The construction consortium charged with expanding Rio de Janeiro/Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport says it is on schedule to finish on May 1 of next year, in time for the August kickoff of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.

Photo courtesy M&T Expo Despite a steep decline in machinery sales, global vendors at Latin American expo in June said they plan to maintain a strong presence in Brazil. Related Links: For Brazil Equipment Buyers, Support Is King Deere Expands Into Brazil (requires login) Construction machinery sales in Brazil this year will reach 15,800 units, a 37.8% decrease compared to the 25,389 units sold in 2014, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. However, the downturn has not deterred global suppliers from building a presence in the Latin American country, where import taxes are high and much infrastructure build-out is

AP Wideworld Former Petrobras executive Renato Duque listens to a question during parliamentary testimony on March 19 in Brazil. Officials allege that firms paid $800 million in bribes to land contracts. Related Links: Petrobras Contractor Files for Bankruptcy Petrobras Gas Plant Travels 5,000 Km Through Amazon Rain Forest While the investigations of Brazil’s Public Prosecution Service continue to look into construction and engineering companies involved in kickbacks to politicians and officials in exchange for contracts with one of the country’s largest owners, Petrobras, industry experts say the scandal may soon open up new opportunities for contractors as others are blacklisted

Courtesy Potencial Engenharia After traveling on roads, the disassembled pieces rode on barges that took the unit up the Amazon River. Courtesy Potencial Engenharia The unit, which went on line in May, was reassembled in the Amazon Basin. Related Links: Booming Natural Gas Market Pressures Green Economy Tools of the Trade for Heavy Lifting and Hauling Contractors in charge of Petrobras’ fourth natural-gas processing unit in Brazil pulled off a feat of epic proportions: From a gas compound in Pojuca, the project team moved the unit through an intricate logistical operation that involved a 5,000-kilometer-long haul on roads and rivers

AP Wideworld Brazilian 22-year-old superstar Neymar got the host country off to a strong start, scoring two goals in a 3-0 victory over Croatia in the opening match. AP Wideworld Protesters took to the streets of Sao Paolo in May to decry government ineptitude and FIFA's directives in the run-up to the World Cup. Related Links: Two Years to World Cup Kickoff for Brazilian Stadiums South Africa Toasts Itself With 2010 World Cup In 2007, when the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced that Brazil would sponsor the 2014 World Cup, the soccer-mad country was euphoric. That celebratory spirit

Augusto Diniz/O Empreiteiro Choe Byeong-ku, president and COO of Hyundai's construction equipment division, says the global market "will overcome" its current sluggishness. Augusto Diniz/O Empreiteiro Hyundai's Itatiaia, Brazil, unit will produce 3,000 machines annually, with a goal of 4,000 units by 2014. Related Links: For Brazil Equipment Buyers, Support Is King Whats Keeping International Firms Out of Brazils Infrastructure Market? As anti-dumping duties remain high in Brazil, Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd. has inaugurated its first plant there. The $175-million invesment is also Hyundai's first outside the Asian continent.Opened last month and located in Itatiaia, the unit will produce 3,000 machines

Construction workers in Rio are busy building thirty-one 17-story towers for the 2016 Olympic Games, and the crews are employing a special strategy to deal with the tight schedule.

The sprint to finish Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Park in time for the 2016 Summer Games began in February, when contractors began earthmoving work and demolition of a racetrack at the site’s center. Construction of the main facilities will start in July.

When the Brazilian government decided to build a pair of large, run-of-river hydro powerplants in remote Rondônia state, a shortage of skilled workers put not only the project at risk but also the government's Amazon Basin dam-based energy strategy and the profit margin of Odebrecht Energia, a leading contractor in the project consortium.It took a finance guy to solve the people problem. 

Photo by By Augusto Diniz/O Empreiteiro Bauma China, a large exhibition held on Nov. 27-30 in Shanghai, attracted more than 180,000 visitors from 141 countries. Photo by By Augusto Diniz/O Empreiteiro Zoomlion showcased a large mining shovel at the exhibition. Related Links: Chinese Heavy Equipment Digs In Globally Putzmeister, Schwing Become Chinese-Owned Companies China, which is now the world's largest market for heavy equipment, is slumping domestically but its machinery exports are expected to see 20% gains over 2011. Speaking at Bauma China, a large exhibition held on Nov. 27-30 in Shanghai, officials with China's Association of the Industry of