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Construction employment rises nationally in January and in most metros in DecemberEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 257,000 in January, seasonally adjusted, and by 3,207,000 (2.3%) over 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. Construction employment rose by 39,000 for the month and 308,000 (5.1%) over the year to 6,314,000, the highest total since February 2009. Residential construction employment (residential building and specialty trade contractors) climbed by 20,100 for the month and 162,400 (7.2%) over 12 months.
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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Known for his unusually creative designs that have been built at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Frank Gehry’s latest design, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, is about to open at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. Some critics have already said that the crumpled paper bag design will become a landmark that will rival the Sydney Opera House.
February 09, 2015
On Friday, January 30, 2015 more than 280 individuals gathered to recognize companies and individuals who exemplify Excellence In Construction. Winners in eight categories were announced at the 18th annual Excellence In Construction Awards Gala held at the Houston Junior League and hosted by the American Subcontractors Association. The awards went to:2014 General Contractor of the YearD.E. Harvey Builders2014 Architectural/Engineering Firm of the YearKirksey Architecture2014 General Contractor Safety AwardD.E. Harvey Builders
February 06, 2015
A few weeks ago, Saied Alavi, Director of Operations at Marek Brothers Houston, and I visited an active construction site on the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) campus. The new Jennie Sealy Hospital is scheduled to be completed later this year and open for patients early next year. We went there to talk with Gloria Palau, one of Marek’s workforce trainees, to learn about her experience with Marek since she entered her new career about a year ago.
February 05, 2015
I love the construction industry and I speak from experience when telling you it has to be saved from itself. Since 1938, our family business has helped build the monuments of this city and this state. More importantly, our companies – like many others over the past 75 years – have helped tens of thousands of hard-working Americans enjoy an honorable blue collar, middle class standard of living. But, now our middle class is threatened like never before.
February 04, 2015
Archimedes once said, “Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world.” In the world of new things, the saying might be, “Give me a large enough 3d printer and I can print a city.”Not quite yet, but in the quest for bigger 3D printing, the Chinese company Winsun that last year claimed to have printed ten houses in 24 hours, recently printed a five-story apartment building and a 11,000 square foot mansion. Granted, they were printed in pieces and then assembled on site with appropriate reinforcing and foundations. However, this represents a step forward in the 3D manufacturing of housing in a part of the world that is sorely in need of low cost housing for a burgeoning population.According to an article published on CNET, the 3D printing process for construction can drastically reduce production costs by 50-70%, reduce construction waste by 30-60%, and reduce labor costs by 50-80%.
February 03, 2015
If you know Chamberlin, you know we’re experts in roofing and waterproofing. But we have another core service that often stands in the shadow of some of our more noteworthy projects – garage maintenance and restoration.Sure enough, standing adjacent to the office towers and venues we service is almost always a parking structure that also requires maintenance and repairs. Garages aren’t necessarily the sexiest part of a property, but they often represent a significant part of the overall investment. If parking structures aren’t properly maintained, repairs and restoration can be a tough job. That’s where Chamberlin comes in.Heavy traffic wears out garage surfaces and deteriorates expansion joints that are designed to provide both parking and waterproof protection. Add to traffic the heavy load imposed by a large number of parked vehicles, wet weather, and fluctuating temperatures, and you’ve got a recipe for damage in an area that is easy to overlook when planning for maintenance.
February 02, 2015
Employment rises in 40 states in December; materials cost reports are mixedEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.Seasonally adjusted construction employment increased in 40 states and the District of Columbia from December 2013 to December 2014 and decreased in 10 states, an AGC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released on Tuesday showed. Texas again added the most jobs (47,500 jobs, 7.7%), followed by Florida (34,300, 8.9%) and California (26,000, 4.0%). The largest percentage gains again occurred in North Dakota (26%, 8,300 jobs) and Utah (13%, 10,100), followed by Wisconsin (12.7%, 12,400) and Arkansas (12.6%, 5,800). The largest percentage losses again occurred in West Virginia (-9.1%, -3,000 jobs) and Mississippi (-7.5%, -4,000), followed by Hawaii (-4.5%, -1,400 jobs) and Arizona (-3.4%, -4,300). Arizona lost the most jobs, followed by Mississippi and West Virginia. For the month, 38 states and D.C. added construction jobs, 10 states lost jobs, and Indiana and New Mexico had no change. In much of the country, gains may have been aided by weather that was unseasonably mild in December 2014 and unusually severe in November and in December 2013.
February 02, 2015
What goes into the structural design of the skyscrapers being built around the world today? A better question might be, “Who designs the structure of those skyscrapers to withstand the heat, winds, earthquakes and hurricanes that pummel those towers we live and work in every day?” The answer is that there are some really talented engineers who study, design, test and retest the possible solutions to meet those challenges.
January 30, 2015
It has been almost a year since I became the executive director of Construction Career Collaborative (C3). While I have learned a great deal during that short period of time, my biggest take away is that everyone with whom I have spoken agrees that the issue of creating a sustainable craft workforce is critical to the future of the commercial construction industry and all of those connected to it.
January 29, 2015
