Construction Costs Rising Due to Stunted U.S. Construction Industry, says Report

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PHOENIX, Ariz. —   Rider Levett Bucknall reports that construction costs continue to rise nationwide, in part, because the overall U.S. construction industry in 2015 is smaller than it was prior to 2008 when the recession began. The firm reported its findings in its newly released First Quarter 2015 USA Construction Cost Report. “In those areas where construction activity is picking up the most, the smaller-sized industry is struggling to keep up with demand,” states Julian Anderson, president of Rider Levett Bucknall North America. “Although the actual costs of labor and materials continue to increase slowly, the growing demand and … Read more

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Construction Employment Increases in 45 States and D.C., 33 States Add Jobs

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Construction firms added jobs in 45 states and the District of Columbia between February 2014 and February 2015 while construction employment increased in 33 states between January and February, according to a recent analysis of Labor Department data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that growing labor, funding and regulatory challenges may impact future jobs gains, however. “Construction employment continues to recover in many parts of the country even as some markets have a hard time stabilizing,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “States like Nevada and Mississippi continue to experience significant monthly swings in … Read more

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New Study Finds OSHA Officials Underestimated Cost of Silica Rule for Construction Industry by $4.5B a Year

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new report released by the Construction Industry Safety Coalition found that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed silica standards for the U.S. construction industry will cost the industry $5 billion per year—roughly $4.5 billion per year more than OSHA’s estimates. The coalition cautioned the flawed cost estimates reflect deeper flaws in the rule and urged the federal agency to reconsider its approach. OSHA’s proposed rule, intended to drastically reduce the permissible exposure limit of crystalline silica for the construction industry, has been underestimated by the agency to cost the construction industry about $511 million a … Read more

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Brasfield & Gorrie to Build New Huntsville Water Treatment Plant

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Brasfield & Gorrie has been selected to build a new greenfield water treatment plant for Huntsville Utilities in Huntsville, Alabama. Awarded the $83-million project through a competitive bidding process, the firm will begin work on the new Southeast Water Treatment Plant in March 2015.   Located on a 266-acre site near the intersection of Highway 431 and Guntersville Dam Road, the facility is expected to treat 12 million gallons of drinking water per day. The scope of the project includes a raw water intake structure, 42-inch raw water main pipelines, a conventional settling water treatment plant and … Read more

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AGC of America Introduces New Officers to Lead Construction Industry

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The Associated General Contractors of America announced the new officers who have been selected to lead the nation’s largest construction trade association. :Chuck Greco, chairman of Houston, Texas-based Linbeck Group, will serve as president; Mark Knight, president of Webster, South Dakota-based Foothills Contracting Inc., will serve as senior vice president; Art Daniel, president and COO of Cedar Hill, Texas-based A.R. Daniel Construction, Inc. will serve as vice president and Joe Stella, president of Wakefield, Massachusetts-based P.J. Stella Construction Corp., will serve as treasurer. “During the course of my career I have had countless opportunities to observe just what a positive … Read more

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