Guides provide an educational resource to architects and firms on equity, diversity and inclusion issues. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the University of Minnesota are helping shape architecture firm culture by releasing the first three chapters of the “Guides for Equitable Practice” to AIA members today. AIA sponsored the development of the guides…
Architecture
AIA Releases 13 New and Updated Contract Documents
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is releasing 13 new and updated contract documents today that will assist architects and contractors with protecting their projects and businesses. “The AIA Documents Committee routinely reviews its legal agreements to ensure they reflect the latest trends and nuances we’re seeing in the industry,” said AIA Contract Documents &…
ABI September 2018: Business Conditions Strong Heading into Fall
Architecture Firm Revenue Remains Robust but is Projected to Slow in 2019 Business conditions remained generally positive at architecture firms in September, with the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) showing another month of growth in firm billings. Although the pace of billings growth slowed somewhat from August, billings have remained positive for the entire year so…
Public Voting Now Open for the 2018 AIA Film Challenge
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) invites the public to cast their vote for the fourth annual AIA Film Challenge People’s Choice Award. Voting is open until Oct 7. The 2018 AIA Film Challenge invited architects and filmmakers to collaborate in telling stories of architects, civic leaders, and their communities working together toward positive community…
Contracting
RFI Meaning in Construction: Best Practices for the Subcontractor
Is the construction process set up for the success of its stakeholders? When we look at the majority of construction projects, there are unrealistic expectations placed on all stakeholders. Designers and engineers are tasked to design without fully understanding the scope of requirements. General contractors and the skilled trade subcontractors are tasked to estimate and…
United Minority Contractors (UMCNC) of North Carolina Shares Vision for 2019 at Inaugural Partners Breakfast
United Minority Contractors of North Carolina (UMCNC) hosted its first Partners Breakfast on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton at Research Triangle Park. Partners Breakfast is designed to celebrate UMCNC’s partnership with members, sponsors, public agencies, business and community leaders, as well as other non-profit organizations. At the event, UMCNC kicked off its 2019…
Construction Materials Prices Continue to Rise in October
Construction prices rose 0.5 percent in October and are 7.9 percent high than at the same time a year ago, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data conducted by Associated Builders and Contractors. Prices for nonresidential construction inputs also increased 0.5 percent on a month-over-month basis and are up…
How IoT in Construction Will Shape the Industry in 2019
Internet of Things is not a futuristic concept. Many homeowners boast of their homes as smart homes with appliances and devices connected to the internet. While many do not view the construction industry as technologically advanced, the IoT in construction is not as far off as we think. It is something that is achievable for…
Energy
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
Jacobs to Sell Energy, Chemicals and Resources Business to WorleyParsons for $3.3 Billion
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE: JEC) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Energy, Chemicals and Resources (ECR) segment to WorleyParsons Limited (ASX: WOR) for $3.3 billion, consisting of $2.6 billion in cash and $700 million in WorleyParsons ordinary shares. The transaction value represents a multiple of more than 11.5…
New ASCE Manual of Practice Focuses on Infrastructure Resilience in a Changing Climate
ASCE’s new book, Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Adaptive Design and Risk Management, MOP 140, provides guidance for and contributes to the developing or enhancing of methods for infrastructure analysis and design in a world in which risk profiles are changing and can be projected with varying degrees of uncertainty requiring a new design philosophy to meet this…
O’Neal Acquires Engineering Firm
O’Neal, Inc., an integrated design and construction firm, recently acquired DME Alliance Inc. (DME) based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In business for 16 years, DME provides engineering solutions for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and related industries. This acquisition will allow O’Neal to expand their BioPharm capabilities by building upon DME’s ongoing success. “Over the last several years…
Female Role Models in Engineering: Spotlight on the “Fab Four” of Chix Dig It
While the number of female role models in the architecture, engineering and construction is still less than ideal, Chix Dig It-Celebrating Women in Construction exists to empower women in all aspects of the industry. Last month’s Chix Dig It — Celebrating Women in Construction luncheon, which drew nearly 200 attendees from the AEC industry to…
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
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…
BOMA Releases New Office Measurement Standard
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International has released the latest update to its floor measurement standard for office buildings, BOMA 2017 for Office Buildings: Standard Methods of Measurement (ANSI/BOMA Z65.1—2017). This updated publication is designed to reflect changes within the commercial real estate industry since the release of the prior edition of the standard…
Benchmarking of Integrated Facilities Management Best Practices
Global procurement market intelligence firm, SpendEdge is hosting a webinar titled ‘Benchmarking of Integrated Facilities Management Best Practices’ on April 5th and 6th. The 45-minute webinar will also include a Q&A session, allowing attendees to put questions to their panel of procurement experts. Having existed for a very long time, facilities management (FM) became a…
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
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,…
Latest World Green Building Trends: Nearly Half of Survey Respondents Expect to Make 60% of their Projects Green in Next 3 Years
2,000 building professionals participated from 86 countries The findings from the preeminent study on green buildings have been released and the results are both surprising and encouraging. Forty-seven percent of those participating in the World Green Building Trends 2018 SmartMarket Report expect to do the majority of their projects (more than 60%) green by 2021….
Palmetto, a Charleston, SC-based Clean Energy Tech Company, Raises $6 Million in Funding
Palmetto, a clean technology company focused on the distribution and democratization of clean energy products, announced today that it has raised $6 million. The round was led by Greycroft, with participation from Lerer Hippeau, Box Group, and NBA commissioner emeritus David Stern. Palmetto harnesses its expertise in software, fulfillment, and financial solutions to streamline the…
New Report Demonstrates How To Achieve Healthier, More Resilient Cities
Today, Delivering Urban Resilience, a new report authored by Capital-E, quantifies the range of costs and benefits for the adoption of citywide smart surface technologies in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and El Paso. “Cities are increasingly at risk from hurricanes and severe summer heat,” said lead author Greg Kats. “This report shows how citywide adoption of…
