December 25, 2023

Urban Marvels

Seattle’s Audacious Aquarium Throws Builders Swerves, Curves, Twists and Turns

The 50,000-sq-ft Ocean Pavilion is the centerpiece of Waterfront Seattle, the infrastructure makeover of the Puget Sound waterfront

Nadine M. Post

December 20, 2023

No Comments

The work on the Coral Canyon tank was described as 'way outside the box.'

Thornton and Tomasetti Photo by Narayan Mahon

Executive News

Obituary: Charlie Thornton, 83, Was Design Innovator and Mentoring Champion

Co-founder and former CEO of Thornton-Tomasetti and founder of the ACE Mentor program invested effort in project design and delivery and workforce skillbuilding

Jeff Yoders

Scott Lewis

December 16, 2023

One Comment

Thornton Tomasetti co-founder and former CEO saw needs in project design and delivery and workforce skillbuilding until his Dec. 12 death

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Highways

Final Access Points Opened on I-95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension

Johanna Knapschaefer

December 7, 2023

No Comments

Delivered via a public-private partnership, Virginia's $670-million I-95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension has reached completion.

Construction Set for $1.2B Alternative Battery Component Plant in Tucson

David M. Brown

December 13, 2023

No Comments

San Diego developer also announced plan for estimated $300M U.S.-based facility in undisclosed location that also will produce nickel-free and cobalt-free integrated cathodes

Legal

GOP, States, Industry Challenge EPA Project Water Impact Rule

Pam McFarland

December 10, 2023

No Comments

Federal lawsuit filed in Louisiana argues that agency water certification rule that restores state authority to determine project water effects is too broad.

Water Resources

California Refines Water Diversion Tunnel Plan Amid Opposition

James Leggate

December 11, 2023

No Comments

State water agency's final environmental impact report on the proposed Delta Conveyance Project now is reduced in scope compared to other considered options after feedback.

Buildings

University of Michigan Signs P3 for $631M Student Housing Project

James Leggate

December 7, 2023

No Comments

The plan calls for construction of five residence halls totaling 2,300 student beds plus a 900-seat dining facility.

Bridges

Contractors Near Completion of Delayed Golden Gate Suicide Deterrent Net

James Leggate

December 12, 2023

No Comments

Other pieces of the Golden Gate Bridge Physical Suicide Deterrent and Wind Retrofit project are expected to complete in 2026.

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Clean Energy

NY Project Produces America's First Utility Scale Wind Power

Debra K. Rubin

December 7, 2023

No Comments

First installed turbine at the 132-GW South Fork project off the New York coast has now sent wind energy to the state grid, with first power flow also imminent at the 800-MW Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts and other state projects pushing past ongoing constraints.

Legal

Ontario Project Owners Face New Safety Liability, Canada High Court Says

David Godkin

December 13, 2023

No Comments

Traditional contractor-owner relationships “are being rocked” by decision in long-running case related to death of pedestrian struck by road grader on municipal project, says industry group.

Failing Anchor Rods Faulted for Rhode Island Bridge Closure

Jim Parsons

December 13, 2023

No Comments

One of Rhode Island's busiest bridges has been closed due to structural degradation.

Buildings

ASHRAE Moves to Smooth Building-Power Grid Interactions as Path to Cut Emissions

Bruce Buckley

December 11, 2023

No Comments

Group's new guide highlights best practices to enhance connections that would lower rates of building carbon emissions.

Sports Construction

University of South Florida Opts Out of Barton Malow Stadium Design-Build Pact

Speed is no longer the priority, with completion seen in 2027, the school said.

Richard Korman

December 8, 2023

No Comments

With speed no longer the priority, with completion seen in 2027, the school said it will instead seek a construction manager.

Transportation

‘Historic’ $8B in Grants Will Fund US Passenger Rail Expansion

Derek Lacey

James Leggate

December 8, 2023

No Comments

Grants from the Federal Railroad Administration will fund high-speed passenger rail projects from North Carolina and Virginia to California and Nevada.

Climate Change

UN COP28 Climate Forum Targets Fossil Fuel Use for First Time

December 20, 2023

Voting reps from nearly 200 nations at Dubai event ending Dec. 13 agreed to “transition away” from fossil fuels—boosting renewables, nuclear energy and climate investment—but did not mandate specific actions to cut back traditional energy use.

Tunnels

UK Contractor Sets Tunnel Bore Record With 16-Mile Single Drive

Peter Reina

December 12, 2023

No Comments

One team in England recently achieved one of the world's most sustained single tunnel-boring machine drives on a mine project, says its contractor, while another secured a design-build contract for the country's longest road tunnel,

Manufacturing

Clayco Picked for $5B Rivian EV Plant in Georgia

Derek Lacey

December 19, 2023

No Comments

Clayco will lead construction of a 16 million-sq-ft electric vehicle manufacturing campus for Rivian, east of Atlanta.

Court Challenge Looms as Biden PLA Rule Takes Effect

Final rule requiring project pacts is hailed by building trades unions

Richard Korman

Pam McFarland

December 20, 2023

No Comments

The Biden administration requires project labor agreements on projects of $35 million or higher.

Power Transmission

SCOTUS Won't Tackle Texas Curbs on Grid Project Competition

Mary B. Powers

Debra K. Rubin

December 14, 2023

No Comments

Left in place is a lower court ruling that the state law is unconstitutional because it bars outside developers of federally approved regional transmission lines, which were termed “classic instruments of interstate commerce.”

Buildings

Feds Offer $530M in Grants to Governments Implementing Energy Codes

James Leggate

December 19, 2023

No Comments

This is the second round of funding from $1 billion made available through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Government

Congress Sends $884B Defense Policy Bill to White House

House adjourns, but Senate returns next week in last-ditch effort to pass supplemental spending bill

Pam McFarland

James Leggate

December 15, 2023

No Comments

Congress clears legislation that includes many initiatives that construction and engineering groups support.

Update

ENR Editor Urges Online Visit to Historic Early Issues Archive

Richard Korman

December 21, 2023

No Comments

Scott Lewis wears so many hats at ENR it can be hard to keep track of them.

4Q Cost Report: Cost Escalation, Labor Shortages Among Global Challenges in 2024

Contractors must navigate persisting difficulties

Rachel Personius, Currie & Brown

December 20, 2023

No Comments

The coming year presents a complex landscape for the construction industry. Cost, risk and growth will be impacted by geopolitical turmoil, inflation and increased regulatory complexity.

4Q Cost Report: Machine Prices Plateau as Manufacturer Production Gets Back on Track

Jeff Rubenstone

December 20, 2023

No Comments

With the worst of the pandemic-related production issues now largely resolved, the construction equipment market is returning to a more normal state of affairs, despite a rise in prices over recent years.

4Q Cost Report: Pessimism Lingers for Construction Executives

Firms report access to project financing, labor shortages among their top concerns

Jonathan Keller

December 20, 2023

No Comments

Despite a surprisingly strong economy, construction industry executives report that they enter 2024 with much of the same trepidation they faced at the start of 2023.

4Q Cost Report: Easing Interest Rates Expected to Spur Construction in 2024

Economists predict second half of next year will be more prosperous than the first

Alisa Zevin

December 20, 2023

No Comments

As 2023 comes to a close, experts are fairly optimistic about the economic outlook for construction in 2024, but not without some words of caution.

Editorial

Expect 2024 to Be An Industry Thrill Ride

ENR Editorial Board

December 20, 2023

No Comments

There could be plenty of climbs, dips and swerves.

Site Technology

Equipment Going Greener, Embracing Model-based Work

Jeff Yoders

December 20, 2023

No Comments

As jobsites become even more connected with broadband and other services, equipment providers are giving their contractor customers more capabilities to take advantage of project data, whether from a 3D model or even take the steps to make materials supply chains more sustainable.

Pulse for the Week of December 25, 2023

December 20, 2023

No Comments

Project news from Dodge Data & Analytics.

Broadband Access

GIS Deployed to Inform Internet Middle-Mile Projects in Calif.

Tim Newcomb

December 20, 2023

No Comments

Since the 2021 passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, states have been prepping middle-mile broadband construction projects to help numerous communities with poor or little internet access get connected into expanding national and regional broadband networks.

Construction Economics for December 25, 2023

December 20, 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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