A Chat with Kasie Bowden, Project Superintendent at Hensel Phelps

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Motivation, satisfaction and all things Women in Construction Operations By: Chris Maday Schmidt Kasie Bowden, project superintendent, LEED AP, at Hensel Phelps, lives for a great challenge. She says it’s what makes coming to work so appealing each day. Join Construction Superintendent as Bowden talks about her involvement with Women in Construction Operations, advice for women considering a job in construction and her take on the skilled trade worker shortage, plus the challenges of juggling multiple hats on one project and what makes her tick. (Q) What was the catalyst that led you to a career in construction? In college, … Read more

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Construction Spending Reaches Record High

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Construction spending reached a record level of $1.309 trillion in May as monthly increases in residential and public investment outweighed a decline in private nonresidential outlays, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials warned, however, that continued labor shortages and rising materials costs threaten future growth in demand. “Public construction spending has increased strongly for the past nine months and is now at the highest level since 2010, led by a rebound in infrastructure investment,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Single-family home building is continuing to expand, while … Read more

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Construction Costs Soar in May, Outpace Contractor Pricing

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Construction costs accelerated again in May, with steep increases for a wide range of building and road materials, including many that are subject to tariffs that could drive prices still higher, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new Labor Department data. Association officials say that the construction industry will bear a heavy share of the tariffs’ costs. “Prices jumped at double-digit annual rates for metals, lumber and plywood, and diesel fuel, while ready-mixed concrete, asphalt paving and roofing materials also had unusually large increases,” said the association’s chief economist, Ken Simonson. “The cost of … Read more

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Construction Costs Surge in April

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The cost of goods used in construction jumped in April at the fastest year-over-year rate since 2011, with ongoing increases for a wide range of building materials, including many that are subject to proposed tariffs that could drive prices still higher and cause scarcities, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials said that the new data indicates many firms are already being squeezed by higher materials prices that they are unable to pass along to their customers. “Contractors have started to boost the prices they charge, but they are falling … Read more

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Construction Group Uses Mobile Tech to Make Highway Work Zones Safer

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Fifty-four percent of highway contractors reported that motor vehicles had crashed into their construction work zones during the past year, according to the results of a new highway work zone study conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America. In response, association officials have launched a new mobile advertising campaign urging drivers who routinely pass through certain work zones to slow down and be alert. “There are simply too many cars crashing into too many work zones, putting too many lives at risk,” said Spokesman Ken Kubacki, chairman of AGC’s Highway and Transportation Division;  Western Region Projects executive, Granite Construction … Read more

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