April 3, 2023

a crew working near the capital building

ENR 2023 1Q Cost Report

March 29, 2023

Recession fears continue to loom as the first quarter comes to a close. Inflation remains an ongoing issue, while recent failures in the banking sector pose additional threats.

Legal

Judges Approve $626M Flint Settlement With Affected Families

James Leggate

March 22, 2023

No Comments

A Michigan court judge granted final approval of the mostly state-funded settlement with many young plaintiffs in tainted water case, but two engineering firms are not part of the agreement.

Hydrogen Power Tech Projects Get $750M in New Federal Funds

Debra K. Rubin

March 19, 2023

No Comments

TIC, Sargent & Lundy, Mitsubishi lead team picked to build $1.2B hydrogen-capable Texas power plant, as U.S. Energy Dept. aims first half of infrastructure law funds to expand fuel's use and refine technology gaps some market observers see.

A graphic showing an EMS vehicle racing in front of a map of Baltimore

Jobsite Fatalities

Baltimore Construction Zone Crash Kills Six Workers

A car struck construction workers after entering the work zone in a jersey barrier gap

Jim Parsons

March 23, 2023

No Comments

Five contractor employees and construction inspector died when a car entered their Interstate-695 work zone at high speed through a barrier gap.

Tunnels

Sinking Ground Slows $5.4B Australia Tunnel Boring Project

Peter Reina

March 17, 2023

No Comments

Pumped storage hydro owner Snowy Hydro says tunnel integrity has not been compromised, but contractors are taking precautions.

Environment

UN: Governments Must Accelerate Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cuts

Pam McFarland

March 21, 2023

No Comments

Latest and final IPCC climate change report warns that rapid action is key to the planet continuing to be habitable and offers a path forward through use of existing technologies.

Water

Global Water Infrastructure Investment Boost Needed to Avoid Shortfalls, Report Says

Peter Reina

March 20, 2023

No Comments

New report says huge investment must happen in low- and middle-income countries "just to achieve universal access to clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030."

Government

EPA Revises Cement, Steel Emissions Requirements in Final ‘Good Neighbor’ Rule

James Leggate

March 15, 2023

No Comments

Construction groups say final rule could raise costs of power and materials.

Transit

Board OKs $2B Cost Increase for California High-Speed Rail Project

James Leggate

March 22, 2023

No Comments

The California High-Speed Rail Authority has approved more than 1,100 change orders since work on the portion currently under construction began creating rising costs.

After Near-Total Storm Destruction, Mississippi Hopes to Rebuild

Jim Parsons

March 27, 2023

No Comments

Communities face daunting recovery in 170-mile wake of storm that left more than 1,000 severely damaged and flattened homes, with multiple utilities, roads and public buildings also affected.

Transit

NYC Advances Plan for $7.7B East Harlem Subway Extension

James Leggate

March 16, 2023

No Comments

Second Avenue expansion in Manhattan would go out to bid for first two construction contracts this year, said MTA.

Mass Transit

Team Completes Bay Area Central Subway Extension

Aileen Cho

March 29, 2023

No Comments

After a dozen years that included a successful tunneling feat and an unusual arrangement for station work, a 1.7-mile, $1.9-billion extension of San Francisco’s Central Subway wrapped up this month.

Military Projects

Contractor List Emerges for Navy $2.5B Guam ID/IQ Awards

James Leggate

March 15, 2023

No Comments

Seven teams picked for infrastructure build task orders in military's wider Pacific refocus to counter China's influence in the region.

Military Projects

JV Wins $2.8B Pearl Harbor Dry Dock Contract

James Leggate

March 14, 2023

One Comment

Dragados-Hawaiian Dredging will execute upgrades for the U.S. Navy as part of its 20-year Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program.

Spurt of North America LNG Projects Get First-Quarter OKs to Proceed

Mary B. Powers

Debra K. Rubin

March 21, 2023

No Comments

Bechtel, Zachry Group and KBR are named EPC contractors for just-sanctioned Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast LNG production sites, while Canada regulators approve two projects to move forward.

Construction Materials

Mexico Seizes Local Vulcan Materials Port Production Facility

Vulcan quarrying, processing and shipping remain closed in Mexico

Derek Lacey

March 21, 2023

No Comments

The action stems from an ongoing dispute involving the Birmingham, Ala.-based company, Mexico's government and Mexican cement producer CEMEX.

Clean Power and New Tech at CONEXPO 2023

Jeff Rubenstone

Jeff Yoders

March 29, 2023

No Comments

With demand for construction equipment running high amidst a busy few years of construction, the hunger for new machines was visible at the triennial CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show, held March 14-18 in Las Vegas.

Infrastructure Act

US DOT Awards $95M in IIJA Tech-Related Grants

Tom Ichniowski

March 21, 2023

No Comments

Grants are for planning and developing prototype technology projects intended to improve transportation safety, equity, efficiency and innovation.

Small bodies of water with irregular borders are interspersed among a stretch of green land, stretching horizontally to the horizon, where it begins to fade out

Environmental Regulation

Federal Judge Bars Biden 'WOTUS' Rule, But Only in Texas and Idaho

Tom Ichniowski

March 20, 2023

No Comments

Judge rejects industry groups' request for a nationwide injunction on the Waters of the US rule, which sets federal protections for certain water bodies and wetlands.

3D Printed Three-Story Building Goes Up in Saudi Arabia

Jeff Rubenstone

March 29, 2023

No Comments

The COBOD concrete 3D-printing system passed a milestone recently with completion of a three-story residential building in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Manufacturing

Invenergy Plans to Build $220M Ohio Solar Panel Plant

James Leggate

March 23, 2023

No Comments

Chicago-based renewable energy developer is partnering with Chinese solar panel manufacturer LONGi for the facility.

Europe Starts Tough Debate on Scope, Costs of Clean Energy Scaleup

Michael Dumiak

Debra K. Rubin

March 26, 2023

No Comments

At the European Union summit, negotiations got underway on details to launch continent toward self-sufficient clean energy manufacturing and materials sourcing to meet proposed net-zero emissions goals.

Ethics & Corruption

UK Demolition Firms Fined $75M in Bid-Rigging Crackdown

Peter Reina

March 28, 2023

No Comments

Ten contractors face penalties for bid collusion on 19 contracts with a combined value of $185 million.

Aviation

Biden Nominee Phillip Washington Withdraws from FAA Consideration

Tom Ichniowski

March 26, 2023

No Comments

Industry executive, named to head the Federal Aviation Administration, withdrew as a candidate after Senate Republicans said he lacked experience for the job.

Safety

Ohio Sues Norfolk Southern for Train Derailment Damages

Annemarie Mannion

March 16, 2023

No Comments

March 14 civil lawsuit alleges railroad violated hazardous waste and water quality laws and failed to take proper care to prevent toxic spill in East Palestine.

Predictive Analysis

VIATechnik’s Precogs Predicts, Averts Construction Problems

Jeff Yoders

March 29, 2023

No Comments

If you could foresee construction problems, wouldn’t you prevent them from happening? In the 2002 film “Minority Report,” police use the foreknowledge of psychics called “precogs” to predict and preemptively stop crimes.

Viewpoint

Construction Safety Mindset Should Start in Undergrad Classrooms

March 29, 2023

No Comments

Nearly 1,000 U.S. construction workers died of work-related injuries each year from 2011 to 2020, with the industry accounting for 20% of all workplace deaths, even though it made up just 7.3% of the national workforce.

Industry Leads for the Week of April 3, 2023

March 29, 2023

No Comments

Information derived from Industrial Reports, a market intelligence firm specializing in industrial construction and equipment leads

Pulse: Project News for the Week of April 3, 2023

March 29, 2023

No Comments

Project news from Dodge Date & Analytics.

Construction Economics for April 3, 2023

March 29, 2023

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

Enhancing Collaboration and Surpassing Traditional Design-Build Methods with Progressive Design-Build

Earn: 1 PDH; 1 AIA LU/Elective; 0.1 IACET CEU

Progressive Design-Build is reshaping large infrastructure projects by addressing key issues with the traditional Design-Build approach. We'll explore how PDB fosters collaboration between owners, design-builders, and design teams to develop a well-defined scope and budget, plus minimizes cost overruns and reduces liability claims.

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ENR

Cover Story

ENR 2023 1Q Cost Report

News

Judges Approve $626M Flint Settlement With Affected Families

Hydrogen Power Tech Projects Get $750M in New Federal Funds

Baltimore Construction Zone Crash Kills Six Workers

Sinking Ground Slows $5.4B Australia Tunnel Boring Project

UN: Governments Must Accelerate Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cuts

Global Water Infrastructure Investment Boost Needed to Avoid Shortfalls, Report Says

EPA Revises Cement, Steel Emissions Requirements in Final ‘Good Neighbor’ Rule

Board OKs $2B Cost Increase for California High-Speed Rail Project

After Near-Total Storm Destruction, Mississippi Hopes to Rebuild

NYC Advances Plan for $7.7B East Harlem Subway Extension

Team Completes Bay Area Central Subway Extension

Contractor List Emerges for Navy $2.5B Guam ID/IQ Awards

JV Wins $2.8B Pearl Harbor Dry Dock Contract

Spurt of North America LNG Projects Get First-Quarter OKs to Proceed

Mexico Seizes Local Vulcan Materials Port Production Facility

Clean Power and New Tech at CONEXPO 2023

US DOT Awards $95M in IIJA Tech-Related Grants

Federal Judge Bars Biden 'WOTUS' Rule, But Only in Texas and Idaho

3D Printed Three-Story Building Goes Up in Saudi Arabia

Invenergy Plans to Build $220M Ohio Solar Panel Plant

Europe Starts Tough Debate on Scope, Costs of Clean Energy Scaleup

UK Demolition Firms Fined $75M in Bid-Rigging Crackdown

Biden Nominee Phillip Washington Withdraws from FAA Consideration

Ohio Sues Norfolk Southern for Train Derailment Damages

Departments

VIATechnik’s Precogs Predicts, Averts Construction Problems

Construction Safety Mindset Should Start in Undergrad Classrooms

Industry Leads for the Week of April 3, 2023

Pulse: Project News for the Week of April 3, 2023

Construction Economics

Construction Economics for April 3, 2023

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