Category: Sustainability

November 29, 2021

Buildings are a big contributor to global warming, not just in their ongoing operations but in the materials used in their construction. Truss structures — those crisscross arrays of diagonal struts used throughout modern construction, in everything from antenna towers […]

November 23, 2021

Generally made from kiln-fired clay, it is estimated that bricks have been used since 7000 BC, as examples were discovered in the ancient city of Jericho. Since then, bricks have been omnipresent in the history of architecture, combining constructive ease, […]

November 18, 2021

Over the past year, supply chain snarls and pandemic-related uncertainty have continued to affect the construction industry, leading to high materials costs, delays and difficulty finding skilled labor. It’s not all bad news though: some costs remained relatively flat, the […]

November 4, 2021

The U.S. commercial construction outlook is looking up, with forecasted growth of 6% in 2021, followed by another 10% uptick in 2022. The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also promises to revitalize America’s aging infrastructure and stimulate the […]

November 4, 2021

Other factors explaining why investment in nonresidential structures dropped during seven of the past eight quarters include pandemic-induced behavior changes. In other words, the pandemic has “undermined” several commercial real estate segments, such as reduced business travel and office space […]

November 1, 2021

Quite simply, many people aren’t aware of the career they could have in construction. That’s a large reason experts say construction is struggling to find and keep workers who build careers, rather than just work jobs. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, […]

October 27, 2021

Construction employment carries with it a perception that the work does not pay well or is more likely to be affected by an economic downturn than other fields. These fears are not entirely unfounded, said Priya Kapila, compensation practice leader […]

October 27, 2021

We’re a little over a year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic and the construction industry, like many other industries, is maneuvering several obstacles on its road to recovery. I think it’s important that we take time to understand […]

October 22, 2021

The falloff in ABC’s recent Construction Backlog Indicator stands in contrast to the optimism expressed earlier this year as the pandemic was showing signs of receding. Despite the challenges, in The Marcum National Construction Survey, released last week, construction executives […]

October 20, 2021

A four-decade veteran of the construction industry, Greg Sizemore says he doesn’t remember a time when there wasn’t a “Help Wanted” sign on most jobsites. When Sizemore — now the vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development at […]

October 11, 2021

The dip in Q3 comes after a spike in Q1 of 2021, which also followed a decrease in the crane count. Toronto has continued to tower over U.S. cities when it comes to the total number of cranes. One thing […]

October 1, 2021

Finding reputable, dependable subcontractors can be challenging. Subcontractors can impact your ability to deliver quality projects on schedule and within budget. Besides delays and subpar work, choosing the wrong subcontractor can lead to messy legal problems. Also, issues with subcontractors […]

September 20, 2021

The years ahead will present construction stakeholders with a wave of new challenges alongside familiar issues like rising costs, sustainability and a shortage of skilled labor. At the same time, these compounding challenges offer an opportunity to push the construction […]

September 10, 2021

Construction is the largest global industry that accounts for 13% of global GDP. It encompasses infrastructure, industrial structures, and real estate and today many companies are adjusting their business models to embrace the next normal in construction. It is a […]

September 8, 2021

Kelley Cowan joined XL Construction in 2010 as a preconstruction manager, focusing on projects in the education sector. Since then, her roster of work has ranged from advanced technology to commercial to education. Notable projects include the Bayer CropScience Biologics […]

August 24, 2021

Construction employment in July remained below the levels reached before the pre-pandemic peak in February 2020 in 36 states, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials said construction […]

August 20, 2021

The recent report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, is not a happy read. The IPCC report provides new estimates of the chances of crossing the crucial global warming level of […]

August 18, 2021

International contractors on the long road to rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic might find a shortcut to recovery in infrastructure projects, as countries ramp up spending to help build economies back to normal. While the global construction market is red […]

August 17, 2021

Diversity programs, an equity index and increased recruitment efforts are among the tools that transportation agencies and other groups are using to improve diversity in the infrastructure workforce, according to comments from participants on a webinar panel in July hosted […]

August 10, 2021

This project is part of Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE), a National Science Foundation-funded research and development initiative to accelerate sustainable and equitable transportation electrification. Purdue’s Pekarek says being part of this type of consortium is […]