Professional and business services were up 78,000, while construction also had a solid month, adding 60,000 positions...read more

Contractors that build offices need to be aware of the newest trends and tenant requests, including the latest developments that can help improve internet access, Lars Olsen, head of midwest for WiredScore, which certifies buildings for connectivity and technologies...read more

With environmental benefits and lower labor costs, mass timber has grown into a market that could rival steel and concrete in the construction industry...read more

Core joins an increasingly crowded field of technology firms trying to solve the seemingly simple yet intractable challenge of connecting tradespeople looking for work with construction companies who are hiring...read more

A recently published paper from researchers at the School of Engineering at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) lays out their plan for using cigarettes in the brick-making process...read more

The coronavirus pandemic has ushered in new processes and protocols that impact everybody on the jobsite — from the boots on the ground all the way to the back office. Many of these processes will stick around long after a vaccine is available and we return to our so-called “normal” way of working. Here’s what to expect over the next several months and years...read more

Underfloor heating provides a viable alternative for conventional heating systems. Instead of using forced airflow from above, heat is released at floor level. Ceiling-based heating systems must work against natural convection, while underfloor systems use it to their advantage. This is beneficial in terms of energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and indoor air quality...read more

The Commercial Construction Index (CCI) increased by one point to 57 in Q3 from 56 in Q2. While the overall index score remained fairly steady, two of the three main indicators saw increases. Contractors’ confidence in new business went up six points to 56, and revenue expectations rose four points to 48 in Q3...read more

Record-low interest rates. Major infrastructure projects. Robust data center construction. These are a few reasons why Charlie Windle maintains a glass-half-full outlook for the rest of the year at Luck Stone, the nation’s largest family-owned and -operated crushed stone, sand and gravel producer. Considering the economic uncertainty brought on earlier this year, Windle has some newfound clarity on the months ahead that elevates his confidence about the remainder of 2020...read more

The prevention guidelines for COVID-19 have focused mostly on social distancing, personal protective equipment, and strict hygiene protocols. However, building design features can also be used to protect occupants from infection. Architects and engineers can use design features to create healthier spaces, while improving other aspects of wellness and building performance...read more

In the construction industry, close quarters and shared equipment can make following these guidelines difficult. But it’s essential that you clarify expectations and educate your employees on the dangers of COVID-19. This is particularly important as your jobsites become increasingly populated...read more

Burger King unveiled two new restaurant designs last week that will have dedicated mobile order and curbside pickup areas, drive-in and walk-up order areas, enhanced drive-thrus, exterior dining space and sustainable design elements, according to a press release. The first newly designed restaurants, which the chain claims will be 100% touchless and 60% smaller than a traditional restaurant, will be built in 2021 in Miami, Latin America and the Caribbean....read more

The mushrooming field of contech has created demand for a new kind of worker who has a top-to-bottom understanding of the principles of good construction, project management and computer coding....read more

“Demand continued to move at a strong pace in Northern Virginia, mostly attributable to tech and cloud companies,” he said. “Following record new construction in 2019, the market is now at a point where most of the new deliveries from 2019 have been absorbed and landlords are looking to accelerate building their next facilities to accommodate end-user needs.”...read more

There are distinct cases, states and markets that have not seen a disruption to construction activity. In some cases, the work itself serves as enough “social distancing.” Even in situations where a complete shutdown has not occurred, there is a new normal affecting the construction project life cycle...read more

Local economic development advocates and a private solar power installation company are looking for a sunny side to the region’s energy and job markets...read more

Building pros say to really see blockchain’s potential in this business, you first need to forget everything you’ve heard about bitcoin and crypto, because blockchain is much more basic than that. In fact, it’s a lot more boring, which is what makes it so potentially powerful for construction...read more

Researchers at MIT have explored the possibilities of RoboClam, a mechanical cousin of expert digger the Atlantic razor clam. Like its biological counterpart, RoboClam manipulates its shell to “fluidize” soil, which reduces burrowing drag. The researchers envision a self-contained, upsized RoboClam digging undersea tunnels for cable installations, or digging deep into land-based soil...read more

Construction and large-scale facility maintenance projects are significant undertakings and every task must be carefully orchestrated to avoid unexpected, and costly, delays. New construction of an industrial facility, such as a refinery or a power plant, shares similarities with subsequent major maintenance projects—a nearly endless list of specific tasks and an enormous number of specialized trades that deliver the manpower to make the project happen...read more

Whether it be high-tech grade positioning, Building Information Modeling systems, telematics, remote control, or 3D printing, these technologies are available now. The initial investments construction companies make in these technologies will be repaid in faster, more streamlined project deployment, fewer errors in the field, improved fleet maintenance and more efficient labor deployment...read more

Businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans are anxiously eyeing an IRS ruling that could affect whether they apply for loan forgiveness. In a notice this spring, the IRS said it had ruled out tax deductions for wages and rent paid with forgivable PPP loans in order to prevent a “double tax benefit.”...read more

New Dodge Data & Analytics research shows that U.S. commercial and multifamily construction starts plunged 22% during the first six months of 2020 compared to the same time frame in 2019. In terms of sectors, only warehouse construction posted a very small gain, while office, retail, hotels, commercial garages and multifamily housing all fell....read more

Jason Washington, the school system’s new public-private partnerships director, said during a school board meeting Friday, Aug. 21 four developers expressed interest in submitting final proposals. According to the terms of the proposal, at least 30 percent of the contract value must be procured through minority and county-based businesses...read more

At more than $1 trillion in annual spending, the construction industry accounts for a significant portion of national GDP and is a major driver of the U.S. economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked incredibly complex challenges, from nervous lenders to on-site safety measures to liability. Documentation has become an absolutely vital tool for protection and preservation of resources in this uncertain environment...read more

The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) national trade association announced Tuesday its Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) declined to 7.8 months in July, a decrease of 0.3 months from June — which, in turn, has decreased contractor optimism. The CBI is a forward-looking national economic indicator that shows work construction companies are contracted to do in the future, measured in dollars...read more

The use of construction technology is becoming increasingly important in a world where we are not relying so heavily on standard building types and are instead turning more and more to one-off prototype construction projects...read more

A new study confirms and quantifies what contractors across the country already know: Implementing COVID-19 safety preparations and protocols at jobsites has led to a decline in productivity, which is eating into their profits. ...read more

COVID-19 has affected communities all around the world, with reported cases rising each day. Even when many governments and companies are responding rapidly, there is still much to be done. The construction industry has played a critical role in these difficult times, from building hospitals within days to donating equipment...read more

As building sites all over the world gradually re-open after lockdown, it’s becoming increasingly clear that construction will look different after COVID-19. Our global public health crisis has confirmed the urgent need for a new way of building homes and offices, using smart construction to tackle design problems, inefficiency, outdated techniques and environmental challenges....read more

The nonresidential construction industry lost 4,000 jobs in July, as compared to June, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) announced Friday. The construction industry as a whole, however, has added 639,000 jobs during the past three months — recovering approximately 59% of the jobs lost during the pandemic....read more

Spending on U.S. construction projects fell 0.7% in June as both home building and nonresidential activity declined, the Commerce Department said on Monday. Private and government spending on construction both also declined by the same 0.7% figure...read more

After all, modular construction offers a fast, efficient way to build structures in a controlled factory setting using fewer workers, who can more easily comply with social distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols than at a traditional commercial construction site. But something unexpected happened on the way to modular and offsite construction’s sustained COVID-19 surge...read more

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has started testing the different uses of the four-legged Spot Robots in its internal operations, becoming the first utility in the region to use this robot, developed by Boston Dynamics....read more

Construction is one of the largest industries still resisting the call of the 21st century, its practitioners opting for decades-old but tried and true methods. Ben Huh, of Cheezburger fame, aims to modernize the planning and assembly of buildings with software-generated floor plans and rooms that fit together like Lego bricks...read more

A team of researchers have, for the first time ever, linked 40 years of productivity data from the construction industry with the actual work done. The results show that productivity in the construction industry has been declining since the 1970s. The results also explain the decline and how to achieve far more efficient construction in North America and Europe...read more

Coronavirus-related shutdowns required contractors to scramble to find new ways to protect workers and monitor jobsite progress while maintaining social distancing...read more

From the use of “low carbon concrete” to the development of bricks made from recycled materials, the construction sector is undergoing a number of changes that could have a far-reaching impact in the years ahead...read more

U.S. put-in-place construction spending, during the coronavirus health crisis, has benefitted from the carryover of work begun last year. 2019 construction starts included an inordinately large number of mega projects valued at $1 billion or more each. There were 35 such projects last year, with a summed value near $80 billion, or 15% of nonresidential groundbreakings...read more

Value engineering, the process of evaluating a project for potential changes that could save money without compromising on performance, typically happens for a few reasons in the realm of traditional construction. The project could be over budget, or the general contractor and owner might simply want to reduce costs or increase efficiency...read more