Photo courtesy of Alistair Gibb Alistair Gibb, professor of complex project management at Loughborough University in England, talked about safety at the London Olympics at a Construction Industry Institute meeting in Baltimore. Photo courtesy of Alistair Gibb The mission statement of the London Olympics construction program included a commitment to safety. Related Links: London Olympic Committee Holds the Line on Costs 2012 Games Are Stepping Stones in Grand Scheme As the Olympic torch arrived to light the cauldron at Olympic Stadium on July 27, it was greeted by an honor guard of 500 hardhat-wearing construction workers, many of whom had

ENR interviewed California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Jeff Morales in his Sacramento office after the state Legislature approved the project. Highlights from the interview follow.

Related Links: The Tomorrow Project from Intel FutureTech CIOs: Are You Paving Over a Cow Path? As computing chips become ubiquitous and smaller, imagination may be the only limiting factor in how they can be used, says Brian David Johnson, Intel's futurist, and that could have significant implications for the future of construction. Johnson talked about the future of work to more than 300 construction professionals attending ENR's FutureTech conference in San Francisco on July 10.  JOHNSONBecause Intel needs to envision how its chips will be used, it is of "vital business importance" for the company to imagine how people

Related Links: 2010 Study: Wage-Gap Issues Remain Sponsorship, particularly the support of men in positions of influence who are willing to advocate on behalf of female colleagues, is critical to propel high-potential women up the corporate ladder, according to a study presented at the Groundbreaking Women in Construction conference, held in New York City on May 7.Ann Waeger, board member of the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network, said the group's benchmark study, "Women in Commercial Real Estate 2010," found that women expressed far more dissatisfaction with their careers than men. "To better understand the difference in men's and women's

How did a company like FedEx Corp. set its strategic direction for sustainability? That was the task given to D. Mitchell Jackson, FedEx staff vice president for environmental affairs and sustainability, when he took the post in 2007.Staff members suggested reducing fuel usage. Jackson responded, “That's a tactic, not a strategy.” He found the answer in what FedEx does every day. “We deliver eight million packages, but more than that, we connect the world, allowing customers to do business in 220 countries and territories.” Its sustainability strategy, therefore, was to “connect the world responsibly and resourcefully.”Jackson, a mechanical engineer by

Photo for ENR by Janice Tuchman CH2M Hills McKelvy, Kiewits Grewcock and Parsons Corp.s Harrington talked about strategies for training thousands of employees on rules of ethics as firms face increased scrutiny. Courtesy of Lane Construction Reaching out Lane uses colorful posters to encourage employees to make the call. Compliance officers searching for construction-specific advice should not feel alone. Speakers who presented best practices for small- and mid-size firms at the Construction Industry Ethics and Compliance Initiative forum, held in Denver on Oct. 10-11, all shared the same experience: They started their careers in operations or legal work with no

Photo courtesy of VHB/Eng-Wong, Taub Photo Credit: Owen Murphy/Louisiana DOTD Related Links: Hashtag This: Social Media Risks and Rewards in Construction Social Media Reshape Job Hunting and Recruitment at Smith Group, CH2M Hill In Social Media, Some Conversations Are Best Kept Private Water Social Networking Site Matches Water Providers With End Users Corps Finds Facebook Excels for Flood Emergency Communications Writing the Social Media Policy Handbook at Burns & McDonnell, HOK One of the positive outcomes that firms report in using social media is building rapport with clients. Often, it evolves from teaming with them to help make information about

For the first time this year, marketers in the AEC community will be able to earn university graduate credits for advanced training in professional-services marketing.At its annual conference, which drew 850 marketers and firm principals to Chicago on Aug. 24-26, the Society for Marketing Professional Services announced, in collaboration with the University of Maryland (UMD), the launch of the SMPS University Leadership Advancement Program. The course is geared toward mid-level marketers who wish to advance to the so-called C Suite, earning titles such as chief marketing officer.Scheduled for two-day sessions in October and November, the course will provide 25 continuing-education

This week, ENR writes the next chapter in its historic coverage of the 16-acre World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. More than 100 articles have been filed over the years. The first was in 1958, when “New Face for Lower Manhattan” described the $1-billion plan—delivered to Mayor Robert F. Wagner—that would bring sharp changes to the financial district.We trace the “World Trade Center Over Time” through the pages of ENR since that first story.In the 1960s, ENR wrote about the controversies surrounding the proposed development, including stories about the team, the design, the wind-tunnel tests, construction of the slurry-wall