News

Construction spending ticks up, led by housing The numbers: Construction spending rose 0.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.3 trillion in November from a revised $1.29 trillion in October, helped by housing, the Commerce Department said Friday. What happened: Economists surveyed by Econoday had forecast a 0.2% increase, but October figures were revised down. Outlays in November were 3.4% higher than a year ago, and for the first 11 months of 2018, were 4.5% higher than the same period in the prior year. Big picture: Residential construction spending was up 3.4% during the month, and was 0.6% higher...

What construction can learn from 1851's Crystal Palace At a time when the construction industry is facing urgent issues around productivity, skills and sustainability, could the 19th century Crystal Palace be a source of inspiration? The Crystal Palace featured an innovative blend of materials and construction methods with inspirational design to deliver profitability, predictability and productivity gains. Fast-forward to today and construction has fallen behind many other sectors on each of these fronts. Now, the government’s industrial white paper and £170m of funding is aiming to incentivise investment in productivity initiatives. The sector has been challenged to catch up. In this...

Safer construction sites in the works Under proposed amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994, the maximum fine for the offence, which is currently RM50,000, will be raised, Depart­ment of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) director-general Omar Mat Piah told The Star. Omar declined to reveal the exact figure for the new maximum penalty but said it would be a significant increase. The amendments, which are set to be tabled in Parliament in March, will also hold project owners and designers responsible for construction safety and health alongside employers and main contractors. This will be done by...

Lack of female facilities 'a major issue' on construction sites Unite have said it is vital that women construction workers can experience “period dignity” on sites. A survey conducted for the union found that a lack of facilities for women when they are having their periods is a major issue for many workers. One respondent said: “[I] asked for sanitary bins, [but] got ignored. If a female says anything they don’t like, they put it down to PMT.” Another added: “One portaloo. No separate changing facilities. No sanitary product bins or dispensers.” The union is asking companies to: Ensure each site...

Upper East Side building evacuated after debris falls from construction site UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- Firefighters are on the scene of a building on the Upper East Side after debris fell from a construction site. The debris fell from a site on Third Avenue onto a 6-story building on East 63rd Street and Third Avenue, causing damage to the roof. Residents of the building have been evacuated.There are no reports of injuries. The Department of Buildings has been notified and is heading to the scene to investigate.According to DOB records, a similar incident happened at the same site...