Industry indicators show that the construction industry’s decline has slowed and many industry experts expect the upturn to start sometime in 2010. Although many factors can affect the recovery, nearly every expert we interviewed thinks the industry faces a long slow climb back to prosperity. The outlook for 2010 in the Midwestern construction industry calls for a bottoming out early in the year, followed by slow growth through year’s end. Although 2010 will represent a slight improvement over 2009, it will not be anywhere near as good as 2008, and industry experts seem to agree that the recovery will be
Working on an historic landmark high school in Joliet, Ill., a design and construction team brought HVAC, electrical, and other systems up to date while respecting the historic architecture. The project also included building two field houses for Joliet high schools, and blending the new buildings with the schools’ existing architecture. The successful construction plan cut the project from five years to two while also cutting costs by 7% to 10%. Photo: Gilbane Building Co. Renovations to the century-old Joliet Central High School brought the school’s HVAC system into the 21st century and added a fieldhouse while preserving the building’s
The new Milestone hospital renovation and construction project in Peoria, Ill., built two new hospitals, renovated parts of an existing building, and tied the three together into one large unit. Photo: Children’s Hospital of Illinois The Children’s Hospital of Illinois section of the new and renovated hospital complex features several sections set at different levels. Photo: OSF St. Francis Hospital A view of what will be the new front of the hospital shows the building’s complex exterior, which blends precast concrete with different curtainwall systems. It’s a whole lot easier to land a helicopter if you don’t have to navigate
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Ottawa River Group and the state of Ohio began construction of phase one of a $49-million clean-up of the Ottawa River and Sibley Creek in Toledo, Ohio, on Dec. 19. Under EPA's Great Lakes Legacy Act, the project partners will remove approximately 260,000 cu yds of contaminated sediment from the river and creek. The project's goal is reducing impact to human health and the environment on the Ottawa River. This is the Legacy Act's eighth clean-up of a contaminated site. "The start of this cleanup brings us closer to the day when the public
Our editors are everywhere — at all the industry events that matter most. When they're not speaking on panels, they're busy taking notes — and snapping photos — so they can inform their readers about what was said and who was there.
Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission, in concurrence with Illinois DOT, awards contract to build main span of bridge from St. Louis to Illinois. The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission has awarded the Mississippi River Bridge main span contract to a joint venture of Massman Construction/Traylor Brothers/Alberici Constructors for $229.5 million. The decision was made with concurrence from the Illinois Department of Transportation. "We're excited to be moving forward with this needed project," said Kevin Keith, P.E., the Missouri Department of Transportation's Chief Engineer. "The important thing to remember is this bridge dramatically improves safety, relieves congestion on the Poplar Street
Slight Uptick in November Construction Employment Outweighed by Big Drop for Year Overall. Missouri, Wisconsin, and Indiana added a small percentage of construction jobs in November, while Illinois lost still more. Citing employment data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the AGC of America said that construction employment increased in 26 states during November. It attributed some of the construction-job growth to warm, dry weather. Over the past 12 months, however, nationwide construction employment has dropped in every state but North Dakota, the AGC analysis showed. "It is too early to say if the (November) pickup reflects improving
EPA 1-day symposium looks at latest techniques in green preservation of older buildings. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a free one-day symposium on current approaches and innovations in green preservation of older buildings on Jan. 21, 2010, in Indianapolis. The event, which begins at 8:30 a.m., will be hosted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 at the Columbia Club hotel and meeting center, 121 Monument Circle. Government-rate rooms are available to symposium registrants. Required registration for the event closes Jan. 7. The agenda includes sessions on financial incentives to practice green preservation, an exercise led by consultants
The International Standards Organization (ISO) now offers more than 100 crane standards on CD. A recent statement from ISO says it expects the CD collection to be useful for designers, manufacturers, owners, operators, sellers, inspectors, consultants, crane authorities, regulators and consultants. The standards it contains relate to mobile, tower, bridge and gantry, and jib cranes, and cover aspects including terminology; design principles and requirements; use, operation and maintenance; load rating; testing; and safety. They have been developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 96, Cranes, in which 21 countries participate, while another 26 are observers. Some of the world's leading experts
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today visited the future site of Western Illinois University's Riverfront Campus in Macomb, Ill., to announce the renovation of approximately 60,000 square feet of space for the new campus and the 2,000 new jobs the construction project is expected to create. Funding for the project is part of the Illinois Jobs Now! plan that will help create or retain more than 439,000 jobs over the next six years. Despite northwestern Illinois having a population of more than 350,000 people, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities is currently the only public university in the area. Completion of the new
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