The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had improved in July, declined in August. The index now stands at 60.6 (1985=100), down from 65.4 in July. The Expectations Index decreased to 70.5 from 78.4. The Present Situation Index, however, was virtually unchanged, at 45.8 versus 45.9 a month ago.Consumers’ assessment of current conditions was little changed in August. Those claiming business conditions are “good” improved to 15.2% from 13.7%, while those saying business conditions are “bad” was unchanged at 34.4%. Consumers’ appraisal of the labor market varied. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” declined to 7.0% from 7.8%, while those claiming
Construction employment declined in 165 out of 337 metropolitan areas between July 2011 and July 2012, increased in 123 and was stagnant in 49, according to a new analysis of federal employment data recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that the new data comes out as many metro areas continue to struggle with constricting public-sector budgets and uneven private-sector growth. “Construction employment is healthy in the handful of areas where private-sector demand is on the rebound,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “However, construction employment in most metro areas is suffering from the
Alonzo L. Fulgham is the new vice president of strategy and sustainable international development at Denver-based CH2M Hill in the firm's environmental services business group. He has more than 20 years of experience in global strategic planning, business development, project design and business operations with the U.S. Agency for International Development. He served as the agency's chief operating officer, then was appointed acting administrator in January 2009. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record Landscape architecture firm Design Concepts, Lafayette, Colo., has hired Carter Marshall to design municipal park projects in Colorado, including Wulf Recreation Center in Evergreen and a
Lean construction is the application of lean thinking, principles and tools to the lifecycle of capital construction. Although the International Group for Lean Construction (ILGC) coined the term at its first meeting in 1993, widespread implementation of lean techniques is still not common in the industry. However, according to the findings of the report, this trend is changing. The need for industry reform relates to three main areas:1. Productivity in the U.S. construction industry has stayed level or declined since 1964.2. Building owners are looking for increased plan predictability and price stability in the way capital projects are delivered.3. As
New construction starts fell 10% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $401.2 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Cos. After showing improvement during the spring, the pace of construction starts retreated over the past three months, with July coming in at the lower end of the recent range of activity. Non-building construction, comprised of public works and electric utilities, fell sharply in July, while both nonresidential building and housing lost some of their earlier momentum. For the first seven months of 2012, the volume of total construction starts on an unadjusted basis was
The Architecture Billings Index pointed to a slower decline in July in design activity at U.S. architecture firms. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the July ABI score was 48.7, up considerably from the mark of 45.9 in June. This score reflects a decrease in demand for design services (any score below 50 indicates a decline in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 56.3, up from mark of 54.4 the previous month. “Even though architecture firm
Denver's Metro Wastewater Reclamation District is nearing peak construction on its $212-million PAR 1085 South Secondary Improvements project at the district's Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility north of the city. The construction cost is nearly $135 million. Related Links: Nitrogen Diet Reduces Arizona County's Drinking Water Threat How We Can Afford to Fix American Infrastructure The project will continue the process of upgrading the aging 1960s-era treatment facility by adding capacity, improving operating capability and upgrading treatment methods to meet more stringent effluent requirements for nitrogen and ammonia removal, as required by the district's discharge permit. To meet the new
Mayo Clinic is planning a major expansion to its Phoenix campus that will create a single-site, integrated Cancer Center. The $130 million new facility will add three additional floors and 217,200 sq ft of clinical and office space above the first level of Mayo Clinic's Proton Beam Therapy Building on Mayo Clinic’s Phoenix campus at 56th St. and Loop 101. Image courtesy Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic's $130-million consolidated cancer center facility will be built atop a portion of the underway $182-million Proton Beam Therapy Building, pictured here. Related Links: Mayo Clinic Begins Construction on Phoenix Proton Beam Facility [Dec. 2011] The
As part of its Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor Advanced Guideway System Feasibility Study, the Colorado Dept. of Transportation’s Division of Transit and Rail is set to begin collecting information from existing and developing high-speed transit technology providers. The Technology Request for Information is the first key step in assembling and analyzing specific information from the technology and financial industries that will be evaluated to determine the feasibility of a high-speed transit system for the 120-mile segment of the I-70 Mountain Corridor between C-470 in Jefferson County and the Eagle County Regional Airport.“This study is making a critical determination about the
When an organization’s employees aren’t happy, it’s unlikely they’ll be providing the kind of quality service that leads to happy customers. One of the fastest ways to create internal strife is to let “difficult” people go unchecked. Too often, organizations promise satisfaction to external customers and then allow internal politics to frustrate their employees’ good intentions to deliver. It’s important to remember that your customers aren’t the only ones who come through your organization’s door every day seeking quality service. Your co-workers and leaders also need to be served. If they’re not happy, it’s not likely they’ll deliver stellar service, and
RSS
