News

Construction of new homes rises but still lags behind demand The volume of new homes built in the Republic is continuing to increase but still remains far below the level of demand, figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show. So far this year 12,582 new properties have been built, an increase of 27.7 per cent on the first nine months of 2017 when 9,856 properties were completed. Although the trend is positive, the total is considerably lower than the estimated 30,000 homes needed every year to service demand in the property market. However, Davy economist Conall Mac Coille estimates...

US judge halts construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline  A federal judge in Montana halted construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The judgment was on the grounds that the U.S. government did not complete a full analysis of the environmental impact of the TransCanada project. The ruling deals a major setback for TransCanada and could possibly delay the construction of the $8 billion, 1,180 mile pipeline. A federal judge in Montana halted construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Thursday on the grounds that the U.S. government did not complete a full analysis of the environmental impact...

The New Moscone Center: Upgraded, Expanded and Improved The Moscone Center has been hosting events for decades, and the nearly-complete expansion and renovations will keep it globally competitive for decades to come. Lynn Farzaroli, senior director of the Moscone expansion for San Francisco Travel, says, “Our two main goals have been to create contiguous space and flexibility” for The Moscone Center. To that end, “we had multiple workshops with local clients, in Washington, D.C., and in Chicago,” she says. These goals have resulted in a wide variety of changes and upgrades. The Moscone Center has undergone an ambitious project that...

Bay Area startups see big opportunity in construction technology The industry has seen a torrent of investment in 2018 as startups seek to inject much-needed innovation into the sector. During the first half of 2018, investors pumped a record $1.05 billion in contech startups, which is 30 percent more than the 2017 total, according to a recent report from real estate firm JLL. Managing construction sites is hard work. The industry is plagued with high costs, labor shortages and slow progress. Construction is one of the least digitized industries in the world, according to a 2016 report from McKinsey Global...

Otis' self-climbing lifts used in construction of City of London's tallest skyscraper   Otis' Sky Build lifts, which climb up a building as it is built, are enabling the efficient construction of the 278-metre-tall Twentytwo skyscraper in London's financial district. Designed by London-based PLP Architecture, the tower formerly known as 22 Bishopsgate will be the tallest building in the City of London when it completes in 2019. Two of Otis' Sky Build lifts were installed at the site at the beginning of construction and have been used throughout the build. They will even remain in the building when it completes. The self-climbing lifts...