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Mixed signals keep housing market in check

Michael J. Berens Construction & Building Materials

For real estate agents, February was a relatively good month. For homebuilders, it was disappointing. Consumers were happy to find extra money in their paychecks as the new tax laws took effect. Prospective homebuyers were concerned about impending mortgage rate hikes and escalating prices.

Drones and LIDAR pump up aerial surveying and mapping

Bill Becken Construction & Building Materials

One might think that maybe, just maybe, advancing technology would not disrupt the age-old, venerated profession of land surveying in the U.S. After all, Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were surveyors as young men, and President Thomas Jefferson was one generally throughout his life.

Cities and power: The space between buildings

Lucy Wallwork Engineering

While cities used to be planned at the stroke of an architect's pen, a new era of "participative planning" is being sold to us as giving more power over decisions to ordinary people, to disperse more widely the power once held in the hands of "experts" and bureaucrats. But is the role of power missing from this conversation?

How to earn (and keep) project sponsor support

Deborah Ike Business Management, Services & Risk Management

As the project manager, your relationship with the project sponsor can make or break a project. If you work well together and understand each other's working style, that can make even the most challenging project easier to manage.

Europe reviews F-Gas success

Andrew Gaved Manufacturing

The last time I wrote to you, I was full of tales of the pain being felt by the cooling industry in Europe as the F-Gas regulations started to squeeze the market for higher-GWP refrigerants via its combination of restrictions on supply and bans on use. Now I can tell you that the European Commission has confirmed that such pain is precisely what it had in mind to drive the European industry towards better solutions for the environment.

Managing contract claims risk

Dr. David Hillson Construction & Building Materials

Many organizations involved in or with the construction industry want to know how to minimize the risk of contractor (or subcontractor) claims during the execution phase of a project, after contracts have been signed and work has started on site. While this is important, it is better to focus on not getting claims in the first place. This the key answer to the question, "How can we manage claims risk effectively?"

Confident consumers to increase spending on remodeling projects

Michael J. Berens Construction & Building Materials

Growing confidence in the strength of the U.S. economy and personal financial situations has consumers spending more. One of the areas where they are putting their money is into their homes. Whether for projects big or small, homeowners say they plan to spend more this year on repairs and improvements. Earlier forecasts had assumed expenditures on home improvement and remodeling would decrease somewhat in 2018 following several years of strong growth.

US economy grows 313,000 jobs in February

Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The U.S. hiring boom continues. The national economy added 313,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in February versus 200,000 new hires in January, while the jobless rate remained at 4.1 percent for the fifth straight month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Job growth occurred in construction, finance, manufacturing, mining, professional and business services and retail trade.

Cities and power: Might is set in stone

Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building Materials

Those in power have throughout history understood the visceral psychological and emotional impact that the built environment has on us. We all feel this as we pass under the shadow of a corporate skyscraper or across a windswept military parade ground. Only those in the most remote locations do not have their lives interrupted daily by buildings.

Where is LEED having the most impact in the US?

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently released its annual list of the Top 10 States for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the world's most widely used green building rating system. The list ranks states in terms of certified square feet per resident in the previous year, and it highlights the latest developments throughout the U.S. that are making significant strides in sustainable design, construction and transformation.

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