March 25, 2024

Wood Wizardry in Oregon: Innovation Raises the Roof for PDX Terminal

March 21, 2024

Drones, self-propelled modular transporters and a curtain wall that really does hang off the roof like a curtain are all notable technologies that made installing an 18-million-lb timber roof possible at Portland International Airport.

Safety Report

Anti-Concussion Technology: The Helmet on Your Head

Anti-concussion technology in helmets gains ground in construction, driven by contractor adoption and safety regulators following their lead

Jeff Yoders

March 20, 2024

3 Comments

In December, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it was replacing traditional hardhats for its employees with ANSI-Z89.1-certified Type II safety helmets when they work on sites.

Safety and Health

Bechtel to Invest $7M for Construction Suicide Prevention

Contribution is largest donation from a single donor in American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's history

Pam McFarland

March 12, 2024

No Comments

Global contractor launches five-year link with suicide prevention foundation to reduce high number of suicide-caused deaths in construction, a "shameful statistic," said CEO Brendan Bechtel.

Public Agencies Discuss Evolution of Alternative Project Delivery Methods

Aileen Cho

March 7, 2024

One Comment

Attendees at the Western Winter Workshop heard lessons learned on CMAR, PDB.

Engineer Cites Benefits of $6B Texas Storm Surge Protection Proposal

Daniel Tyson

March 11, 2024

No Comments

Walter P Moore and Associates expert says the project, which the firm and Rice University are designing, involves constructing an island chain to protect industry in the Houston Ship Channel from hurricane impact.

Federal Projects

Record Funding, Big Contract Award Set to Push Hanford Cleanup

Tim Newcomb

Debra K. Rubin

March 17, 2024

No Comments

Most complex DOE nuclear waste site remediation seeks record $3.1B funding for fiscal 2025 as core 10-year management contact is finally awarded after long bidding dispute.

Codes and Standards

US Dept. of Energy Updates Commercial Building Model Energy Standard

James Leggate

March 6, 2024

No Comments

Buildings that meet the newer ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2022 would see an average of 9.8% in site energy savings compared to those that only meet the 2019 standard, an agency analysis estimates.

$1.5B Rail Facility Construction Set to Begin at Port of Long Beach

Greg Aragon

March 11, 2024

No Comments

The Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility project will directly connect to on-dock rail facilities and the Alameda Corridor railway.

Design Professional Liability Insurers: Brace for More Price Hikes

Richard Korman

March 6, 2024

One Comment

A survey by broker Ames & Gough notes planned increases for the third consecutive year.

Manufacturing

Rivian Pauses $5B Electric Vehicle Plant in Georgia

James Leggate

March 11, 2024

No Comments

Automaker will gear up to produce its small EV SUV at an existing Illinois plant instead.

Transportation

Portland, Ore.'s I-5 Rose Quarter Project Secures $450M Grant, Key Environmental Approval

Tim Newcomb

March 13, 2024

No Comments

The project project will add auxiliary lanes to Interstate 5 through the city and construct a highway cover to support reconnection of the city’s Albina community to the downtown.

Rendering of Port Authority Bus Terminal renovation

Transportation

NYC Pledges Funds to Port Authority's $10B Manhattan Bus Terminal

City officials commit 40 years of tax revenue from three potential commercial developments

Justin Rice

March 14, 2024

No Comments

Major replacement and expansion is due for the 73-year-old interstate transit hub on Manhattan's west side.

Investigations

Probe Says Surfside Pool Deck Failed Several Minutes Before Building

Investigators still seek initiating event of fatal Champlain Towers South failure

James Leggate

March 7, 2024

No Comments

The National Institute of Standards and Technology expects to publish a draft report on its investigation in May 2025.

Water Projects

Panama Canal Proposes New Reservoir to Secure Water Supply

C.J. Schexnayder

March 15, 2024

One Comment

Proposed $900M project could be completed in five years to alleviate water shortage transit impacts, canal officials say, but the Panama government must first approve measures to enable construction start

Texas Planned High-Speed Rail Inches Forward, Despite Earlier Trouble

Daniel Tyson

March 12, 2024

No Comments

Contracting team is still awaiting a notice to proceed.

Federal Funding

Congress Nears Passage of Major Spending Measure With Funds for Construction and Infrastructure

Tom Ichniowski

March 6, 2024

No Comments

The six-bill package includes DOT, EPA, Corps of Engineers, VA, DOE and military construction funding for the rest of fiscal year 2024.

Highway Infrastructure

FHWA Seeks to Drop Manufactured Products' Buy America Waiver

Tom Ichniowski

March 7, 2024

No Comments

The agency aims to strengthen U.S. manufacturers and boost jobs, but removing the 40-year-old general waiver has drawn criticism from industry groups.

Worker Safety and Health

EPA Finalizes Rule Banning Ongoing Uses of Asbestos

Jim Parsons

March 19, 2024

No Comments

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final rule prohibiting ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, the only known form of asbestos currently imported, processed or distributed for use in the U.S.

Renewable Energy

Orsted Cuts Offshore Wind Target, Exits Some Non-US Markets

Peter Reina

February 12, 2024

No Comments

The Danish offshore wind developer reduced its 2030 renewable energy capacity goal from 50 GW to 35-38 GW.

BuffaloPlains.onshonshore win.ALBERTA +InstallationCOPENHAGENINFRAPARTNERS.jpg

Renewable Energy

Alberta Restricts New Clean Power Projects on Most Farm Land

Canada's largest onshore wind energy project narrowly escaped new provincial law

David Godkin

Debra K. Rubin

March 12, 2024

No Comments

About $8B of proposed wind and solar projects may be at risk under the new province edict, but 500-MW Buffalo Plains onshore wind generator is set to operate by year-end.

Construction Workforce

Construction Adds 23,000 Jobs in February for 11th Straight Monthly Gain

Tom Ichniowski

March 8, 2024

No Comments

Heavy and civil engineering construction was the strongest sector, adding 12,500 positions in February.

Biden Touts Infrastructure, Manufacturing Growth in State of the Union

Tom Ichniowski

March 8, 2024

No Comments

Most of President Joe Biden’s March 7 speech to a joint session of Congress centered on domestic issues, but he also announced one construction-related overseas action.

Federal Funding

Biden Budget Seeks Heavy Spending for DOT, Corps Construction

Tom Ichniowski

March 11, 2024

No Comments

The proposal includes new $8-billion, five-year program to upgrade FAA facilities, radar systems.

What's Needed for Engineering Plan Review Success

Mehdi Rastakhiz

March 20, 2024

No Comments

A commentary about seeing what's missing and what's present when it shouldn’t be.

Industry Leads for the Week of March 25, 2024

March 21, 2024

No Comments

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

Construction History

River Flow Reversed to Solve Sewage Problem for Chicago

Scott Lewis

March 21, 2024

No Comments

During the 19th century, Chicago’s sewage got dumped into the Chicago River and flowed into Lake Michigan. Because the city’s drinking water was, and still is, drawn from the lake via two mile-long tunnels, officials feared that the sewage would endanger the water supply.

Interviews

Ten Minutes With Grant Quasha, CEO of Eco Material

Jeff Rubenstone

March 15, 2024

No Comments

Grant Quasha is the CEO of Eco Material, a leading producer and supplier of cement products using selective cementitious materials (SCMs) and other alternative material sources. The company has made significant investments in recent years to expand its supply of SCMs beyond traditional sources of waste materials produced by coal-fired power plants. Quasha spoke with ENR about the current and future prospects for alternative materials in the cement supply chain.

Black & Veatch Establishes Global Cybersecurity Practice

Jeff Yoders

March 21, 2024

No Comments

Engineer Black & Veatch has brought on Ian Bramson as its vice president of global industrial cybersecurity.

Information Technology

Accounting Platform Sage Launches AI CoPilot to Boost Sector Offerings

Jeff Yoders

March 7, 2024

No Comments

The technology provider for small-to-medium business enterprise introduces generative AI tool and a unified cloud suite of construction products at its Las Vegas user conference on Feb. 28.

Construction Economics for March 25, 2024

March 21, 2024

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

The ENR Global Best Projects Awards focus on the challenges, risks, and rewards of designing and constructing in other countries. This December, we will be celebrating virtually!

Join us for Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC), returning to New York City on February 24-25, 2025! This conference unites women across the construction industry—from project managers to executives—to connect, learn, and advance in a supportive environment. Dive into educational sessions covering innovations in tech, career development, and DEI. Enjoy unique networking events and collaborative discussions designed to empower and inspire.

Our Publications

ENR

Cover Story

Wood Wizardry in Oregon: Innovation Raises the Roof for PDX Terminal

Feature

Anti-Concussion Technology: The Helmet on Your Head

News

Bechtel to Invest $7M for Construction Suicide Prevention

Public Agencies Discuss Evolution of Alternative Project Delivery Methods

Engineer Cites Benefits of $6B Texas Storm Surge Protection Proposal

Record Funding, Big Contract Award Set to Push Hanford Cleanup

US Dept. of Energy Updates Commercial Building Model Energy Standard

$1.5B Rail Facility Construction Set to Begin at Port of Long Beach

Design Professional Liability Insurers: Brace for More Price Hikes

Rivian Pauses $5B Electric Vehicle Plant in Georgia

Portland, Ore.'s I-5 Rose Quarter Project Secures $450M Grant, Key Environmental Approval

NYC Pledges Funds to Port Authority's $10B Manhattan Bus Terminal

Probe Says Surfside Pool Deck Failed Several Minutes Before Building

Panama Canal Proposes New Reservoir to Secure Water Supply

Texas Planned High-Speed Rail Inches Forward, Despite Earlier Trouble

Congress Nears Passage of Major Spending Measure With Funds for Construction and Infrastructure

FHWA Seeks to Drop Manufactured Products' Buy America Waiver

EPA Finalizes Rule Banning Ongoing Uses of Asbestos

Orsted Cuts Offshore Wind Target, Exits Some Non-US Markets

Alberta Restricts New Clean Power Projects on Most Farm Land

Construction Adds 23,000 Jobs in February for 11th Straight Monthly Gain

Biden Touts Infrastructure, Manufacturing Growth in State of the Union

Biden Budget Seeks Heavy Spending for DOT, Corps Construction

What's Needed for Engineering Plan Review Success

Industry Leads for the Week of March 25, 2024

Departments

River Flow Reversed to Solve Sewage Problem for Chicago

Ten Minutes With Grant Quasha, CEO of Eco Material

Black & Veatch Establishes Global Cybersecurity Practice

Accounting Platform Sage Launches AI CoPilot to Boost Sector Offerings

Construction Economics

Construction Economics for March 25, 2024

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