ConstructionForum 🕸

From Missouri S&T:  Conleigh Hardin, a senior in civil engineering from Austin, Texas, attended a large high school but was in a program with fewer than 200 students. She liked the scaled down, personal feeling of it, and when it was time to decide on a college, she chose Missouri S&T for its size relative […]

From TAO+LEE on Medium by Peter Tao, Principal, Tao+Lee:  In our current times of being so divided, with blinders on and earplugs in place, not to mention so full of hatred, I felt I had to bring forth a Story……from, me. Just and Architect. A Moment of Awakening and Discovery on how to Think: When […]

From PBS News:  As the average cost of college in the United States soars, more young people are being drawn to skilled trades. It’s part of a career rethink among members of Gen Z, who have been called the “toolbelt generation.” Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports. John Yang: As the average cost of college in […]

From PBS: As the average cost of college in the United States soars, more young people are being drawn to skilled trades. It’s part of a career rethink among members of Gen Z, who have been called the “toolbelt generation.” Special correspondent Christopher Booker reports. Thomas Stewart, Westchester Community College: There’s seven different types of […]

From ENR Midwest: Wieland, a supplier of copper and the copper alloys used in electric vehicles, has hired contractors Graycor and Helmkamp Construction Co., as the design-build contractor for construction of a $500-million expansion and modernization of its manufacturing facility in East Alton, Ill. Vestal Corp. will provide civil, structural, architectural, and building M/E/P design services […]

by Ali Wolf, Chief Economist, Zonda Where are people moving to? The South, still… We know this, thanks to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau tracking migration patterns nationwide. I love this data because where people move to gives us a sense of what they value (weather, taxes, affordability, job market, etc). It also […]

Architecture, engineering and design-build firms can now receive a financial incentive as compensation for time spent helping non-residential Ameren Illinois customers integrate energy efficiency into their new construction projects through the Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Program. To be eligible, projects must include custom efficiency measures beyond standard lighting. The New Construction Design Team Incentive is […]

Exterior masonry site walls are often detailed and constructed poorly, leading to unsightly masonry failures such as stains, cracks, and spalling. While masonry site walls do not enclose occupied space, you still must follow masonry codes and industry standards to prevent deterioration and staining. The Masonry Institute is offering a free workshop, “Masonry Lessons Learned: […]

From St. Louis Public Radio:  Erica Threnn needed to get out of the house. In 2020, when COVID-19 forced Threnn into depressed isolation, she began walking — then running — through her then neighborhood, Benton Park. “I kept running past a mansion,” Threnn, 41, said. “It looked very haunted, very dark and dirty and dingy. […]

by Nate Henderson, Chairman & CEO, BILT The construction industry is facing imminent challenges posed by a changing workforce. There is a deficit of 300,000 construction workers, 250,000 welders, 80,000 electricians, 50,000 plumbers and approximately 40,000 HVAC technicians in addition to regular annual turnover. In the meantime, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the overall need […]

MBG is celebrating progress on a rehabilitation facility it is building that blends the best of the hospitality industry with advanced technology to improve patient outcomes. The firm is targeting an August completion of the St. Louis area’s first Ignite Medical Resort which is taking shape in St. Peters, Mo. Leo Brown Group is the […]

Building U is a workforce development initiative dedicated to connecting job seekers across Kansas and Missouri with energy efficiency training and career opportunities. Powered by Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Building U is building skills, and also building resilient communities and a sustainable future. Through partnerships with 30 […]

From STLToday: After just a few weeks on the market, a tavern built by Anheuser-Busch over a century ago in south St. Louis has found a buyer. The Stork Inn in St. Louis’ Dutchtown neighborhood was listed for sale at $272,000, said real estate broker Mona Parsley. “I was truly honored to list it,” Parsley […]

From St. Louis Business Journal:  A senior living facility plans to begin construction this summer on the next phase of a $43 million expansion and modernization project that will add new apartments and renovate 168 existing units. The Crown Center for Senior Living, an affordable housing provider and nonprofit independent senior living facility, has for […]

From SM Wilson:  School districts face unique challenges when constructing and maintaining effective learning environments, from outdated buildings to the rise of technology in the classroom. The A/E/C industry has had a front-row seat to witnessing firsthand the evolutionary changes in educational infrastructure that school districts must address. “For 100+ years, S. M. Wilson has […]

From Engineering News Report:  Propelled largely by specialty contractors’ hiring of an estimated 14,600 new workers, the construction industry saw an overall increase of 19,000 jobs in February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ March 7 jobs report. This latest overall gain adds up to an increase of 174,000 industry positions over the past […]

From St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune:  Jenn Clark Bader, a fourth generation IBEW Local 1 member, has joined the Missouri Works Initiative as program coordinator for the Apprenticeship Ready Construction (ARC) program, formerly known as the St. Louis Building Union Diversity (BUD) program. Clark Bader replaces Aurora Bihler, who stepped down from the post over the […]

Nominations are now being accepted for Construction Forum’s 2025 Building Tomorrow Awards (BTA). “Since 2015 we have taken this opportunity to recognize contributions of those who help the Forum fulfill its mission,” Tom Finan, Forum executive director said. “There are hundreds of people who have generously given of their time, talent, and treasure over the […]

by Ness Sandoval, PhD Over the past month, I have received more than a dozen requests from citizens, business leaders, and media outlets seeking the most up-to-date demographic trends for Saint Louis City and the Saint Louis MSA. Given the growing interest in this demographic data, and in an effort to provide a consistent and […]

From St. Louis Public Radio:  Dozens of teachers and staff members rallied in support of Nahed Chapman New American Academy in St. Louis Public Schools during a school board meeting on Tuesday after Superintendent Millicent Borishade announced major changes to the program. One of the biggest changes would scale back a program at Nahed Chapman […]