The construction industry is one of the world economy’s largest industries. The economy spends $10 trillion on its good and services every year according to the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). Unfortunately, construction has lagged other industries in how quickly it evolves. For example, construction is among the least digitized sectors in the world, according to [...]
Since 3D printing is being used for applications in a variety of industries, how feasible is it for the construction industry? If you ask researchers at MIT, they are likely to tell you 3D printing has immense potential for the construction industry. MIT researchers have designed a system that can 3D print the structure of [...]
What type of progress is being made in solar plants? Ask SolarReserve LLC, a privately-owned energy company in California. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Santa Monica-based organization announced plans this month to build the world’s largest solar energy facility in Nevada. It is a $5 billion concentrating solar power (CSP) plant which gathers and [...]
As we progress through 2016, there are some construction trends worth considering. According to financial and professional services firm JLL, global economic struggles will eventually affect business and construction demand in the U.S. However, the U.S. construction industry saw a strong start to 2016 despite global concerns. Overall construction costs are rising as building costs, [...]
How viable of a water solution can converting seawater to fresh water be? Ask Bob Yamada. He is the San Diego County Water Authority’s (SDCWA) water-resources director. According to Engineering News-Record, Yamada explained that water recently began flowing through a new $1 billion, 54-million-gallon-a-day desalination plant in Carlsbad, California. The plant has been running smoothly [...]
The 6.3-acre Metropolis project designed in the late 1980s that stalled in the 1990s and mid-2000s is now part of the revival of downtown Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, the $1 billion "city within a city" is being created by Greenland USA, a Chinese development firm. Greenland expects the four enormous buildings [...]
The construction for Volkswagen’s (VW) $900 million Chattanooga plant expansion is about to break ground. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, VW is expected to award the first of a number of large contracts in the next few weeks. Gray Construction (Lexington, KY) is believed to be the front runner whose contract (if accepted) [...]
The trend of consolidation among engineering and construction (E&C) companies rolls on. In addition to AMEC’s acquisition of Foster Wheeler and Martin Marietta’s purchase of Texas Industries earlier in the year, two more key players are joining forces. As reported by Reuters this week, Los Angeles-based AECOM Technology Corp. announced its plans to acquire San [...]
According to the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), employment in the construction industry reached its highest level in March since June 2009. Government data analyzed by AGC showed that construction organizations added 19,000 workers to their payrolls. This helped to reduce the industry’s unemployment to its lowest level in seven years. In March, construction [...]