HOW TO USE THE LIST Construction programs are grouped by standard regions of the Associated Schools of Construction, and are listed alphabetically by state within each region. Far West = Calif., Ore. and Wash.; Rocky Mountain = Ariz., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.M. and Utah; North Central = Iowa, Kan., Minn., Mo., Neb., N.D. and S.D.; Great Lakes = Ill., Ind., Ky., Mich., Ohio and Wis.; Northeast = Conn., Maine, Mass., N.J., N.Y., Pa. and R.I.; Southeast = Ala., Fla., Ga., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tenn. and Va.; and South Central = Ark., La., Okla. and Texas. Undergraduate enrollment is based
Specialty contractors, along with the rest of the construction industry, had enjoyed a nearly unprecedented boom market for the last eight years. Then, at the beginning of the year, the market started showing signs of softening. Specialty contractors began assessing their positions and preparing for a flattening of the market. The terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the economic upheaval that followed threw all of these carefully crafted plans and assessments into confusion. It still is unclear where the industry goes from here. (Illustration by Guy Lawrence for ENR) Just how big a boom the
Uncertainty is nothing new for economists to grapple with, but this month's terrorist attack on the U.S. that left a large portion of lower Manhattan in smoking rubble also is casting a cloud over economic forecasts for the remainder of this year as well as 2002. There has been much speculation that the magnitude of the attack may be enough to shake consumer confidence and tip the overall economy into recession. However, economists interviewed by ENR for its Third Quarterly Cost Report believe the U.S. economy is too large to be knocked off balance by this terrorist attack, despite its
The international contracting market this year resembles nothing so much as a duck swimming on a pond: Calm with little going on above the water, but furious activity just below the surface, as international contractors merge and acquire others in a attempt to paddle into position in a quiet market. The overall market is essentially flat, with international contractors wondering when and whether there will be major upticks in Asia and Latin America; if the rise in oil prices will pay large dividends in the Middle East; and what the future holds for the huge U.S. market. International revenue for
When searching for affordable information technology solutions, architecture engineering and construction firms often find bargains in niche products, such as general computer utilities or shareware programs. A variety of general-use and specialty design products are available for little or no charge. But some firms are finding they can also save money on traditional big-ticket items such as computer-aided design and Web collaboration software. LEARNING CURVE Users say Power CAD from Tekhnelogos.Com is easy to pick up. In the computer-aided design market, AutoCAD and Microstation remain the most widely used products, but several vendors offer low-cost alternatives. Autodesk's own AutoCAD LT,
Keeping track of nearly 6,000 school improvement projects at once was a tough assignment for education officials in Arizona. So they turned to a handy educational resource–a large Web-based extranet that now links the state's 228 school districts with architects, contractors and statewide supervisors to promote design and construction collaboration and ensure a transparent management process for Arizona's $1.1-billion upgrading program. (Illustration by Guy Lawrence for ENR) Schools in many parts of the U.S. are straining to keep up with population growth and states are earmarking billions of dollars in new funding to build, expand or renovate facilities. Projects are
In the quest for smoother digital data sharing and exchange between various architecture, engineering and construction software platforms, most stakeholders are eyeing the same target: interoperability. The ability to transfer design information seamlessly throughout a building project promises to save all parties involved–from owners to contractors–time and money, sources agree. While the general destination might be clear, the road to interoperability in the construction industry is anything but a straightaway. Leaders of the six-year-old International Alliance for Interoperability, Oakton, Va., which has led the charge and established software standards, acknowledge that opinions vary on how to move interoperability from research
We tend to picture the software and information technology tools in the industry as coming from the superfarms–big software companies that sell planning and design programs, estimating, scheduling and project management tools, and back-office systems. But there is a lot of kitchen-garden IT development going on which yields a crop of software and services that bears fruit continuously. Typically, these goods are nurtured and raised by firms in-house, or are developed by consultants or academics working to the specifications of construction and design firms, or in some cases, professional associations that represent them. (Illustration by Guy Lawrence for ENR) Some
Standing on a barge cruising through the Panama Canal's Gaillard Cut, Maximiliano DePuy beams proudly. The geotechnical engineer for the Panama Canal Authority points to the 539-ft-high Gold Hill promontory on one side of the waterway, from which 75 ft of rock has been cut out since 1986. On the opposite bank looms Contractor's Hill, already reduced to 370 ft in previous work. Stabilizing the canal's landslide-prone slopes metaphorically represents protecting a precious pathway for Panama, owner of the 51.2-mile-long construction landmark since 2000, when the U.S. turned it over to the locally run Panama Canal Authority. THEN AND NOW
The construction market has been on a roll, causing a major personnel crunch. For contractors, design firms and construction management firms, top people have been next to impossible to find and the pressure on wages and benefits has been extreme. But with increasingly ominous economic news and some signs of a flattening, or even a tailing off in some markets, many firms see the pressure easing. DESIGN FIRM MANAGERS' SALARY & COMPENSATION MEDIAN BASE SALARY MEDIAN TOTAL COMP.* PRINCIPAL $100,000 $146,500 SATELLITE OFFICE MANAGER 92,000 108,500 CHIEF FINANCIAL MGR. ENVIRONMENTAL FIRMS 85,000 96,500 A/E/P FIRMS 65,000 72,000
RSS