Texas and Oklahoma are in the midst of building bridges and implementing replacement and rehabilitation programs, many of which are projects fueled by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars. Galveston Causeway Bridge The railway bridge in Galveston is one of the more intriguing projects. On the books since 2001 when the U.S. Coast Guard deemed the 1912-era, single-leaf bascule bridge a navigation obstacle to the Intracoastal Waterway, the project is now ramping up, funded by $60 million in stimulus dollars. The Truman-Hobbs Act of 1940 requires the federal government to share in the cost of upgrading bridges considered a navigational
For construction firms ready to add workers, a new law aimed at reducing unemployment offers grease for the skids. Enacted earlier this year, The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (or HIRE) Act grants a payroll tax exemption for hiring workers who have been out of work for at least 60 days. It wasn’t long ago that rehiring was a non-issue, given the rate at which jobs were being slashed. Certain business sectors and regions are now on the upswing. In Texas, job growth is fairly impressive. In May Texas had 75,200 more jobs than in May 2009, according to the
Contractors often pursue projects using a JV approach. The term, “joint venture,” (or JV) can mean different things. This column examines different JV approaches and their advantages and disadvantages.
Although architecture, engineering and construction firms generate business in many ways, classic marketing and sales tactics remain at the heart of that. Executing a joint strategy, each helping drive the success of the other, should improve a company’s return on resources invested in both. Marketing and sales are two different functions, but both must focus on revenue growth. Marketing is fundamentally a “one-to-many” sales relationship, not generally tied to a specific client. Sales, by contrast, focuses on individual clients in “one-to-one” sales relationships. In many A/E/C firms, these functional groups interface little, with marketing staff unclear about what sales staff
Moss Miller LLC was awarded a $34-million design-build contract for Nova Southeastern University’s oceanographic research center, dedicated to the study of coral reefs. Related Links: FAU Breaks Ground on Max Planck Florida Institute Clancy & Theys to Build First Phase of Harmony Town Center Port Manatee Awards $14.8-Million Berth 12 Dredging Contract U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Nourish Two Pinellas Beaches The partnership of Moss & Associates and Miller Construction Co., both of Fort Lauderdale, expects to start construction in October at Nova Southeastern’s Oceanographic Center site in Dania Beach. The 86,000-sq-ft Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has initiated a $5.2-million project to nourish beaches on Treasure Island and St. Petersburg Beach. The project is sponsored by Pinellas County and cost shared by local, state and federal dollars. Related Links: Moss Miller Building Research Center at Nova Southeastern FAU Breaks Ground on Max Planck Florida Institute Clancy & Theys to Build First Phase of Harmony Town Center Port Manatee Awards $14.8-Million Berth 12 Dredging Contract The project will nourish three beaches and is scheduled for completion by December. Work to renourish each beach will last 4 to 5 weeks,
The Manatee County Port Authority in Bradenton awarded Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. a $14.8-million contract for Port Manatee’s Berth 12 dredging project. Related Links: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Nourish Two Pinellas Beaches Moss Miller Building Research Center at Nova Southeastern FAU Breaks Ground on Max Planck Florida Institute Clancy & Theys to Build First Phase of Harmony Town Center Great Lakes’ bid was accepted two months after initial bids were rejected for exceeding the engineer’s estimate. The re-bid process resulted in a $2.3-million savings for the port. The contract includes 1.1 million cubic yards of excavation
The construction industry is gearing up to carry out one of the most important federal safety actions in years: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s overhaul of its 39-year-old standard governing cranes and derricks. Related Links: W.S. Atkins to Acquire PBSJ Moss & Associates Expands With Carolinas Division OSHA, which is part of the Dept. of Labor, says its final crane-safety regulation, released July 28 and published in the Federal Register on Aug. 9, will affect about 267,000 certification organizations and construction and crane-rental companies that altogether employ 4.8 million workers. The first key date is Nov. 8, when most
U.K.—based designer W.S. Atkins plc will significantly boost its U.S. market stake with the Aug. 2 announcement of plans to acquire Tampa, Fla.-based transportation engineer and construction manager PBSJ Corp. in a $280-million cash transaction. The proposed deal also provides the U.S. firm with a needed capital infusion for growth and an ownership transition following several tough years financially and recent efforts to seek a buyer. Related Links: Moss & Associates Expands With Carolinas Division Construction Industry Gets Ready to Implement New Crane Safety Rule The deal would link Atkins, the industry’s 11th largest global design firm with $2.2 billion
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, broke ground on a $32.9-million barracks project for a new Warrior in Transition Complex at Fort Bragg, N.C., in June. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, Ala., will lead the design-build construction of the 153,911-sq-ft barracks facility that will accommodate 256 soldiers, along with a 240-space parking garage. The project is scheduled for completion in March 2012. The barracks facility is being designed and built to achieve LEED Silver status.
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