March 21, 2022

ENR's Best of the Best Projects 2021

March 17, 2022

The 20 projects recognized in 2022 are the result of a nearly yearlong effort by ENR editors and roughly 100 construction industry members who judged contest entries at various stages.

Best of the Best

P3 Team Creates New Path for VA Projects

Jeff Yoders

March 16, 2022

No Comments

The US Dept. of Veterans Affairs facility is the first agency project to include private money for construction while also using funding from available VA appropriations.

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LA Metro Pursues Alternative Project Delivery Methods

Aileen Cho

March 7, 2022

No Comments

At the 61st Western Winter Workshop, panelists discussed ways, such as technology, to increase collaboration and innovation.

Legal

Contractors Dispute Fault in Army Base Roadwork Wrongful Death Case

James Leggate

March 11, 2022

No Comments

Lane Construction can face cross claims, a federal judge has ruled, from another contractor on a road resurfacing project that the widow of a cyclist killed in a 2016 crash charges caused his death.

Flood Control

Lake Houston Dam Improvements Scaled Back Due to Budget

C.J. Schexnayder

March 8, 2022

No Comments

An effort to bolster flood control in northeast Houston through improvements to the Lake Houston dam have been scaled back due to financial constraints on the project. Houston officials say that the length of proposed floodgates will need to be reduced by half to meet the project’s budget.

Construction Contracting

MOX Services to Pay US $10M to Settle False-Claims Charges

Tom Ichniowski

March 8, 2022

No Comments

Allegations deal with now-terminated nuclear-materials project in S.C.

Transportation

Alaska Advances $1.6B Port Upgrade After Feds Ordered to Pay Anchorage

James Leggate

March 7, 2022

No Comments

A troubled port extension project managed by the U.S. Maritime Administration was deemed unsafe to use, as federal court orders it to compensate the city.

Technology

Quantum Gravity Sensor Tests Point to Better Subsurface Mapping

Peter Reina

March 8, 2022

No Comments

By eliminating "noise" of unwanted readings, new sensor device developed at the University of Birmingham is more accurate and up to 10 times faster than current instruments, its developers claim.

Equipment

EPA Proposes Stronger Heavy-Duty Vehicle Emissions Standards

James Leggate

March 8, 2022

No Comments

Some of the most significant nitrogen oxide reductions under the proposed standards would be seen in vehicles that are moving at low speeds or idling, EPA says.

Safety

Pilot Study Links Toxic Metal Dust at Home to Worksite Practices

James Leggate

March 3, 2022

No Comments

A new study found higher levels of certain toxic metals in construction workers' homes and found ways to reduce the risk of carrying them.

Historic Post Office Temporarily Relocated for New Mixed-Use Project

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Greg Aragon

March 3, 2022

No Comments

Contractors in Burlingame, Calif., are wrapping up a tricky maneuver to move an historic 1940s post office approximately 120 ft from its current location to make room for the construction of an underground parking structure directly beneath the building’s footprint.

A rendering of the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh

Aging Infrastructure

PennDOT Races to Begin Replacement of Collapsed Pittsburgh Bridge

Jim Parsons

March 10, 2022

One Comment

Construction on Fern Hollow Bridge, which collapsed on Jan. 28, could begin by late April.

Contractors Likely to Feel Pinched by US Ban on Russian Fuel

Pam McFarland

March 17, 2022

No Comments

Contractors will not be immune to price increases associated with a March 8 presidential executive order banning imports of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal, industry groups say.

International Conflict

As Ukraine War Builds, More AEC Firms Quit Russia or Seek to Untangle

Emell D. Adolphus

Debra K. Rubin

March 9, 2022

No Comments

Equipment giant Caterpillar, design giant WSP and others announce they will detach, while more are ‘closely monitoring’ the situation overseas as it directly affects projects, clients and personnel.

International Conflict

AECOM Will Exit Russia 'Immediately' Over Ukraine Invasion

Debra K. Rubin

March 7, 2022

No Comments

Austrian contractor Strabag confirms ownership link to Russian oligarch but cites no EU, UK or US sanctions and has cut off dividends to his firm; long-time Ukraine contractor Onur Group will stay put "but we are watching the developments sadly and with concern,” says an official.

Infrastructure Spending

Biden Signs $1.5T Omnibus Spending Bill, With Good News for Highways

New spending package unlocks some IIJA funds that were previously held up

Tom Ichniowski

March 15, 2022

No Comments

New law boosts 2022 funds for many, not all, construction programs.

Workforce

Labor Dept. Gears Up To Revamp Davis-Bacon Act

Pam McFarland

March 14, 2022

No Comments

Proposed changes would be the first major revisions to the law in about 40 years.

Project Finance

Ontario Premier Pushes Pre-Election Toronto Transport Expansion

Scott Van Voorhis

March 14, 2022

No Comments

Projected $64B spend would add airport rail link and new highways over three decades, but with unclear project details, in plan unveiled by conservative leader Doug Ford before province-wide vote in June.

International Conflict

Safety at Ukraine Nuclear Sites at Risk, Bank and UN Agency Say

Infrastructure and asset damage caused by Russia now exceeds $119 billion, a Ukraine government official said on March 14.

Peter Reina

Debra K. Rubin

March 11, 2022

No Comments

A global nuclear energy watchdog and the financier of the $2.8B program to cover the Chernobyl site's damaged reactor raised concern March 10 of power loss safety impacts, with worry also of a monitoring system cutoff at the still operating Zaporizhizhia plant—as both remain in Russian control.

Environmental Action

Viewpoint: PFAS Crisis Needs Industry All-In

Alan LeBlanc, CDM Smith

March 16, 2022

No Comments

E&C firms can push alternative project delivery to speed removal now of "forever chemicals' before they become an even bigger public health risk, says one committed environmental engineer.

Q&A: Procore CEO Tooey Courtemanche Reflects on 20 Years in Business

Jeff Yoders

March 16, 2022

No Comments

When the software firm's founder and chief started the company, he and his initial employees offered free jobsite WiFi to potential customers to get them to use their platform.

Industry Leads for the Week of March 21, 2022

March 16, 2022

No Comments

Industry leads are derived from Industrial Reports, a market intelligence firm specializing in industrial construction.

Pulse: Project News for the Week of March 21, 2022

March 16, 2022

No Comments

Fordham Landing in New York, hydrologic restoration projects in Louisiana and more from Dodge Data & Analytics.

Construction Economics for March 21, 2022

March 16, 2022

No Comments

ENR’s 20-city average cost indexes, wages and materials prices. Historical data and details for ENR’s 20 cities can be found at ENR.com/economics

vector image with laptops on a conference table

Contractor Business Strategy

Contracting Firms Seek to Improve Work-Life Balance

Jim Parsons

March 16, 2022

No Comments

After two years of coping with lockdowns, social distancing, teleconference learning curves and virus variants, construction and design firms find themselves adapting to yet another pandemic-related challenge—safely returning employees to the office while accommodating a newfound appreciation and desire for the benefits of working remotely.