Magnificent Metal Monday

Credit: Rainier Square/NBBJ

Construction of the 850-foot-tall, $570 million-to-$600 million Rainier Square Tower in Seattle is turning out to be a proving ground for innovation.

According to Construction Dive, “Aluminum components are being 3D printed with the resulting v-shaped nodes and connected squares of curtain wall forming a dramatic slope from the fourth to 40th floors. Aside from the impressive aesthetic, this method of production can also more easily accommodate last-minute changes.”

The article goes on to explain, “Structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) started out planning to use a reinforced concrete core for the building, said firm CEO Ron Klemencic, and about halfway into the project, it was clear that the tower would be too expensive and was going to take too long to build, making it economically unfeasible for the building’s owner, developer Wright Runstad & Co.” So after tabling the project for over a year, they needed an idea that would “jumpstart the project without busting the budget.”

Magnificent Metal Monday

Photo Credit: Fortune.com

Next-generation innovations were the focus this past weekend at the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) in Las Vegas. CES is the world’s gathering place for those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. The show has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years. So with innovation and technology in mind, METALCON’s MMM focuses on drones in construction and how far they’ve come over the past several years. Construction Dive recently took a deeper look into the subject in their new series, “Tech 101.”

How will Construction Evolve in 2020?

In a recent article, Construction Dive offers five predictions on how construction will evolve in this New Year. Here are the top trends to expect in 2020 in the nation’s second-largest industry:

• Scrutiny into structural processes will aim to make catastrophes more impossible.
• Modular will see more momentum in the market.
• Diversity and equity come to the forefront through contract mandates.
• Automation will deliver efficiencies on jobsites without stealing jobs.
• Top contractors will continue to reconsider megaprojects with inherently high-risk contracts.

Industry News Round-Up

Here’s a round up of some top industry stories from this week:

CONSTRUCTION DIVE MODULAR BUILDER OF THE YEAR: SKENDER.

Chicago-based Skender, a traditional construction firm for 64 years that’s now primarily known as a modular builder, says it’s on the cusp of a proposition that is as efficient a business model as the industry can imagine. From Construction Dive’s point of view, Skender offers the most promising

MMM – Football and Vegas

Current status of new $1.9B Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas; Photo Credit: Construction Dive

We highlight Vegas again in this week’s Magnificent Metal Monday (MMM). While Musk’s underground tram (METALCON Blog Issue Nov 18) may not be finished in time for METALCON 2020, the new $1.9B Allegiant stadium will be! Construction Dive takes an inside look into the status of the project, on track to be completed by summer 2020.

New Tool to Map High Impact Construction Projects

Construction Dive has launched a new tool to map high-impact construction projects across the United States. Construction is an engine that powers the U.S. economy. Across the country, large-scale projects are shaping communities by enabling industry, improving transit and meeting changing demand for commercial space and housing.

Ice Ice Baby – Pittsburgh Fever!

PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA; Photo courtesy of The KMA Group

It’s a sports lovers week! First the NCAA Basketball Championship Game and now onto the Stanley Cup ice hockey playoffs. Why would we cover this for our METALCON readers you ask? If you haven’t already heard, METALCON 2019 is headed to Pittsburgh in October for the first time in its 28 year show history. There are a lot of factors that go into the decision of where the show will take place year over year. Given Pittsburgh’s illustrious history in the steel industry, along with the ongoing development of its downtown and convention district, selecting it for the 2019 show was an easy decision.

Magnificent Metal Monday

$25 Billion Hudson Yards opens Phase I in New York City

Aerial view of Hudson Yards, NYC; photo credit: https://www.corkeryconsulting.com.

Growing up near Manhattan, I was always struck by the city’s “something is always happening here” modus operandi. My recent visit was no exception … just when you think the “Big Apple” is out of room for big development, the amazing happens.

As reported by Construction Dive, Hudson Yards has been in the planning stages for two decades, according to Curbed New York, and under construction for about six. The entire 28-acre project, much of it built above former rail yards, is expected to add $19 billion to New York City’s gross domestic product each year. Construction and development costs through 2025 are expected to total $20 billion. 

Women in Construction Week Highlights Push for More Diversity in the Workplace

In a traditionally male-dominated field, the numbers are starting to show a changing trend. Women represent only 9 percent of the construction jobs within the industry, according to the United States Department of Labor. But by next year that number is expected to double to more than 25 percent. WIC (Women in Construction) Week,  sponsored by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), provides an occasion for firms to raise awareness of the growing impact women have on the industry, as well as the myriad of opportunities available to them, either in the field or in the office. Read on for a round up of some of the stories highlighting Women in Construction Week around the country and how local groups are building greater awareness:

Magnificent Metal Monday

Photo courtesy of Construction Dive, December 21, 2018

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of METALCON 2019, may be seeing a $700 million city enhancement project come to fruition in the near future. According to Construction Dive, local developer Millcraft Investments provided more information last week about the Esplanade, its planned $700 million, 15-acre mixed-use development along the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

What will 2019 look like?

Where’s the crystal ball when you need one? Without crystal balls, tarot cards or other mind-reading methods, we turn to the industry trades to help us “see into the future.”

Best of the Best of 2018

Grand Award winner in the 2018 Metal Construction News Building & Roofing Awards; photo courtesy of pod architecture + design, Rabbit Hole Distilling, and Prodigy Construction

You know it’s nearing the end of another year when “best of” lists for everything from music to toys to movies to fashion begin popping up everywhere.  The construction and roofing industry is no exception.  Here’s a round-up of some of the industry’s “best of the best” from 2018:

Magnificent Metal Monday

Photo courtesy of Construction Dive

Construction begins on Texas Border Gates

Despite resistance on behalf of many lawmakers to commit to additional funding and also risking a possible government shut down later this month over this issue, construction on the border wall between Texas and Mexico is ongoing.  Construction Dive recently reported, ” U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), along with the Army Corps of Engineers, announced the start of construction at another section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, with the latest contract worth up to $5.7 million.”