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An analysis of the 10 retail chains that spend the most on construction shows that seven experienced declines in construction spending in the first nine months of 2020 compared to the first nine months last year. Only three of the 10 — Publix, AutoZone and Dollar Tree — increased construction spending... — Construction Dive
The findings come from the Dodge Data & Analytics 2021 Construction Outlook, as reported by Construction Dive. According to the report, the retailers' reduced spending comes from a "move away from brick-and-mortar retail that has been ongoing for years but accelerated br the pandemic." View full entry
Slowly, slowly, LA's new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is inching towards its anticipated completion. The LACMA-adjacent, Renzo Piano-designed 300,000 square-foot museum campus on Wilshire Boulevard was forced to push back several official opening dates — most recently, the December... View full entry
After three hurricanes made landfall in Louisiana over the past few weeks efforts to recover after the storms may boost the state's otherwise bleak jobs market. — The Advocate
According to The Advocate, "Hurricane Zeta made landfall in Louisiana just three weeks after Hurricane Delta and roughly nine weeks after Hurricane Laura. Combined, the storms were estimated to have caused more than $10 billion in damages." With efforts arising to rebuild, various regions... View full entry
Icon, an Austin, Texas-based developer of construction technologies, received funding to research and develop a space-based construction system that could support future exploration of the moon. It has engaged two architecture firms as partners for the project: Denmark-based BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and New York City-based SEArch+. — Construction Dive
Related on Archinect: Construction tech developer ICON secures $35M in funding, BIG among investors View full entry
The company recently purchased three pairs of Vuzix Blade smart AR glasses that have a built-in camera that provides a view of jobsite walkthroughs or inspections, a boon during a time when travel restrictions can keep stakeholders away from a project. The smart glasses connect to hot spots on tablets or smartphones. — Construction Dive
According to Construction Dive, Balfour Beatty US is using augmented reality (AR) eyeglasses on jobsites for safety and other inspections, meetings with clients and to work with drones. Cameron Wahl, the senior technology specialist with the company, has already seen "immediate benefits... View full entry
While no contractors have been officially announced for the project, Tesla procurement manager Jessica Munoz told the Community Impact Newspaper that two general contractors have been selected but not yet named. The firm also is looking for subcontractors for various jobs including site logistics, painting, flooring, fireproofing, interior finishing, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical projects. — Construction Dive
In July, Tesla announced the purchase of a site near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to build its largest electric car assembly plant, dubbed "Giga Texas." The ambitious opening date has reportedly been set to May 1, 2021. View full entry
For the first time since July 2017, the number of cranes in North American cities has decreased, according to Rider Levett Bucknall’s newest crane count. The biannual count dropped by 40 cranes, 455 to 415, from Q1 to Q3 2020. — Construction Dive
According to Construction Dive, Toronto still holds the most cranes in a North American city, with 124. And of the 14 measured cities, only Phoenix, Seattle, Toronto and Washington, D.C., saw an increase in the number of cranes. Moreover, five of the 14 cities — Chicago, Denver, Las... View full entry
One year after breaking ground in Costa Mesa, the Orange County Museum of Art's new home is scheduled to top out at an official ceremony at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
OCMA, which is currently housed out of a temporary space at South Coast Plaza in Santa Ana, is slated to move into its new in 2021.
— Urbanize Los Angeles
View this post on Instagram DYK: That the Orange County Museum of Art is moving to our campus?? Their new building is slated to open in 2021. Who else is excited for a new year and new art?!? #OCMA @ocmuseumofart A post shared by Segerstrom Center for the Arts (@segerstromarts) on Sep 27, 2020 at... View full entry
Contractors working in Qatar will need to update their employment contracts, and can expect tougher competition in attracting labour, thanks to a new law that guarantees a minimum wage and makes it easier to change employers, a law firm says.
Coming into effect 9 October this year, Law No. 17 sets the minimum wage at QAR 1,000 per month ($275), plus QAR 500 per month ($137) for accommodation and QAR 300 per month ($82) for food.
— Global Construction Review
Moreover, the new law also removes the requirement for foreign workers to obtain a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer to work for someone else, GCR reports. This will naturally heighten the competition for skilled labor since employees will be free to switch employers if... View full entry
"Recommended Practices for Remote Virtual Inspections (RVI)," is the first standardized program that offers advice on how to conduct these types of off-premises inspections. While the guidance is aimed at inspection professionals, contractors should also take note as some of the same procedural steps the ICC outlines in the new document could be adopted for in-house use if project managers or other supervisors need to check progress on a job from the office or another remote location. — Construction Dive
The RVI program released by the International Code Council (ICC) includes some of the following tips for a successful remote inspection as reported by Construction Dive: Ensuring all electronic devices to be used during the inspection are fully charged and that whoever is using the device at... View full entry
As many Americans have taken to working, learning, and sheltering at home in the months since the coronavirus pandemic took hold, existing residential spaces have had to play double and triple duty, functionally speaking. Amid these shifts in use, Americans have begun to undertake home... View full entry
The Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California has launched a new master’s program in Advanced Design and Construction Technology (ADCT). The program, according to a school website, will explore an "integrative approach to design, engineering and... View full entry
Built in less than two years to replace the collapsed Morandi bridge, the new span is already a point of pride for Italy. But residents fear it will not be enough to revive their aging port city. — The New York Times
Documentary about the new Genoa Bridge (in Italian). Video via Webuild S.p.A. on YouTube. The Genoa bridge project and its tragic origin on Archinect: Renzo Piano bridge in Genoa designed to “last 1,000 years” is nearly finishedConstruction of Renzo Piano-designed Genoa Bridge reaches... View full entry
Japanese contractor Obayashi has started to build a dam almost entirely with robots, addressing the industry's labor shortage and aging workforce.
The site of the trial project is a concrete dam in Mie Prefecture, on the southeast coast of Japan's main island. The 84-meter-high structure is slated for completion in March 2023.
— Nikkei Asian Review
According to Nikkei, Obayashi has developed automated equipment to stack concrete layers to form the 334-meter-wide dam with virtually every process for constructing the dam involving some form of automation. Those process include the initial work of establishing the foundation... View full entry
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has published its latest AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel, a metric that collects the perspectives of "leading economic forecasters" to help project potential near-term demand for construction services. AIA's latest report signals that the... View full entry