ABI May 2022: Business Conditions at Architecture Firms Remain Strong Despite Economic Headwinds
Architecture firms continued to report strong business conditions in May, despite increasing headwinds in the economy. While the Architecture Billings Index score of 53.5 for the month means that fewer firms reported an increase in billings in May than in April (when the score was 56.5), the majority of firms reported billings growth for […]
New Standard Will Help in Design of Barriers in Building Construction
A new ASTM International standard will describe in detail the design and specification process for water vapor transmission properties of water-resistive barriers and air barriers (WRB/AB) in building construction. ASTM’s performance of buildings committee (E06) developed the new standard, which will soon be published as E3127. ASTM International member Danko Davidovic says that […]
New Research Shows Regulations Account for 40.6% of Apartment Development Costs
Regulation imposed by all levels of government accounts for an average of 40.6% of multifamily development costs, according to new research released June 9 by the National Association of Home Builders and the National Multifamily Housing Council. “The U.S. is facing a serious housing affordability crisis, in part, because of this overly […]
Construction Job Openings Decline in May
The construction industry registered 434,000 job openings in May, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The JOLTS survey defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings decreased […]
Construction Input Prices Are Up 21% from a Year Ago
Construction input prices rose 2.3% in May compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data released June 14. Nonresidential construction input prices also increased 2.3% for the month. Want more news and information like […]
Like Sands Through the Hourglass …
Some years ago I was asked to conduct a seminar of sorts on effective time management. I was a bit taken aback at this invitation, as I’d never been accused of being any kind of paragon of productivity. Don’t get me wrong—I’m no slacker, either. I just never gave the subject of time management […]
Zoom to Decide, Not to Create
We’re in year three of the pandemic, and your staff has likely had more virtual meetings than they knew was possible. Is your videoconferencing productive? Are the ideas flowing when you meet online? Sorry, but probably not. In two recent studies, researchers concluded that virtual meetings lead to less creative output than […]
Gypsum Board Fire Ratings
Please explain the different types of gypsum wallboard as related to fire rating. First it must be noted that gypsum board, as a single product or building material, has no fire-resistive rating in and of itself. Fire-resistive ratings are based on the performance of an entire assembly, be it a wall, column enclosure, […]
Fall Protection
Werner announces a major expansion in its range of fall protection anchorage connectors. Through its acquisition of ClimbTech, Werner is now the exclusive provider of anchoring solutions such as removable bolt concrete anchors (aka “lollipop anchors”), mega-swivel anchors, I-beam sliding and fixed anchors, toggle bolt anchors, rescue ladders and more. In addition […]