February 19, 2024

A historic financial reckoning is at hand with office vacancies and interest rates high.

Construction History

ENR Brought Ideas of Soil Mechanics Pioneer to the US

Scott Lewis

February 15, 2024

More art than science, earthwork engineering relied heavily on local custom in 1904 when Karl Terzaghi (1883-1963) earned an engineering degree in Austria.

New Jersey Sues to Deny Big State Tax Credit to Nuclear Firm Holtec

February 6, 2024

Firm's bid for 10-year, $260M credit to build its Camden R&D campus omitted key ethics related details, state attorney general claims.

Legal

Veolia Agrees to $25M Settlement in Flint Water Crisis Case

February 5, 2024

The engineering firm said officials largely ignored its recommendations while working for the city after the lead-in-water crisis had already begun.

Natural Disasters

Maui Wildfire Cleanup Advances to Debris Removal Phase

January 23, 2024

One Comment

Crews working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are removing wildfire debris to a temporary disposition site.

Materials

Lower Sioux Developing First US Hempcrete Production Facility

Southern Minnesota tribal community is building homes with homegrown hemp materials

January 26, 2024

Hempcrete blocks and panels could be produced in the U.S. for the first time since 1937 thanks to a facility being built in the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota.

Energy

Senate Hearing Debates Federal Pause on US LNG Export Site Approvals

February 8, 2024

A top DOE official defends the halt as needed to determine if more capacity will affect environmental impacts and global gas prices—but a House-passed bill that removes agency approval authority now is up for Senate consideration.

Transportation

Nome Secures $548M Deal for First US Arctic Deep-Water Port

Tim Newcomb

January 30, 2024

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will award contract this year to deepen Alaska port to 40 ft.

Rail Infrastructure

Amtrak Picks Kiewit-Shea Team for Contract Under $6B Baltimore Tunnel Program

February 6, 2024

The planned Frederick Douglass Tunnel would replace the 150-year-old B&P Tunnel.

Materials

Global Cement Giant Holcim Plans $11B Spin-off of US Business

Jeff Rubenstone

January 29, 2024

Federal spending initiatives have pumped up the U.S. market for the Switzerland-based materials giant.

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Repairs to Hurricane-damaged Sanibel Causeway Completed in 105 Days

Marigo Farr

February 2, 2024

One Comment

How contractors moved quickly after Hurricane Ian.

Clean Energy Construction

NJ Awards 3.74 GW of New Offshore Wind to Replace Pulled Projects

January 26, 2024

Selection of two development teams would replace projects cancelled suddenly last year by developer Orsted and add more capacity.

Construction Fatalities

Investigation Ongoing in Fatal Collapse of Boise Plane Hangar

Jan. 31 incident killed three workers and injured nine

February 1, 2024

One Comment

Three workers were killed and five of the injured were hospitalized in critical condition when the under construction pre-engineered hanger collapsed Jan. 31.

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Clean Energy

Green Hydrogen Pioneer Plug Power to Build 6 Plants With Big US Loan

January 29, 2024

DOE's $1.6B infusion would ease startup's financial strain in scaling up domestic market.

Transit

Gateway Shortlists Three Teams for Manhattan End of $16B Hudson Tunnel

February 6, 2024

The Gateway Development Commission is advancing procurement for several contract packages.

Power and Industrial

Groundbreaking Lithium Extraction Plant Launches in California

L.L. Poirier

February 6, 2024

2 Comments

The $1.85B complex is the first to use abundant geothermal brine near the Salton Sea to produce lithium for large scale EV battery production

Space Shuttle Hoisted Into Place at California Science Center

Greg Aragon

January 31, 2024

Crews will continue to build the 200,000-sq-ft structure that will house the 20-story vertical display of the Endeavor.

Federal Funds

DOE Rolls Out Nearly $2.7B in Clean Energy Project Funding

February 10, 2024

U.S. sets record in hydroelectric system investment, with new tidal energy and scaled up enhancd geothrmal pilot projects also gaining millions and grid expansion efforts getting a $1.2B infusion.

Energy Remediation

Alberta Spent $900M in 2022 on Abandoned Oil & Gas Well Cleanup

David Godkin

February 2, 2024

But critics say problem is worse in Canada energy production hub than regulator outlines.

Infrastructure Act

US DOT Awards $4.9B for Major Highway, Bridge Projects

January 25, 2024

Top grant of $1B goes to a replacement bridge project linking Duluth, Minn., to Superior, Wis.

Environmental Regulations

In Final Rule, EPA Tightens Air Quality Standards for Particulates

Jeff Rubenstone

February 7, 2024

The tighter air pollution standard was long sought by health and environmental justice groups but faced criticism from manufacturing and construction industry associations.

Workforce

Construction Adds 11,000 Jobs in January, 10th Monthly Gain

February 2, 2024

Job gains are in all construction sectors, except heavy and civil engineering construction.

Legislation

House Passes Tax Bill With Industry-Backed R&D Provision

February 1, 2024

A bill that includes $78 billion worth of tax breaks for businesses–including engineering firms and construction contractors–and an expanded child tax credit has cleared an important hurdle with House approval of the package.

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Transit Infrastructure

US DOT Approves $2.5B for Vegas-to-California High-Speed Rail

January 23, 2024

Private-equity bonds would boost 218-mile Brightline West project that is expected to break ground early next year.

Pulse for the Week of February 19, 2024

February 15, 2024

Project news from Dodge Data & Analytics for the week of February 19, 2024.

Equipment

Federal Spending, Robust Market Spur Interest in New Machines at World of Concrete

Jeff Rubenstone

February 1, 2024

Better battery power stole the show in Las Vegas.

Information Technology

McCarthy Standardizes Its Payments on Oracle's Textura Platform

Contractor moves to shift all subcontractor payments to new system

February 7, 2024

McCarthy Building Cos. has standardized its subcontractor payments and most financial transactions on Oracle's Textura cloud-based payments platform.

BIM

New Autodesk Tool Aims to Improve Product Specifications in Revit

Add-ons for Inventor and Revit allow building products to be dropped into Revit models via Construction Cloud

February 7, 2024

Autodesk has released Informed Design, add-ons for Revit and Inventor that help automate the process of placing manufactured products into building information models.

Sydney Metro City & southwest Project, Waterloo Station

Heading Up and Down the Escalator of Life

Richard Korman

February 15, 2024

Wars and political tensions are escalating, and so is migration. Also on the rise are expectations that artificial intelligence will transform life and business as we know it.

Industry Leads for the Week of February 19, 2024

February 15, 2024

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

Construction Economics for February 19, 2024

February 15, 2024