Architecture
SSOE Group’s Acquires Stevens & Wilkinson, Appoints Six New Principals
TOLEDO, Ohio, January 14, 2021 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global project delivery firm for architecture, engineering, and construction management, announced today the appointment of six new Principals as a result of their recent acquisition of Stevens & Wilkinson (S&W), a 100-year-old architecture, engineering, and interior design firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina. The…
Moseley Architects and Cummings & McCrady Announce Merger
Last month, Moseley Architects announced plans to merge with Charleston-based architecture firm Cummings & McCrady. The agreement will unite one of the Mid-Atlantic’s highest ranking architecture and engineering firms with one of the Southeast’s oldest architecture firms. Effective January 1, 2021, the merged firms became known as Moseley Architects. The firm has four locations in…
AIA Condemns Executive Order Mandating Design Preference for Federal Architecture
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) unequivocally opposes the executive order, “Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture”, signed by President Trump. The executive order dictates an architectural style preference for federal courthouses and certain other federal buildings to be mandated by government agencies. The order attempts to promote “classical” and “traditional” architecture above other design styles….
Contracting
The Blue Book Network Velocity Index Posts 13% Increase in December
The Blue Book Network Velocity Index climbed 13.1% in December to 113.3 (December 2018 = 100). The increase reverses a 2-month decline, recovering from a revised 100.2 in November. The Blue Book Network Velocity Index is a measure of month-to-month changes in bidding activity in The Blue Book Network, accounting for seasonality, providing a leading…
Different Types of Drainage Pipe and When to Use Them
Almost every contracting project’s final product requires access to water. And when a project involves water, it almost always requires drainage pipes. With any form of pipe or wiring, there are many variations, each with different advantages and disadvantages specializing in particular situations. What is Drainage Pipe? A drainage pipe is any pipe used to…
Tips For Working With Concrete In Cold Weather
The general category of “cold weather concrete” applies to a period of three days or more where specific conditions occur while concrete is exposed. Per the American Concrete Institute, here is what those different weather conditions entail: — An average daily air temperature lower than 40°F. — Air temperature not exceeding 50°F for over half of a…
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…
Engineering
Davis & Floyd Project Spotlight: Stormwater Master Plan for Town of Cheraw, S.C.
Recent hurricane events and aging infrastructure have caused historic flooding throughout the Town of Cheraw, South Carolina. Using FEMA funding administered through the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), the Town will be developing a comprehensive stormwater master plan. Master planning will be aimed at improving long-term community resiliency against future flood hazards. In addition…
Duncklee & Dunham Becomes Part of Science and Engineering Firm SynTerra
CARY, NC — The geologists, engineers, and other professionals of Duncklee & Dunham have become part of SynTerra Corporation, officials from the two companies announced. The organizations are operating as one science and engineering consulting firm that serves clients throughout the Southeast and beyond. David Duncklee and Tom Dunham, professional geologists, characterized the transaction as…
Jeremy Keeny, PE, Joins MRA-NC as an Associate in Raleigh
Raleigh, NC – Morris & Ritchie Associates of NC, PC (MRA-NC), an affiliate of Morris & Ritchie Associates, Inc. (MRA), a 200-person engineering, architectural, land planning and surveying firm, has announced that Jeremy Keeny, PE, PLS, has joined their Raleigh location as an Associate. Keeny is licensed as a Professional Engineer in North Carolina and…
Equipment
Equipment Leasing and Finance Industry Confidence Up for Third Consecutive Month in January
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation (the Foundation) releases the January 2020 Monthly Confidence Index for the Equipment Finance Industry (MCI-EFI) today. Designed to collect leadership data, the index reports a qualitative assessment of both the prevailing business conditions and expectations for the future as reported by key executives from the $900 billion equipment finance sector. Overall, confidence in…
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,…
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…
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
Concrete – the World’s Most Widely Used Material – Targets Carbon Neutral Future
Forty of the world’s leading cement and concrete companies today unveiled a joint industry ‘2050 Climate Ambition.’ The ambition statement demonstrates the commitment of the industry across the globe to drive down the CO2 footprint of the world’s most used man-made product, with an aspiration to deliver society with carbon neutral concrete by 2050. Launched by…
Tindall Corporation’s Utility Division Provides Precast Bridge for Chestnut Mountain Ranch
“Tindall is a company who has a heart for serving others,” said Steve Finn, Founder and Executive Director of Chestnut Mountain Ranch. “Their team’s leadership is always looking for opportunities to make things better than the way they found them, and we are beyond grateful for their partnership and contributions that support the mission of…
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…
Suppliers
LafargeHolcim to acquire Firestone Building Products from Bridgestone Americas
The Real Cost of Using the Lowest Cost Carrier
After all you’ve been through in 2020, you’d probably do just about anything to see life go “back to normal.” It’s safe to say we’ll establish a “new normal” at least in the short term. Transportation challenges will likely arise that you haven’t seen before — or at least not to this degree. Pressure on…
Lowe’s Launches Nationwide Tool Rental Program
Tool rental is now coming to Lowe’s. The company announced today that it will begin rolling out tool rental departments nationwide, creating a one-stop shop for all the tools and equipment Pros and DIY customers need to complete home improvement projects. Lowe’s Tool Rental will begin a multi-year national rollout with its first space opening…
Supply Chain
Construction Partners, Inc. Completes North Carolina Acquisition
Construction Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROAD) (the “Company” or “Construction Partners”), a vertically integrated civil infrastructure company specializing in the construction and maintenance of roadways across five southeastern states, today announced that it has acquired R.P.C. Contracting, Inc., an asphalt and paving contractor based in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The transaction adds two hot-mix asphalt plants to the…
“Fireside Chat” with Patrice Gilmore, National Supplier Diversity Lead, DPR Construction
Patrice Gilmore, CCA, is the latest Triangle-area woman to be honored by Chix Dig It – Celebrating Women in Construction, a Raleigh-based non-profit dedicated to attracting the best and brightest women to the architectural, design and construction field – professional and craft. GroundBreak Carolinas is pleased to present this “Fireside Chat” with Patrice, part of the “Evolving Women in AEC”…
Sustainability
USGBC Readies the Green Building Industry for a LEED Positive Future During Greenbuild
Last week concluded the annual Greenbuild Conference & Expo, presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and owned and operated by Informa Connect. Throughout this year’s virtual event, USGBC delivered key updates intended to help push the industry closer to a regenerative future as outlined through LEED Positive, while prioritizing solutions that promote social equity, resilience…
USGBC North Carolina and USGBC South Carolina Share Sustainable Business Awards Winners
Winners were announced at the virtual Carolinas Green Gala on Oct. 29. The Sustainable Business Awards given by the USGBC North Carolina and USGBC South Carolina communities promote and recognize excellence in sustainable design, environmental stewardship and community impact, and highlight the green building initiatives and achievements of local projects, organizations and individual leaders. Given in several categories, our project awards…
Concrete – the World’s Most Widely Used Material – Targets Carbon Neutral Future
Forty of the world’s leading cement and concrete companies today unveiled a joint industry ‘2050 Climate Ambition.’ The ambition statement demonstrates the commitment of the industry across the globe to drive down the CO2 footprint of the world’s most used man-made product, with an aspiration to deliver society with carbon neutral concrete by 2050. Launched by…
More Operations
The Blue Book Network Velocity Index Posts 13% Increase in December
The Blue Book Network Velocity Index climbed 13.1% in December to 113.3 (December 2018 = 100). The increase reverses a 2-month decline, recovering from a revised 100.2 in November. The Blue Book Network Velocity Index is a measure of month-to-month changes in bidding activity in The Blue Book Network, accounting for seasonality, providing a leading…
SSOE Group’s Acquires Stevens & Wilkinson, Appoints Six New Principals
TOLEDO, Ohio, January 14, 2021 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global project delivery firm for architecture, engineering, and construction management, announced today the appointment of six new Principals as a result of their recent acquisition of Stevens & Wilkinson (S&W), a 100-year-old architecture, engineering, and interior design firm with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina. The…
Moseley Architects and Cummings & McCrady Announce Merger
Last month, Moseley Architects announced plans to merge with Charleston-based architecture firm Cummings & McCrady. The agreement will unite one of the Mid-Atlantic’s highest ranking architecture and engineering firms with one of the Southeast’s oldest architecture firms. Effective January 1, 2021, the merged firms became known as Moseley Architects. The firm has four locations in…
ACI Virtual Concrete Convention to Be Held March 28-April 1, 2021
The American Concrete Institute announces that the ACI Virtual Concrete Convention will be held March 28-April 1, 2021. Originally scheduled as an in-person event in Baltimore, MD, USA, this 100% virtual event will provide ease for participation from anywhere around the world while prioritizing attendee safety. ACI Virtual Concrete Convention to be Held March 28-April 1, 2021Tweet this…
