A round-up of news and updates from the construction industry.
We’re building roads to withstand last century’s climate
Asphalt in use tolerates the temperature extremes of a period that ended in 1995.
A group of researchers based in Arizona decided that might already be causing problems, as global temperatures have risen considerably since 1995. So they obtained data on the asphalt type used on nearly 800 roads, widely distributed across the Continental US. And they compared those types to the sorts of temperatures those areas have been experiencing in recent years.
The news isn't good. Of the roads built over the past 20 years, a full 35 percent were produced using an incorrect material. In most cases, this involves a tolerance for cold temperatures that no longer occur. But in a quarter of these cases, the road was experiencing high temperatures that it wasn't designed to tolerate
California bullet train costs up $1.7 billion for Central Valley segment
The Central Valley construction and planning is now projected to cost $8 billion, based on a quarterly report — known as the funding contribution plan — that was issued in June but not made public until this month. Work on the track, originally scheduled to be finished this year, is about seven years behind schedule.
Failing Dam Adds to Worries in Post-Hurricane Puerto Rico
Water drains from the Guajataca Dam in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017. Puerto Rican officials rushed to evacuate tens of thousands of people downstream of the failing dam and the massive scale of the disaster wrought by Hurricane Maria started to become clear.
Texas construction industry faces labor shortage amid Hurricane Harvey rebuilding
The damage done by Hurricane Harvey in Houston and along the Texas coast was worse than many predicted, and the long process to rebuild is just beginning. But who will do the work?
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Hurricane Harvey Expected to Impact North Texas Construction Industry
“[Harvey] will make the labor shortage that we’ve had here a lot worse, at least in the months to come and into the first quarter of next year,” said Phil Crone, Executive Officer of the Dallas Builders Association, a trade association that supports hundreds of Dallas-area construction companies.
A new blueprint for America's construction trades
It's been a month since Hurricane Harvey devastated the city of Houston and Southeast Texas. Damage estimates go up to $190 billion. The cleanup has begun, but a major shortage is looming for the rebuilding effort. It's not a lack of will, or money; it's a lack of skilled labor … a national shortage that's reaching a crisis stage.
The Legalization Of Marijuana And Its Impact On The Construction Industry
As laws change regarding marijuana use, they present a whole host of ongoing human resource issues, especially for the construction industry.