Dodge Momentum Index Posts Dip in October

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The Dodge Momentum Index fell 1.8% in October to 127.5 (2000=100) from the revised September reading of 129.8. The momentum index, issued by Dodge Data & Analytics, is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The commercial component of the momentum index lost 4.4% over the month, but the institutional component gained 3.3%. The momentum index has struggled to make consistent gains since passing its post-pandemic low in June. Economic growth has slowed over the past few months, … Read more

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Pandemic Prompts Strong Demand for Housing, Undermines Demand for Other Nonresidential Projects, says AGC

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Construction employment increased by 26,000 jobs in September to a total of 7,245,000, but the gains were concentrated in housing, while employment in the infrastructure and nonresidential building construction sector remained little changed, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the pandemic was prompting strong demand for new housing as more Americans work from home, while undermining private-sector development of office, retail and other types of projects and forcing many local and state governments to cut construction budgets.   “Construction is becoming steadily more split between a robust residential component and generally stagnant … Read more

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Crane Industry Services Offers Virtual Training Courses

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Crane Industry Services, LLC is now offering custom virtual training courses in order to accommodate COVID-19 safety regulations. Converting OSHA- and ANSI-accredited courses from classroom instruction to a virtual environment ensures that training can continue. Virtual training courses include OSHA 10, Leading Safety Works, Site Safety for Construction Supervisors and Utility Supervisors, Use Load Charts Like A Pro and Crane Site Safety. “The impact of COVID-19 on training schedules throughout the heavy construction industry is unlike anything we have ever seen. Naturally, the demand for virtual training has skyrocketed. Offering virtual training classes allows us to do more for our … Read more

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Insights: Crisis Incident Management & the Superintendent’s Role

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By Scott Wagner A crisis is defined as “a time of intense difficulty, trouble or danger.” On a construction jobsite, a crisis – and how it’s managed – could literally be the difference between life and death. It’s part of the reason why a large part of the annual Construction Safety Week activities at Barton Malow from Sept. 14-18 consisted of establishing, refining and practicing crisis incident management plans across all of our jobsites. As an annual participant in Construction Safety Week, we’ve always found value in hosting a week’s full of safety-related demonstrations, activities, stand-downs and morale-boosting events on … Read more

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Do’s & Don’ts from the Field: Would Your Jobsite Pass a Safety Inspection?

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By Deb Hilmerson After more than 30 years in the construction industry, much of that as an independent safety consultant, I have seen more than my share of safety problems. While we are all rightfully concerned about fatalities, it’s relevant to note the construction industry’s non-fatal injury rates are 71% higher than other industries.1 It’s no wonder that construction inspections comprise 60% of OSHA’s total inspections. If you’ve been dealing with the same safety concerns for a long time, it’s easy to convince yourself better options don’t exist. That may no longer be true, especially for some of the biggest … Read more

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