At first glance, the 72,000-square-foot precast concrete shell warehouse wasn’t impressive. At second glance, it became more evident just how much work would be involved in its renovation. The building wasn’t new, but it was unfinished with a stripped-down appearance and air of abandonment. It didn’t have windows or doors, but there were rough cut-outs…
Architecture
Architecture Billings Remain Flat
Demand for design services in May remained essentially flat in comparison to the previous month, according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score for May showed a small increase in design services at 50.2, which is slightly down from 50.5 in April. Any score…
AIA to Enhance Tax Services to Members
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is forming a new partnership with Engineered Tax Services, Inc. (ETS) to help architects better utilize federal, state and local tax incentives, including 45L credits, research and development (R&D) tax credits, Historical Tax Credits, and the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction (Section 179D). “Depending on the project, architecture firms…
Slight Rebound for Architecture Billings in April
Following a sizable decrease in demand for design services in March, the April Architecture Billings Index (ABI) climbed back into positive territory according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA). AIA’s ABI score for April showed a small increase in design services at 50.5 in April, which is up from…
Contracting
Construction Input Prices Rebound in July, Says ABC
Construction input prices expanded 0.8% in July but are down 0.6% year-over-year, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 0.8% for the month but have declined 0.3% on a year-ago basis. Much of the year-over-year…
Nonresidential Construction Employment Roughly Flat in July, Says ABC
The construction industry added 4,000 net new jobs in July, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On a year-over-year basis, industry employment has expanded by 202,000 net jobs, an increase of 2.8%. Nonresidential construction employment lost 2,800 jobs on net in July…
Construction Employment Rises by 4,000 in July
Average Hourly Earnings in Construction Top Private Sector Average by 9.9 Percent as Construction Firms Continue to Boost Pay to Attract Limited Pool of Available, Qualified Workers Construction employment increased by 4,000 jobs in July and by 202,000, or 2.8 percent, over the past 12 months, while the number of unemployed jobseekers with construction experience…
Nonresidential Construction Spending Slows in June, Remains Elevated, Says ABC
National nonresidential construction spending declined 1.8% in June, totaling $773.8 billion on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis—a 2.3% increase compared to the same time a year ago, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data published today. Public nonresidential spending fell 3.7% in June, but is up 6.4% year over…
Energy
Duke Energy Awards $3.2 million to Innovative Education Programs
Duke Energy announcedit is awarding $3.2 million in grants to support 131 innovative K-12 education programs across the communities served by the company. “Bright futures begin in the classroom, and every child deserves a fair chance at academic success,” said Cari Boyce, president of the Duke Energy Foundation. “The grants we are making today are…
USGBC Launches LEED Zero Certification for Net-Zero Buildings
USGBC’s new certification program encourages net-zero operations for carbon emissions, water and energy use, and waste management. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched LEED Zero, a new program that will address net zero operations and resources in buildings. “Net zero is a powerful target that will move the entire industry forward,” said Melissa Baker,…
Dominion Energy Seeks Solar and Onshore Wind Generation Proposals
Dominion Energy is seeking bids for up to 500 megawatts of solar and onshore wind generation as part of a plan to develop 3,000 megawatts of additional solar and wind power under Virginia’s new Grid Transformation & Security Act (GTSA). The GTSA, which became law on July 1, 2018, paves the way for the largest…
Kings Mountain Energy Center Begins Operations
Cleveland County officially became home to one of the cleanest and most efficient power plants in the nation today, as NTE Energy’s Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC) formally began operations. Officials from NTE Energy joined with city, county, and state leaders Tuesday to cut the ribbon on the $500 million facility. The 475 MW natural…
Engineering
Central Piedmont Community College’s New Student Complex Reflects Stewart’s Innovative Designs
Interdisciplinary design, engineering and planning firm Stewart is making an impact across the Carolinas. The firm recently reinforced its commitment to investing and growing in the community with the announcement of two new office locations in Columbia, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, as part of its strategic growth plan. With existing office locations in…
Hussey Gay Bell Named 2019 ENR Top Southeast Design Firm
Hussey Gay Bell named to Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top Southeast Design Firms list – 1 of 19 Georgia firms to be recognized. Hussey Gay Bell is one of the region’s largest privately held companies and has grown considerably since its founding in 1958. With over 125 professionals in six offices throughout Georgia, South Carolina and…
Engineering Firm Revenues Expected to Rise
Engineering service revenues in the United States are forecast to advance 3.8% per annum in nominal terms through 2023, according to Engineering Services: United States, a report recently released by Freedonia Focus Reports. Demand for services from domestic engineering service establishments is closely tied to domestic construction expenditures, which are forecast to rise 4.3% per year…
GeoCarolinas Conference Set for Early March in Charlotte
The Carolinas Chapter of the Geo-Institute is pleased to announce the second GeoCarolinas Conference. The event will take place March 4 and 5, 2019 at the UNC Charlotte Center City in Charlotte, N.C., and will include state-of-the art technical presentations by leaders in the field of geotechnical engineering, interaction with 24 industry leading exhibitors, as…
Equipment
Williams Scotsman to Acquire Acton Mobile
WillScot Corporation (NASDAQ:WSC) (“Williams Scotsman”) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement whereby Williams Scotsman International, Inc. will acquire the entity that owns Acton Mobile (ActonMobile.com) from Prophet Equity for a cash purchase price of $235 million, subject to customary adjustments. Brad Soultz, president and chief executive officer of Williams Scotsman, commented,…
EquipmentWatch Establishes New Standard for Standby and Idling Cost Calculation
EquipmentWatch, a leader in data, software, and insights for the heavy equipment industry, has expanded its Cost Recovery product to include hourly cost rates for standby and idling equipment. These new rates are a welcome addition to the standard Rental Rate Blue Book active use rates specified by the Federal Highway Administration, most state DOTs,…
Ritchie Bros. to Close Raleigh-Durham Location as Buyers Move Online
Construction and industrial equipment sales group Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated (NYSE:RBA) will be closing five locations across North America in a move to focus on online sales and larger locations. In an email to employees, Ritchie Bros. CEO Ravi Saligram said the closure of small sites comes as more people are taking part in auctions…
EquipmentWatch Announces Lowest Cost of Ownership Awards Winners
Today, EquipmentWatch named the winners of the 2017-2018 Lowest Cost of Ownership Awards. The announcement was made during the awards ceremony held during EquipmentWatch’s 1st annual customer conference, Traction. The winners represent the models, within their respective equipment types, with the lowest five year total cost of ownership and were identified using proprietary EquipmentWatch Ownership…
Facilities
Eight Reasons Why You Need to Have Annual Plumbing Checks
Running a business can be a daunting feat. New problems will catch you off-guard and sometimes all you can really do is take the bull by the horns, and hope that everything will return to normal. Even a short business interruption can mean losing thousands of dollars! A business owner keeps an eye on the…
Five Electrical Safety Tips for Commercial Buildings
To some, a workplace may feel like a second home. It’s a place where employees form bonds and battle hardships together. Whether you’re a company CEO, a higher-up, or the owner of a commercial building, keeping your establishment a safe place for everyone will increase their productivity and give you peace of mind as well….
8 Reasons Why You Need to Have Annual Plumbing Checks
Running a business can be a daunting feat. New problems will catch you off-guard and sometimes all you can really do is take the bull by the horns, and hope that everything will return to normal. Even a short business interruption can mean losing thousands of dollars! A business owner keeps an eye on the…
Survey Reveals Majority of Facilities Teams Are Unprepared for Catastrophes
Survey statistics in the just released eBook, “Information Management for Facilities and Operations” show that building managers and their facilities teams aren’t as prepared for the next catastrophe as they’d like to be. Released by AIIM Market Research and ARC Document Solutions, the eBook highlights trends in facilities management on preparedness and recovery, including cloud…
Maintenance
Culvert Rehabilitation Project Features InfraSteel
The InfraSteel culvert rehabilitation solution is chosen by the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina for its Booker Creek Culvert at Elliot Road Rehabilitation Project. The InfraSteel slip-liner will preserve the existing failing bridge structure and avoid a road closure. According to InfraSteel executive Cullom Walker, “Elliot Road is busy and intersects heavily traveled US…
Products
Clemson’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute Celebrates Five Years Promoting “Wood is Good”
CLEMSON – Trees have provided a viable building material for centuries, and although steel and concrete have taken center stage in contemporary construction, lumber is making a comeback. Building with wood has a number of advantages. For the past five years, Clemson University’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute (WU+D) has been educating individuals in the Southeast about…
NC State Researchers Develop Technique to Characterize Strength and Failure of Cement
Researchers from North Carolina State University have, for the first time, used a “micropillar compression” technique to characterize the micro-scale strength of cement, allowing for the development of cement with desirable strength properties for civil engineering applications. “The information collected using this technique can be used to better understand the behavior of concrete when it…
Lumber Tariff to Impact Construction Costs
As construction material price are rising, the US Commerce Department took action that will contribute to an additional rise in the prices of a key building material. Wilber Ross, US Commerce Secretary has announced a new 20% tariff on imports of Canadian softwood lumber. The US currently imports about $5.66 billion worth of softwood lumber…
Culvert Rehabilitation Project Features InfraSteel
The InfraSteel culvert rehabilitation solution is chosen by the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina for its Booker Creek Culvert at Elliot Road Rehabilitation Project. The InfraSteel slip-liner will preserve the existing failing bridge structure and avoid a road closure. According to InfraSteel executive Cullom Walker, “Elliot Road is busy and intersects heavily traveled US…
Suppliers
Metromont Corporation to Acquire Shockey Precast Group
Metromont Corporation, a manufacturer of precast concrete materials, announces its plan to acquire Shockey Precast Group of Winchester, Va. “The Shockey Precast Group has an outstanding reputation. Don Shockey has built a quality operation and organization. Our culture and business models are very similar which will make for a smooth transition that’s beneficial to both…
Carolina Comfort Air Recognized as the #3 Top Volume Trane Dealer in the Nation
With a 4000% growth since 2007, Carolina Comfort Air was recently recognized among Trane’s top volume performers in the country. The award is based on purchase volume of Trane equipment in residential, light commercial, and new construction. Winners are selected based on their ability to implement Trane’s technical and business acumen, and they are required…
Acton Mobile Completes Asset Acquisition of Mobile Office Units from Mobile Mini
Acton Mobile (ActonMobile.com), America’s mobile facilities company, announced today the acquisition of Mobile Mini’s mobile office fleet in Tennessee. This is the second asset acquisition from Mobile Mini within the last two years. “In addition to Acton Mobile’s remarkable organic growth during 2016, this transaction will further accelerate our market penetration throughout Tennessee, North Carolina…
Culvert Rehabilitation Project Features InfraSteel
The InfraSteel culvert rehabilitation solution is chosen by the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina for its Booker Creek Culvert at Elliot Road Rehabilitation Project. The InfraSteel slip-liner will preserve the existing failing bridge structure and avoid a road closure. According to InfraSteel executive Cullom Walker, “Elliot Road is busy and intersects heavily traveled US…
Sustainability
Former President of the United States Barack Obama to Keynote the 2019 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
The world’s largest convening of green building and sustainability leaders takes place Nov. 19-22; registration is now open The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Informa Connect announced today that Former President Barack Obama will speak at the Wednesday keynote of the 2019 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. This year’s conference will take place Nov. 19-22 in Atlanta, Ga. at the LEED Gold Georgia World Congress Center. Registration…
New ULI Research, Scorched: Extreme Heat and Real Estate, Explores Impact of Rising Temperatures and Excessive Heat Waves on Urban Development
The impact that rising temperatures and excessive heat waves are having on urban development, and strategies to mitigate urban heat island effects are explored in a new report, Scorched: Extreme Heat and Real Estate, published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). ULI is a global real estate organization with more than 44,000 members dedicated to responsible…
U.S. Green Building Council Report Reveals a 19% Growth in LEED Residential Market
Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), released a new report, LEED in Motion: Residential, showing the growing green trends in the homes market. The report reveals that green, LEED-certified homes have grown 19% since 2017 and are at an all-time high with nearly 500,000 single family, multifamily and affordable housing LEED-certified units globally and more…
The U.S. Green Building Council Advances the Future of LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced a call for proposals to solicit feedback and concepts for the next version of LEED. USGBC created the LEED green building program 20 years ago to measure and define green building and to provide a roadmap for developing sustainable buildings. LEED is updated through a continuous improvement process and with each new…
More Operations
6 Ways You Can Improve Back-Office Efficiency In Your Construction Company
When you think of construction, you probably think of all the work that goes on in the field. It’s obviously more visible. While fieldwork is the revenue backbone of any construction business, it is easy to forget that back-office efficiency is also crucial for keeping projects moving along successfully. As companies continue to grow, back-office…
FMI Releases 2019 Building Products Market Update
FMI Corporation, the leading provider of consulting and investment banking services to the Built Environment, is pleased to announce the release of its inaugural Building Products Market Update. The publication explores ways for manufacturers and distributors to position their company for growth in the building products industry, despite a potential market slowdown. Looking to the…
Former President of the United States Barack Obama to Keynote the 2019 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
The world’s largest convening of green building and sustainability leaders takes place Nov. 19-22; registration is now open The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Informa Connect announced today that Former President Barack Obama will speak at the Wednesday keynote of the 2019 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. This year’s conference will take place Nov. 19-22 in Atlanta, Ga. at the LEED Gold Georgia World Congress Center. Registration…
Central Piedmont Community College’s New Student Complex Reflects Stewart’s Innovative Designs
Interdisciplinary design, engineering and planning firm Stewart is making an impact across the Carolinas. The firm recently reinforced its commitment to investing and growing in the community with the announcement of two new office locations in Columbia, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, as part of its strategic growth plan. With existing office locations in…
