Construction materials prices were unchanged in August but are 1.7% higher than this time last year, according to a Sept. 16 producer price index (PPI) release by the U.S. Dept. of Labor. Inputs to nonresidential construction, which also remained unchanged in August, are 1% higher than in August of 2013. “In general, nonresidential construction remains stable, despite the recent uptick in demand for inputs in North America,” said Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “There are a number of factors at work, including an unexpectedly weak European economy and a surprisingly strong U.S. dollar. While the Euro has
A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder found that different strategies used by states to reduce power plant emissions—such as setting emissions caps and encouraging renewable energy—are both effective. The study is the first analysis of its kind. The findings are important because the success of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Clean Power Plan depends on the effectiveness of state policies in reducing power plants’ carbon dioxide emissions. The plan would require each state to cut CO2 pollution from power plants by 30% from 2005 levels by the year 2030.“In addition to suggesting that the EPA’s Clean
Helix Electric Nevada Inc., a Las Vegas-based turnkey electrical contractor, has quietly become an industry giant with a 400-employee work force and $83 million in revenue last year. The company anticipates 10% growth in 2014 due to a recovering economy and demand for solar power and multifamily housing. Helix attributes its success to a combination of business diversity, strong customer service and employee training, and little turnover. “Roughly 70% of our revenue comes from repeat business by approaching client issues as partners and problem solvers,” says Victor Fuchs, company president. “We supported many of our clients during the recession, and
The University of Colorado Boulder’s Baker Hall, closed for the past 15 months for its first major renovation in more than 75 years, welcomed 456 students in late August with a modernized interior that better addresses the needs of today’s students while retaining the building’s original charm. Photo by Patrick Campbell, University of Colorado Boulder The $41.5-million renovation of 1937 Baker Hall includes 115,000 sq ft, 456 beds, 256 student rooms, a hall director apartment, a faculty apartment, four classrooms and 10 faculty offices. Photo by Patrick Campbell, University of Colorado Boulder Each student room has smart heating and cooling
The U.S. General Services Administration rededicated its U.S. Custom House Federal Building at 721 19th St. in Denver on September 10. The building received new mechanical and electrical systems to improve its energy efficiency, along with replacement of 750 windows. Photo courtesy of Matsuo Engineering and Centerre Construction The U.S. Custom House remodel included raising the height of interior ceilings to their original elevations and restoring all wood base, trim and doors. The GSA anticipates that the improvements will lower energy consumption by 20% as well as increase tenant security.The project budget was $43.5 million, and at its peak, it
A Colorado electrical contractor appears to have had a shocking experience in its efforts to collect more than $600,000 due it for electrical work on a lower downtown Denver condominium project. Appropriately, the name of the electrical contractor was Sure-Shock Electric Inc. Not having been paid, Sure-Shock filed a mechanic’s lien describing the entire project, but it served only the required 10-day notice on the owner of seven unsold units. Because there was an arbitration requirement in its contract, Sure-Shock arbitrated the question of how much it was owed and then proceeded to court for a determination of the validity
Construction industry employment reached a five-year high in August as the sector added 20,000 jobs and its unemployment rate fell to 7.7%, the lowest rate for August in seven years, according to a recent analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America and the Associated Builders and Contractors. “Construction employment growth has been accelerating and is broad-based,” said Ken Simonson, AGC’s chief economist. “The increase in the past 12 months was the largest since 2006 and was spread among residential, nonresidential building and heavy construction.”Construction employment totaled 6,068,000 in August, the highest total since May 2009, with a 12-month gain
Power outages are never welcome, no matter when they occur. But at the University of Utah, a campus that includes biomedical research facilities, a Level 1 trauma center and a cancer research hospital, power outages caused by aging infrastructure were more than an inconvenience. They also have been happening more frequently since the mid-2000s. Established in its current location in the foothills East of Salt Lake City in 1900, the U of U campus now covers nearly 1,600 acres and includes 130 separate buildings, with 10 more under construction or slated to start in the next five years, adding to
The I-225 Rail Line under construction through the Denver suburb of Aurora is a key piece of the region's mass transit infrastructure—and a long-awaited link between the metro area's growing southeastern suburbs and Denver International Airport, one of the world's busiest hubs. Related Links: RTD Board Approves Kiewit Proposal for I-225 Rail RTD Breaks Ground on I-225 Rail Project The 10.5-mile light rail line, dubbed the Aurora Line by the city, will connect the Regional Transportation District's (RTD) largely completed Southeast light rail line and its East commuter rail, scheduled to be finished in 2016. The eastern line originates in
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