WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it is issuing a new rule addressing the use of cranes and derricks in construction, which will replace a decades-old standard.   Approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental and crane certification establishments employing about 4.8 million workers will be affected by the rule published today. “The significant number of fatalities associated with the use of cranes in construction led the Labor Department to undertake this rulemaking,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.   “After years of extensive research, consultation and negotiation with industry experts, this … Read more

Patient Tower to Feature Green Building Elements for the Benefit of Patients and Staff NEW YORK — Turner Construction Company, the nation’s largest builder of healthcare facilities, has broken ground on the $161 million South Patient Tower on the INOVA Fairfax Hospital campus in Falls Church, Va.   Construction is scheduled for completion in fall 2012. The 216,000 sq. ft. tower will feature 174 private patient rooms for surgical and intensive care treatment.   The South Patient Tower is being designed and constructed to achieve a LEED Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council.   Green features of … Read more

DETROIT — Walbridge, a construction industry leader in safety, launched a new policy today that prohibits talking, texting or using mobile devices while walking at all company projects.   The restriction covers use of mobile phones, headphones, laptop computers, media players, radios, CD players and other portable communication devices.   It applies to all Walbridge employees, the company’s subcontractors and their employees.   Employees can only use portable communication devices in designated “safe areas”, including trailers, break or lunch areas, and other areas on site where no construction work is taking place and no hazards are present. “We know how … Read more

An industry standard, DBIA’s contract documents are now fully updated to address today’s concerns, relevant case law Washington, D.C. — DBIA introduced a family of standard contract document forms over a decade ago. Since then, the number of owners relying on the design-build project delivery method has increased exponentially. In the process, design-build team members have gained expertise and case law has evolved to address issues unique to design-build. In response, DBIA has released the next generation of contracts that address these issues and incorporate industry advances of the past decade. “DBIA contracts remain the most balanced design-build forms in … Read more