GLEASON The Portland Cement Association does not want to be perceived as opportunistic after any disaster. Take Hurricane Katrina. The concrete booster is purposely waiting to begin its advocacy of concrete systems until rebuilding efforts commence, says Bruce D. McIntosh, PCA's staff vice president for communications. That's not to say PCA lacks passion about the properties of its material of choice, among them its mass. Concrete systems have "an advantage in resisting high winds and the debris they carry," says McIntosh. Unlike the American Institute of Steel Construction Inc., which is both a promotional, technical and a standards-writing body, PCA
FERCH Structural steel boosters have been on the defensive since Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists destroyed the steel-framed, 110-story towers of Manhattan's World Trade Center. Much effort has gone into propping up steel framing, in reaction to those who purport that the twin tower collapses demonstrated that steel is not a "safe" framing material in fire or under extreme conditions. With few exceptions, the American Institute of Steel Construction, which is a promotional, technical and standards-writing body, has chosen to respond indirectly to assaults on steel by the misguided and self-serving. The Chicago-based group, which represents fabricators, has focused its
Of the many horror stories born in New York City on 9/11, the one that belongs to Herbert Margrill serves as the genesis of an ongoing storm between boosters of structural concrete and structural steel. Although New York's building market has become the battleground, the tempest has spread beyond, fueled in part by articles and advertisements published in the business press. Charges of steel-bashing are flying and steel interests are fighting back. Even structural engineers are incensed over what they say are blatantly false claims by publicist Margrill that concrete framing is inherently safer than steel. + Click to enlarge
The last of the big independent energy producers, offspring of the federal government's attempt to push the power market into a competitive arena, was forced into bankruptcy last month. Market deregulation is not what some thought it would be, with new surprises in the mix. But industry observers foresee a new era in power production, as once-mighty merchant power firms emerge as smaller, restructured companies. "Competition will continue, just on a smaller scale," says David Dismukes, associate director of the Louisiana State University Center for Energy Studies, Baton Rouge. Construction industry firms, ever-adaptable, say they're already ready for the next
In with the New. Thames Water is spending $180 million a year to replace aging water pipes. Like runners in a relay, water and wastewater utilities across England and Wales are hot off the starting block on a $30-billion, five-year construction sprint. This is the fourth round of environmental infrastructure upgrades since utilities were privatized in 1989, but it will now be a showcase for new procurement and management strategies to reduce burdens on capital budgets—and on ratepayers. Utilities must cope with new regulatory imperatives, aging facilities and changes in capacity demand. The current five-year program, known as Asset Management
FIRST IN A SERIES Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Interstate Highway System At 50 years, the Interstate system—and the U.S. highway building industry in general—faces a mid-life crisis. The nation’s population and number of vehicle miles traveled are increasing, yet the purchasing power of the highway trust fund’s fuel tax revenue is decreasing. This is one 50-year-old entity with clogged arteries and a dwindling pension plan. But private investors are ready to help whip the highway system into shape. As the next half-century of road work moves forward, road-use fees and private-sector investors will play ever-stronger roles. Tolling,
The birth of America's Interstate highway system in 1956 had a contentious and drawn out gestation. But today's 42,795-mile transportation marvel owes its development to the vision and determination of a quintessential American, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Most state highways in the 1940's were two lanes. Only a handful of divided highways existed. Highway death rates were more than four times higher on a per mile traveled basis than today. Certain states with heavier traffic volumes overcame weak state and federal funding by building toll roads. The first U.S. toll road was the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which opened in 1940, followed in
Packaged. Pulte Home Sciences ships houses as modules for rapid assembly, but hauls are limited to 125 miles from plant. A powerful housing market is driving homebuilders to consolidate and invest in technology for prefabrication and supply chain integration. The boom has big companies, with their leverage and capital, growing. It leaves small builders in a niche, but, by tying up tracts, squeezes mid-size firms. To stay ahead of the game, companies of all sizes are looking for ways to build faster, better and cheaper. Most are refining tools and methods that have been around for years, but they are
Contractors should get some relief in 2006 from two years of intense material price escalation. The explosion in steel prices in 2004 was followed by stiff price hikes for cement and lumber. This year, gypsum wallboard and energy, plastic and copper-based products all posted large double-digit price hikes. An anticipated slowdown in the housing market combined with increased imports and producer capacity will put a cap on escalation. However, price declines will be modest compared to the increases of 2004 and 2005. International inflation rates also are easing, with the average rate for 30 countries falling back to 4.9% this
Future Wreckers of America. Introductory demolition class at Purdue University learns management ropes at an actual project site near Chicago. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University) Construction demolition hasn’t exactly been a field that attracts new blood. Made up mostly of family businesses and entrepreneurships doing less-than-glamorous work, it sports few big name players and suffers from image problems. But that image may soon change. Purdue University and the National Demolition Association (NDA), Doylestown, Pa., are working to change those misperceptions and attract more talent into the sector through the nation’s first college-level demolition management specialization. This fall at its West
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