Louise Poirier

Midway between Austin and San Antonio sits the scenic town of New Braunfels, home to just one hospital and a growing population. Residents will have a new option come April, when the $110-million Resolute Health Hospital reaches completion. Brasfield & Gorrie is leading construction on the five-story, 364,615-sq-ft building, which sits on a 58-acre greenfield site. Related Links: 2012 Top Project Starts Brasfield & Gorrie "New Braunfels was selected as kind of an innovation site for the company. It's a growing area—not just New Braunfels but kind of a mini tri-city area consisting of New Braunfels, San Marcos and Seguin—so

 :LAYMANMark Layman has been named chairman and CEO at Balfour Beatty Construction Services US following the retirement of Robert Van Cleave, outgoing chairman and CEO, who retired at the end of 2013. Related Links: People: Texas & Louisiana (12-16-13) Layman has served in various roles, including chief financial officer, executive vice president and for the past two years as president.Phillip Bell has been promoted to CEO of Bob Moore Construction. He joined the firm as a project manager in 1979. He was promoted to vice president and became a partner in 1986. Bell assumed his previous role of president in

A pproximately $62.24 billion in projects started in Texas and Louisiana in 2013, up nearly 15% from $54.36 billion in 2012, according to McGraw Hill Construction Dodge. The corresponding increase in the number of jobs across both states bodes well for the region's economy in 2014. Photo by Patrick Quigley, Gulf Coast Air Photo Crowd Pleasers: Construction is under way on Tulane University's Yulman Stadium. The boom in stadium construction will continue in 2014. Photo by Patrick Quigley, Gulf Coast Air Photo LLC/courtesy of PCCP Constructors, a Joint Venture Infrastructure: An aerial view of the Permanent Canal Closures and Pumps

A historical renovation is nearing completion in Houston. Skanska USA is doing $35 million in work to update and restore the Houston Community College System’s San Jacinto Memorial Building, which was originally built in phases between 1914 and 1936. Related Links: Skanska USA Houston Community College System “Houston Community College put this job out through a request for qualifications more than two years ago, and then they took about a year to make a decision so construction could get started,” says Ronnie Howe, senior vice president for Skanska USA. “The demo started July 2012 and we started the exterior restoration

Photo by Louise Poirier for ENR Marty Regalia, chief economist of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sees positive signs ahead for equipment dealers. Related Links: Cement Forecast Upbeat at 2014 World of Concrete 2014 Equipment Forecast Equipment markets are starting to return, according to dealers who convened in Houston on Jan. 16-17 for the Associated Equipment Distributors’ 2014 AED Summit.The market drop in 2008 and 2009 was about a 50% hit on new equipment; however, sales are growing again, said Ron Slee, a Rancho Mirage, Calif.-based industry consultant.“They’re about a quarter to a third lower than where we were in

Related Links: Worker Dies at Texas A&M Kyle Field Redevelopment Project Texas A&M University Envisions 25,000 Engineering Students by 2025 The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration on Dec. 19 cited two Texas contractors with eight serious violations and proposed $46,800 in fines, following the June collapse of a structure in an $80-million equestrian center under construction at Texas A&M University that injured four workers. The penalties come two weeks after a separate site accident on the College Station campus killed a 28-year-old worker employed by another contractor.OSHA cited project subcontractor Ramco Erectors Inc., Houston, with seven violations for flaws

Growth lies ahead for construction in Texas and Louisiana in a variety of sectors. For example, residential work in the south central region, encompassing Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas, is expected to grow by 22% in 2014 to $55.85 billion, according to McGraw Hill Construction's 2014 Construction Outlook. Meanwhile, nonresidential work in the region will be up 6% to $34.54 billion next year. Related Links: Texas Dept. of Transportation Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development ENR Texas & Louisiana Honors 2013 Best Projects Combined, total construction across these states is projected to rise 8% in 2014,

CB&I and Babcock & Wilcox teamed to construct the 620-MW John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant, with work spanning from April 2007 to December 2012.

The $2.5-million Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge located in Fort Worth is the first steel-arch and stress-ribbon bridge in North America.

The $95-million GE Manufacturing Solutions locomotive assembly facility was completed in December 2012, with work led by contractor KBD Group.