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
The nation’s infrastructure is in dire need of repair. But with decimated state budgets and an antiquated funding system that values big, flashy projects over repair and maintenance, finding the money is an uphill battle. And yet, at the five-year anniversary of the I-35W Bridge collapse, it’s critical that we figure out a way. Here are my suggestions for infrastructure funding reforms.• Improve funding oversight. The current system for overseeing the distribution of federal aid for state highway projects through the Federal Highway Administration is clearly broken. After funds are distributed to the states, it is hard to determine where
The global economy has turned the rules of leadership upside down and shaken them vigorously for good measure. Where there was once a fairly defined hierarchy—Boss A tells Worker B what to do and Worker B does it—a flat landscape where everyone is expected to take the reins as needed. That means if Worker B has an idea—a way to make a process more efficient or a new way to get customer feedback—he or she is allowed, even expected, to make it happen. In other words, everyone is now a leader. This is great news for entrepreneurially minded employees—but it
The Associated Builders and Contractors recently reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) rose 4.3% in the second quarter of 2012 after declining the two previous quarters. Despite the quarterly expansion, CBI is 0.3 months, or 4.2% below the second quarter of 2011. CBI is a forward-looking economic indicator that measures the amount of construction work under contract to be completed in the future. “The CBI accurately predicted both the broader economic softness experienced during the first half of 2012, as well as a flattening of the nation’s nonresidential construction recovery,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “The latest CBI data
The cost of key construction materials dropped for the third consecutive month in July, pushing down year-over-year prices for the first time since 2009, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released recently by the Associated General Contractors of America. However, association officials warned that recent spikes in diesel fuel and steel prices may drive up the cost of construction again, and they urged lawmakers to invest in needed infrastructure projects promptly while prices remain low. “This price decline may be the last, given the large jumps in diesel fuel and steel prices that have occurred or been
Construction employment declined in 31 states from July 2011 to July 2012 and in 28 states in the past month, according to a recent analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Dept. data. Association officials noted that construction employment decreased in the majority of states as public construction funding continues to shrink, offsetting gains in homebuilding and nonresidential construction. “Public construction cuts in particular are taking their toll on construction employment in many parts of the country,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “With economic growth remaining sluggish, there is a chance construction employment will begin
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