Comments

Burns & McDonnell leads team bringing three large-scale battery storage systems to West Texas to reduce the likelihood of rolling blackouts.

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: Natural Gas to Gasoline

Plant will halve the carbon footprint of gasoline

Pam Radtke Russell

June 30, 2021

One Comment

Bechtel is designing a $6.5-billion plant to turn natural gas into gasoline in Penwell, Texas, for Nacero Inc. The energy firm says the plant would be the nation’s first such facility.

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: Making Way for Freight

Southern Calif. interstate expansion to ease congestion

Jim Parsons

June 30, 2021

No Comments

A six-mile segment of Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County, Calif., will be augmented with tolled express lanes to provide much-needed capacity for the corridor's growing volume of freight traffic.

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: Comprehensive Care

HOK designs 510,000-sq-ft, 12-story cancer center

Bruce Buckley

June 30, 2021

No Comments

HOK designs a $750-million cancer center in New Jersey with 510,000 sq ft of treatment and research space on 12 stories

Opinion: Will The Florida Condo Collapse Remind Americans of Their Aging Infrastructure?

Richard Korman

July 1, 2021

No Comments

Champlain Towers is a flashing red light about the expiration date having passed on much of the constructed environment.

Pulse: Project News for the Week of July 5, 2021

June 30, 2021

No Comments

Baldwin County Public Schools is planning to build a new elementary school in Hokes Bluff.

Construction Economics for July 5, 2021

June 30, 2021

No Comments

ENR’s 20-city average cost indexes, wages and materials prices. Historical data and details for ENR’s 20 cities can be found at ENR.com/economics

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Our Publications

ENR

News

Airlines’ Approval Clears New Pittsburgh Terminal for Takeoff

Court Ruling Adds Scrutiny in FERC Pipeline Approval Review

GAO Faults Corps of Engineers on Fast-Tracked Border Wall Contracts

US Supreme Court Backs $1B Pipeline, 5-4, in State Eminent Domain Battle

Kiewit Said to Withdraw From $2B Newark, NJ AirTrain Competition

California Regulator Sets Record Clean Energy Order for Utilities

LNG Canada Megaproject Ramps Up Amid Changing Energy Markets

Biden, Senate Group Strike Deal on Infrastructure Framework

Maine Lawmakers Resume Action to Shift Grid Control to State

Vogtle Project Owner’s Quality-Assurance Gets NRC Scrutiny

Engineer Probing Champlain Towers Debacle Eyes Possibility of Three Successive Collapses

More on 2Q Cost Report...

2021 2Q Cost Report: Raises Are Back for Professional Staff But at Conservative Rates

2021 2Q Cost Report: Industry Execs Believe Recovery Is in Full Swing

2021 2Q Cost Report: Supply Issues Persist Even as Lumber, Other Prices Stabilize

2021 2Q Cost Report: Residential Sector Continues to Lead Economic Recovery

Top 500 Design Firms Sourcebook

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: COVID Hits Hard

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: PFAS in Groundwater

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: Backup Power for Texas

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: Natural Gas to Gasoline

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: Making Way for Freight

2021 Top 500 Sourcebook: Comprehensive Care

Departments

Opinion: Will The Florida Condo Collapse Remind Americans of Their Aging Infrastructure?

Pulse: Project News for the Week of July 5, 2021

Construction Economics

Construction Economics for July 5, 2021

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