May 27, 2024

Contractor revenue rises, but firms say higher risks and longer lead times are driving more investment in preconstruction.

Infrastructure

USAID Awards Tetra Tech $439M Contract for Ukraine Energy Grid Resilience

May 17, 2024

The SPARC program is aimed at rebuilding infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks and integrating Ukraine's grid with Europe.

WSP Resists Employee Release From Noncompete Agreement After Acquisition

A former part-owner of an acquired company is forced to arbitrate

Richard Korman

May 16, 2024

A closer look at a disputed noncompete agreement as the federal government issues a ban on most such pacts.

Federal Energy Policy

Feds Issue Final Rules to Boost Transmission Project Expansion

FERC order 1920 is finally released after contentious comment period

Mary B. Powers

Debra K. Rubin

May 14, 2024

Long-anticipated FERC rules require power providers to conduct 20-year-ahead plans for long-term transmission needs and give agency backstop siting authority for projects that cross grid boundaries.

Infrastructure Innovation

Australian Semi-Modular Bridge System Shows Promise For US Projects

Aileen Cho

May 14, 2024

The InQuik system offers a lighter-weight, faster alternative to precast bridges and is drawing attention of transportation agencies across the country.

Hensel Phelps To Build Meta's $800M Montgomery Data Center

Derek Lacey

May 8, 2024

Tech giant is aiming for net-zero operational carbon emissions for the 715,000-sq-ft facility.

Bridges

$3.6B Ohio River Bridge Project Clears Federal Environmental Review

May 10, 2024

The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor calls for a new Ohio River crossing, near the existing bridge, intended to reduce congestion.

Planning

Disneyland's $1.9B Expansion Gets Final Anaheim Approvals

May 8, 2024

Zoning amendments are aimed at allowing Disney to mix uses to create "integrated and immersive experiences" at its California theme park.

Legal

Judge: Lane Owes $79M to I-4 Ultimate Partners Skanska, Granite

May 9, 2024

A federal judge in Florida found Skanska acted in its joint venture partners' best interest, and that Lane owes its partners about $80 million for its unpaid share of capital calls.

Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

Crews Remove 600-Ton Section of Baltimore Bridge From Ship in Controlled Demolition

Jim Parsons

May 13, 2024

The container ship Dali will now be refloated and towed back to the Port of Baltimore.

Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

Federal Investigations Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse Consider Wider Threats to Infrastructure

Jim Parsons

May 16, 2024

The inadequacy of existing safeguards to protect bridges and other infrastructure from ever-larger container ships was considered in a House hearing May 15, a day after the NTSB released its preliminary report on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan wears a white shirt, red tie and blue jacket, talking in front of a mic at a hearing

Water Infrastructure

EPA Survey Shows Need for Wastewater Repairs and Upgrades Far Exceeds Current Funding Levels

Pam McFarland

May 16, 2024

As federal appropriations season begins in earnest, the latest EPA Clean Watershed Survey shows an enormous need for funding—more than $630 billion.

Manufacturing

Feds Offer Polar Semiconductor $120M Toward Minnesota Plant Expansion

May 13, 2024

The chipmaker is planning a $525-million expansion of its manufacturing plant as well a conversion to majority U.S. ownership.

Bridges

Galveston Bridge Damaged by Barge Strike Was Already Slated for Replacement, Says TxDOT

May 17, 2024

Officials were assessing the condition of the Pelican Island Causeway Bridge after a barge collided with it.

New Rail Crossing Rises Out of New Jersey Meadowlands

Aileen Cho

May 22, 2024

Navigating heavy train traffic and a swamp, crews have reached the halfway point on the $1.7-billion Portal North Bridge across the Hackensack River in New Jersey.

Workforce

Construction Women Lead Workplace Change, Trailblazing Technologies

May 13, 2024

Attendees at Groundbreaking Women in Construction shared how emerging global priorities, developing skill sets, stronger self-advocacy and next-generation technology development are changing the trajectory of women's careers.

Airport Infrastructure

House Passes FAA Bill With Big Hikes for Airport Grant Funds

Update: Biden signs bill into law

Tom Ichniowski

May 16, 2024

The vote now sends the measure to President Biden for his signature.

Safety & Health

OSHA Fines Demolition Subcontractor $392,000 Over Asbestos Hazards

May 20, 2024

Officials say KLF Enterprises knew that a hospital in Illinois contained asbestos, but did not take required precautions when razing it.

Water Projects

Delta Tunnel Project to Generate $38B in Economic Benefits as Costs Rise

Matthew Heller

May 20, 2024

Costs for the California water megaproject have jumped 25% to more than $20B since a 2020 analysis.

Engineer Arup Is Identified as Deepfake Phishing Scheme Victim

The company declines to confirm media reports of a $25M loss.

Richard Korman

May 21, 2024

Phishing fraud targeting construction firms is resulting in a growing number of financial losses.

Why the Federal Noncompete Rule Is Regulatory Overreach

May 22, 2024

The new Federal Trade Commission mandate delivers a blow to thousands of small and large businesses trying to protect their own trade secrets as well as investments in employee training and customer contacts. That challenge does not need a fresh overlay of federal law.

Industry Leads for the Week of May 27, 2024

May 22, 2024

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

Pulse for the Week of May 27, 2024

May 22, 2024

Project news from Dodge Data & Analytics.

Information Technology

Checking In on Autodesk's AI 3D Image Generator, Buildots' Delay Forecast and NVIDIA's Robotics Partnership

Jeff Yoders

May 15, 2024

Autodesk, Buildots and NVIDIA are all further developing AI tools and experiments that could inform, iterate and automate construction.

Construction Economics for May 27, 2024

May 22, 2024