Construction spending dipped from October to November, but resolution of the uncertainty regarding federal taxes for 2013 should unleash more private construction investment, according to an analysis of new federal data recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials warned, however, that unresolved issues about federal construction spending, including storm relief for northeastern states, will hold down public construction spending. “Preliminary data from the Census Bureau for November shows overall construction spending slipped 0.3% from October’s total after seven months of steady gains,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The more significant comparison, however, is with
It was a year that many had hoped would mark a distinct end to the recession and the return to better times. However, political uncertainty prevented a dramatic recovery in 2012; instead, the Southwest saw recovery in fits and starts. While the housing market returned and helped spur private development, large government projects were wrapping up and new ones weren't coming online to replace them. For every two companies doing well, there were four that were still struggling. Related Links: How Ahern Rentals Landed in Bankruptcy Intel Begins Construction on $300M R&D Facility at Chandler Campus Groundbreaking Date Set for
Some buildings take longer to construct than others, but few people expected it would take two decades to create a new federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record The process to upgrade or replace the city's aging Frank E. Moss Courthouse on Main Street began in the early 1990s, well before tighter security requirements for federal buildings were put into place after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Not only did the old courthouse not meet new blast-proof and perimeter security standards set by Congress in 2001, it also did not allow for the separate
Specialty contractors across the Mountain States are more upbeat than in recent years about the overall health of the industry and the regional outlook for 2013. While many firms saw an uptick in revenue and profits in 2012, ongoing anxiety about availability of work and tighter competition is being compounded by national economic concerns. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record Trade contractors that survived the recession did so by retooling their operations and keeping current customers happy while seeking out new ones, often by diversifying services. The result: expanded but leaner operations with a greater reliance on prefabrication of
The project team for the State Highway 82 Grand Avenue replacement bridge through Glenwood Springs has further defined the elements being studied in the environmental assessment process, including a new pedestrian bridge and a signalized intersection at 6th and Laurel streets. “A new pedestrian bridge supports CDOT’s mission to provide the best multi-modal transportation system,” CDOT Region 3 East Program Engineer Joe Elsen said. “It’s also consistent with state statute requiring the project to address bicyclist and pedestrian needs.” The new pedestrian bridge is being considered as a design option for addressing bicyclist and pedestrian needs across the Colorado River, I-70 and
The new East Tower addition to Children's Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colo., will allow the hospital to treat adult patients for the first time. Begun in 2010, the 11-story tower connects to the north face of Children's ambulatory-patient building and the east face of the main hospital building. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record The 335,000-sq-ft addition was built to house a new program, the Maternal and Fetal Institute, which cares for mothers and newborns during high-risk pregnancies and allows them to remain in the same facility after delivery. The institute has its own entrance
Both the Intermountain and Colorado construction markets are forecast to meet or exceed national industry expectations in 2013, according to several economic sources. Related Links: ENR Mountain States: Construction Spending ENR Mountain States: Industry Jobs Earlier this year, McGraw-Hill Construction forecast a 6% increase in construction starts nationwide in 2013, following a 5% rise this year. FMI Corp. predicts new construction put-in-place will climb 8% next year, following this year's 5% increase. The National Association of Home Builders says the rebound in the national housing market is on solid ground, but adds that the big numbers are still a year
At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $421.3 billion, new construction starts in November fell 5% from the previous month, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Cos. The downturn came as the result of decreased activity for public works, following this sector’s elevated amount in October. Meanwhile, both nonresidential building and housing registered modest growth in November. During the first 11 months of 2012, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were reported at $424.4 billion, up 3% compared to the same period a year ago.The November data lowered the Dodge Index to 89 (2000=100), down from
Billings at architecture firms across the country continue to increase. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the November ABI score was 53.2, up from the mark of 52.8 in October. This score reflects an increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 59.6, up slightly from the 59.4 mark of the previous month. “These are the strongest business conditions we have
A new partnership between the University of Colorado Boulder’s Leeds School of Business and the College of Engineering and Applied Science, spurred by a gift, will have positive implications for the construction and real estate industries. The gift of $285,000, from alumnus Dan Ivanoff and his wife Laurie, supports the creation of a construction management track within the MBA program in the Leeds School, as well as opens the door for graduate construction engineering and management students to take associated business classes. The new program is slated to begin in fall 2013. “The Ivanoff gift creates a powerful collaboration and cross-campus
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