Extreme Makeover: Commercial Construction Industry, Post-Crisis Edition

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CHICAGO, Ill. —Many wondered if the U.S. commercial construction industry would ever recover from the darkest days of the recession, particularly in late 2009 and early 2010. Jones Lang LaSalle's 2013 Construction Outlook finds that “Extreme Makeover” couldn"t be more appropriate for the commercial construction industry comparing 2009 to present. Just a few years after the recession brought the U.S. commercial construction sector to a standstill, the annual report paints a picture of a recovering, more diversified industry with less risk and revived funding. “The construction industry has evolved significantly in the last five years,” said Todd Burns, president of … Read more

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The American Institute of Architects Introduces New Contract Documents for Sustainable Projects

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Institute of Architects has released seven new Sustainable Projects contract documents. The release includes SP versions of the AIA's two families of Construction Management documents, Construction Manager as Adviser and Construction Manager as Constructor, as well as B103—2007 SP, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect for a Large or Complex Sustainable Project. “The Construction Manager as Adviser and Construction Manager as Constructor delivery models are beneficial for sustainable projects. The construction manager's involvement in the early stages of the project results in collaboration between the owner, the architect and the construction manager in … Read more

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New McGraw Hill Construction Report Talks Connection Between Improved Efficiency, Greater Competitiveness

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NEW YORK, N.Y. — A gap exists in the construction industry’s awareness of the inefficiencies inherent in construction processes, according to a new report by McGraw Hill Construction on Lean construction in partnership with Dassault Systemes. Lean practices are defined as activities that eliminate waste from construction processes, and adopting these practices can help address these issues. However, the industry must recognize the need for Lean to see wider adoption of this approach. Over half (55 percent) of contractors not familiar with Lean practices find the construction industry efficient/highly efficient, compared to 14 percent of those who have implemented Lean. … Read more

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Construction Employment Hits 50-Month High, Reports AGC

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Construction employment hit a 50-month high as employers added 11,000 jobs in October, the fifth consecutive month of sector job gains, and the industry unemployment rate fell to 9 percent, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the new employment figures indicate there was little nationwide short-term impact from the federal government shutdown and cautioned that skilled worker shortages are likely to grow as the industry continues to expand. “After some very dramatic declines and years of sluggish growth, the construction industry is slowly adding jobs,” said Ken Simonson, … Read more

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Third Quarter Nonresidential Fixed Investment in Structures Rises 12.3%

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Fixed investment in nonresidential structures and intellectual property grew 12.3 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively, in the third quarter, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's Nov. 7 report on gross domestic product. However, the growth was tempered by a 3.3 percent decline in fixed investment in nonresidential equipment. “Today's GDP release represents the last piece of information regarding U.S. output and nonresidential fixed investment that is untouched by the federal government shutdown in October and the most recent debt ceiling debate,” said Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Of course, September economic activity could have been impacted by … Read more

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