Features

Construction firms are coping with a seemingly unending series of supply-chain disruptions that are compounding problems caused by record materials cost increases and pandemic-induced challenges to operations. As each link is repaired or bypassed, another gap appears elsewhere.

The first time Cade Keyes encountered the Last Planner® System, his team was doing an addition to an emergency department at a hospital. Keyes, superintendent for Columbia Construction Co. in North Reading, Mass., an AGC of Massachusetts member, says that once he saw the efficiencies made possible by the Last Planner System, he knew it was going to drive the way he approached projects from that point on.

At the end of March, President Biden proposed a $2 trillion “physical infrastructure” plan. While there is a lot for the construction industry in this proposal, the funding comes with significant, and troubling, strings attached.

Thanks to COVID-19, the AGC community has had to wait a few extra months for the must-attend event of the year, but the 2021 Convention is now on the horizon and guaranteed to deliver the same great content, speaker series and networking events it always has!

Since the start of the pandemic, members have engaged with AGC to overcome many different challenges.

Legal trends are something AGC members of all stripes keep an eye on, but the topic is beyond broad. Legislation and specific concerns — everything from environmental issues to those related to union labor — vary wildly by region and state.

AGC and HCSS released the results of their annual highway work-zone survey in May, and the key finding was that 60% of highway contractors reported motor vehicle crashes at their construction work zones during the past year.

For many, summertime brings more than warmer temperatures. It brings memories of family road trips: parents, children, pets, books, games, and bikes all piled up in the station wagon, minivan or SUV.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, DPR Construction was facing a challenge many contractors were experiencing. A rash of infections had popped up at a San Diego jobsite that threatened their ability to stay on schedule.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not been easy on any business sector, including the construction industry.