Mountain States & Southwest Construction News

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New Mexico’s Los Alamos National Laboratory will shed 400 to 800 people through voluntary layoffs this spring, or about 10% of its permanent staff, to cut $300 million from its budget. It will leave the 69-year-old, 36-sq-mi. laboratory with 11,271 students, post-doctoral, term and union workers, which is the same staff number as four years ago. Photo courtesy Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Lab has a current annual budget of $2.2 billion. The site is managed by Los Alamos National Security LLC, comprised of Bechtel National, the University of California, Babcock & Wilcox Co., and URS for the

Wang Shu, a 48-year-old architect whose architectural practice is based in Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, will receive the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize. Thomas J. Pritzker, chairman of The Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the prize, announced the award this week. The formal ceremony for what has come to be known throughout the world as architecture’s highest honor will be in Beijing on May 25. Shu is best known for designing sustainable public buildings, especially campus buildings, that respect their environments and use ample recycled materials.In announcing the jury’s choice, Pritzker said, “The fact that an architect from China has been

On the heels of consecutive months of strengthening business conditions, the Architecture Billings Index has now reached positive territory for three months in a row. 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 January ABI score was 50.9, following a mark of 51.0 in December. This score reflects a slight increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 61.2, down just a notch from

Many construction contracts, particularly on public projects, have liquidated damages provisions. Typically, those contracts fix daily amounts of damages for construction completion delays in their bid documents. They are then non-negotiable. However, most American courts do not look favorably upon liquidated damages provisions.  They question whether they are true estimates of costs the owner will incur because of delays in completion or are actually penalties for late completion or are merely incentives for contractors to work quickly. Courts do not like penalties. So they look at liquidated damages contract provisions with careful scrutiny when asked to do so.So how do

Construction employment remains below peak levels in 329 out of 337 metro areas, according to a new analysis released this week by the Associated General Contractors of America. Given the continued weakness in construction employment, the association urged Congress to pass years-late infrastructure measures, including legislation to fund highway, transit and aviation construction work. “What makes these job losses even more frustrating is the fact that many of them could have been avoided,” said the association’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr. “Thousands more construction workers would be employed today if Congress wasn’t years late in passing measures like the

The cost of construction materials is showing signs of accelerating after moderation in January, according to an analysis of producer price index figures and recent market information recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Ongoing price increases underscore the urgency of funding public construction projects promptly, association officials said. “Cost increases have slowed in recent months but haven’t disappeared,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “In fact, today’s producer price index report may be the low point, as manufacturers and commodities markets are signaling that bigger increases may be just around the bend.”Simonson noted that the price

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index, which had decreased in January, increased in February. The index now stands at 70.8 (1985=100), up from 61.5 in January. The Present Situation Index increased to 45.0 from 38.8. The Expectations Index rose to 88.0 from 76.7 in January.
 Consumers’ assessment of current conditions was more favorable in February. Those claiming business conditions are “good” increased slightly to 13.3% from 13.2%, while those claiming business conditions are “bad” decreased to 31.2% from 38.3%.Consumers’ appraisal of the labor market was also less pessimistic. Those stating jobs are “plentiful” increased to 6.6% from 6.2%, while those

Salt Lake City will add another landmark building to the greater downtown area with completion of the $125-million Public Safety Building, scheduled to open in spring 2013. It will replace the current building occupied by public safety administrators since 1958. Continuing a west-to-east line of civic buildings that includes the state's Matheson Courthouse, the historic City and County Building and the Moshe Safdie-designed Salt Lake City Public Library, the new Public Safety Building will fulfill a multitude of needs, including consolidating the administrative offices of the police and fire departments, central dispatch and a disaster/emergency operations center. It also will

A software system developed by two Denver-based managers at Kleinfelder Group Inc. is saving the city's Eagle P3 project time and money and enhancing the cutting-edge technology used on the $2.1-billion public-private partnership. The Eagle P3 commuter rail is a key component of the Regional Transportation District's (RTD) nearly $8-billion, 12-year FasTracks program to expand bus and rail service in the Denver area. The 36-mile project will provide the metro area with its first regional commuter rail lines, including long-awaited rail service from downtown Denver to Denver International Airport.Longtime collaborators Danny Bennett, a Kleinfelder project manager, and Kevin Zirlin, a