AGC Reports on Construction Material Prices, Fiscal Cliff

Construction materials costs dropped in November, aided by a plunge in diesel prices along with smaller decreases in a variety of other inputs, according to an analysis of new federal figures released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that some of the price declines may be related to the fact that the threat of the fiscal cliff is already having an impact on demand for construction and related materials. “The recent price decreases are very welcome after years of price spikes that contractors could not pass on in a weak construction market,” said Ken Simonson, … Read more

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Puyallup, Washington Welcomes Green Medical Facility

PUYALLUP, Wa. — Group Health Cooperative recently opened its new Puyallup medical center. Just over a year ago, this 50,000-square-foot, two-story facility was little more than a cardboard mock-up in a warehouse in Tukwila. This cutting-edge facility, reminiscent of a lodge and complete with a green roof, graces a wooded park-like setting in Puyallup’s South Hill neighborhood. Everything in this new medical center, from the location of the exam room doors to the way that patients will access the lab, was carefully thought-out and analyzed in a unique year-long design process that involved the architects, CollinsWoerman; the builder, GLY Construction; … Read more

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Balfour Beatty Joins W&J and M.W. Williams in Groundbreaking on Florida Tech Center

Palm Bay, Fla. – Balfour Beatty Construction, W & J Construction Corporation and M.W. Williams Construction Group broke ground on the $100-million Harris Technology Center in Palm Bay, Fla. At a groundbreaking ceremony on November 27, Florida Governor Rick Scott and Harris Corporation President and CEO William Brown joined other state and local dignitaries to kick off construction on the facility that will become the centerpiece for some of the company’s most advanced engineering efforts. The six-story, 464,000-square-foot Harris Technology Center is part of an initiative designed to foster engineering innovation, while retaining existing and attracting new highly skilled engineers … Read more

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AGC Reports on Fiscal Cliff, Construction Employment

Construction employment declined by 20,000 jobs in November while the industry’s unemployment rate hit 12.2 percent, according to an analysis of new federal data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The construction employment figures likely reflect the fact many contractors have already cut staff and delayed hiring new employees because of the threat of the “fiscal cliff,” according to results of a survey of member firms the association also released today. “It is discouraging that construction employment is still struggling after more three years of expansion in the overall economy,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. … Read more

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OSHA Requests Recommendations to Update Construction Industry Standards

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is issuing a Request for Information to initiate the fourth phase of its Standards Improvement Project. The purpose of SIP-IV is to improve and streamline existing OSHA construction standards by removing or revising requirements that are confusing or outdated, or that duplicate, or are inconsistent with, other standards. The agency invites the public, including employers, employees and employee representatives to submit recommendations for revisions to existing construction standards and the rationale for these recommendations. SIP-IV will focus primarily on OSHA's construction standards. OSHA began the SIP rulemaking process in 1996 in response … Read more

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