New Study Examines Construction Worker Safety, Mental Health

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Research findings indicate construction contractors continue to make progress responding to issues affecting worker safety and health, such as heat and mental health, but many areas for improvement remain. The new study, Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2023 SmartMarket Report, examines occupational safety and health challenges across the industry and shines a light where more effort is needed. It was conducted by Dodge Construction Network and CPWR. Key findings include: Working in extreme heat is increasingly common in construction, posing significant safety and health risks to workers. To combat this problem: 52% of contractors in the study report making … Read more

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Dodge Momentum Index Increases 6% in April

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The Dodge Momentum Index, issued by Dodge Construction Network, increased 6.1% in April to 173.9 (2000=100) from the revised March reading of 164.0. Over the month, commercial planning improved 12.6% and institutional planning dropped 6.3%. A flood of data center projects entered planning in April, causing robust growth in the commercial segment of the DMI, while traditional office and hotel projects continued to face slower momentum. Warehouse planning was basically flat. On the institutional side, education and healthcare planning activity receded again – in part, driven by another month of weak life science and R&D laboratory activity. Year over year, the DMI was 1% lower than in April 2023. The commercial segment was … Read more

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Dodge Construction Network: Construction Starts Drop 7% in October

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Total construction starts fell 7% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.1 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network. Nonbuilding and residential starts fell 32% and 1%, respectively. Conversely, nonresidential building starts gained 8% during the month. Year-to-date through October 2023, total construction starts were 4% below that of 2022. Residential and nonresidential starts were down 15% and 7%, respectively; however, nonbuilding starts were up 20%. For the 12 months ending October 2023, total construction starts were down 1%. Nonbuilding starts were 22% higher, and nonresidential building starts gained 1%. On a 12-month rolling basis, residential starts posted … Read more

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New Study Looks at General Contractor Use of Site Data as Analytical Tool to Improve Performance

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A new study from Dodge Construction Network and Versatile reveals that greater use of site data as an analytical tool allows contractors to surmount challenges. The new report, Measuring What Matters: Unleashing the Power of Site Data to Enhance Construction Performance SmartMarket Report, is based on a recent Dodge survey of over 200 general contractors across the United States. The findings show that most report significant performance improvements from their use of site data. Those who use automated technology to gather data and software to analyze it report above-average improvements compared with those still using manual methods. Although the tools … Read more

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Dodge Momentum Index Recedes 1%

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The Dodge Momentum Index, issued by Dodge Construction Network, declined .9% in July to 193.4 (2000=100) from the revised June reading of 195.1. Over the month, the commercial component of the DMI remained relatively flat, ticking down .2%, while the institutional component fell 1.9%. All commercial sectors pulled back, or remained flat, over the month of July. Hotel planning saw the largest month-over-month decay, marking four months of consecutive decline in the sector. July also saw a deceleration in the number of education and healthcare projects entering planning — the two largest institutional segments. While two sizable public projects entered … Read more

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