New Coronavirus Recovery Measure to Provide Relief for Contractors Coping with Project Cancelations, Falling Demand

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The Associated General Contractors of America’s CEO Stephen E. Sandherr issued the following statement in reaction to the release of compromise coronavirus relief legislation slated for House and Senate votes as early as Dec. 21:   “The new coronavirus recovery measure announced today should provide some needed relief for a construction industry that is coping with project cancellations and job losses in most parts of the country. Most notably, the measure includes $10 billion in needed funding to help address the pandemic-induced shortfalls in state transportation revenues. This new funding should keep a number of road projects from getting canceled … Read more

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New Report Breaks Down Construction Costs, Innovations Spurred by Pandemic

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According to a new white paper published by Hoar Construction, new safety protocols and schedule adjustments spurred by the pandemic can cost an active project 2% of time every day per capita on a work site w/ 300 employees—that’s approximately 12 minutes of a 10-hour workday based off one construction site managed by Hoar in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although this estimate does not reflect actual cumulative time losses for that project or any other project, cumulative effects threaten to derail many projects, leading to the increase of tactics, such as pull planning for budget-conscious owners and developers who are tightening … Read more

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Dodge Outlook 2021 Predicts Slow, Uneven Recovery throughout 2021

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Dodge Data & Analytics released its 2021 Dodge Construction Outlook, a mainstay in construction industry forecasting and business planning. The report predicts that total U.S. construction starts will increase 4% in 2021, to $771 billion. “The COVID-19 pandemic and recession has had a profound impact on the U.S. economy, leading to a deep drop off in construction starts in the first half of 2020,” stated Richard Branch, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. “While the recovery is underway, the road to full recovery will be long and fraught with potential potholes. After losing an estimated 14% in 2020 to $738 … Read more

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Nonresidential Construction Employment Expands in October, says ABC

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The construction industry added 84,000 net new jobs in October, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. During the last six months, the industry has added 789,000 jobs, recovering 73% of the jobs lost during earlier stages of the pandemic. Nonresidential construction employment added 59,700 jobs on net in October. All three nonresidential subcategories experienced increases; the largest was registered among nonresidential specialty trade contractors, which added 27,500 positions on net. Heavy and civil engineering added 18,800 jobs while nonresidential building added 13,400. The construction unemployment rate was 6.8% … Read more

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The Tech-Empowered Superintendent

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COVID-19 catalyzed a digital transformation for the industry’s most in-demand role, attracting a new generation to build rewarding careers in the field By Erin L. Branham With nearly four decades of industry experience, Balfour Beatty Superintendent Kyle Kragseth thought he was prepared for any challenge or circumstance a construction project could present. That was until March, when COVID-19 led to a temporary shutdown of his project, a 289,000-square-foot interiors upfit for a leading high-tech client in Bellevue, Washington. Cognizant that jobsite operations would not return to normal even once they were able to restart the project, the team rapidly identified … Read more

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