Did the extreme winter weather play a part in December’s disappointing jobs report? Only 74,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy last month. Construction companies, which are heavily dependent on weather conditions, cut 16,000 jobs. That’s the biggest drop in 20 months, according to the Washington Post. The unemployment…(Read More)
Delivery methods, prefabrication, and technology will shape the industry in 2014. So says Bud LaRosa, chief business performance officer at Tocci Building Companies in Woburn, MA. “More companies will move to the cloud, which allows contractors to seamlessly share files of any size with virtually unlimited power,” explains LaRosa. “Cloud based solutions will help increase…(Read More)
Home construction and commercial projects have been helping boost construction spending these past couple of months. The U.S. Commerce Department says single family and apartment building construction have been important. But the Associated Press reports that commercial projects also jumped 2.7 percent in November. Spending on offices, communication projects and transportation projects contributed…(Read More)
There’s been a significant growth in the number of female construction employees in leadership roles in Australia. How did leaders down under shake up the status quo a couple of years ago? A new group called Industry Women Central has played an integral role in breaking down barriers and moving past outdated stereotypes in…(Read More)
Architects are integral in the world of construction, well beyond blueprints and dimensions. Stephen Bauld, a government procurement expert based in Canada, says executives who are once removed from the jobsite may forget the role of the architect. “We may forget that architects work closely with other professionals involved in the execution of the project…(Read More)
Green building in North America will continue to see strong growth throughout the coming year. That’s according to green building consultant Jerry Yudelson, who predicts that 2014 will also experience a growing focus on energy efficiency and zero-net-energy buildings. http://www.constructech.com/news/articles/article.aspx?article_id=9896&SECTION=1…(Read More)
“In terms of effectiveness, safe working conditions at construction jobsites are best achieved when the prime or general contractor assumes his rightful leadership role and takes primary responsibility to (a) establish, (b) coordinate, (c) monitor, and (d) generally manage the overall basic safety program content and structure for all parties and persons at his jobsite…(Read More)
What can be done on jobsites to reduce the likelihood of claims being filed against your company? A few of the common trends that result in disputes include labor or material shortages, unplanned disruptions, and architect-related delays. Joshua Johnson, a partner with Gentry, Locke, Rakes and Moore, a law firm that handles construction and…(Read More)
The Winter 2013 edition of Construction Economics has been published by Gilbane Building Company, a global construction and facilities-related services firm. Ed Zarenski, an industry veteran who authored the report, writes: “Supported by overall positive growth trends in 2013 and 2014, I expect margins and overall escalation to climb more rapidly than we have…(Read More)
Construction project managers are typically obsessed with time and deadlines. While setbacks are expected, some construction projects got so tangled up with time and resource problems that they stand out above the crowd. Which projects are on this dubious list? The Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project, known as the Big Dig, lasted some 16 years…(Read More)
