Annapolis, MD – As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA) anticipates continued growth for pavement preservation in spite of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) 2012 forecast for a six percent decline in the highway and bridge construction market. America’s highways are deteriorating because age and traffic volume have exceeded the original design of the roadways. Agencies are increasingly turning to pavement preservation because budgets are tighter than ever when considering the current state of the economy and the looming U.S. Highway Bill. Pavement preservation processes, specifically those promoted by ISSA, including slurry and micro surfacing, chip sealing and crack treatment, stretch budgets by extending the life of a road up to seven years when applied at the...

WASHINGTON (May 1, 2012) — Development and construction of commercial real estate – office, industrial and retail buildings – rebounded in 2011, the first year to post gains since the recession began in 2007, according to a report, How Office, Industrial and Retail Development and Construction Contributed to the U.S. Economy in 2011, released by the NAIOP Research Foundation. The total economic impact of the development (pre-construction, construction and post-construction) of commercial real estate during 2011 added $261.6 billion to the GDP, compared to $231.7 billion in 2010, a 13 percent increase, according to the report. Construction spending on commercial real estate totaled $92.3 billion, a more than 12 percent increase over 2010.  This spending supported nearly 2 million jobs nationally. The increases in construction...