Nanomaterials Present New Questions for Occupational Safety and Health in Construction

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Nanotechnology is transforming many industries, including construction. Nanomaterials are incredibly small — between 1 to 100 nanometers or about 1 million times smaller than the length of an ant. At this size, materials can take on new properties. Adding nanomaterials or making changes at this tiny size can transform familiar construction materials into concrete that conducts electricity, glass that cleans itself and coatings that cut smog. The industry is only beginning to understand the possible hazards for workers who handle these materials.   The Center for Construction Research and Training has created the website http://nano.elcosh.org/. Visitors to the site — … Read more

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New Craft Training and Assessment Resources Available for Military Members, Veterans

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ALACHUA, Fla. — As part of their commitment to help veterans and returning military make a smooth transition into rewarding construction careers, NCCER and its Build Your Future initiative have developed the Hard Hat Heroes campaign to assist in recruiting, training and hiring veterans. The Hard Hat Heroes program provides military service members and veterans with access to free online training and a portal to connect with interested employers. NCCER and its publisher, Pearson, are donating $1 million of online Core Curriculum to veterans and service members to provide them with training and credentials. Veterans and service members who want … Read more

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Dodge Momentum Index Jumps in September

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NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Dodge Momentum Index moved 5.8 percent higher in September to 133.5 (2000=100) from its August reading of 126.2. The index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The impetus behind September's gain was a 12 percent increase from the previous month in institutional building planning. State and local budgets, which finance many projects in the institutional category, continue to recover from their recessionary weakness. With this support, planning for new institutional … Read more

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Skanska Teams with UW for New BIM Certificate Program

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The University of Washington's Department of Construction Management and Skanska have teamed up to offer a new certificate for Building Information Modeling. The new program — the UW-CERC/Skanska Building Information Modeling Certificate — was created to fill a gap in the field of people trained to use data-rich virtual-reality modeling tools. The 11-week program started on Sept. 29 and is open to UW students, local industry professionals and via online streaming to industry professionals nationwide. Students will learn tangible BIM software skills and gain an understanding of virtual design and construction processes that have real-world applications. Developed collaboratively by UW … Read more

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FMI 2015 Survey Indicates Skilled Labor Shortage Intensifies Despite Economic Recovery

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RALEIGH, N.C. — FMI Corp. released its 2015 Talent Development Survey in the Construction Industry, and the results reveal intensifying labor shortages, a widening gap between employer offerings and employee demands, and a lack of standard processes and frameworks among the top findings in the survey. “People-development is critical to companies" future success and ability to stay competitive. It is especially important in an environment of skilled labor shortage and increasing competition.” said Chris Daum, president of FMI Capital Advisors. “Firms need to have strategic and holistic processes in place for recruiting and retaining talent in order to stay viable … Read more

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