Photo courtesy of Graycor Graycor recently completed work at Duke Energy's new clean-coal, integrated gasification combined-cycle powerplant in Edwardsport, Ind. Photo by Drew Reynolds "We're on a generational march," says Matthew Gray, Graycor president (left), shown with brother and Graycor CFO Steven Gray. "We're not a quarter-to-quarter or year-to-year firm." Related Links: ENR's Top 400 Contractors Looking Back: Graycor's Contracting Strategies For a construction firm best known for gritty industrial and power projects, the suburban Chicago-based Graycor Inc. is spending a lot of time these days presiding over tenant fit-outs—its own, as it happens.While the lingering slowdown has prompted flashier
Although demand for U.S. design services was unchanged in June, it remained well below levels required to fuel growth in non-residential construction, according to American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architectural Billing Index. June's ABI score was 45.9, nearly identical to May's mark of 45.8, suggesting U.S. construction has hit another trough, given that scores below 50 denote a decline in demand. Demand was strongest in the Midwest (48.0), followed by the South (47.6), Northeast (46.4) and West (44.3).Among market sectors, multi-family residential (49) scored highest, followed by commercial/industrial (46.9), institutional (46.0) and mixed practice (45.9)June marked the third consecutive month
Following a blistering federal assessment of its contributions to a 2010 oil spill near Michigan's Kalamazoo River, Canadian company Enbridge Energy Partners, Calgary, Alberta, says it will begin work this month on a $1.9-billion program to replace a pipeline extending from Griffith, Ind., to Marysville, Mich., including the segment involved in the 800,000-gallon spill. In all, plans call for replacing 285 miles of pipeline, with work set to conclude on a 75-mile span through LaPorte, Ind., and Niles, Mich., by year's end. A second phase will increase the line's current daily capacity from 243,000 barrels to more than 500,000 barrels.
Wind-induced cable vibrations caused steel diaphragm plates to fracture and fail on a 2,200-ft cable-stayed suspension bridge in Minneapolis, according to a preliminary report prepared by Northbrook, Ill.-based engineer Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, the firm the city hired to investigate the cause of the failure.
Related Links: Michigan Courts Private Sector for Detroit-Windsor Crossing Michigan Measure Would Support Second Detroit Span Canadian and Michigan officials say new plans to construct a $2-billion bridge linking Windsor and Detroit won't rely on funding from Michigan taxpayers as would have a previous plan, rejected by state lawmakers.As a result, the project can proceed without approval by the Michigan Legislature, says Ken Silfven, deputy press secretary for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R).Under the plan, unveiled in June by Snyder and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada will pay up to $550 million to cover Michigan's costs on the project,
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has denied a permit request by Aurora, Ill.-based Power Holdings to construct a power plant in Jefferson County that would convert coal to synthetic gas, citing insufficient details about emissions and air-quality analysis relating to the completed facility, as well as failure to justify the project's delay. The decision marks the latest setback for the $2-billion project, which Power Holdings first proposed in 2006. Although Illinois lawmakers in 2011 approved a measure compelling state utilities to purchase synthetic natural gas produced by the plant, Power Holdings in May cited difficulties attracting investors to the
Courtesy Gensler The health-care industry is on the brink of being overrun with oceans of digital data. Small, modular data centers may provide the best means for midsize operators, say experts who addressed the issue at the Greater Chicago Data Center Summit in early June.In accordance with an Executive Order issued in 2004, health-care providers have until 2015 to incorporate electronic medical records into their operations or face penalties. While providers have been slow to adopt the technology, financial incentives included in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act are
Although Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he was “livid” over a set of super PAC ads targeting President Obama, he indicated he won't allow the matter derail discussions involving millions of dollars in renovations to Wrigley Field, despite efforts by members of the Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs, to fund the $10-million ad campaign. Emanuel, who formerly was Obama's chief of staff, told reporters “the point has been made,” about the campaign, which sought to tie Obama to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a controversial figure from whom Obama severed ties in 2008.“We will [talk] at the appropriate time. …
A contract worker for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) was killed Tuesday morning by an automobile that veered into into a highway striping truck on Interstate 64 (I-64) near O'Fallon. Three other workers were injured in the accident, two of whom were airlifted to an area hospital in critical condition, according to the Illinois State Police. The man who died was identified Tuesday afternoon as Dennis J. Beard, 48, of Pocahontas, Ill.Eyewitnesses indicated the automobile driver was weaving through traffic at irregular speeds before steering around construction signs and striking the IDOT vehicle on the road's inside shoulder. An