Category: Construction Processes

September 15, 2023

An extreme jump in diesel fuel costs in August drove the overall increase in materials prices, according to a separate analysis from the Associated General Contractors of America. Most other commodity prices remained relatively unchanged, according to AGC officials. “The […]

September 8, 2023

Inspectors with the Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries found that flipper deck platforms were not used in line with the manufacturer’s specifications on a jobsite where a worker was killed in a fall earlier this year. Officials cited […]

September 6, 2023

Insurance companies offer discounts to lower-risk clients who meet certain requirements. One of the easiest ways to take advantage of this is to deploy construction site cameras on the job site, which can help mitigate risk while providing a whole […]

September 5, 2023

Construction spending levels in July suggest “no letup in demand for construction workers or private-sector projects,” said Associated General Contractors of America Chief Economist Ken Simonson in the group’s own spending report. Still, Simonson continues to caution that progress on […]

September 1, 2023

It’s been a busy year for manufacturers in the U.S. In the 12 months since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, companies have hurriedly launched a variety of manufacturing plans in pursuit of the law’s lucrative tax credits for […]

August 28, 2023

The Construction Market Forecasting Service (CMFS) 2023 second quarter edition predicted that starts would rise 2% in 2023. That level of growth is minuscule compared with 2022, when total construction starts rose 15% from the previous year. One risk the […]

August 15, 2023

Legislation passed since 2021, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act, collectively authorized federal investments of nearly $1.9 trillion over a period of years and spurred additional investments from the private […]

August 14, 2023

Right-leaning legal and policy foundations are backing new lawsuits that challenge racial preferences in public works contracting—hoping one will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority and that justices will sharply limit or even terminate the programs. The […]

August 11, 2023

African societies’ cultures are intrinsically linked to color. From fabrics to clothing, products, sculptures, and architecture, various societies explore rich and vibrant colors that are vivid, expressive, and joyful. Through different shades, hues, contrasts, motifs, and ornamentations, colors are embraced […]

August 10, 2023

The DOL has recently cracked down on wage theft in the construction sector. The Office of Administrative Law Judges ordered that subcontractor GSI Pool Finishes pay back $317,097 in back wages for three U.S. and 56 Mexican workers in April, […]

August 8, 2023

The Davis-Bacon Act, originally passed in 1931, uses pay surveys administered by the DOL to set the prevailing wage in a federally funded project’s location. The process can be complicated and cumbersome for contractors and has elicited concerns that it […]

August 3, 2023

In 2019, the global rate of consumption of materials was 100 billion tons and is projected to reach 175 billion tons in 2050. The buildings and construction sector is responsible for 36% of final energy demand globally, representing 39% of […]

July 27, 2023

Infraestudio is an architecture and art practice based in Havana that has been obsessed with fiction since its foundation in 2016. Fernando Martirena, Anadis González, and other members and collaborators work from a narrative and discursive approach to experiment with […]

July 25, 2023

Construction is a dangerous job in the best of conditions. But this summer, jobsite hazards have been compounded by extreme heat and choking wildfire smoke over much of the country. By late July, El Paso, Texas, had endured 33 straight […]

July 25, 2023

Architecture is likely to exist in any place or physical space inhabited by human beings. Moreover, our inherent curiosity and exploratory spirit constitute an integral aspect of our humanity. Fueled by our inventive capacity, drives us to venture into future […]

July 21, 2023

Nowadays, homes are built in increasingly smaller spaces in densely populated cities. The kitchens, which today serve not only to prepare meals but also as meeting spaces where we receive guests, are the places that have undergone the most transformations […]

July 17, 2023

Canadian wildfire smoke continues to blow over much of the U.S., raising air pollution to harmful levels for construction workers. Now, the impact of the fires is likely to raise U.S. lumber prices, too. Canada’s 2023 wildfire season has been […]

July 13, 2023

Many contractors say mounting financing issues aren’t slowing the pace of new construction in their markets, even as developers convert certain projects to modular to avoid cumbersome banking requirements. For example, Kelley Barcuch, an Arlington, Texas-based project consultant for Technology […]

July 11, 2023

Structural engineers are familiar with seventeenth-century scientist Robert Hooke’s theory that a hanging chain will mirror the shape of an upstanding rigid arch. However, new research now shows that this common-held belief is incorrect because, regardless of the similarities, the […]

July 11, 2023

There is a second request for a stay pending in the 4th Circuit that if granted, would affect a much larger portion of the pipeline. A coalition of environmental groups contests the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s finding that endangered […]