Construction Industry News Archives

The recent report from the U.S. Department of Labor on its producer price index showed mixed results for construction materials prices in March. Construction materials prices went up 0.5% from February, but they are up 1.1% from March of 2013. The number correlates closely with increases in non-residential construction materials prices, which were up 0.4%.

Recent news accounts report that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has selected four teams made up of companies in finance, construction, manufacturing and other industries to submit proposals for PennDOT’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, which provides for the replacement of over 500 bridges statewide through public-private partnerships. The four teams are constituted as follows:

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed legislation which removes the exemption for harassment, stalking, or threats to use weapons of mass destruction when involved in a labor dispute from the criminal code. The bill, which can be read in its entirety here, passed the house with a vote of 115-74 and has moved over to the Senate for consideration.

Your eyes did not deceive you when you read the title. Lead paint companies were hit with a $1.15 billion verdict – that is billion with a b – in California recently. In addition to the size of the award, the theory by which it was obtained is of some interest. The question for the construction industry in this region is whether this case is a precursor to similar litigation in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware.

Now that it is February and almost everyone’s New Years’ resolutions are officially broken, it seems a good time to review what some are projecting as possible trends in the construction industry in 2014. The following is a simple list of predictions gathered from various sources.

In what will be a positive move for construction companies from Pennsylvania and New Jersey working in the City of Bethlehem, the City has been awarded one of two City Revitalization and Improvement Zone program designations. Those involved in the process are hoping it will have the same effect on development and the resulting economic impact as the construction of the Sands Casino at the old Bethlehem Steel Stacks.

On January 2, 2014, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported that U.S. construction spending rose to its highest level in nearly five years in November, led by a surge in private construction project spending.

The Construction Back Log Indicator, a national economic measurement maintained by the Associated Builders and Contractors, has released its third quarter numbers. While chief economist Anirban Basu was cautiously optimistic that the economy’s gradual recovery remains underway, his analysis also contained some sobering elements.

A new rule implemented by the Army Corps of Engineers will require all contracts for design-build and construction contracts for military projects to include construction operations-building information exchange files for asset data, or COBie format, by 2015.

The United States Commerce Department announced on October 22 that U.S. construction spending increased in July to the highest level in four years, largely based on gains in residential real estate construction.Construction spending climbed 0.6 percent compared to a median forecast of 51 economists surveyed by Bloomberg, which had called for a 0.4 percent increase.