After three years of declines, the construction market may be eyeing a rebound in 2010 thanks to a much improved residential sector, but for designers and contractors in other building sectors, it could be too soon to celebrate. McGraw-Hill Construction is forecasting that total construction starts will climb 11% to $466.2 billion in 2010, following an estimated 25% decline in 2009. Photo: Bruce Buckley Robert Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction, recently delivered the 2010 Outlook. Slide Show Source: McGraw-Hill Construction. This chart shows the percentage increases, and decreases, in the value of new construction starts on
Miami-Dade County public health officials are investigating whether an activated carbon filtration system at in Miami led to an outbreak of Legionnaires� Disease that killed one man in October and made two people ill in recent weeks. The county health department issued a health advisory on Dec. 11 to residents, guests and employees at the Epic Hotel & Residences, stating that water samples collected from the property’s plumbing system indicated levels of chlorine were insufficient to rid drinking water of bacteria. Samir Elmir, director of the county health department’s environmental health and engineering division, says the activated carbon filter system
Nationwide research is firming up the case for “intelligent” compaction, a construction method three decades in the making that could save billions of dollars a year in potholed roads, cracked bridges, broken dams and blown-out tires. But as it represents a huge cultural shift in project delivery, the industry is struggling to find a standard way to roll it out. IC in its simplest form is an onboard measuring device that shows roller operators whether they are overcompacting, undercompacting or right on target in soil, aggregate and asphalt. Photo courtesy Iowa State University. David White, a professor at Iowa State
Dallas-based McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. began construction earlier this year on the $47-million Fort Worth Westside Water Treatment Plant, which will have an initial treatment capacity of 12-million-gallons of water per day. It will be expandable to meet the future needs of western Fort Worth. It is slated for completion in January 2012. Related Links: Poor Economy Doesn’t Slow Student Housing Construction GSA Awards Beck Technology $60M in BIM, Laser Scanning Contracts Dallas Museum of Nature & Science Unveils Designs, Building Model Satterfield & Pontikes Tops Out at Texas A&M Health Science Center Sinking Texas Gulf Coast Condos Razed Before
Complying with the Clean Water Act and keeping waters of the United States free of pollution is the goal behind an agreement signed today by TEXO, the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the Associated General Contractors and the Associated Builders and Contractors, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Related Links: EPA, TCEQ Adds Terrell Warehouse to Superfund Clean-Up Sites World’s Largest Wind Farm Opens in Roscoe Fluor Enables Solar Plant to Reach First Production in 20 Months KBDJ Quarry Earns Industry Awards for Environmental Operations Port of Houston Reduces TxDOT Project by Half Million Under state
Houston-based Whirlwind Building Components was selected as the 2009 Best of Freeport Award in the Building Materials category by the U.S. Commerce Association. The USCA Best of Local Business award program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country annually. The USCA identifies companies it believes have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category and that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. Related Links: Port of Galveston Names Director of Gov Relations, Legislative Affairs Is the U.S. Falling Behind Europe in the Green Race? HCSS of Sugar Land Among
Chicago-based E.ON Climate and Renewables completed what it has called the world’s largest wind farm outside of Sweetwater near the community of Roscoe. Related Links: EPA, TCEQ Adds Terrell Warehouse to Superfund Clean-Up Sites Fluor Enables Solar Plant to Reach First Production in 20 Months DFW Contractors Sign Agreement to Keep Waters Pollution-Free KBDJ Quarry Earns Industry Awards for Environmental Operations Port of Houston Reduces TxDOT Project by Half Million The Roscoe wind complex has an installed capacity of 781.5 megawatts, generating enough electricity to power more than 230,000 homes. According to E.ON, completing the wind farm required more than
State transportation officials approved the selection of 10 projects across the state that will be funded by TxDOT’s pass-through finance program, which allows local municipalities or private entities to pay for a transportation project and get reimbursed from the state. The Texas Transportation Commission approved the an estimated $273 million for projects statewide. Related Links: TxDOT to Lose $742 Million in Federal Funding Sterling Construction Awarded $20-Million Collin County Project NTTA Opens Seven-Mile Segment of Sam Rayburn Tollway HNTB, Central Texas Mobility Authority Renew Partnership Texas Sterling Starts IH-610/North Loop Reconstruction Project
Diane Falcioni stepped in to the position of director of governmental relations and legislative affairs for the Port of Galveston. Related Links: Is the U.S. Falling Behind Europe in the Green Race? Whirlwind Building Components Receives Best of Freeport Award HCSS of Sugar Land Among 15 Top U.S. Small Workplaces $10 Million Gift Provided Toward The Trinity Project in Dallas Walter P Moore’s Raymond Messer Enters Carroll College Hall of Fame Past President AGC of Texas, Charles Schmidt, Dies at Age 79 LJA Engineering Returns to 2929 Briarpark After Hurricane Ike Lewis Equipment Files for Bankruptcy Protection Stanley Consultants Named
The Port Commission of The Port of Houston Authority reduced its original funding agreement with the Texas Dept. of Transportation to widen Port Road to a four-lane boulevard and construct an overpass at Bayport Terminal by $629,622. The original project costs, estimated by TxDOT at $16.6 million, and funding agreement, were based on preliminary design information. Because the low bid for the project came in at $4.3 million below the estimated construction cost, the port authority’s share of the total project cost has decreased by $629,622 to a total of $2.7 million. The balance of the cost is to be
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