November 28, 2022

Check out the November 28, 2022 edition of ENR, featuring Virginia's $3.7 Billion Interstate 66 Transformation, 2023 Economic Forecast, news and more!

Outside-the-Box Ideas Shape I-66 Project in Northern Virginia

Aileen Cho

November 23, 2022

One Comment

With ramps, rubblization and double roundabouts, the $2.5-billion Transform 66 project is living up to its name.

Bentley Launches Digital Twin Tools, Infrastructure Cloud

Jeff Rubenstone

November 23, 2022

No Comments

Getting the digital twin workflow into the typical design, construction, operations cycle has been a thorny problem for digital twin advocates.

Executive News

Obituary: Jim Lammie, 91, Pushed Design Firm PB Upward as Chief Exec

Debra K. Rubin

November 17, 2022

One Comment

Parsons Brinckerhoff CEO and chairman between 1990 and 2009, who died Nov. 9, expanded the consultant's transportation niche globally and drove revenue results. The firm now is part of Canada-based design giant WSP Global.

Clean Energy Construction

More US Solar Plants Seen, But Sector Wants Import Tariffs Dropped

Mary B. Powers

Jim Parsons

November 18, 2022

No Comments

U.S. manufacturer First Solar will invest $1B-plus in new Alabama PV production facility as Italy's Enel searches for stateside plant location—but feds have a Dec. 1 deadline to rule on tariffs for component imports from four Asian countries.

Water & Dams

Klamath Dam Removal Project Receives Final FERC Go-ahead

Project at four sites is the largest such removal and river restoration effort in US history

Pam McFarland

November 18, 2022

No Comments

Agency action sets stage for removal work to begin next year by Kiewit Infrastructure West, in effort to restore water quality and ailing salmon population.

Safety

Grenfell Fire Probe Faults Construction Industry Practices

Peter Reina

November 11, 2022

No Comments

A public inquiry into the cause of the 2017 fire that killed 72 found the design, materials and manner of construction for a refurbishment contributed to the disaster.

Legal

NY Court Halts Work on $2.3B Syracuse I-81 Viaduct Removal

Stephanie Loder

November 16, 2022

No Comments

State supreme court judge grants project opponents' request for temporary injunction on long-awaited revamp of downtown interstate link until lawsuit claims are decided.

Boston EMS rescue workers after a catwalk collapse at a jobsite

Contractors Face $700K OSHA Fines for South Boston Power Plant Collapse

OSHA proposed combined penalties against Suffolk Construction and NorthStar Contracting Group

Scott Van Voorhis

November 14, 2022

No Comments

Suffolk Construction and subcontractor NorthStar Contractng Group face federal penalties for incident that injured three workers, one seriously.

Manufacturing

Turner-Yates-Kokosing JV Wins $3.5B Honda EV Battery Plant Project

James Leggate

November 18, 2022

No Comments

Construction on the 40-GWh plant in Ohio is scheduled to start in early 2023.

Safety & Health

Construction Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses Are Down, Injury Rate Flat

Labor Dept. releases report on data from 2021

Tom Ichniowski

November 10, 2022

No Comments

The number of nonfatal construction workplace injuries and illnesses declined in 2021 and the industry’s injury/illness rate was unchanged from the previous year's level.

Energy Construction

New Report Details Triggers of June Blast at Still Closed Texas LNG

Mary B. Powers

Debra K. Rubin

November 18, 2022

No Comments

Freeport LNG export terminal now targets partial reopening for mid-December, as federal safety agency releases 'root cause analysis' of pipeline explosion.

NIST Develops Climate Resilience Tools for Communities

Pam McFarland

November 23, 2022

No Comments

The National Institute of Standards and Technology effort is developing resources to help communities make decisions about broader resilience outcomes they want, looking at entire systems rather than individual structures.

Codes and Standards

First Model Code for Public-Occupancy Temporary Structures Nears Adoption

Nadine M. Post

November 18, 2022

No Comments

A standard for public-occupancy temporary structures is expected to be ready to include in the 2028 edition of the structural engineer's bible on design loads, known as ASCE-7.

Federal Contract Dispute

US Watchdog Rejects Both Bid Protests of Bechtel $3B DOE Award

Debra K. Rubin

November 10, 2022

No Comments

Protestors alleged that Energy Dept. evaluation of the WIPP nuclear disposal site contract winner was 'unreasonable,' but the U.S. Government Accountability Office ruled their claims as "without merit."

Aging Infrastructure

Century-old Connecticut River Bridge Set for $500 Million Replacement

At risk of failure, span is an essential component of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor

Johanna Knapschaefer

November 13, 2022

No Comments

At risk of failure, span is an essential component of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor

2022 Midterm Elections

GOP Wins Control of the House, Narrowly

Tom Ichniowski

November 17, 2022

No Comments

AP says Republicans have won 218 seats, the minimum for a House majority.

Midterm Elections

Construction Industry Watches Agenda of Split Congress

Tom Ichniowski Jim Parsons

Debra K. Rubin

Annemarie Mannion

November 23, 2022

No Comments

Sector eyes Capitol Hill moves, with attention also on project impacts of key state leadership results and billions in newly approved funding

Infrastructure Act

IIJA Year One: Funds Flow but Regulations Face Criticism

Tom Ichniowski

November 15, 2022

No Comments

Industry praises formula funding pace, but is critical of Buy America and project review implementation.

Clean Energy Construction

Novel Gas Power Plant With No Air Emissions Set in Texas

Mary B. Powers

November 11, 2022

No Comments

EPC contract for 300-MW facility in Permian Basin, which will produce power and industrial grade CO₂ that can be sold or sequestered, will be awarded by year end.

Fossil Fuel Energy

World Bank OKs $497M to Take Down 1GW S. Africa Coal-fired Plant

The site will be repurposed for solar and wind power installation

Shem Oirere

November 21, 2022

No Comments

Komati plant site, one of the world's largest coal fired facilities, closed in October and will be repurposed for 220 MW of renewable energy.

Accident Probe

NTSB: Train Could Not Brake Before Hitting Construction Workers

Stephanie Loder

November 15, 2022

No Comments

The Oct. 14 crash on a Philadelphia bridge that killed union workers Victor R. Martins and Donato G. Fiocca remains under probe by the National Transportation Safety Board and other agencies.

Legal

Suit Dropped Against AE Firms in Amazon Warehouse Collapse

James Leggate

November 15, 2022

No Comments

Six people were killed when a tornado hit the Edwardsville, Ill., Amazon fulfillment center in December 2021.

2023 Forecast Markets are Mixed for the Year Ahead

2023 Economic Forecast: Markets Are Mixed for Year Ahead

Alisa Zevin

November 23, 2022

2 Comments

Inflation, rising interest rates and a possible global recession continue to top the list of forecasters’ concerns for the coming year.

Pulse: Project News for the Week of November 28, 2022

November 23, 2022

No Comments

Project news from Dodge Data & Analytics.

Construction Economics for November 28, 2022

November 23, 2022

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

Cover Story

Outside-the-Box Ideas Shape I-66 Project in Northern Virginia

News

Bentley Launches Digital Twin Tools, Infrastructure Cloud

Obituary: Jim Lammie, 91, Pushed Design Firm PB Upward as Chief Exec

More US Solar Plants Seen, But Sector Wants Import Tariffs Dropped

Klamath Dam Removal Project Receives Final FERC Go-ahead

Grenfell Fire Probe Faults Construction Industry Practices

NY Court Halts Work on $2.3B Syracuse I-81 Viaduct Removal

Contractors Face $700K OSHA Fines for South Boston Power Plant Collapse

Turner-Yates-Kokosing JV Wins $3.5B Honda EV Battery Plant Project

Construction Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses Are Down, Injury Rate Flat

New Report Details Triggers of June Blast at Still Closed Texas LNG

NIST Develops Climate Resilience Tools for Communities

First Model Code for Public-Occupancy Temporary Structures Nears Adoption

US Watchdog Rejects Both Bid Protests of Bechtel $3B DOE Award

Century-old Connecticut River Bridge Set for $500 Million Replacement

GOP Wins Control of the House, Narrowly

Construction Industry Watches Agenda of Split Congress

IIJA Year One: Funds Flow but Regulations Face Criticism

Novel Gas Power Plant With No Air Emissions Set in Texas

World Bank OKs $497M to Take Down 1GW S. Africa Coal-fired Plant

NTSB: Train Could Not Brake Before Hitting Construction Workers

Suit Dropped Against AE Firms in Amazon Warehouse Collapse

Headlines

2023 Economic Forecast: Markets Are Mixed for Year Ahead

Departments

Pulse: Project News for the Week of November 28, 2022

Construction Economics

Construction Economics for November 28, 2022

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