Our Publications

The issue of Right to Repair touches any device with embedded systems, with implications for the construction equipment sector

Professional Practice

Viewpoint: Engineering to Zero in Carbon Emissions, Cyber-Security and Traffic Safety

Steven D. Sanders

August 3, 2021

Why zero is now used to understand the epochal transitions society must make.

Truck Review

Ford F-150 Hybrid Offers Onboard Power for Remote Sites

Alan Rider

August 18, 2021

Rare is the contractor that hasn’t had to deal with the issues that come with deploying a decent portable generator on a remote jobsite.

Build Group Sees Results With Site Intelligence App Buildots

Jeff Rubenstone

August 18, 2021

Keeping track of construction progress is often a matter of waiting for engineers and site supervisors to walk the site and document it when they can. Getting that data into the general project pipeline is a challenge in itself.

Executive News

AECOM Shifts Base, Some C-Suite to Dallas from LA; Liz Shuler Elected AFL-CIO President

August 18, 2021

Design giant retains 2,500 California staff core; big labor group's ex-deputy now is first woman lo lead it and new secretary-treasurer Fred Redmond, a steelworkers' VP, is first Black in top exec role.

Culture Issues Loom in CBRE's $1.3B Buy of Turner & Townsend Stake

August 17, 2021

U.S. real estate giant's deal for majority share of U.K.-based PM and market consultant has mutual benefit, but concerns cited in mantaining T&T advisory independence

Congress Pushes New Offshore Wind Supply Chain Tax Breaks

Jonathan Barnes

August 18, 2021

East Coast senators, including Cory Booker and Robert Menendez of New Jersey, want 30% investment tax credit and production tax credit for union-labor manufacturing sites, as proposed projects ramp up in Maryland and North Carolina

Builder of Halted Keystone-XL Pipeline Seeks $15B NAFTA Claim

Mary B. Powers

August 3, 2021

But TC Energy announces big clean energy push to operate other North American pipelines, as federal judge declines to dismiss still pending suit against the Biden-cancelled project; Alberta government also seeks trade claim for its investment loss.

$760M Levee Project Breaks Ground in Southeast Louisiana After 50-Year Wait

Autumn Cafiero Giusti

July 29, 2021

Federal, state and local officials broke ground July 26 on a levee project along the western shores of Lake Pontchartrain. It's designed to provide hurricane and storm protection to a three-parish area where 60,000 people have little to no defenses in place.

$3.9B New Terminal at JFK Gets Green Light

Jim Parsons

Aileen Cho

August 10, 2021

JetBlue is part of private consortium that will finance the project.

World's Highest Railroad Arch Crossing Takes Shape in Himalayas

Peter Reina

August 2, 2021

Remote site, political tensions and pandemic all added to delays in construction.

Joint Venture Risks

Judge Rejects Skanska Objections to Lane Lawsuit Over I-4 Project JV

Scott Judy

August 2, 2021

Florida highway job partner claims Skanska failed to protect joint-venture team's financial interests.

Courts

Pa. Contractor Pleads No Contest to Prevailing-Wage Charges, Pays Workers $20.7M

August 3, 2021

Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. case, with restitution of $20.7 million, is largest of its type in US history, state AG says.

Natural Disasters

As Death Toll Rises From Haiti Quake, Potential Looms for Flooding, Landslides

Jim Parsons

Nadine M. Post

August 16, 2021

The death toll from the magnitude-7.2 quake on Aug. 14 has surpassed 1,500.

Investigations

Better Scrutiny of Older Structures Needed in Wake of Surfside Condo Tragedy

Champlain Towers South collapse, which killed 98 people, called a cautionary tale

Nadine M. Post

August 10, 2021

2 Comments

Structural engineers call for more in-depth inspections of coastal buildings in harsh corrosive climates, and offer recommendations that go beyond visual surveys.

Industry Conference

Eyeing 2030, CII-CURT Attendees See Big Workforce, Climate Challenges Ahead

Scott Judy

August 5, 2021

Construction’s future workforce is going to continue to trend older, and likely less mobile, which creates a challenge.

Energy Transition

Princeton U., Engineer Worley Plot Faster US Net-Zero Emissions Path by 2050

August 8, 2021

"Unprecedented” project shift is urged as UN report amplifies climate change impact warning and energy sector CO2 emissions are projected to increase 7% in 2021.

Project Financing

Infrastructure Bill Amendment Would Expand Surety Mandate to TIFIA

August 5, 2021

Proposal would require surety bonds on DOT loan program, including its projects with private funding.

Infrastructure Funding

Senate Approves Biggest Infrastructure Spending Package in a Century

Spending boosted for roads, water, energy, transit and more

August 10, 2021

Bill includes $550 billion above current funding levels.

Construction Industry Considers Its Role in Avoiding PFAS

Corinne Grinapol

August 11, 2021

As federal legislation again makes its way to the Senate, architects, designers and engineers discuss what they can do to prevent using harmful chemicals in building materials.

Experts Say $15 Billion for Lead Pipe Removal Is Just 'Down Payment'

Pam McFarland

August 19, 2021

Amount in Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill for water service line replacement is woefully short to address the problem, say several industry officials familiar with drinking water issues.

Sandy Hook Memorial Construction Starts in August

Project team plans to finish the $3.7 million project before the shooting’s 10th anniversary in December 2022

Justin Rice

August 2, 2021

The $3.7-million project is set to complete before the mass shooting’s 10th anniversary in December 2022

Construction Workforce

Construction Industry Gains 11,000 Jobs in July as Jobless Rate Falls

August 6, 2021

Despite the overall gain, some nonresidential construction segments still show job losses in July.

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Oil Pipeline Developer to Pay $35M in Big Frack Spill Settlement

August 19, 2021

Summit Midstream Partners agrees to federal and North Dakota criminal and civil fines for 29-million-gallon spill of hydraulic fracking wastewater near Williston, N.D. that US said is record for an inland rupture.

Longstanding Expansion Joint Issues Plague Louisville Bridge

Jim Parsons

July 28, 2021

Ohio River crossing has been closed since June.

The 2021 Top 250 International Contractors: Paving the Road to Recovery

August 18, 2021

The global construction market is red hot for some firms and stone cold for others as contractors deal with unpredictable project risks while readying for new growth opportunities.

Pulse: Project News for the Week of August 23, 2021

August 19, 2021

Jevin Investments Inc. is planning to develop North Vista Highlands, a mixed-use project in Pueblo. The 1,060-acre site is approved for up to 4,850 residential units and 1,225,000 sq ft of retail and commercial space.

Construction Economics for August 23, 2021

August 19, 2021