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Around the Circuit
Construction Market
Shows Steady Gains
"The construction industry has been hitting on all
cylinders lately," says Ken Simonson, chief economist for the
Associated
General Contractors of America, in a recent economic report. The value
of construction put in place, as shown in the Census Bureau's latest
figures, set a record for the 14th straight month in March $1.05
trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. For the first three
months of 2005 combined, the value of construction put in place
increased 9% compared to the first quarter of 2004 and was well
balanced
among private residential (13%), private nonresidential (7%), and
public construction (3%). The largest gains were seen in manufacturing
construction (31%), communication (26%), lodging and multi-family
construction (16% each), and single-family (14%). Keep in mind that
these spending figures are not adjusted for inflation, notes Simonson.
Therefore, part of the gain actually represents higher costs for
materials, energy and transportation, and labor.
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Construction
Employment Soars in 2005
In her recent Congressional testimony, Bureau of Labor
Statistics
Commissioner Kathleen Utgoff cited a solid rise in construction
employment, indicating that nonfarm payroll employment rose by 274,000
(seasonally adjusted) in April, and the unemployment rate held at 5.2%.
"The increase in payroll jobs followed revised gains of 300,000 in
February [revised from 243,000] and 146,000 in March [revised from
110,000]," she says. "Over the month, employment growth was widespread.
Construction employment rose by 47,000, continuing the
strong growth trend of the last two years. Most of April's increase
occurred in specialty trade contracting (40,000), with gains in both
its
residential and nonresidential components."
From April 2004 to April 2005, total construction employment expanded
more than twice as fast as overall nonfarm payroll employment (4.3% vs.
1.7%) to an all-time high of 7,209,000 a gain of 296,000.
Similar statistics from the Department of Labor indicate that
construction employment showed a 2% increase in March coming in at
approximately 6.8 million jobs as compared to about 6.7 million the
previous month. Compared to the 6.5 million figure from a year ago,
this
represents a 3.7% rise. More specifically, electrical contractor
employment documented in February at 840,600 jobs revealed a 0.9%
decrease from the previous month at 848,400. Nevertheless, the February
total is up from 826,400 from a year ago.
Construction
Outlook: What's in Store
for Remainder of 2005?
According to Ken Simonson, chief economist for the
Associated General Contractors of America, record sales for
single-family new homes in March suggest that
residential construction will not retreat in 2005, as predicted. The
upturn in state revenues and the improved prospects for enactment of a
highway bill also point to expanded public construction in 2005 and
2006. In
his opinion, private nonresidential construction seems poised to move
ahead on several fronts. Hotels and resorts are benefiting from higher
occupancy and room rates a cheap dollar is making the United
States an attractive destination for foreign vacationers and
booming trade thats drawing overseas business travelers. Rising output
and capacity utilization, along with slowly falling vacancy rates, are
leading to selective factory and warehouse construction. Retail and
health-care construction should remain robust as personal income and
health-care spending outpace inflation.
California
Extends
Deadline for Mandatory Electrician Certification, Again
For the second time this year, the California
Apprenticeship Council
(CAC) has extended the deadline for mandatory electrician
certification.
The CAC recently passed a motion to extend the test deadline for the
three current exams of general electrician, residential electrician,
and
fire/lift safety technician for six months to Jan. 1, 2006. The
deadline
for V/D/V technicians, non-residential lighting technicians, and
monolingual Spanish speakers remains at Jan. 1. Electricians must
pass a computerized certification exam and complete either an approved
apprenticeship program or have 8,000 hours of experience as a general
electrician and 2,000 hours as a nonresidential lighting technician to
be certified for work in the state. See a list of the California
certified electricians, download an application
form, or visit the Web
site for the
Division of Apprenticeship Standards.
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Project Watch
Amtrak Solicits
Firms for Construction Management Services in New York
The National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak) is
receiving technical and cost proposals for construction management
services estimated at $1.5 to $2 million, which is part of a $25 to $30
million construction contract, to upgrade the catenary system on its
New
York Hellgate Line. The scope of work includes eliminating the
"floating
beam" catenary system and re-profiling the existing catenary between
support structures. The group will pre-qualify firms that have
satisfactorily performed construction management services for a minimum
of five projects for
large transportation facilities. Interested parties should submit a
completed Standard Form 255 "Architect-Engineer and Related Services
Questionnaire for Specific Projects" by May 17 to the attention of
Contracting Agent John R. DeVito, Sr. at the National Railroad
Passenger
Corp., Amtrak Procurement & Materials, Management Department, Fifth
Floor South Tower, 30th Street Station, 30th and Market Streets,
Philadelphia, PA 19104. The contract will be awarded during the third
quarter of 2005.
Community College
Network Seeks Contractors to Bid on Electrical Project
The Coast Community College District (CCCD) is accepting
sealed
bids for the construction of a new electrical house and relocation of
electrical utilities at the Orange Coast College south campus in Costa
Mesa, Calif. A non-mandatory walkthrough is scheduled
for May 19 at 9 a.m. Interested parties should call (714) 438-4646 for
a
map. Bids for the Orange Coast College New Electrical Center are due on
or before 2 p.m. on June 7, 2005. Bid documents for this project
(#1893)
are available at: Ardith Richey, Coast Community College District, 1370
Adams Ave., Bldg. "D", Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Work must be completed
within 120 days, and all proposals must be accompanied by no less than
10% bid security deposit. Visit the CCCD Web site for more
information,
or to view the bid
document.
Contractors Called
to Bid on Electrical Work at Psychiatric Center
The New York Office of General Services is accepting
bids for electrical work to the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, located
at
80-45 Winchester Blvd., Queens Village, N.Y. Bids must be received by 2
p.m. on May 25 by the Office of General Services, Design & Construction
Group, Contract Administration, 35th Fl., Corning Tower, Empire State
Plaza, Albany, NY 12242. Bids must be accompanied by a certified check,
bank check, or bid bond in the amount of $15,000 for electrical. The
completion date for the project is 300 days after the agreement is
approved. The bidding and contract documents are available on CD only
for an $8 deposit per set plus a $2 shipping and handling fee
by calling (877) 647-7526 or by mail from the Plan Sales Unit, 35th
Fl.,
Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12242.
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models with same day shipping. American Dryer has been manufacturing
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Zone Exclusives
Eye on Safety
The National Electrical Contractors Association,
Bethesda, Md., continues to make strides in its worksite shock
protection testing efforts. Initiated last year, the Electrical
Contracting Foundation's research project on "Transmission and
Distribution Worksite Shock Protection" is focused on using
equipotential zones to protect ground workers against line-to-ground
faults, in conjunction with grounding, isolation (barricading), and
insulation techniques. Ten prototype test legs have been fabricated
each simulating a ground worker's actual leg for step voltage
testing. Researchers are also working on a data acquisition system.
Preliminary testing has been scheduled for mid-June at Kansas City
Power
and Light training facilities. This early testing will check the
prototype test apparatus and work bugs out of the system; it isnt
intended to provide data for the study. The research team is also
developing mathematical models that will be verified and validated by
the testing performed around the country.
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Shows and Events
Energy Efficient
Lighting: Technologies, Case Studies and Business Justification
Why is lighting one of the first things examined during
an energy audit? Because it represents one of the largest uses of
electricity in commercial and industrial facilities making it one
of the easiest areas to improve efficiency. Scheduled for May 25-26 at
the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, N.Y., the Energy
Efficient Lighting: Technologies, Case Studies and Business
Justification conference will bring attendees the latest trends in
energy-efficient lighting. Sponsored by the Association of Energy
Services Professionals, EPA/DOE EnergyStar, NYSERDA, the Lighting
Research Center, E Source, and ICF Consulting, the event will enable
participants to learn about the latest available technologies, review
case studies of successful lighting efficiency programs, and see
examples of the business case used to justify the capital investment
necessary to improve lighting efficiency. For more information,
download
the
conference brochure.
NFPA World
Safety
Conference & Exposition
The 2005 NFPA World Safety Conference & Exposition,
scheduled for June 6-10 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center
in Las Vegas, will present seminars for keeping employees safe as well
as investigations of high-profile electrical fires. The event is
introducing two new conference tracks this year on premises security
and
public education. Attend a presentation on "NIST's Findings on the
World
Trade Center Fire and Collapse," and see everyone's favorite
millionaire
quiz host, guest speaker Regis Philbin. Two new special symposia
one on tunnel fixed fire suppression systems and the other on hydrogen
safety will also be included with the price of attendance. For more
information, download a
conference brochure,
register online,
download a
registration form,
or call (888) 397-6209.
7x24 Exchange
Spring Meeting
Before the Uninterruptible Uptime Users Group was
founded in 1989, learning how to deal with uptime issues largely fell
on
the shoulders of individuals through trial and error. Today, you can
attend meetings of the 7x24 Exchange Association. Focusing on the theme
"End-to-End Reliability: Today, Tomorrow & Beyond," this year's spring
meeting, scheduled for June 12-15 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in
Boca Raton, Fla., is designed for anyone involved with 7x24
infrastructures. Attendees will receive professional development and
advancement education, increased recognition of their function's
importance, and exposure to new ideas, contacts, and resources. For
more
information, download a
conference brochure,
visit the organization's Web
site, or call (646)
486-3818.
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Electric West
2006
Call For Papers/Speakers
Electric West 2006 organizers are inviting
interested parties to offer unpublished non-commercial papers for
presentation consideration at the Electric West 2006 Exposition &
Conference, scheduled for March 1-3, 2006, at the Las Vegas Convention
Center. The Electric West 2006 Exposition and Conference will bring
together leaders in the electrical industry to discuss the latest
applications for designing and integrating electronic technologies into
today's electrical contracting businesses, as well as focus on business
and project management, practical methods, maintenance, power quality,
lighting, renewable energy, and home technology integration.
Prospective
authors/speakers should submit a two- to three-paragraph abstract (200
words maximum) on the main points of the paper. Please submit your
abstract by July 15, 2005. For a list of suggested topics, additional
information, or to submit your abstract online, click
here. Or you can call Joe Charno, senior conference manager, at
(203) 358-4152.
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