A fairly new group proposing tighter constraints on organized labor in Texas is starting a fresh push to pass legislation that would make life even tougher for unions in this right-to-work state.
One of the many things we strive to do for you at Construction Citizen is keep up with current trends in the industry. Admittedly, my friend Jim Kollaer does a better job of it than I do - whether it’s twisted towers, the role of drones in construction, or 3D printing. You can see all of Jim’s articles here.One of the particularly interesting trends emerging now is the fact that wood – yes, wood – is making more appearances as the material used for the skeletons of tall buildings in the United States and elsewhere.Smithsonian.com just published an article about a building in Minnesota called T3 that, when completed, will be the tallest wooden structure in the US. As the publication put it, the irony of its cutting edge nature is “that its cutting-edge nature rests on an old-school material: wood.”
September 29, 2016
The folks over at the website “BuiltWorlds” point out that well before the Great Recession began – causing various shifts across the construction industry – there was already a lack of craft professionals with various skills.Among others, the authors spoke to Brian Turmail, senior executive director at the Associated General Contractors of America:For years, the nation had been undergoing a cultural shift, he explains, where society had come to discourage children from blue-collar careers. "More and more parents, high schools, even the government, began placing increasing emphasis on high school students to pursue college educations rather than vocational and technical educations in fields like construction,” says Turmail.
September 16, 2016
Those who supply equipment for the construction industry are renewing their call for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Washington to briefly put down their partisan swords and come together to address the skilled labor shortage in America.In a letter to Republicans and Democrats alike, Associated Equipment Distributors President and CEO Brian McGuire asked the “House and Senate to complete work on both Carl D. Perkins Act re-authorization legislation and the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) before the end of the year.”The Perkins act is aimed at increasing the quality of technical education in the United States. The Water Resources Development Act would authorize 25 Army Corps of Engineers projects across 17 states.
September 13, 2016
Over the objections of many builders and others in the business community – and to the delight of the Workers Defense Project – the Austin City Council this past week overwhelmingly passed a resolution to move forward with certain standards for construction projects when an expedited building permit is issued. On a 9 to 1 vote, the council instructed city staff to come up with recommendations for how to specifically implement the proposal.Among the questions to be ironed out:
September 06, 2016
A tech startup has just launched hardware coupled with cloud-based software designed to allow employers in the construction industry to conduct real-time monitoring of conditions that could cause health problems for the workers on their jobsites.As with any industry, there are certain health risks associated with construction. That's why the developers of this monitoring system are hopeful the technology can find widespread acceptance. Respiratory illnesses, skin problems due to exposure to certain substances, and high levels of noise and vibrations are included in the monitoring system’s calculations.One of the system's developers said the monitoring should improve the overall health of workers, which of course means there is self-interest for companies investing in it as well.
August 31, 2016
One of the most expensive high school football stadiums in America is getting even more costly thanks to the rising cost of concrete and additional roadwork being done around the facility.The McKinney Independent School District's stadium was already projected to cost right around $62.8 million.Now the school board has been given an update pushing that number up $7.1 million – a much higher price tag than what voters in the area approved earlier this year. The new estimate will make this the most expensive high school stadium ever built, according to the Associated Press.
August 23, 2016
In the four years since voters in Southeast Texas approved a $2 billion bond for construction in the Houston Independent School District, there's been progress on many of the campuses that were slated to be opened. In fact, six new schools are opening as the school year gets underway.ABC 13 Investigative Reporter Ted Oberg uncovered documents, though, that show many campuses have been delayed for one reason or another.From Oberg's report:"...there is a cloudy future to the sunny announcements coming from HISD brass: There are delays in at least ten of the 40 schools that HISD pledged to renovate or rebuild in 2012, HISD documents suggest.
August 19, 2016
What’s being touted as the biggest hotel on Earth is under construction in Saudi Arabia and its doors are set to open for business next year. At a cost of $3.5 billion, the Abraj Kudai will consist of 12 towers, 10,000 rooms, 70 restaurants and 5 helipads. Five floors of the hotel will be designated for the sole use of the Saudi Royal Family.10 of the 12 towers will offer four-star accommodations. 2 of them will be equipped for five-star service and are going to be reserved only for “special clientele.”Here is how The Guardian first described the hotel:Modelled on a “traditional desert fortress”, seemingly filtered through the eyes of a Disneyland imagineer with classical pretensions, the steroidal scheme comprises 12 towers teetering on top of a 10-storey podium, which houses a bus station, shopping mall, food courts, conference centre and a lavishly appointed ballroom.
August 12, 2016
With each passing day, state and federal governments are getting more serious about rooting out and eliminating worker misclassification, sometimes known as payroll fraud. But much more must be done to end what has been called a "cancer...eating at the heart of our industry."Regular readers of Construction Citizen know that worker misclassification happens when a company pretends its employees are “independent subcontractors” with the intent of skirting payroll taxes and benefits like workers’ compensation insurance and – because of their reduced labor costs – are able to submit lower bids for projects, undercutting ethical contractors.In Professional Roofing Magazine earlier this year, attorney William E. Burnett gave contractors an in-depth look at the problem from all angles.
August 02, 2016
