Contractors are reporting business benefits from instituting strong safety programs, according to a new report by McGraw Hill Construction on safety management in the construction industry. In particular, construction companies report the following benefits due to the implementation of safety management practices: • 51% report increases in project ROI, with a fifth of those reporting increases of greater than 5%.• 43% report faster project schedules, with half reporting schedule improvements of a week or more.• 39% report a decrease in project budget from a safety program, with a quarter reporting decreases of 5% or more. Only 15% reported that safety
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has selected Mortenson Construction and HDR Architecture, both of Denver, for a $94.9-million design-build contract for the 13th Combat Aviation Brigade Barracks at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs.
At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $495.7 billion, new construction starts in May advanced 5% from the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. Much of the upward lift came from nonresidential building, which registered moderate growth for the second month in a row after its sluggish performance at the outset of 2013. Smaller gains in May were reported for housing and nonbuilding construction (public works and electric utilities). During the first five months of 2013, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis were reported at $187.6 billion, down 3% from the same
The 95% revenue growth for ECI Site Construction Management—even during the downturn of Colorado’s construction industry the past five years—has made the firm Northern Colorado’s fifth fastest-growing company. The Northern Colorado Business Report recently awarded ECI a Mercury 100 Award for its rapid growth. From 2010-2012, revenues of the Loveland-based general contractor nearly doubled, and the company added eight full-time employees. ECI, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, now employs 23 staff members. ECI helps design and build community parks, athletic fields, specialty sports parks and civil projects across the state.The projects that ECI has completed over the years
The International Parking Institute (IPI) recently awarded the 2013 national Sustainable Parking and Transportation Facilities Award of Excellence to the new parking structure on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory campus in Golden. Photo by Frank Ooms The garages open sides allow for natural ventilation, and 99% of the structure is day lit. Photo by Frank Ooms The facility has 36 spaces with electric-charging stations, with a future capacity for 360 more. The design-build team responsible for the project included Haselden Construction and RNL, with DESMAN Associates as the structural engineer and parking consultant.The five-level structure with 1,800 parking spaces is
Studio NYL Structural Engineers is no longer the new kid on the block in regional, national or international design markets. The Boulder, Colo., engineering firm, founded in 2004 by principals Chris O'Hara and Julian Lineham, has pushed the boundaries of structural design, tackling new project types and geography that have made it one of the most sought-after structural designers in the region. Related Links: CSM Celebrates Opening of New Marquez Hall Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art Renovation Recent work illustrates the firm's diversity: devising a stainless-steel skeleton to fit within the body of a skier in "The Skier's Edge," a
Home furnishings retailer IKEA will increase the solar array atop its Denver-area store, which opened two years ago in Centennial. Installation of panels on the roof’s remaining space will begin in July, with completion expected by this fall. Already the state’s largest single-use rooftop array on a commercial building, the project will become Colorado’s largest rooftop array of any use. The 83,700-sq-ft solar addition will consist of a 623-kW system built with 2,492 panels and will produce 961,000 kWh of electricity annually for the store.Including the existing system, the total 1,121-kW solar installation of 4,704 panels at IKEA Centennial’s store soon
Construction employment increased by 7,000 in May, helping to push the industry’s unemployment rate down to the lowest May level in five years, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the relatively positive jobs report for the sector underscores the need to address potential shortages of skilled workers. “Although the monthly job gain in May was modest, both residential and nonresidential construction have been adding workers at roughly double the rate of the overall economy in the past year,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “At the same
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper recently signed into law a measure to expand and improve the state’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES) statute to drive clean-energy investment, jobs, and project development in rural Colorado. “A year ago, the market outlook for renewable energy in Colorado was bleak,” said Sarah Propst, executive director of the Interwest Energy Alliance. “Implementation of SB 252, combined with Xcel’s recent announcement that it will buy 550 MW of wind based on low price alone, means a complete turnaround for the Colorado market. Now we expect roughly 1,000 MW of market opportunity for clean energy over the next
Piper Electric Co. Inc. is celebrating 30 years of business this year. During its history, Piper Electric transitioned to Revit/BIM design and coordination systems, moved to a 15,000-sq-ft facility and provided electrical services in addition to its design-centered approach. Piper Electric built the first parking facility to receive LEED-Gold designation at Denver International Airport. The company continues to design and install energy-efficient electrical systems that receive LEED certification.Piper Electric has completed noteworthy projects for dozens of large local companies, including Lockheed, Coors, Conoco-Phillips, Ball Packaging and CU’s Folsom Field. The company's design-build philosophy led to its 2011 IEC Summit Award, which recognizes
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