Forty-four states and the District of Columbia added construction jobs between March 2015 and March 2016 while construction employment increased in 28 states between February and March, according to analysis of Labor Department data released today by AGC of America. Association officials noted that the five states experiencing year-over-year construction employment declines are all energy producing states where construction demand has likely suffered from declining prices for coal, oil and other fuels. Learn More...

 

AGC annually participates in National Work Zone Awareness Week to highlight the dangers that drivers not obeying speed limits or not staying alert in highway construction work zones pose for construction workers and motorists. This year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week took place this week, with the theme "Don't Be THAT Driver: Work on Safety. Get Home Safely. Every Day." AGC participated in a national event at a highway construction project in Toledo, Ohio on April 12 as part of the effort to make the public aware of the dangers. AGC chapters around the country participated in local and statewide events as well. To get a better handle on the impact of vehicle crashes at AGC member work sites, we have prepared this brief survey. Please take a few minutes to complete it today. The deadline to complete this survey is Friday, April 15.

 

Building schools and higher education institutions today is a much more collaborative effort than in the past, with technology as the main driver. This story, Getting to the Head of the Class, and many others, including the cover piece on AGC of America's 2016 President Mark Knight, can be found in the latest issue of Constructor magazine.

 

The Louisiana chapter of the AGC of America filed a challenge in early April to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) final respirable crystalline silica rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In doing so, the chapter joined a number of local industry partners who are also concerned about the impact of the rule on the construction industry. Learn More...

 

As construction companies deal with rising labor and material costs, many are looking at other areas of their business to keep costs in check. Fortunately, financial reporting is becoming less complex and costly for small, private businesses in construction and other industries. Learn More...

 

Building cost-effective and flexible closed spaces for true speech privacy can be challenging; however, combining physical barriers with sound masking can ensure effective results while helping to control the cost of initial construction and future changes. Learn More...

 

In great news for taxpayers and the construction industry, voters across North Carolina on Tuesday, March 15, in a two-thirds vote, approved borrowing $2 billion for infrastructure projects, mostly involving new buildings, repairs and renovations at the UNC system and community college campuses. The remaining one third of the bonds will be used for local government water and sewer projects, construction money for parks, the National Guard and the Department of Agriculture. Learn More...

 

AGC of Michigan raised $6,500 last month for Farmington Hills-based nonprofit Sweet Dreamzzz, Inc. This marked the 14th year for this event, hosted by the AGC’s Construction Leadership Council at John Cowley & Sons in Farmington. Learn More...

 

Lawmakers in Nebraska have approved a $450 million infrastructure bank aimed to speed work on Nebraska's expressways and other major highway projects, thanks to pressure from the AGC Nebraska Chapter and other groups. Learn More...

 

In New Jersey in 2013 (the most recent year for recorded data), 102 workers lost their lives in workplace incidents. Of those, 15 were in construction, the same rate as the year before. It’s 15 too many, and construction remains one of the most dangerous occupations in America and in the state. On April 20, 2016, the Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey (ACCNJ), its member companies and labor partners will join forces for a special, coordinated emphasis on safety at New Jersey construction sites across the state. Learn More...

 

MWH Constructors and Slayden Constructors Inc., members of multiple AGC chapters, have been awarded a contract by the City of Spokane, Washington to provide general contractor and construction manager services for a new, upgraded tertiary filtration system for the Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility. This system, called the "Next Level of Treatment" would be the largest and most effective phosphate removal of its kind built in the U.S., according to the project team. Learn More...

 

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix recently celebrated the grand opening of the latest addition to its outdoor Move It! exhibit – a permanent sandbox, donated by DPR Construction • Sundt Construction, Inc., Joint Venture and 15 subcontractors. DPR and Sundt are both members of the Arizona Builders' Alliance. Learn More...

 

Adam Kuchy of Kirkwood, Missouri, has joined McGrath & Associates, an AGC of Missouri and Central Illinois Builders of AGC member, as a project engineer responsible for estimating, subcontractor and vendor coordination, scheduling, cost reporting, project documentation and other duties. Kuchy has a Masters of Construction Management from Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Ambrose University. He is OSHA certified in Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER). Learn More...

 

Skanska, a member of multiple AGC chapters, has completed work at Skyline Regional Park in Buckeye, Arizona, that will enable residents and visitors to enjoy a new park. The $3.95-million project for the City of Buckeye included roadway construction, park features including entry gate house, entry gate monument and gates, ramadas, rest rooms and a pedestrian/equestrian bridge across the Skyline Wash. Skanska’s work ranged from subgrade preparation and pipe and reinforced concrete box culverts to asphalt paving and landscaping. The City of Buckeye held a grand opening for Skyline Regional Park in early January. Learn More...

 

Darko Hreljanovic, AIA, director of design in STV’s Building & Facilities Division, was promoted to vice president. Since joining STV, an AGC of Metropolitan Washington D.C. and AGC of New York State member, as director of design in 2015, Hreljanovic has played a key role in the design process for many of the firm’s architectural and engineering projects. Learn More...

 

Tocci Building Companies, a Boston-area construction manager and AGC of Massachusetts member, announced recently that John Tocci, Jr. has joined the team as director of virtual design and construction (VDC). In his new role, John, Jr. will oversee the firm’s VDC department and operational engagement of VDC on all Tocci projects. Learn More...

 

The Middle Tennessee Chapter of AGC has awarded to Turner Construction’s Nashville office its prestigious Build Tennessee Awards for the company’s work on the Saint Thomas Health Joint Replacement Center project. Learn More...

 

Xpera CM, a San Diego-based construction management consulting firm and a San Diego Chapter member, announced recently that construction is underway for Creekside Pointe, a long-awaited new apartment development in western Chula Vista. Valued at $20 million, this is the first multifamily project to be built in the area in 15 years. Learn More...