Additive Manufacturing Committee Seeks Participation to Develop Construction Standard

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Interested parties are invited to participate in the development of a proposed ASTM International standard that will address quality requirements for additive manufacturing in building and construction. The proposed standard will have a specific focus on structural and infrastructure elements. ASTM International’s additive manufacturing technologies committee is developing the proposed standard. ASTM International member Stephan Mansour says that the range of material covered by the proposed standard will include cement, compound and adobe-based. It will not address metal and/or polymer-based materials. “With all the environmental, efficiency and productivity benefits of construction AM, the lack of international standards is hindering adoption … Read more

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Construction Begins on Joint $57-Million Education Project in Utah

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Big-D Construction has been selected as the contractor for the new Juniper Building at the Herriman Campus – a joint $57-million project of Salt Lake Community College and University of Utah. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the facility took place recently, and the project is slated to open in 2023. The new campus will provide convenient access to residents of the fast-growing cities of Herriman, Riverton, Bluffdale and Draper. It will serve more than 2,000 students in its first year and nearly 7,000 by 2025. Big-D will begin to prepare the site in August and continue for three months, with building … Read more

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Construction Officials Caution Rising Materials Prices Threaten to Undermine Economic Recovery

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Unprecedented price increases for a wide range of goods and services used in construction pushed up contractors’ costs by a devastating 26.3% from June 2020 to June 2021, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data. Association officials cautioned that rising materials prices are making it difficult for many construction firms to benefit from the re-opening of the economy, undermining the sector’s ability to add new, high-paying jobs. “Contractors have been pummeled in the past year by cost increases, supply shortages and transport bottlenecks,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Meanwhile, falling demand … Read more

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BSI Joins NIBS BIM Council

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BSI, the business improvement and standards company, has become a member of the National Institute of Building Sciences BIM Council. The Council will help develop a national BIM program for the U.S. that aligns with international standards. The BIM Council is one of eight NIBS councils with the mission to lead the development and deployment of broadly adopted national information management standards and processes. BIM is well established outside the U.S., in countries such as the UK, and supported by the international standard, ISO 19650-1:2018 – Organization and digitization of information about buildings and civil engineering works, including building information … Read more

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ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator, Contractor Confidence Index Rise in June

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Associated Builders and Contractors reports that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.5 months in June, according to an ABC member survey conducted June 20-July 6, 0.5 months higher than in May 2021 and 0.4 months higher than in June 2020. ABC’s Construction Confidence Index readings for sales, profit margins and staffing levels increased modestly in June. All three indices remain above the threshold of 50, indicating expectations of growth over the next six months. “Nonresidential contractors continue to predict a strong rebound in activity over the balance of the year,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Despite recent weakness … Read more

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