Recent research from Dodge Data & Analytics for the Q1 2019 Commercial Construction Index dove into construction careers. Dodge wanted to survey those in the industry to better understand the advantages of a construction career and how those advantages are typically misunderstood. Dodge also wanted to find out what aspects of construction may be most appealing to people under the age of 30.

For commercial construction professionals in the U.S., there’s a good chance the government plays a role in everyday operations. That’s because often the client is the government, or because every job has to answer to governmental bodies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

If President Donald Trump moves forward with additional propsoed tariffs, as he said he might do before the summer is out, then contractors can expect more Chinese goods - e.g., chain saws, tower cranes, boilers, oil and gas pipeline tubes, work boots and tarpaulins - to cost extra.

With most construction projects involving dozens, if not hundreds, of companies and individuals, it is no surprise that conflicts arise that are not always able to be resolved on the jobsite. But these conflicts need not always reach the court room or cost thousands (or much more) to resolve. With some planning, contractors can build faster and less expensive dispute resolution options into their project so they can spend more time keeping the project moving and less time arguing over who is right. 

Employee retention is no easy task for construction contractors today. It’s no longer enough for companies to pay their employees competitive wages, keep them safe and provide them with regular hours in order for them to make a steady living.

Imagine a futuristic construction environment where employees are individually and automatically alerted to a hazardous situation prior to a would-be accident occurring. Workers' levels of fatigue are monitored and measured one by one and the worker is warned when he or she is too close to moving equipment, edges or dangerous areas.

Construction companies are always looking for new ways to attract top talent, from improving compensation packages to streamlining hiring processes. But there’s one area that often gets overlooked: understanding the kinds of interviews managers are conducting, and what those interviews communicate to the candidates.

Virtual realty provides an unparalleled spatial sense for visualization at a lower cost than full-scale replicas. Today, VR is being used heavily in preconstruction to align owner expectations and educate design team stakeholders. For those already employing BIM solutions, coordination can be made much more effective by leveraging existing design models with very little added cost.

Employers in the construction industry can control occupational health hazards as effectively as safety hazards, according to new guidance from the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). The AIHA guidance encourages the construction industry to focus on four health hazards: manual material handling, high noise levels, air contaminants and high temperatures.

Similar to any personal relationship, a customer’s first impression of a business is particularly critical because it sets the tone for all future interactions in the relationship. While those first impressions were once formed with a firm handshake and a face-to-face conversation, in today’s environment, perceptions can be shaped through many different channels.

When long term care is needed, there are only a few options available to pay for those types of expenses. Genworth Life Insurance Company and CISCA are working together to provide members with access to long term care insurance protection.

Armstrong Ceiling Solutions has introduced ACOUSTIBuilt™ Seamless Acoustical Ceilings, a new ceiling system that provides the look of drywall but performs like an acoustical ceiling. Finished ACOUSTIBuilt panels offer a smooth, non-directional, monolithic visual to meet the needs of architects, designers and owners who desire the seamless appearance of a drywall ceiling but also require effective acoustical performance in a space.

In the commercial construction industry, securing all necessary insurance - workers’ compensation, general liability, builders’ risk, etc. - can be a costly and sometimes painful exercise. There’s no getting around it, and the responsibility applies to companies of all sizes from small, specialty subcontractors to the biggest multinational enterprises.

U.S. construction cost increases slowed in June, according to IHS Markit and the Procurement Executives Group (PEG). The current headline IHS Markit PEG Engineering and Construction Cost Index registered 55.7 in June, the 32nd consecutive monthly increase, but a considerable drop from May’s reading of 63.8.