Sources: Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, Va.; CP staff
A new Water Environment Federation report details challenges, opportunities and pathways to improving the nation’s drainage infrastructure and yielding a more resilient and effective stormwater sector. “Rainfall to results: The future of stormwater” was released during the recent WEFTEC conference in Chicago, dovetailing the launch of the WEF Stormwater Institute, a new center of excellence and innovation.
Read MoreSources: North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), Washington, D.C.; CP staff
In one of the harshest assessments an organized labor official has offered on White House decisions affecting construction employment, NABTU President Sean McGarvey characterized the political nature of President Obama’s Keystone XL pipeline action as “insidiously craven.”
Read MoreSource: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.
Construction spending in September reached a level last seen in March 2008 and climbed at the fastest rate since early 2006, according to an AGC analysis, which also found that nonresidential project outlays declined by 0.1 percent between August and September as growing workforce shortages likely impacted the volume of work contractors were able to perform for the month.
Read MoreSource: Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.
“The nonresidential construction sector gained momentum over the last year and should continue to expand into 2016,” affirms ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “The construction industry has benefited from increased stability stemming from low materials prices and greater certainty regarding federal budgeting and monetary policy, although a lack of appropriately skilled labor will remain a challenge for contractors. ABC predicts the nonresidential construction segment will experience 7 percent nominal growth in 2016.”
Read MoreSource: Dodge Data & Analytics, New York
A mainstay in industry forecasting and business planning, the Dodge Construction Outlook projects that total U.S. construction starts for 2016 will rise 6 percent to $712 billion, following gains of 9 percent in 2014 and an estimated 13 percent in 2015.
Read MoreSources: Office of Florida Governor Rick Scott; CP staff
Governor Rick Scott has announced five appointments—one new member, four incumbents, all for terms running through June 2018—to the Florida Concrete Masonry Education Council (FCMEC), an organization authorized by Sunshine State lawmakers and funded by a voluntary check-off program among major and independent block producers.
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