Tag Archives: News

5 Reasons Why Schools Should Consider Modular Construction

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Rising enrollments, decreasing budgets and natural disasters have America’s schools facing difficult times. When it comes to adding new teaching space quickly and affordably, modular construction offers temporary and permanent solutions that get students back to class sooner, even on tight budgets.

Here are five reasons to look closely at modular learning space. Click the link in each one to see how schools can benefit from temporary and permanent modular construction.

1. Faster Permanent Buildings

5 Reasons Why Schools Should Consider Permanent Modular ConstructionThe Jesse Kaplan School in West Nyack, NY needed four ADA-approved classrooms with restrooms for special needs children. The classrooms had to blend seamlessly with the existing facility. Innovative floorless modular construction Continue reading →

Construction Projects Most Impacted by the Sequester

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Construction Projects Most Impacted by the SequesterThe Department of Energy, the EPA, and the U.S. military are among the federal and construction programs now feeling the effects of the Sequester’s $4 billion in mandatory budget cuts that began on March 1st, according to recent article on ENR.com.

A report to Congress by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) outlines cuts made by the Sequester. Here’s a quick look at where they’ll be felt most.

Sandy Recovery

Hardest hit by the cuts are the states still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, with the $50 billion already approved by Congress for natural disaster relief earmarked for reduction. Specifically, New York, Continue reading →

Non-residential Renovation Starts to Rise in 2013

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toolsAn infographic in the February 2013 edition of the Architectural Record suggests that renovation projects in the non-residential sector will jump 8 percent to $42 billion this year.

The report, which is based on data from McGraw-Hill, further suggests that New York City led the nation in 2012 with $6.12 billion in renovation starts. Perhaps the surge of new work already underway in NYC is the reason why the same report also named the Northeast as the only region that will not experience an increase in renovation starts this year.

Other top cities for renovation starts in 2012 were Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Boston. That focus is expected to shift in 2013, with the Southeast leading the way for new renovation projects.

See the full infographic from the Architectural Record
.

Top 10 OSHA Violations

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Top 10 OSHA ViolationsOSHA violations can be a costly mistake. The incidents that may result from them can be worse. Last week’s infographic about construction site accidents looked at the frequency, nature and costs of reported incidents. We believe that 100% of construction site accidents are avoidable, and following OSHA’s standards and codes to the letter is a good start.

The top 10 most frequently cited OSHA violations for 2012 were:

  1. Fall Protection (code: 1926.501)
  2. Hazard Communication (code: 1910.1200)
  3. Scaffolds (code: 1926.451)
  4. Continue reading →

Construction Employment and Spending Hit 3-Year High

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Modular construction employment is on the riseFor those who remain skeptical of the construction industry’s return in 2013, here are a few numbers that may sway your opinion. A press release from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) confirmed last week that in January the U.S. hit a three–year high for both construction employment and spending.

  • 28,000 jobs were added in January, the eighth straight month of job growth
  • Construction spending was up 7.8%, the ninth month in a row that spending grew

“The new employment data show the industry lost even more jobs in the recession than previously estimated but has added almost 300,000 jobs in the past two years, including nearly 100,000 since Continue reading →

Forecast: Construction Employment to Improve in 2013

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Construction employment in 20132012 was dismal at best for adding new construction jobs.  Fortunately, one forecast is predicting a decided uptick in construction hiring this year.

In a recent article in the Washington Post, Patrick Newport, an economist at international research firm IHS Global Insight said, “Construction companies will add 140,000 jobs this year, up from a meager 18,000 in 2012.” If correct, 2013 construction job growth would mark a 678 percent increase in hiring over last year, a number I think we can all live with.

A report from the Bureau of Labor Statics would seem to suggest that job growth has already started with a Continue reading →

AGC Survey Predicts Bright Future for Construction Industry

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AGC survey suggests 2013 will be good for constructionThirty-one percent of construction firms plan to hire new employees in the next 12 months. This encouraging news came out of a recent survey of 1,300 construction firms by The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) regarding their 2013 plans.

Respondents believe most of the growth will be in the private sector, with significant jumps in construction projects for healthcare and education. Thirty-six percent of respondents believe that there was money to be made in 2013, while 39 percent of firms expect the market to remain at the same level as 2012. At the same time, 18 percent of contractors expect fewer Continue reading →