AGC Constructor

The digital edition of the July/August 2020 issue of Constructor magazine is now available for your reading pleasure. In addition to our COVID-related stories (Perfect the Unexpected, Returning to Work and Crisis Response), we have technology-focused articles (Game Changer and Problem Solver), plus much more. And, be sure to peruse the 2020 Regional Resource Guide, filled with detailed information on companies and businesses that provide products and services to the construction industry.

 

Construction employment increased in 329 out of 358 metro areas between April and May as a new survey finds that two-thirds of highway construction firms had at least one crash in the past year at highway work zones they operate. Officials with AGC of America and HCSS, which conducted the survey, urged drivers to slow down and be aware while driving through highway work zones during their summer travels. “As industry employment increases, it is safe to assume that more people are working in highway work zones that are typically close to moving traffic,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “And it is important to remember that any time your job site is just a few feet away from fast moving traffic, danger is never far away.”

With COVID-19 cases spiking in many parts of the country, the construction industry needs to be extra vigilant with its safety procedures to protect workers and the public. AGC of America has put together a full suite of resources at workingsafe.agc.org.

Twice a year the Administration updates its Unified Agenda with projected timelines for rulemakings and other actions. The spring agenda, released June 30, 2020, shows some delay in movement on key water programs that AGC has been tracking due to their relevance to the construction industry. AGC summarizes these developments below.

On July 8, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs began to consider funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2021. The bill provides a total of $10.1 billion for military construction projects, roughly $1.5 billion below the FY 2020 enacted levels. The VA portion of the bill funded major and minor construction within the VA at $1.8 billion, an increase of $139 million above the FY 2020. This amount includes $1.4 billion for Major Construction and $400 million for Minor Construction. House Democratic leadership has stated that it wants all twelve funding bills to be passed by the end of July. The Senate has yet to pass any of its appropriations bills. AGC strongly supports increased investment in our nation’s military programs and veterans’ facilities and will continue to advocate for increased funding as the bill moves to the Senate for additional consideration. The full text of the measure can be viewed here. For more information, contact Jordan Howard at jordan.howard@agc.org or (703) 837-5368.

 

Construction employment increased by 158,000 jobs in June, but employment related to infrastructure slipped, according to an analysis by AGC of America of government data released recently. Association officials cautioned that additional infrastructure-building job losses are inevitable unless the federal government replenishes depleted state and local budgets for roads and other public works.

The weather is consistently rated as one of the most frequent and harmful causes of construction project delays. Weather-related claims are also a frequent source of dispute between contractors and project owners. On this episode of AGC’s ConstructorCast podcast, Athenium Analytics explains how contractors, their risk management departments, and even their insurance carriers can use hyper-local forecasts as well as historical weather data to manage and mitigate delays, lost weather days, and onsite damages from natural hazards.

Digital transformation. Disruption. Innovation. As a professional in the A/E/C industries, you know these buzzwords all too well. Project teams are accustomed to adapting, testing new solutions on their project sites, and reaping the benefits of quicker workflows and access to data in real time. But what does it mean for marketers?

When a small group of contractors decided in 1945 to band together to improve their industry’s working conditions and to stimulate development throughout the region, they could not have forecast what has become a long record of growth and service to Southern Illinois businesses and workers.