Welcome to 2015 and the January/February issue of Constructor magazine! Our cover story examines the industry impact of a proposed new rule by the EPA that will redefine the term "Waters of the U.S." and identifies AGC's actions to encourage the administration to reconsider this new misguided regulations. Our feature story "Working for a Living" and "The Workforce Shortage Report" infographic highlight the results of a recent AGC survey on the current worker availability problem and what members and chapters are doing to create new blood that will power the industry as the economy continues to strengthen. Learn More...

 

Construction employers added 48,000 jobs in December and 290,000 for the year, the largest annual increase since 2005, as the sector's unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, according to an analysis by AGC of America. Association officials said many firms are expanding payrolls to keep pace with growing construction demand, but are having a hard time finding qualified workers to fill key positions. "Construction firms are clearly ramping up their hiring to keep up with swelling demand for construction," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "Demand for workers to construct apartments, pipelines and huge industrial projects is likely to remain robust in 2015." Read the full release here. The news was picked up by USA Today, among other media outlets.

 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Dec. 19 that it will not regulate coal combustion residuals (CCR), including fly ash, as a hazardous substance and by doing so will preserve the future beneficial use of this product in concrete and most other construction applications.  AGC has been actively involved in working to convince EPA that a hazardous designation was unnecessary and would have an extremely detrimental impact on the future use of fly ash and raise liability concerns about its previous use. AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr made the following announcement following the final decision: "[This] decision by the EPA to set performance standards for the safe disposal of coal combustion waste preserves what is one of the most successful commercial recycling programs in use today, the use of fly ash in concrete, asphalt, grout and other construction materials. As a result, the construction industry will be able to continue to recycle an estimated 30 percent of these combustion byproducts each year. Our association and its members went to great lengths to make sure that EPA officials appreciated that the construction industry has successfully and safely used fly ash in concrete and other materials for over six decades. Indeed, construction firms aggressively recycle a host of materials each year, including concrete, steel and asphalt. And thanks in part to our efforts, EPA officials understand that allowing this recycling program to continue will address many of the disposal challenges the energy industry faces with fly ash." Read the full story here.

 

Batson-Cook Construction, an AGC of Georgia member, recently broke ground on the initial phase of the Abbey Glen apartment complex in West Point, Georgia. The $4.8 million multifamily facility will span 75,000 square feet across three buildings. Two- and three-bedroom units will be offered in each of the three-story structures. Learn More...

 

Brasfield & Gorrie, a member of multiple AGC chapters, recently announced the completion of the new Baptist Medical Center-Leake in Carthage, Mississippi. This new hospital is owned and operated by Baptist Health Systems in Jackson, Mississippi. Learn More...

 

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., one of the nation’s top education facility builders and a member of multiple AGC chapters, has completed construction of a new 19,880-sq-ft classroom building, comprising phase two of National City Middle School, located on a two-acre site at 1701 D Avenue in National City, California. Learn More...

 

Olin Business School at Washington University and the St. Louis design-construction team of Tarlton Corp., a member of multiple AGC chapters, and Mackey Mitchell Architects recently announced the $90-million Knight Hall and Bauer Hall expansion project on the Danforth campus has been certified LEED® Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council®. Learn More...

 

In January, the Sacramento Kings and JMA Ventures announced that Swinerton Builders, a member of multiple AGC chapters, will provide pre-construction services for the mixed-use project adjacent to the Entertainment and Sports Center (ESC). The over $200 million mixed-use project includes retail and restaurants along the plaza and a proposed 16-story tower that will include a public lobby, retail and office space, 250 hotel rooms and residences at the top of the tower. Learn More...

 

Join us in San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 18-20, 2015, and gain a comprehensive view of where you are, where you are going and where you need to be to strengthen the educated decisions construction professionals have to make everyday. Learn More...

 

 

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