Forums: Construction Field Computing

(07-29) 16:28 PDT Los Angeles, CA (AP) -- A construction worker has died after being buried under 11 feet of dirt at a Pacific Palisades home. Los Angeles Assistant Fire Chief Terry Manning says the man was buried in a trench during an excavation shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday morning. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/07/29/state/n143938D50.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0v8Fv9KJ4

The American Institute of Architects’ midyear look at nonresidential construction concludes that new development spending likely to fall more than 20% this year -- significantly more than forecasters predicted six months ago -- with hotel and office construction down by more than 43% and 29%, respectively. Even with a modest U.S. economic recovery under way, overall nonresidential spending is expected to drop 20.3% for 2010 - nearly 30% for private commercial development -- before edging up an inflation-adjusted 3.1% in 2011, according to the AIA’s semi-annual Consensus Construction Forecast, a survey of the nation’s leading construction forecasters. Manufacturing facilities will...

On Wednesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained 25 illegal aliens who attempted to enter Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC. All of the were carrying fake identification and worked for a contractor doing work on the base. According to ICE, two of the illegal aliens were being held in the Charleston County Jail, as they were wanted on other charges. The other 23 were released pending deportation hearings. The foreign nationals were working for Palacio Drywall of Cornelius. The company is being used as a subcontractor for Caddel Construction Co. of Montgomery, Alabama.

For the seventh month in a row, the price of construction materials and supplies increased in May, rising 0.7 percent, according to the June 16 producer price index report by the U.S. Labor Department. Prices are 5.9 percent higher from May 2009. (See Analysis below)