ConstructionForum 🕸

From BNN:  In a recent move to ensure the safety and functionality of a key urban infrastructure, the city board of St. Louis has given the green light for repairs to a deteriorating parking garage downtown. Western Specialty Contractors, a local firm, has been enlisted to undertake the much-needed refurbishment, which will see the garage […]

With a robust career spanning a range of industries, including law, technology, finance, the arts, and construction, Dr. Karen Bridbord was named Alberici Corporation’s Chief Talent Officer. Bridbord, who specializes in talent development and workplace dynamics, led her firm Karen Bridbord & Associates since 1999, supporting corporations in achieving their talent development goals. Her approach […]

From Construction Dive:  Contractors’ struggles to find workers will continue in 2024, but the majority still intend to increase their staffing due to rising demand for multiple project types, according to a new Associated General Contractors of America survey of its members. Nearly eight in 10 respondents said they have a hard time filling salaried […]

From Webster-Kirkwood Times:  In its first meeting of 2024, the Webster Groves City Council reviewed a host of grant-funded projects that concern everything from street improvements to electric vehicle charging, directing staff to prepare the city to match funds as needed. These projects include a proposed multi-use path on South Elm Avenue, culvert replacement at […]

From Labor Tribune:  The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Dec. 20 released its 2022 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. The 5,486 total reported deaths on the job marked a 5.7 percent increase in fatal work injuries compared with 2021. That’s one worker death every 96 minutes. Numbers show that workplace deaths were the highest among […]

From The Intelligencer:  From sketches to adding color to the finished product printed on a banner, students at Edwardsville school District 7’s Midway Elementary School in Moro had a chance to depict construction that’s ongoing at the facility. During November, the district’s plan for addressing water and drainage issues at Midway Elementary was completed through […]

by Dr. John Gaal Editor’s Note: Each week, Dr. John Gaal, director of worker wellness for the Missouri Works Initiative, a non-profit workforce formed by the Missouri AFL-CIO, collects and comments on news and trends in workforce wellness and life balance. Construction Forum carries the Worker Wellness & Well-Being Blog as a regular feature. The […]

From St. Louis Business Journal:  Labor has been consistently cited as a top challenge for general contractors, an issue that long predates the Covid-19 pandemic. In December, the construction industry added 17,000 net jobs, part of what was a stronger-than-expected jobs report released late last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Between December […]

From Construction Dive:  St. Louis-based McCarthy promoted its information technology boss, Justin McFarland, to chief administrative officer to oversee multiple corporate departments, according to a Dec. 20 press release sent to Construction Dive. McFarland, who joined McCarthy in 2016 and most recently served as executive vice president of information systems, will continue to oversee the […]

Funeral services for Eric P. Seiler Senior, retired CEO of Seiler Instrument, are planned at 2 PM Wednesday, Jan. 10th, at Bopp Chapel in Kirkwood in a private service. Seiler’s father, also named Eric, founded Seiler Instrument in 1945. Primarily known in the built environment for surveying and geospatial equipment and software, Seiler Instrument is […]

From Construction Dive:  Construction needs to find more workers, and there are no easy-to-fill jobs in the industry. In fact, according to an Associated General Contractors of America survey of its members, 91% of contractors had trouble filling positions last year, and experts say the labor crunch for these positions isn’t going to let up anytime […]

A recently-published study argues that mental health training should be included in construction apprenticeship training. The peer-reviewed study by a St. Louis-based pioneer in interventions impacting mental health, substance abuse, and suicide in the industry comes just as the federal government prepares to review and update apprenticeship standards. The study report, Making a Case for […]

From bigrentz:  To build a dam, workers divert the water to then build on dry ground. Various methods like blasting diversion channels or creating cofferdams can divert water. Dams make much of modern-day society possible — they create reservoirs that provide reliable water supply to our cities, farmlands, industrial projects and more. While they do […]

From Webster-Kirkwood Times:  Offering ice skating, swimming, live theater, meeting rooms, classes and programs, the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Road, has been a beloved city landmark since 1966. Used by 350,000 people per year representing 150 Missouri municipalities, the well-traversed facility has not undergone a major renovation since 1992. Thanks to recent action […]

From The Welder:  Have you ever worn gloves, fire-resistant clothing, or other welding personal protective equipment (PPE) that didn’t fit you properly, putting you at risk of injury or unsatisfactory work performance? Many women in welding will say they have. “I have been injured multiple times from products not fitting me right. From safety vests […]

From ProBuilder:  Everything on the jobsite is going well. Suddenly, a worker pitches forward and hits the ground. His colleagues rush to his side. They quickly recognize symptoms of an opioid overdose. Fortunately, the crew has a dose of naloxone in the first aid kit for just such an emergency. They administer the spray and […]

From West Newsmagazine:  Bret Berthold, the current director of operations for the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), will take the helm of the district on July 1. He was formally affirmed as the next executive director at MSD’s Dec. 14 Board of Trustees meeting. Berthold has been with the district since 2009 and has filled the […]

From NEXT STL:  Plans and renderings of the project to replace the almost century-old Union-Lindell bridge were presented to members of the Forest Park Advisory Board at their December meeting. Plans show a new entry/exit connector to Forest Park Parkway, as well as new aesthetic elements to form a new gateway into the city’s premier […]

From Webster-Kirkwood Times:  Plans to convert property at 204 E. Lockwood Ave. in Webster Groves to affordable senior housing have stalled. Peace United Church of Christ and the Housing Authority of St. Louis County learned last week they will not be receiving tax credits they had counted on to move the project forward. Peace UCC […]

From World of Concrete:  By Rikka Brandon:  I’ve talked a lot in my columns about best practices for hiring. But it’s just as important to pay attention to keeping great employees on staff. After all, the cost of turnover is remarkably high—according to an article from PeopleKeep, some studies predict that each time a business […]