Construction Informer

Crane Carnage Continues: A 46,000 pound crane section fell on a man who was unloading it from a trailer at a Washington State construction site. The tie-down straps broke. He was 46 years old. In a separate incident in Colorado a worker was moving a self-propelled crane belonging to a custom homebuilder when it unexplainably accelerated, went out of control and dropped into a dry creek bed. The driver of the crane was killed. In yet another incident a worker was killed at a Chicago Heights steel plant when part of the crane he was operating fell on him and killed him. Still, NYC contractors continue complaining about what they call “unwieldy” new regulations imposed by that city in the wake of the federal government’s first updates to crane safety regulations in 40 years. Citing shutdowns caused by missing pieces of paperwork, or messy sites, the NYC contractors claim costly delays are developing.

Institutional Construction Set for Decline: The Architectural Billings Index (ABI) sank to its lowest level in its 13-year history for nonresidential construction. This means that spending on healthcare and educational facilities has once again dropped and that construction nine to 12 months out will be affected. Apparently governments and non-profits are having trouble getting bond approvals for such projects.

Canadian Charity Finds Construction Money Creatively: In a refreshing instance of people with religious convictions actually working together instead of fighting one another the Multifaith Housing Initiative in Ottawa negotiated a second mortgage with the seller of a building in order to fund the creation of 27 units of low-income housing at the site. The organization has Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs on its board, owns 40 affordable housing units in Ottawa, and will use an $840,000 grant from the Ontario government to renovate the building and pay down mortgages on a separate affordable housing building.