PCA Releases Spring 2021 Cement Consumption and Construction Activity Outlook

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Portland Cement Association Market Intelligence Group’s Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Ed Sullivan recently presented its annual Spring cement consumption forecast, predicting an increase in cement consumption for 2021 and 2022. “Remarkably, U.S. cement consumption recorded 2% growth during 2020. It is remarkable because COVID-19 exerted a terrible toll on the economy. Consumers bunkered down; states enacted rigid lockdowns. Real GDP declined to a rate not matched since 1946 as the economy transitioned from war time to peace time,” said Sullivan. “Nearly 9.5 million fewer jobs now exist compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. Many businesses did not survive the threat.  … Read more

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AGC Reports Construction Employment Declines in 203 Metro Areas March 2020-March 2021 Despite Homebuilding Boom, Improving Economy

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Construction employment decreased from March 2020 to March 2021 in 203, or 57%, of the nation’s metro areas, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data recently released. Association officials said the industry’s broader recovery in many parts of the country is being hampered by rising materials prices, supply chain disruptions and project cancellations.   “Nearly twice as many metros have lost construction jobs as gained them in the past 12 months, even though homebuilding has recovered strongly and the overall economy is in much better shape than it was a year ago,” … Read more

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The Fertility Center of Las Vegas Breaks Ground on New Facility

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The Fertility Center of Las Vegas, and Design-Build general contractor SR Construction, broke ground on the brand-new Fertility Center of Las Vegas in southern Nevada. The project will consist of the ground-up construction of an 18,500-square-foot fertility clinic, development of the site including the installation of site utilities and traffic signals and other offsite improvements. The center, which will be a part of a nearly 4.5-acre commercial property, will also house an ambulatory surgery center and laboratory. Construction is expected to be complete by mid-2022. Additional project partners include PGAL Architects, Lochsa Engineering, John Jones Landscape Architecture, Wright Engineers and … Read more

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NIBS Names BIM Program Steering Committee Members

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The National Institute of Building Sciences has announced the built environment leaders who will serve on the National BIM Program Steering Committee. The NIBS BIM Council began the launch phase for the U.S. National BIM Program in March, when Salla Eckhardt, director of transformation services with Microsoft, was named chair of the National BIM Program Steering Committee. Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, president and CEO of NIBS, said it is important to establish a structure that broadly engages diverse stakeholders. “We need a coordinated program to improve performance, advance collaboration and foster innovation in the building industry,” Woods says. “The first … Read more

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Worker Safety on Worker’s Memorial Day from the Desk of CPWR Executive Director Chris Trahan

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Fifty years ago on April 28, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect. It created two federal agencies vital to protecting American workers: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. April 28 is also Workers’ Memorial Day in the U.S., the National Day of Mourning in Canada and International Workers’ Memorial Day around the globe. It is a day to pause, to mourn for those injured, made sick or killed by their jobs and to pledge to do better to protect all workers’ safety and health. In the half-century since … Read more

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