Productivity

It’s difficult to recover from a low estimate in construction. Owners don’t want to pay more than they have to, and scope creep is a credibility killer. That’s why successful companies understand the value of an experienced estimator and solid estimating systems. They also train...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2—National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.4% in October, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $...

In the construction industry, where project success hinges on a variety of factors from financial management to safety practices, peer-group benchmarking serves as a critical tool for gaining competitive advantage and ensuring operational excellence. Benchmarking involves compari...

In the construction industry, the project schedule serves as a rulebook for controlling costs, ensuring timely delivery and maintaining quality standards. Scheduling accuracy is arguably the most critical contributor to a project's success; a great schedule can make a project, wh...

Maturity monitoring, a non-destructive way to estimate the compressive strength of in-place concrete, uses digital sensors to capture inputs such as time and temperature in order to monitor strength in real-time, saving the design and construction team time and money. The sensor ...

The shortcomings of traditional project delivery methods are well known to construction professionals. The cost and risk-shifting strategies of project owners, contractors and design firms are intended to address which entities are exposed to loss. These strategies frequently res...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13—Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator held steady at 8.4 months in July, according to an ABC member survey conducted July 22 to Aug. 6. The reading is down 0.9 months from July 2023. View ABC’s Construction...

Skilled construction professionals have mastered the art of balancing construction’s four M’s–money, manpower, machines and materials. Despite advances in capital management, machines and materials, managing construction labor is still a people challenge. This industry relies on ...

The construction landscape is constantly evolving. From continuing labor shortages to ready-to-deploy tech solutions, a range of forces is currently influencing project delivery across the U.S. It takes agility, flexibility and creative operating strategies for construction execu...

Associated Builders and Contractors recently released its 2024 Workforce Development Survey, which found its member contractors invested $1.6 billion to provide craft, leadership and health and safety education to more than 1.3 million course attendees nationwide in 2023, up from...