Interstate 35W Bridge Construction Starts


MINNEAPOLIS -- Construction of the new Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis is expected to begin Thursday after weeks of survey and demolition work.
Bridge construction will start with drilling at least 100 feet into the ground for underground supports. Flatiron Constructors of Colorado has told MnDOT it will have the bridge finished in 437 days, starting Oct. 15 and finishing by the end of 2008. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Interstate 75 widening project kicks off in Southwest Florida


Halfway between Pine Ridge Road and Golden Gate Parkway, Joe Colthran pulls off onto a northbound shoulder of Interstate 75. Adolfo Ochoa, a foreman with Protective Barriers, Inc., installs silt screen near the Pine Ridge Road exit of Interstate 75 in Naples on Sunday, the first day of construction of the iROX Interstate 75 expansion project. It is Sunday, the first day of work for the massive $400 million-plus I-75 widening project, but Ajax construction manager Colthran, a 31-year construction veteran, has been on the job since midnight Saturday, early Sunday. While 30 miles of I-75 will ultimately be widened, right now, contractors are working on stage one: from Golden Gate Parkway to Bonita Beach Road. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Construction to begin on $90M medical school


Michigan - With costs determined and drawings unveiled, MSU administrators finally had a chance to celebrate the $90 million medical school expected to open in 2010 in Grand Rapids.
A plan that has been in the works for more than a year was set into action Friday, as the MSU Board of Trustees granted the university “authorization to proceed” with construction.
“I want to recognize this as the anchor building for the medical mile in Grand Rapids,” MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said. “This is an ambitious project, not only the building but the whole academic component.” Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Oceanteam takes extra construction options


NORWAY - Oceanteam Power & Umbilical ASA has secured two additional options with MetalShips & Docks to build construction support vessels with deliveries in the third quarter of 2011 and the third quarter of 2012. Oceanteam will target the vessels at its established subsea and power and umbilical installation services markets with particular emphasis on subsea services. Oceanteam already is building five large construction support/power cable lay vessels by MetalShips & Docks in Vigo, Spain, of which the first delivery in the series is 50/50 owned together with Bourbon Offshore Norway AS. The vessel, the Bourbon Oceanteam 101, will start operations in late November 2007. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Angola: Construction of Lucala-Pambos De Sonhe-Uíge Electricity Supply Network Approved


The government recently approved the project for the construction of the 220kv electrical energy supply network, Lucala-Pambos de Sonhe-Uíge and a series of infrastructures it composes. The decision is contained in the State Gazette nº 92, 1st Series, which ANGOP had access to this Sunday. The same document approves the contracts of undertakings for works of the referred Electricity Supply System estimated at USD 198.353,239,87, as well as the supply of technical assistance and supervision services, estimated at USD 8.980,620. According to the document, the government authorises the Ministry of Energy and Waters to sign the referred contracts with the Odebrecht/Elecnor/Isolux consortium for the contract of for works on the system. The government also authorised the KSU consortium, made up of KOLOMA, Soapro and Uniconsult firms, for the contract of supplying of technical assistance and supervision. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

ProLogis Releases New Research Reports on Industrial Property ...


DENVER Colorado - ProLogis , a leading global provider of distribution facilities and services, today released two semi-annual research reports on the state of the U.S. industrial property market. The first, the company's U.S. Property Market Review, indicates that market conditions for industrial developers are holding steady throughout most of the United States. The average industrial vacancy rate across the country's top 30 markets remained at 7.6 percent in the first half of 2007, unchanged from the prior period. Asking rents, meanwhile, rose at a 6.6 percent annual rate during the first six months of the year. The second report, entitled U.S. Construction Pipeline Report, shows that new industrial construction remains disciplined. New starts totaled 67 million square feet, compared with 63 million square feet in the latter half of 2006. At that pace, 2007 full-year starts will total approximately 2.5 percent of existing inventory, which is low by historical standards. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Dubai construction workers strike


Thousands of South Asian construction workers have gone on strike in Dubai over bad working conditions and low pay, threatening the emirate's already struggling building boom. Labourers have long complained about working conditions in the Gulf and Sunday's strike comes as contractors struggle to find workers to complete their projects. The cost of living here has increased so much in the past two years that I cannot survive with my salary," said Rajesh Kumar, a 24-year-old worker from the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh who earns $149 a month. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Fort Sam begins construction on new center for returning soldiers


U.S. Army officials on Saturday broke ground on a new 12,000-square-foot treatment center at Fort Sam Houston.
Once completed, the new Warrior and Family Support Center will replace a 1,000-square-foot temporary facility currently in use.
The facility is designed to address the physical and emotional needs of America's wounded soldiers and their families, while they are receiving medical treatment and rehabilitation at the hospital. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Construction on track for 2010 Winter Olympics


VANCOUVER, Canada - Preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are on track and will face their first test with the Alpine World Cup in February, organizers and Olympics officials said Thursday.
"We are moving from construction to operational phases," John Furlong, chief executive of the Vancouver organizing committee, told reporters after several days of meetings.
Whistler -- a ski resort near Vancouver where many of the Olympic events will take place -- will host the Alpine World Cup in February, the first test of venues and planning for the 2010 games, said Furlong. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Court blocks construction on Playa Vista's final phase in Los Angeles


LOS ANGELES – A state appeals court on Thursday blocked construction of the final phase of a huge commercial and housing development along the Los Angeles coast that's been dogged by criticism for its location on sensitive wetlands.
The Second District Court of Appeal said the city's report detailing how part of the $4 billion Playa Vista development would impact the environment is flawed. It directed the city to rescind its approval of the report and ordered construction halted. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

China's tallest building nearly done


SHANGHAI, China - After a more than a decade of delays, China's tallest building is slicing through Shanghai's hazy, skyscraper-studded skyline — a new trophy built by a Japanese property tycoon. The 101-story Shanghai World Financial Center, a 1,614 foot wedge-shaped tower with a rectangular hole at the very top, was topped out on Friday as its last beam was laid amid a drizzle that obscured the building's panoramic view of endless high rises.
In a city whose skyline evinces the belief "the taller the better," the building is bound to be a major tourist destination and landmark. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Granite Construction Company Awarded $138 Million California Highway Reconstruction Project


WATSONVILLE, California - Granite Construction Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Granite Construction Incorporated today announced that its Bay Area Branch, in a joint venture with FCI Constructors, Inc., has been awarded a $138 million project by the California Department of Transportation for the reconstruction of the Route 92/880 freeway interchange in Hayward, California. Granite's portion of the contract is 43%, or approximately $60 million.
The joint venture team will construct over eight bridges, as well as a modernized interchange, retaining walls, new storm water pump station and all associated roadwork. The project also includes complete demolition of the existing interchange. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

4 dead, 10 injured as under-construction flyover collapses in Hyderabad


Hyderabad - At least four persons were killed and some more feared trapped under the debris following collapse of an under-construction flyover in the busy commercial area of Punjagutta here on Sunday.
The iron scaffolding of the fly-over caved in leading to the mishap.
So far, four bodies had been retrieved and ten injured persons shifted to various hospitals, city commissioner of police Balwinder Singh told reporters at the spot, which is at a stone's throw from Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's camp office.
The initial reports put the death toll at 15. However, the police commissioner confirmed four deaths.
Five vehicles -- four cars and an autorikshaw -- were still trapped in the rubble. Gas-cutters and heavy-duty cranes were pressed into service to retrieve those trapped and clear the debris. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

$583M earmarked for Island military construction projects


The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly yesterday to approve a measure that includes $583 million for a dozen military construction projects in Hawaii.
The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, which passed 92-1, earmarks nearly $209 million for Island barracks and living quarters construction and improvements at Fort Shafter, Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Kane'ohe Bay. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Developer looking to 2008 construction at Ground Zero


Long-delayed construction of a pair of towers at the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan will begin in January, followed six months later by the start of work on a third building, the developer said.
The three massive building projects will be completed and the structures ready for occupancy in 2012, said Larry A. Silverstein, the billionaire chief executive of Silverstein Properties Inc.
Silverstein, joined by public officials and representatives of the three architectural firms that designed the buildings, laid out the schedule for the estimated $7 billion worth of construction at a news conference at 7 World Trade Center - a skyscraper Silverstein built after the original structure was destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Construction to Begin on First-of-Its-Kind Clean Coal Power Plant


ATLANTA GA - Officials representing Southern Company, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and KBR Inc., on Monday, Sept. 10, will break ground on an advanced 285- megawatt integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) facility near Orlando, Fla. The new generating station will be among the cleanest, most efficient coal-fueled power plants in the world. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Int'l construction exhibition opens in Ho Chi Minh City


A large-scale international construction exhibition, Vietbuild 2007, opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 6, introducing the latest building materials, civil engineering technology, housing designs and interior decoration.
Domestic and foreign businesses from 18 countries and territories worldwide are displaying their products in more than 2,000 booths at the six-day exhibition, jointly held by the Construction Ministry and the AFP International Exhibition and Fair Company. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Insurers to bear brunt of home construction defects


If a homebuilder fouls up your foundation and cracks appear in the walls shortly after you move in, is it an accident or something the builder could have prevented?
That question has been in front of the Texas Supreme Court for nearly two years. The court ruled late last week that construction defects are generally accidents and should be covered under contractor liability insurance.
Lawyers say the ruling could force insurance companies to raise their rates to contractors on the argument that they'll now have millions of dollars a year in defective home construction complaints to defend. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Carillion wins £470m work in Gulf construction boom


The construction company Carillion has won £470m of contracts at its Middle East joint venture thanks to the oil-fuelled building boom in the region.
The group is involved in a number of huge building projects, including Dubai Festival City – a new town which will be home to 25,000 people – and a mix of hotels, leisure and retail developments in Cairo.
Carillion has also signed agreements for up to a further £5.3bn of construction work through its Middle East joint venture business, Al Futtaim-Carillion. John McDonough, the chief executive, said he hoped to double the amount of work the company won in the region over the next five years. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Removing WWII Bombs Steady Job in Berlin for Construction


BERLIN - The earth shakes briefly in Berlin's Mittelheide city park, and a cloud of rain-soaked dirt rises over the ferns in the woods. Police have just detonated a football-sized anti-tank grenade from World War II.
More than 60 years after the war's end, removing unexploded bombs, grenades and artillery shells remains a full-time task for police and private companies all over Germany.
It's an occurrence so common that police explosives experts Thomas Mehlhorn and Joerg Neumann can joke about their delicate job as they sift warm pieces of shrapnel from wet dirt reeking of sulfur.
"When the weather isn't as bad as it is today, of course this job is fun," Mehlhorn said. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

UAE amnesty sparks construction labour shortage


DUBAI - The departure of tens of thousands of illegal foreign workers from the United Arab Emirates under an amnesty has created a labour shortage in the country's booming construction sector.
"It is creating an impact on construction sites... About 300,000 workers have evaporated from the market," said Mike Cairney, director of EC Harris construction consultancy firm in Dubai.
"A lot of workers who have taken advantage of the amnesty have been working in construction," he told AFP, and said that complaints about a lack of workers have already been heard on building sites.
The UAE said this week that nearly 279,000 illegal labourers had taken advantage of a three-month amnesty to either formalise their status or leave the country.
Some 185,000 of those were based in Dubai, which is currently undergoing a construction frenzy. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Lines at Canadian border likely to grow as construction starts


Driving into the United States from Canada is about to get slower.
An upcoming reconstruction project at the Peace Arch in Blaine means drivers will face backups for two years, as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility undergoes a $72 million overhaul.
During the project, which starts this fall and will last till the end of 2009, the inspection lanes will be reduced from seven to three or four.
At times, it could be fewer than that, said a customs official.
A major thrust of the project is preparing for increased traffic during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Hitachi Construction sees profit doubling over 4 years


TOKYO - Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd is targeting 70 percent growth in sales and a doubling in profit over four years as demand for earth-moving equipment booms in China, India and Russia, its CEO said. Like bigger rival Komatsu Ltd and industry leader Caterpillar Inc, Japan's second-largest maker of construction machinery is gearing up for what it sees as long-term growth for many emerging economies. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Jacobs Gets Road Construction Contract


ATLANTA GA - Construction services provider Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. said Wednesday it received a contract to widen and reconstruct two roadway sections north of Atlanta. Financial terms weren't disclosed. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

US July construction spending down 0.4 pct as home building falls 1.4 pct UPDATE


WASHINGTON - Overall construction spending in July unexpectedly posted the first decline in half a year, dragged down by the sharpest decline in home building since January, the Commerce Department said today.
Construction spending fell 0.4 pct in July to 1.17 trln usd, the lowest level since April and the first drop since January. Economists polled by Thomson's IFR Markets had expected overall construction spending to rise 0.1 pct in the month. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Leighton expands to Gulf construction through Dubai stake


SYDNEY: Leighton Holdings, Australia's biggest builder, agreed to pay 870 million Australian dollars, or $712 million, for a stake in Al Habtoor Engineering of Dubai, increasing its role in one of the world's fastest-growing real estate markets.
Leighton's shares, which have more than doubled this year, rose by the most since February after the Sydney-based company said that it will use cash and debt to buy 45 percent of Al Habtoor Engineering, raising revenue by 800 million dollars in fiscal 2008.
Leighton's chief executive, Wal King, is expanding in the Gulf region to take advantage of growth in demand for the company's construction and engineering services. The United Arab Emirates is the site of some $220 billion in construction projects, more than any other Gulf state, as the country uses record oil revenue to diversify its economy by building hotels, airports and factories.
"It's very good business in Dubai for construction companies like Leighton," said Angus Gluskie, who helps manage the equivalent of about $380 million, including Leighton shares, at White Funds Management in Sydney. "Customers there place a high priority on getting the job done quickly, so a company like Leighton, with a strong track record of delivery, can expect to get higher margins in Dubai." Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Construction in the U.S. Declines Most Since January


Spending on U.S. construction projects unexpectedly fell in July by the most since January, indicating that the homebuilding slump continued to hold back economic growth at the start of the third quarter.
The 0.4 percent decline followed a 0.1 percent gain the prior month, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Figures for June were previously reported as a drop.
Homebuilders are scaling back to try to trim the glut of unsold residential properties even as companies are still adding offices and factories. The downturn may steepen as lenders make it tougher and more expensive to get financing following the sell-off in credit markets in August.
``We're going to see another leg down, mostly because of the pain the big builders are taking,'' said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics LLC in Pepper Pike, Ohio, who had forecast a decline. ``The full effects of the market volatility really haven't found their way into housing yet. The August declines may be even bigger.'' Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

New construction project causes more congestion


BOISE ID -Just when you thought traffic congestion couldn't get any worse…think again! Construction got underway today near the intersection of Maple Grove and Fairview.
Maple Grove and Fairview is one of the busiest intersections in Boise, and with more drivers moving to the area it's only getting busier. But many drivers and business owners in the area feel it's going to get worse before it gets better.
“Hopefully 60 days from today that intersection will be done. It will be wider, it will accept traffic, and you'll be able to get through much easier,” said Craig Quintana, ACHD spokesperson.
The construction that started today is part of the overall Maple Grove Widening Project. It stretches from Franklin to Fairview. The goal according to the Ada County Highway District is to widen Maple Grove to five lanes - complete with bike lanes, turn lanes, curbs, gutters and sidewalks.
“It will increase the volume quite a bit, and convenience and safety to boot,” said Quintana.
The contractor, Idaho Sand and Gravel, has a sixty day window to get the job done.
“If they don't make it, they'll be paying liquidated damages for every day, so there's quite a financial incentive for them to get in and out of on time,” said Quintana. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Developers of the Renaissance Tower are ready to pay damages if need be, but they remain committed to the $ 40 million project.


Developers of the Renaissance Tower are ready to pay damages if need be, but they remain committed to the $ 40 million project.
“ If city officials elect to go ahead and request us to pay money, we’re going to do it, ” said John Nock, one of the developers behind the planned 18-story Marriott Renaissance. The Fayetteville City Council entered a contract with the developers of the project when it created the city’s only Tax Increment Financing district to clear the way for the project. The contract stipulates that the hotel be open for business by Sept. 1 or the council can ask for liquidated damages of $ 834. 73 per day, or $ 25, 042 per month.
“ I don’t know if the city is looking for money as much as a change in the skyline, ” Nock said.
More to the point, he said, the City Council is interested in the sales tax revenue the project will produce once it’s finished. The project hit a number of delays, such as the debate over height requirements and changes caused by Marriott Co. officials’ insistence that two floors be added. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

At Least 4 Dead After Bridge Collapses in Pakistan


KARACHI, Pakistan — A recently constructed road bridge collapsed in the southern Pakistan city of Karachi on Saturday, killing at least four people and injuring others, officials said.
At least two cars, a police van and a donkey cart were crushed under masonry. A truck with a trailer and a minibus lay upturned by the 100-meter (yard) -long, curved section of the overpass that crashed onto a road about 15 meters (yards) below. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
City mayor Mustafa Kamal said they were using heavy machinery and bulldozers to remove debris and pull out injured people trapped in at least two or three vehicles. Full Story Synergen Consulting International

New problems with PHS construction project


Members of a weary Piggott School Board met in regular session Monday night, and heard a report on the latest problem to plague their current building project. The board also took care of the usual business matters and completed the process of hiring staff for the coming school year, with classes set to begin on Monday at both campuses.
On hand for the meeting were board president John Rodery, vice president Shawn Parker, members Neil Morgan and Jeff Benbrook. Also on hand were superintendent Ed Winberry, Sheila Mayberry, Della Jackson and school board candidates Hope Burkman and Tim Boyd. Board secretary Robert Jackson was out of town on business, but sent a letter concerning the building project. The complete text of that letter can be found in its entirety below. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Japan firm's delay to cost RP P630M


CLARK FREEPORT—The government "virtually gave away" P630 million when President Macapagal-Arroyo approved a four-month extension of the construction deadline of a Japanese contractor building the Bataan-Pampanga portion of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, an Inquirer source said.
Ms Arroyo's approval, made on the recommendation of Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan, missed out on the payment of P630 million in liquidated damages for the delay by the Kajima Corp., Obayashi Corp., JFE Engineering Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (KOJM) Joint Venture, said the source, who was involved in and knowledgeable on the Subic-Clark development projects.
KOJM was supposed to finish its contract on Nov. 15 this year but sought an extension until March next year to make up for the delay due mainly to right-of-way problems. The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said part of the blame rests on KOJM for failing to bring in new pieces of equipment to finish its job. Full Story - Synergen Consulting Interntional

University of Texas Royal-Memorial slightly smaller in '07 as construction continues


AUSTIN - The cranes tower over the campus skyline, and the north end zone for Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium looks, well, like a construction zone.
The stadium even got smaller -- reduced by about 5,000 seats -- because of the refurbishing project for the horseshoe end of the stadium.
But Texas officials say once it's done, the home of the No. 4 Texas Longhorns will be bigger and better in time for the 2008 season. Texas opens the 2007 season Saturday night against Arkansas State.
Construction crews began demolishing the old horseshoe in December. The new structure moves the seats about 30 yards closer to the action, wiping out the large green space between the field and the stands. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Angola: Premier Lays Foundation Stone for Construction of "Youth House"


Angolan prime minister Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos Thursday laid, in Luena city (eastern Moxico province), the foundation stone for the construction of the Youth House, whose works will commence this year in the light of the Public Investments Programme (PIP).
The undertaking shall have a professional training centre, library, areas for sports, recreation and of accommodation, gymnasium, and an amphitheatre, among others.
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In fulfilling the programme, the prime minister also re-inaugurated the gym-sports pavilion of Luena, rehabilitated in nine months that cost 52 million Angolan Kwanzas from the coiffeurs of the local government. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Asian construction industry expected to build momentum


THE rebound in the Asian construction industry is expected to gather momentum over the next three to five years, the economic forecaster and industry analyst BIS Shrapnel says.
Most Asian countries are in the upturn stage of the building investment cycle, which has been triggered by sustained economic growth in the region in recent years, BIS Shrapnel's Building and Construction in Asia 2006-07 to 2011 report series says.
"Increasing transparency in China's property market and higher property investment returns are attracting more foreign institutional and private equity funds to the Chinese property markets, said Adeline Wong, a senior project manager with BIS Shrapnel and report author. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Three construction companies in trouble


HYDERABAD, INDIA - The state government has finally decided to crack the whip on three construction companies — Gammon India, Madhucon Constructions and R M Shetty & Co. for having failed to complete even 20 per cent of the irrigation projects in the Telangana region though the deadline is coming to an end. This decision was taken at a review meeting on fast track irrigation projects in Telangana chaired by chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on Thursday. Talking to reporters after the meeting, major irrigation minister P Lakshmaiah said that the government had decided to issue show cause notices to the three companies within a week and would cancel the agreement, and call for fresh tenders. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International

Death Toll from Azerbaijani Building Collapse Rises to 12


The death toll from Tuesday's collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Azerbaijan has risen to at least 12.
Rescuers in the capital city, Baku, recovered additional bodies using heavy equipment in a continuing search for survivors beneath the rubble.
At least four people have been pulled out alive during the past two days.
The dead include construction workers and a woman and her granddaughter who were passing the building when it fell. Full Story - Synergen Consulting International