| Engineering News-Record

While it’s common to take the U.S. Interstate Highway System for granted, it had a long gestation period before coming to fruition beginning in the mid-20th century.

Unpaid Contractors Sue as Partly Renovated San Francisco Office Building Is Sold

Richard Korman

January 11, 2024

Developer is using ploys to avoid paying, contractor claims.

Energy Construction

Alaska Willow Oil Megaproject Gets Developer Final OK

December 28, 2023

ConocoPhillips decision for estimated $8B North Slope energy development comes four days after U.S. appeals court rejected opponents' latest plea to stop $900M of winter construction work now underway.

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Energy Transformation

Long-Awaited US Clean Hydrogen Project Tax Credit Rules Proposed

December 22, 2023

Feds put on record the fine print of incentives set to propel lowest carbon production—but developers say timing of power sourcing and emissions reporting mandates put hydrogen sector growth at risk.

Workforce

Labor Dept Finalizes Controversial Independent Contractor Rule

Pam McFarland

January 11, 2024

Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su says rule will prevent employers from misclassifying legitimate employees as independent contractors, but construction groups largely oppose it.

Project Finance

BlackRock to Buy GIP in Link of US Infrastructure Investment Giants

If approved, combined firms will manage a $150-billion global infrastructure investment portfolio

January 17, 2024

In $12.5B deal, the asset manager would acquire Global Infrastructure Partners' $106M infrastructure investment portfolio per a Jan. 12 announcement.

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Companies

Services Firm Worley Disputes Big Ecuador Project Pay Claim Dismissal

January 9, 2024

Firm resumed stock trading after denying "corruption, illegality or bad faith" claimed by arbitration panel as it pursues millions in project payment it says it is owed by state-owned energy firm and further legal action.

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Buildings

NYC Inspections Reveal 'Unsafe' Parking Garages, With Hundreds of Late Reports Pending

James Leggate

January 19, 2024

Nearly 150 parking structures in parts of Manhattan have been deemed unsafe or in need of repairs and continued monitoring, and reports on hundreds more are pending review or late to be filed.

Project Delivery

JE Dunn-SmithGroup Wins First Award Under New US Contracting Method

James Leggate

January 18, 2024

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory selected the design-build team for $224M project in pilot of federal procurement strategy.

EPA Proposes First Fossil-Fuel Methane Emission Fee in US

January 16, 2024

Penalty would apply to emissions above 25,000 metric tons per year of CO₂ equivalent, but there are some exemptions for oil and gas firms.

Court Rules Energy Firm Enel Must Deconstruct 150MW Oklahoma Wind Farm

Deconstructing the facility could cost $300 million, company estimates

Daniel Tyson

January 15, 2024

9 Comments

The Osage Nation wants the complete removal of the wind farm, power lines and infrastructure, which could cost the energy company upwards of $300 million.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

US DOT Awards $623M for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Tom Ichniowski

January 11, 2024

One Comment

North Texas government council wins largest grant, $70 million for hydrogen fueling stations for trucks.

India's Longest Sea Bridge Opens as Country Continues Transportation Push

Neelam Mathews

January 16, 2024

The 22-km crossing links the island city of Mumbai with its satellite city on the mainland, Navi Mumbai.

Energy Infrastructure

Industry Pushes Congress for $1.2B to Fix US Transformer Shortage

January 10, 2024

Seven trade groups urge legislators to enact promised funding in final federal 2024 spending bill to ease supply chain bottlenecks set to worsen existing U.S. shortfalls in the critical power delivery components.

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Canada Can Finish Disputed Oil Line Project, Regulator Says

David Godkin

January 15, 2024

New drilling problems revealed Jan. 29 on Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in Alberta and British Columbia could cause added startup delay, two weeks after it finally won critical variance.

Equipment

Cummins To Pay Record $1.67B to Settle Claims of Bypassing Emissions Tests

Settlement will be the largest ever under the Clean Air Act if paid in full

Jeff Yoders

January 2, 2024

The engine manufacturer has agreed to pay $1.67 billion to settle potential violations of the Clean Air Act regarding devices that allow users to defeat emissions controls systems in Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 engines.

Transportation

Quick-Moving Contractors Were Key to Eight-Day Fix of Fire-Damaged LA Freeway

Aileen Cho

January 12, 2024

Caltrans engineer recounts intense process to reopen damaged 450-ft section of I-10, a core downtown artery, after Nov. 11 blaze.

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Legal

US High Court Ruling in Chevron Challenge Unclear After Arguments

Federal agency rulemaking is at core of conservative-backed lawsuits under review

January 18, 2024

Federal agency rulemaking, particularly in environmental and workplace safety areas, is at core of conservative-backed legal challenge.

Will Las Vegas Sphere Pay Lawsuit Require Developer CEO to Answer Questions?

Other issues await in court claims by Rider Levett Bucknall and Hunt-AECOM

Richard Korman

December 29, 2023

One Comment

A court panel will decide if James Dolan, CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment, must testify.

Federal Funding

Update: Biden Signs New Stopgap Spending Bill

Tom Ichniowski

January 15, 2024

New bill keeps agencies open into early March.

Companies

Sports Architects Jump From AECOM to Gensler

Richard Korman

January 17, 2024

The departures add six venue designers since last May to the existing Gensler practice.

Natural Gas

Mountain Valley Pipeline Cuts Back a Planned North Carolina Extension

January 4, 2024

Developer of much-embattled $7.2B natural gas line in Va. and W.Va says redesigned $370M addition eliminates a compressor station and needed water crossings.

Hydropower

TVA Contracts Day & Zimmerman for $985M in Hydro Dams Maintenance

James Leggate

January 10, 2024

The contract covers work at TVA’s hydroelectric dams but not nuclear power plants.

Powerful AI Still Needs Quality Checks

What using artificial intelligence requires of civil engineers

Anand Stephen

December 27, 2023

An engineer's commentary on the new age of artificial intelligence.

Construction Technology

Oakland 'Phoenix' Multifamily Project Uses Industrialized Construction, Mycelium

Jeff Yoders

January 26, 2024

Autodesk, Kreysler & Associates, Factory_OS, MBH Architects and Ecovative have developed an industrialized construction workflow using Forma, Revit and construction cloud to deliver factory-produced apartment modules for a West Oakland affordable housing project.

Industry Leads for the Week of January 29, 2024

January 25, 2024

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

Pulse for the Week of January 29, 2024

January 25, 2024

Project news from Dodge Data & Analytics.

Construction Economics for January 29, 2024

January 25, 2024