AGC of America has released a white paper discussing the impact federal and nonfederal contractors, as well as other interested parties, can have on the accuracy of Davis-Bacon wage determinations. The white paper, titled "Impacting Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations: A Guide for Contributing to the Accuracy of Published Prevailing Wage Rates in Construction", is available for download on the AGC website.
To develop the tools needed to build lean, the AGC has developed the Lean Construction Education Program. Construction professionals at all experience levels will learn the building blocks necessary to transform their projects and companies into a lean operating system.
The American Institute of Architects reported last month that the Architectural Billings Index had jumped to 52 in December, indicating that the demand for nonresidential construction is on the rise. Any reading above 50 is said to indicate an increase in commercial building construction 6 to 9 months in the future. December was the second consecutive month with a reading of 52, which, according to AIA chief economist Kermit Baker and several others, is a sign of good things to come in 2012. Read the complete article here.
The Spring BIMForum, April 25-26, 2012, will focus on BIM and VDC deliverables -- the tangible, defined sets of information that are pulled from a BIM to serve a specific design or construction purpose. The BIM’s collection of project information gives a model the power to help control, analyze and optimize a project, but this can only be done by extracting information in forms that can be digested by the appropriate members of the team to serve their own focused purposes. BIM deliverables are truly where the rubber meets the road! This BIMForum meeting will explore the creative ways that deliverables are being used on projects to maximize the value of models and how they are further pushing the envelope in revolutionizing design and construction. For more information and to register, go here.
After more than a four-year delay by Congress and 22 short-term extensions, last week President Obama signed a four-year compromise Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization bill. The legislation includes $13.4 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and extends the airline ticket tax. AIP finances airport infrastructure projects. The AIP authorization level was set at $3.35 billion a year, which is the same amount provided to the program in FY 2012 through the appropriations bill but 5 percent less than was provided in FY 2011.
In these uncertain economic times, construction financing is harder to secure. Willing lenders are out there, but are requiring the project owners to take far more fiscal responsibility and guarantee much more. This tougher lending climate is forcing developers to pour more of their financial resources into the project and to bear more responsibility should the investment perform poorly. To read the complete article, click here.
Unit 1: Variation in Productions Systems, in AGC’s Lean Construction Education Program, is now available. Variation in Production Systems is a four-hour course that will be offered locally at AGC Chapters across the country. Following completion of this course, participants will be able to:
The AGC Lean Construction Forum is an inclusive and collaborative community that is open to anyone with an interest in lean construction processes. The Forum website provides information on the latest Forum activities, lean-related articles, a searchable database of lean resources and a discussion tool that allows Forum members to share information and ask questions.
AGC of America represents approximately 30,000 firms throughout the construction industry, including more than 7,000 general contractors—a majority of whom perform some form of building construction as part of their business. Whether through the AGC Building Division, advocacy, safety and health, environment, labor and workforce, education and training or contract documents…AGC is focused on protecting your interests, helping your business, and improving your industry.
Construction employment increased in December by 17,000 driven by gains in nonresidential construction employment, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released today by AGC.