KAI Build Named MOWIT 2021 Breaking Barriers Contractor of the Year

KAI Build has been named the 2021 Breaking Barriers Contractor of the Year by the Missouri Women in Trades organization. KAI accepted the award during MOWIT’s Blue Collar Black Tie Awards Gala honoring and celebrating women in the trades on Sept. 17 at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 Grand Hall in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 2008, MOWIT works to expand opportunities for women to enter and succeed in apprenticeship and careers in the construction and building trades in the greater St. Louis area. MOWIT works with employers, unions, educational organizations and other entities to increase women’s equal employment … Read more

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Building Talent Foundation, Simpson Strong-Tie Form Alliance to Promote Trades

Building Talent Foundation and Simpson Strong-Tie have formed a strategic alliance to promote the growth of the residential construction industry workforce in the United States. BTF is a non-profit organization focused on connecting young and underserved people to skilled trades training and career opportunities. Simpson Strong-Tie is committed to giving back to its communities by contributing to the quality of construction trades education and the promotion and advancement of the trades. BTF’s mission is to advance the education, training and career progression of young people and people from underrepresented groups, as skilled technical workers and business owners in residential construction. … Read more

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Only 14 States + D.C. Added Construction Jobs Since Pandemic Began as Supply Problems, Lack of Infrastructure Bill Undermine Recovery

Only 14 states and the District of Columbia have added construction jobs since just before the start of the pandemic in February 2020, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that widespread supply chain disruptions amid and the lack of a much-needed federal infrastructure bill have impeded the sector’s recovery. “Construction employment remains below pre-pandemic levels in more than two-thirds of the states,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Supply problems have slowed down many projects and forced contractors to hold down employment, while the lack … Read more

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I-75 Reconstruction Project in Florida County to Improve Traffic Flow, Reduce Delays

General contractor Skanska is leading the reconstruction of Big Bend Road at Interstate 75 interchange in Hillsborough County. The company is spearheading the $81.7-million Design-Build project on behalf of the Florida Department of Transportation. Construction began in August 2021 and completion is slated by end of summer 2024. Designed by Dewberry, the project scope will encompass the widening and reconstructing of Big Bend Road and reconfiguration of the I-75 ramps, which will improve traffic flow and reduce delays. The overall configuration of Big Bend Road will change from an existing four-lane rural roadway to a six-lane urban highway, consisting of … Read more

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AISC Offers $5,000 for Next Great Steel Floor Beam Connection

Structural steel is already the gold standard for rapid erection. But what if we could make it even faster? The American Institute of Steel Construction is offering $5,000 for up to three great ideas to revolutionize steel floor beam connections. Your back-of-the-napkin, so-crazy-it-just-might-work concept could become the next revolutionary, non-proprietary connection system. The key words are FAST and EASY – to design, fabricate and erect safely. The ideal solution will be fast and easy to install, will reduce rotation of floor beam connections to improve performance, will use technology that is not typically found in construction (think: 3D printing, adhesives, … Read more

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