Dodge Momentum Index Increases in April

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 0.6 percent in April to 116.5 from its revised March reading of 115.8 (2000=100). The momentum 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. April’s gain was due to increased planning activity for both commercial and institutional building, with commercial planning moving 0.8 percent higher and institutional planning rising 0.4 percent. Over the last eight months institutional planning has been on somewhat of a roller coaster ride […]

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ABC Report: Safety Best Practices Can Make Construction Companies 720% Safer

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Associated Builders and Contractors recently released its 2016 Safety Performance Report to further the industry’s understanding of how to make construction jobsites safer. Packed with infographics and practical takeaways, the report documents the dramatic impact of using proactive safety practices to reduce recordable incidents by up to 86 percent, making the best-performing companies 720 percent safer than the industry average. “Until now, relatively little research has been conducted on the correlation between the use of ‘leading indicators,’ such as  substance abuse programs, new hire safety orientation and near-miss investigations and safer construction jobsites,” said ABC President and CEO […]

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CPWR Toolbox Talks: Now en Español

The Center for Construction Research and Training’s 52 toolbox talk series is now available in Spanish, alongside English-language counterparts on the CPWR website, thanks to a collaborative effort with the American Society of Safety Engineers. This series, a collaboration in content development with NIOSH, has been available in English for over two years and is widely used on construction sites across the country. These free toolbox talks incorporate effective training elements, identified through NIOSH research, including case studies, discussion questions and site-specific actions to promote a safety culture, and provide a year’s worth of content for safety on the jobsite. […]

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CMD Predicts Continued Improvement for Q2 Nonresidential Construction

ATLANTA, Ga. – U.S. construction starts increased 7.4 percent, higher than expected in the first quarter of 2016. On the heels of a 5.8 percent gain in 2015, nonresidential starts are tracking positively for the second quarter, according to CMD’s latest quarterly forecast report. The forecast, which combines CMD’s proprietary data with macroeconomic factors, expects a total year-over-year dollar volume increase of 7.4 percent this year, which is slightly higher than the 6.5 percent increase that was expected in the Q1 forecast. Nonresidential building structures that will see the fastest percentage gains in 2016 include office buildings, transportation terminals and […]

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Green Build Airport Project Earns Envision Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Green Build’s landside project at San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California, recently received the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision rating system’s Platinum award. Owned by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, the project is the first airport development to receive an ISI Envision award, and is also the 13th project in North America to receive an Envision rating system award. The Green Build development comprised a major expansion of San Diego International Airport’s Terminal 2, which included 10 new gates, a dual-level roadway, enhanced curbside check in, more security lanes and expanded concession area. […]

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