Construction Industry News

Washington, D.C. (Oct. 28, 2019)—At Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters in Washington, D.C., Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K.

Firefighters in California are currently battling 17 wildfires.

Findings from investigations in two different construction tragedies were recently announced: Miami’s Florida International University bridge collapse and the Seattle, Washington, crane collapse.

Feel like you’re not having the greatest year? Granite Construction can commiserate. The contractor recently reported a 63% decrease in its third-quarter net income year over year.

Scottsdale, Arizona (Oct. 29, 2019)—Restoration Builders Inc.  announced today that it has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire Mile High Restoration Inc. DBA Sorensen Roofing and Exteriors G.C., headquartered in Greeley, Colorado.

Monroe, Washington (Oct. 29, 2019)—Aquajet Systems AB, a manufacturer of hydrodemolition machines, has announced Keith Armishaw as a its first North American business development manager. Armishaw works closely with Aquajet’s regional sales teams to grow awareness of Aquajet’s hydrodemolition solutions in key markets across North America.

New York, New York (Oct 25, 2019)—To accommodate continuing record passenger growth at the Port Authority’s three major airports, the Board of Commissioners moved aggressively forward to invest approximately $4.5 billion in critical transportation projects to rebuild legacy airport facilities to 21st century, customer-friendly standards and to build new infrastructure, such as AirTrain LaGuardia and a new AirTrain Newark that are needed to provide travelers with a convenient,

Irving, Texas (Oct. 28. 2019)—Fluor Corporation announced today that the Dow Poly 6 project has been named a finalist for “Construction Project of the Year” for the S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards.

Hartford, Connecticut (Oct. 27, 2019) (AP)—Work at dozens of constructions sites across Connecticut will be suspended in the coming days to draw attention to the problem of opioid abuse in the construction industry.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Oct. 22, 2019)—Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC (Mountain Valley), has announced total project work will be approximately 90% complete by year-end 2019, with an adjusted in-service date of late 2020 and a revised total cost estimate of $5.3 billion to $5.5 billion. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined, during a public board meeting, that load and capacity calculation errors made by FIGG Bridge Engineers Inc. are the probable cause of the fatal, March 15, 2018, Florida International University (FIU) pedestrian bridge collapse in Miami, Florida. Details of the determination here. 

While architecture billings moderated in September, design activity shows signs of remaining sluggish at United States architecture firms, according to a new report released today from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Details here. 

LEED Fellows are shaping the future of green building and represent the top of their fields in green building design, engineering and development. Read about the impressive 2019 group of LEED fellows here. 

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) released its annual Fall Forecast, which predicts moderate growth for cement consumption through 2019 and into 2020. PCA market intelligence expects cement consumption will grow by 2.4% in 2019, 1.7 percent in 2020, and 1.4 percent in 2021. Details here. 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Oct. 16, 2019)—Construction Business Owner, the leading business magazine for contractors, is pleased to announce a free webinar presented in partnership with InEight.

The live, online event, " Back Your Bids With Better Data,” will take place Nov. 21, 2019, at 2 p.m. EST. Registration is free.

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has announced the winners of the 2019 Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards, who were honored at a Gala event during the Institute’s Concrete Convention & Exposition. The highest honor was presented to King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, located in Dhahran, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Details here. 

Illinois will double the amount of money it spends on roadbuilding and repair in the next 5 years as part of a $45 billion statewide construction program approved last spring, Governor J.B. Pritzker said Monday. Plan details here. 

Under the patronage of HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, president of the Royal Scientific Society, the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the Jordan Concrete Association, in collaboration with the Royal Scientific Society and Jordan Engineers Association, have announced the ACI Concrete Conference on Materials & Design will be held November, 17-18, 2019, in Amman, Jordan. Details here. 

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the Committee for European Construction Equipment (CECE) released a joint statement today calling on American and European government leaders to negotiate towards a friendlier trade environment. After the recent World Trade Organization ruling on Airbus, the United States announced tariffs on $7.5 million of European goods, including certain types of construction equipment, and the European Union may do the same. Details here. 

The Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) announced that it has cited and fined three companies more than $100,000 for safety violations in connection with the fatal collapse of a tower crane that was being dismantled in Seattle April 27, 2019.

L&I's nearly 6-month investigation determined that the crane collapse was caused by the companies not following the manufacturer's procedures for dismantling the structure, including prematurely removing nearly all of the pins and sleeves that helped hold the crane together. With the pins removed, the tower was significantly weakened, making it susceptible to the 45-plus mph wind gust that toppled it. When the pins are in place, tower cranes can withstand much stronger gusts. Details here.