July 17, 2023 | Engineering News-Record

Check out the July 31, 2023 edition of ENR featuring alternative breakwater construction methods in Florida, Top 200 Environmental Firms, news and more!

ENR 2023 Top 200 Environmental Firms: Coping With Market Give and Take

Debra K. Rubin

Mary B. Powers

July 27, 2023

No Comments

Firms' global revenue hits new peak of $138.9 billion with elevated environmental priorities, more funding and continued sector consolidation, but key risks still hover.

Blockbuster Breakwater: Alternative Construction Method Put to the Test in Tampa Bay

Scott Judy

July 26, 2023

No Comments

Florida Dept. of Transportation's use of alternative approach to building breakwaters that has proven more effective and less expensive is the first test by a state- or federal-level agency.

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Transit Construction

New Delay, Cost Boost Seen for $3.4B Maryland Purple Line

Jim Parsons

July 17, 2023

No Comments

New schedule, funding are approved by state oversight board June 19 as 16.2-mile P3 light rail in Washington, D.C. suburbs sims to recover after costly two-year delay.

Executive Interview

Five Minutes With James A. Morrison, Gateway Development Commission CTO

James Leggate

July 14, 2023

No Comments

Key aspects of the $16.1B NJ-NYC Hudson Tunnel Project will be managed by Gateway's new chief technical officer.

Screenshot of the CMRA portal shows a highlighted map of a region on the right, with accompanying data on the left including wildfire, drought and flood information

Technology

NOAA Promotes Climate Mapping Tool for Better Resilience Planning

Agency want construction owners and decisionmakers to use climate portals for projects

Jeff Yoders

July 14, 2023

No Comments

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as the U.K. Met Office, have introduced climate assessment mapping websites backed by government data sources.

DSI and ACI Installation for MATS Compliance

Energy

Michigan Utility DTE Energy Agrees to Phase Out Coal by 2032

Utility settles with Sierra Club, state utility regulator

Jeff Yoders

July 17, 2023

No Comments

In a deal with state regulators, environmental groups and business leaders, the utility will spend $11 billion on solar, wind and grid storage investments and retire coal production by 2032, but the plan still is set to rely heavily on natural gas production as a supplemental resource.

Water Projects

Portland, Ore., Picks Contractors for $1.8B in Water Projects

Tim Newcomb

July 19, 2023

No Comments

A joint venture of MWH Constructors and Kiewit Corp will build a $1.25B water filtration facility with a J.W. Fowler- MWH team tapped for a related $550M pipeline project.

Transportation

$441M SR 57/60 Intersection Project Starts in Los Angeles County

Matthew Heller

July 17, 2023

No Comments

Skanska was tapped to complete Phase III of the eastern county project, aimed at relieving one of the worst truck bottlenecks in California.

Clean Energy

Biden Administration Launches $20B in Grant Programs to Cut Carbon Emissions

Tom Ichniowski

July 14, 2023

No Comments

Advocates describe fund as a "climate bank."

Flood Mitigation

Corps Updates Cost for $3.7B Louisiana Levee System Project

James Leggate

July 19, 2023

No Comments

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has refined its plan to protect communities west of New Orleans from storm damage.

Regulations

OSHA Reporting Rule to Take Effect in 2024 Over Contractor Objections

James Leggate

July 21, 2023

No Comments

Contractor groups say data from injury report forms OSHA plans to post online could be mischaracterized.

Water

California Outlines Expedited Permitting for Seawater Desalination

Pam McFarland

July 18, 2023

No Comments

The state Water Resources Control Board now seeks comment on just-released parameters to speed project permits.

Bechtel Gets Construction OK for $12B Rio Grande LNG Project

Daniel Tyson

Debra K. Rubin

July 17, 2023

No Comments

Fixed price award for Brownsville, Texas gas export plant first phase follows developer NextDecade's final investment decision and what it says is a record $18.4B financing for three-train facility to produce 17.6M tons annually.

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US Supreme Court Orders All Mountain Valley Gas Line Work to Proceed

Debra K. Rubin

July 27, 2023

No Comments

Developer CEO tells analysts Aug. 1 it will finish last 20 miles of 303-mile natural gas line by year end, after high court reverses lower court halt of just-resumed work on controversial project still being litigated

How Some MBEs Led Baltimore to Suspend a Prime Contractor

Richard Korman

July 17, 2023

No Comments

Unpredictable contract scopes, lax MBE compliance records and chronic late pay can add to prime-sub tensions.

Legal

Golden Gate Bridge Net Contractor Settles Supplier's Suit

James Leggate

July 12, 2023

No Comments

Contractor Shimmick/Danny's Joint Venture still has claims pending against the owner over alleged breach of contract.

Canada's $12B Site C Hydro Dam Aims for Long-Haul Completion

Scott Van Voorhis

July 19, 2023

One Comment

As cost and schedule pressures rise, controversial B.C. megaproject, set to commission in 2025, awaits key government ruling before reservoir filling can start this fall.

Federal Spending

Senate DOT Spending Plan Draws Industry Support Over House's Deep Cuts

Tom Ichniowski

July 23, 2023

No Comments

A wide gap between House and Senate committees' DOT 2024 appropriations bills shows contrast in transportation spending priorities.

Ambitious 'Endeavor' Begins on Space Shuttle Exhibit

Greg Aragon

July 21, 2023

No Comments

Initial segments placed for a first-of-its-kind display at California Science Center.

Renewable Energy

Developer Cancels UK Offshore Wind Project Amid Rising Costs

Peter Reina

July 21, 2023

No Comments

In terminating the 1.8-GW Norfolk Boreas project, Sweden-based Vattenfall AB said it is writing off $530 million in costs and termination fees.

Norway's Scatec Set to Build 273 MW of PV Solar in South Africa

Shem Oirere

July 12, 2023

No Comments

Clean energy developer announced is has closed on financing for three solar photovoltaic projects in South Africa with a combined capacity of 273 MW, enabling construction to begin in the first quarter of 2024.

Airport Infrastructure

House Passes FAA Bill With $20B for Airport Construction Grants

Tom Ichniowski

July 20, 2023

No Comments

Focus now shifts to Senate, where committee has yet to act on FAA bill.

In the Hot Zone: A Talk About the Great Heat Wave of 2023

Richard Korman

July 26, 2023

No Comments

July 2023 will go in the record books for its remarkable persistent heat. Phoenix saw the mercury pass 100° F for 22 days in June, and so far in July, there have been 25 days where the high temperature never fell below 110°F. And on July 19, when the high temperature hit 119° F, the night low temperature never fell below 97° F.

Viewpoint

How to Keep Construction Jobsite Thieves at Bay

Sean Clements

July 26, 2023

No Comments

As inflation and supply shortages drive up the prices of construction materials, the rising stakes have emboldened criminals.

Industry Leads for the Week of July 31, 2023

July 26, 2023

No Comments

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

Using Construction Cloud for Coordination

Data Management

DPR Picks Autodesk Construction Cloud as Its Projects’ 'Single Source of Truth'

Jeff Yoders

July 25, 2023

No Comments

The contractor, which self-performs work is standardizing its project information for better project delivery, including prefabrication.

Pulse for the Week of July 31, 2023

July 26, 2023

No Comments

Project news from Dodge Data & Analytics.

Construction Economics for July 31, 2023

July 26, 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.

Our Publications

ENR

July 31, 2023

Cover Story

ENR 2023 Top 200 Environmental Firms: Coping With Market Give and Take

Blockbuster Breakwater: Alternative Construction Method Put to the Test in Tampa Bay

News

New Delay, Cost Boost Seen for $3.4B Maryland Purple Line

Five Minutes With James A. Morrison, Gateway Development Commission CTO

NOAA Promotes Climate Mapping Tool for Better Resilience Planning

Michigan Utility DTE Energy Agrees to Phase Out Coal by 2032

Portland, Ore., Picks Contractors for $1.8B in Water Projects

$441M SR 57/60 Intersection Project Starts in Los Angeles County

Biden Administration Launches $20B in Grant Programs to Cut Carbon Emissions

Corps Updates Cost for $3.7B Louisiana Levee System Project

OSHA Reporting Rule to Take Effect in 2024 Over Contractor Objections

California Outlines Expedited Permitting for Seawater Desalination

Bechtel Gets Construction OK for $12B Rio Grande LNG Project

US Supreme Court Orders All Mountain Valley Gas Line Work to Proceed

How Some MBEs Led Baltimore to Suspend a Prime Contractor

Golden Gate Bridge Net Contractor Settles Supplier's Suit

Canada's $12B Site C Hydro Dam Aims for Long-Haul Completion

Senate DOT Spending Plan Draws Industry Support Over House's Deep Cuts

Ambitious 'Endeavor' Begins on Space Shuttle Exhibit

Developer Cancels UK Offshore Wind Project Amid Rising Costs

Norway's Scatec Set to Build 273 MW of PV Solar in South Africa

House Passes FAA Bill With $20B for Airport Construction Grants

Departments

In the Hot Zone: A Talk About the Great Heat Wave of 2023

How to Keep Construction Jobsite Thieves at Bay

Industry Leads for the Week of July 31, 2023

DPR Picks Autodesk Construction Cloud as Its Projects’ 'Single Source of Truth'

Pulse for the Week of July 31, 2023

Construction Economics

Construction Economics for July 31, 2023

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