Rally focuses on SAFETEA-LU reauthorization

A caravan of bulldozers and other construction equipment displaying huge banners paraded through the streets of Washington last week to send a message to lawmakers that they must act now to stop the job bleeding in the construction-equipment industry. Start Us Up USA! campaign organizers, joined by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and other allies, also staged a rally on the National Mall against a backdrop of idle construction equipment and a sea of orange flags to emphasize the 550,000 jobs lost in the industry and to encourage the federal government not to delay enactment of multi-year highway legislation.

"Across the country, time is running out for the men and women of this industry as job losses continue to mount and prevent a broader economic recovery," said Toby Mack, president and CEO of the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED). "New transportation funding is a critical component to spurring a recovery of the construction equipment industry nationwide and improving our nation’s infrastructure," added Dennis Slater, president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), who along with AED, is co-sponsoring the Start Us UP USA! campaign.

While recession abates for some sectors of the U.S. economy, the construction equipment industry remains stalled in a deep depression, according to Mack and Slater. In fact, eight percent of all jobs lost during the recession – or two out of every 25 – can be traced to this ailing industry, according to an economic report released just last month by IHS Global Insight. AEM and AED largely blame the downturn in their sector, in part, on the uncertainty surrounding the future of the highway program and a scarcity of new federal investment in needed transportation improvements that would benefit the public and strengthen our nation’s competitiveness.

The current law – SAFETEA-LU – that funds the majority of the nation’s transportation investments expired on October 31, and Congress and the administration have yet to move on a new multi-year reauthorization bill. Leaders in the Start Us Up USA! campaign are calling for enactment of a new transportation bill before the spring construction season begins in early 2010. -- Mark S. Kuhar

Fighting the flu

Are you in need of a video that will help raise awareness of the H1N1 flu and reinforce basic behaviors to prevent the disease from spreading? Convergence Training has announced the launch of its new H1N1 Flu – Swine Flu Awareness Video, which it believes will do just that. With a shortage of H1N1 vaccines and President Obama’s recent declaration of a national emergency, the company said it has developed a video that’s appropriate for nearly any audience. Known for its use of 2D and 3D graphics and distinct visual style, Convergence Training is offering this video for purchase and download in flexible, easily-sharable formats to encourage broad distribution of the training. The video is available to purchase and download online at www.H1N1Video.com and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/kdellavalle. A DVD will be available soon. -- Brian Richesson

Construction starts steady in September

According to Reed Construction Data's Jim Haughey, construction starts fell only 1.5 percent in September from August after adjusting for the large seasonal decline typical at the end of the summer. This is consistent with the the company forecast indicating that starts will slip very slowly lower into the winter and that construction spending will dip slightly more by year-end.

After seasonal adjustment, non-residential building starts fell 1 percent in September from August, heavy project starts fell 17 percent and residential starts rose 2 percent. The residential gain was mostly for single-family construction. The housing recovery will continue at a more modest pace for the rest of the year. The large drop in the heavy market was largely sharp cutbacks after an August surge in the stimulus funded highway and water markets. Stimulus funded starts are expected to peak soon. But expect a rebound in the relatively low September starts totals before the peak is reached.

September non-residential results are the closest to the expected trend in late 2010. The decline was held to 1 percent by a 16 percent seasonally adjusted surge in retail starts which is likely to be reversed in the coming months. However, retail will be the first commercial market to recover because the recession began early in this market.

The economic environment is clearly improving for residential construction with massive federal pump priming, most of it directed to housing or consumer income support. It is not yet known if Congress will continue these subsidies into 2010 in the face of a $1.4 trillion budget deficit. If not, the economic environment for housing will worsen sharply. But the environment continues to worsen in non-residential markets.

The environment will be approximately steady in public non-residential markets with the spending of delayed building stimulus funds offset by cutbacks in state and local government capital spending forced by under-budget tax collections. The environment will continue to decline in private non-residential markets due to large and still rising space surpluses in commercial markets and near record high overcapacity in facility markets, especially in the energy field. -- Mark S. Kuhar

Restoring The Big House

Lafarge is scoring big with the University of Michigan.

High-performance Tercem 3000 blended cement supplied by Lafarge is playing a key role in the $226 million renovation and expansion of Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. The three-year construction project, which began after the last home game in 2007, includes preservation of the existing historic structure as well as stadium enhancements that will improve the game-day experience for University of Michigan Wolverines fans.

Known as the “Big House,” the University of Michigan football stadium is the fourth largest stadium in the world. The current renovation and expansion project, which has been phased so that home games and commencement ceremonies can continue as planned, involves replacement of bleachers, widening of seats and aisles, the addition of 83 luxury boxes and 3,200 club seats, and the construction of a new press box, restrooms, concession areas and concourses. Seating capacity will top 108,000 when the newly renovated stadium is complete.

Although work on the project will continue until the beginning of the 2010 football season, some major construction milestones already have been reached – including the removal of the existing bowl floor and replacing it with concrete containing Tercem 3000 blended cement from Lafarge’s terminal in Detroit. This highly automated cement terminal contains an on-demand blender capable of producing precisely proportioned custom blends of cementitious products quickly, efficiently and with great accuracy. Clawson & Killins Concrete Companies and Walker Parking Consultants agreed that allowing Lafarge to custom blend Tercem 3000 would enable them to produce a concrete containing excellent uniformity, finishability and superior hardened properties.

Tercem 3000 is a high-performance blend of slag cement, silica fume and Portland cement. It is precisely formulated for high strength, improved durability and superior placing and finishing qualities. It provides significant performance benefits, including improved 28-day strengths, reduced permeability, improved rheology and pumpability of concrete (especially in hot weather), reduced concrete bleeding, as well as improved resistance to alkali-silica reaction.

Tercem 3000 delivers environmental benefits as well. Production of Tercem 3000 uses less energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional cement manufacturing, the company said. Using materials reclaimed from steel-making and silicon metals operations, it is recognized as a “recovered” product by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and can help projects earn points toward certification under the LEED Green Building Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council. -- Brian Richesson

Smart solutions

It’s one thing to improve roads, highways and bridges across the nation, quite another to do so in a timely, cost-effective and innovative way. 

From the seven North Carolina bridges replaced in 45 days to the Utah highway that reduced commuters’ drive time from 42 to 16 minutes, a new report released by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials highlights 50 projects nationwide that showcase smart transportation solutions by state transportation departments.

The projects were entered in a competition to find America’s best projects, delivered on-time, on-budget and with innovative management. “What we found from examining the entries is that the states are applying creativity, accountability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness in delivering the transportation improvements their communities need. As a result, delays are shorter, projects are faster and taxpayers get more for their investments,” said John Horsley, AASHTO executive director.

The report, “Smart Solutions: 50 Ways America Just Got Better,” highlights success stories of state DOTs across the nation from the 2009 America’s Transportation Awards competition. The contest is sponsored by AASHTO, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The projects nominated for the America’s Transportation Awards contest were completed early and under budget, sought innovative methods to solve problems, relieved seriously congested vital corridors, improved public safety, enhanced economic growth, rebuilt after and prepared for disasters, achieved sustainable solutions, supported tourism and engaged the community.

Among the techniques used to make good projects better are: creative contracting, financial incentives and disincentives for contractors, innovative construction techniques, strategic traffic management, intelligent transportation systems, dogged attention to schedules, innovative financing, intergovernmental cooperation and constant communication.

“It is critical that our transportation systems receive the funding necessary to keep America moving,” Horsley said. “But even more important is that our state and local governments use that money to deliver projects that quickly meet the needs of our communities in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.”

Featured projects from 33 states demonstrate the breadth of successful transportation investments – from work on interstate corridors that eased congestion and used fast-track construction techniques, to efforts that enhanced public safety by improving roads and raising public awareness.

Download the 27-page report at www.transportation1.org/SmartSolutions. Learn more about the competition at www.AmericasTransportationAward.org. -- Brian Richesson