February 13, 2023

Check out the February 13, 2023 edition of ENR, featuring the question: Will claims by contractors against designers and insurers on big design-build projects ever end?

Professional Insurance: Last Exit Before Disputes

Will Claims By Contractors on Big Design-Build Projects Ever End?

Richard Korman

February 8, 2023

Progressive design-build may be part of the solution to avoiding losses, claims and litigation.

Pulse: Project News for the Week of February 13, 2023

February 8, 2023

Project news from Dodge Data & Analytics.

Industry Leads for the Week of February 13, 2023

February 8, 2023

Information derived from Industrial Reports, a market intelligence firm specializing in industrial construction and equipment leads.

Project Management

Oxford Professor's Latest Book Examines Roots of Project Failure

Peter Reina

January 25, 2023

Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner's "How Big Things Get Done" stems from Flyvbjerg's work at Oxford University studying megaprojects.

Legal

Contractor Will Repay Workers $3.6M in Wage Theft Case

James Leggate

January 31, 2023

US Labor Dept. investigators say painting subcontractor Unforgettable Coatings Inc. falsified records to avoid paying overtime rates and retaliated against workers who complained.

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Nuclear Power

SNC-Lavalin, Aecon to Scale Up First Canada Small Nuclear Reactor

Mary B. Powers

February 7, 2023

Firms, GE Hitachi and Ontario Power will build the 300-MW plant under a single collaborative agreement to avoid potential delays and cost overruns, said Ken Hartwick, utility president and CEO.

Airports

Sacramento, Calif., $1.3B Airport Expansion Detailed

James Leggate

February 2, 2023

The Sacramento County Dept. of Airports expects to complete the expansion work by 2027.

Transportation

California Transit Agencies Face Future Funding Uncertainty

Aileen Cho

February 3, 2023

California's projected budget calls for $2 billion in cuts to transit agencies, creating uncertainty despite recent state and federal funding windfalls.

Project Cost Uncertainty Drives New Impacts for Offshore Wind

Debra K. Rubin

January 26, 2023

But even with emerging cost risks, New York's latest wind procurement that seeks up to 4.6 GW attracted a record 100 proposals from six wind developers, including one that awarded Skanska USA on Feb. 7 a CM contract for a planned $250M assembly hub at a Brooklyn marine terminal.

Onshore, Offshore Wind Energy Projects Get Big Boost in Maine

Johanna Knapschaefer

February 8, 2023

State regulators approved construction of a 1-GW onshore wind project, set to double current capacity, while the US Interior Dept. will allow development of a floating offshore wind turbine array in the deep-water Gulf of Maine.

Resilience

ASCE, NOAA Sign Pact to Work Toward 'Climate-Ready' Future

Pam McFarland

February 3, 2023

An agreement by the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlines plans to ensure U.S. infrastructure is designed to be more resilient and “climate-ready.”

Transmission

Proposed $2.5B Power Line Seen as Link for Three Large Grids

Debra K. Rubin

February 8, 2023

North Plains Connector from South Dakota to Montana would enable shared power and more system reliability for large US grids, but transmission experts decry big gaps in "planning, permitting and paying."

Materials

New Jersey Governor Signs Low-Carbon Concrete Law

First of its kind tax credit is passed for greener concrete

Marigo Farr

January 31, 2023

Enacted legislation offers a financial performance bonus for concrete producers that provide low embodied-carbon products for state projects.

Legal

Owner, Builder Battle in Court Over Steel Mill Project Delay, Cost Hike

James Leggate

January 30, 2023

Palmer North America and unit of contractor MasTec accuse each other of causing delays and cost overruns on the Pueblo, Colo., mill expansion.

Infrastructure Act

US DOT Awards $1.2B for IIJA "Mega" Projects, including Hudson Tunnel

Tom Ichniowski

January 31, 2023

Largest grant is $292M for concrete casing, part of New York-New Jersey Hudson Tunnel project.

Federal Contracts

GAO: Contractors See Gaps in US Energy Dept. Bidding Communication

James Leggate

January 26, 2023

US Government Accountability Office conducted an audit of procurement process issues in the largest DOE contracts awarded from 2015 to 2020.

Port of Long Beach Plans Offshore Wind Turbine Assembly Terminal

Aileen Cho

January 26, 2023

Southern California staging and integration facility for floating wind energy would be largest at a U.S. seaport, as new federal report points to needed investment boost in port, manufacturing and vessel support to meet wind production goal.

Investigations

NTSB Updates Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse Probe, No Cause Found Yet

Tom Ichniowski

January 26, 2023

NTSB says that "all aspects of the collapse remain under investigation."

Environment

EPA Nixes Alaska Pebble Mine, Citing Dredge Disposal Impacts

Developer plans to challenge the determination in court, continuing a legal battle that spans decades.

Stephanie Loder

Pam McFarland

February 1, 2023

Action is latest round in long-running battle over major minerals development in sensitive Bristol Bay watershed.

Building Repairs

First Load Transfer a Success at Troubled Millennium Tower in San Francisco

Nadine M. Post

January 30, 2023

The team for the revised pile upgrade of the 645-ft-tall residential building expects to complete the work to stem settlement by the end of September.

Energy Policy

New House Energy Panel Chair Pushes Fossil Fuel, Nuclear Power

Pam McFarland

February 2, 2023

Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers favors fewer tax breaks for renewable energy than now included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

Infrastructure Law

House Transportation Panel Airs IIJA Issues

Tom Ichniowski

February 1, 2023

Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.),, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman, foresees a busy to-do list, saying “We have an aggressive agenda ahead of us,”

In Earthquakes' Aftermath in Turkey and Syria, Evaluating Buildings and a Search for Survivors

Damage across southern Turkey and northern Syria is still being catalogued

Jeff Rubenstone

Scott Lewis

Aileen Cho

February 6, 2023

As rescue crews continue to dig out survivors from collapsed buildings in the wake of two severe earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, killing thousands, engineers' response efforts turn toward cataloguing and evaluating structures that failed or suffered significant damage.

Transportation Funding

Florida Proposes $7B to Expedite 20 Highway Upgrades

Derek Lacey

February 2, 2023

Proposed state program would invest $4 billion in surplus funds to leverage added billions oficials said would expedite 20 projects set to relieve road congestion.

Companies

Webuild Inks New Deal To Acquire Failed Australia Firm Assets

Jim Parsons

February 6, 2023

Purchase of Asia-Pacific assets of Perth contractor Clough “guarantees the continuity" of firm projects and employment for 1,100 employees, says the Italy-based buyer.

Mind the Interfaces: A Primer on Offsite Fabrication

Gary Fischer, PE

February 8, 2023

To reduce project cost and schedule length while addressing the skilled labor shortage, many owners and contractors are moving work from the construction site to a fabrication facility.

Komatsu All-Electric Wheel Loader Draws Industry Interest

Jeff Rubenstone

February 8, 2023

When Komatsu rolled out its WA Electric wheel loader during demonstration sessions at the 2022 Bauma equipment trade show in Munich, Germany, last October, engineers and sales staff at the booth were not expecting the little machine to steal the show.

Oracle Aconex Software Receives Key Defense Dept. Authorization

DISA Impact Level 4 will allow it to be used on sensitive projects,

Jeff Yoders

February 1, 2023

Oracle Aconex for Defense has been certified complaint with Defense Information Systems Agency Impact Level 4 Dept. of Defense projects.

Construction Economics for February 13, 2023

February 8, 2023

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

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Our Publications

ENR

Cover Story

Will Claims By Contractors on Big Design-Build Projects Ever End?

News

Pulse: Project News for the Week of February 13, 2023

Industry Leads for the Week of February 13, 2023

Oxford Professor's Latest Book Examines Roots of Project Failure

Contractor Will Repay Workers $3.6M in Wage Theft Case

SNC-Lavalin, Aecon to Scale Up First Canada Small Nuclear Reactor

Sacramento, Calif., $1.3B Airport Expansion Detailed

California Transit Agencies Face Future Funding Uncertainty

Project Cost Uncertainty Drives New Impacts for Offshore Wind

Onshore, Offshore Wind Energy Projects Get Big Boost in Maine

ASCE, NOAA Sign Pact to Work Toward 'Climate-Ready' Future

Proposed $2.5B Power Line Seen as Link for Three Large Grids

New Jersey Governor Signs Low-Carbon Concrete Law

Owner, Builder Battle in Court Over Steel Mill Project Delay, Cost Hike

US DOT Awards $1.2B for IIJA "Mega" Projects, including Hudson Tunnel

GAO: Contractors See Gaps in US Energy Dept. Bidding Communication

Port of Long Beach Plans Offshore Wind Turbine Assembly Terminal

NTSB Updates Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse Probe, No Cause Found Yet

EPA Nixes Alaska Pebble Mine, Citing Dredge Disposal Impacts

First Load Transfer a Success at Troubled Millennium Tower in San Francisco

New House Energy Panel Chair Pushes Fossil Fuel, Nuclear Power

House Transportation Panel Airs IIJA Issues

In Earthquakes' Aftermath in Turkey and Syria, Evaluating Buildings and a Search for Survivors

Florida Proposes $7B to Expedite 20 Highway Upgrades

Webuild Inks New Deal To Acquire Failed Australia Firm Assets

Departments

Mind the Interfaces: A Primer on Offsite Fabrication

Komatsu All-Electric Wheel Loader Draws Industry Interest

Oracle Aconex Software Receives Key Defense Dept. Authorization

Construction Economics

Construction Economics for February 13, 2023

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