Construction Employment Increases, Industry Remains Vulnerable

Construction employment increased in 26 between July and August and in 35 states for the year, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials cautioned, however, that construction employment remains below peak levels in most states and warned of the potential impact of a halt in federal construction investments. “While we would all like to see even more robust growth, it is encouraging that most states have a larger construction workforce today than they did a year ago,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. “It will take a … Read more

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Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Chooses McCarthy Building Companies as Construction Manager

St. Louis, Mo.-based McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has been selected as construction manager for the $45-million expansion of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, originally built by McCarthy and opened in 2001. The 79,000-square-foot expansion is set to begin in early 2014. The space will include flexible research laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as core facilities and additional growth chamber space. The expanded facility is expected to open in 2015. Plans call for building a three-story addition that will be attached to the west side of the Danforth Center’s existing building in Creve Coeur, making room for more than … Read more

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MySafetySign's HazardSpotting Releases 11th Post

BROOKLYN, N.Y. —   MySafetySign's “spot the hazard” campaign to promote awareness of dangerous workplace safety hazards has released its 11th blog post. The campaign, launched in April 2013, is an ongoing effort by MySafetySign to open a dialogue with construction workers, contractors and their communities. MySafetySign is an e-commerce site that produces official Occupational Safety & Health Administration signs.   The 11th post features photographs of roof painters in dangerous conditions, including missing protective equipment like hard hats and safety glasses; slip, trip and fall hazards and deficient guardrails. The post details the specific OSHA violations. HazardSpotting uses social … Read more

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Officials Dedicate New Military Lounge at Rhode Island Airport

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Gilbane joined Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee, Rhode Island Airport Corporation President and CEO Kelly Fredericks, Rhode Island Military Organization, military organizations and local businesses last week at the long-awaited dedication of Theodore Francis Green Airport's new military lounge. The lounge, one of only two of its kind in the country managed entirely by volunteers rather than by the USO, is a place where members of the military can meet family and friends upon their return from deployment or departure to a new station. “Many Rhode Island partners — businesses, nonprofits, unions, the military, government, civic … Read more

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EarthCam Premieres 59-Month Construction Time-Lapse Movie to Commemorate Opening of the Bay Bridges

Witness more than 42,000 hours of construction in just four minutes with the release of EarthCam's official time-lapse movie for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. After many years of construction to retrofit and transform the Bay Bridge, project teams and contractors will be celebrating their hard work at the opening of the updated bridge. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission relied on 12 EarthCam construction cameras to document progress for the $6.4-billion bridge. In 2008, EarthCam installed a combination of live streaming video cameras and high-definition time-lapse systems, all carefully documenting progress from several unique perspectives. Strategically located on the project site, … Read more

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