Most Clicked AGC SmartBrief Stories
1. Possible construction defects in parts of Calif.'s $6.5B Bay Bridge
AGC SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
The Sacramento Bee investigated Caltrans' records related to the $6.5 billion San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California. It says it found "potentially serious defects" that could affect the bridge in an earthquake, including a 19-foot section of pile that supports the main tower that had not fully hardened when it was inspected, according to an engineering report. That and other problems with piles and test data have raised concerns. Caltrans says it is "confident in the structural integrity" of the bridge. Sacramento Bee (Calif.), The (free registration) (05/27) KPIX-TV (San Francisco) (05/28)
2. Worried about Armageddon? These condos are for you
AGC SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Larry Hall has turned a missile silo in Kansas into condominiums with capacity to house 70 people. Built 174 feet below ground, the condos are 1,820 square feet each and cost $2 million. Survival Condo offers site-grown food and purified water. To give residents things to do when disaster strikes, "the silo would also have facilities like a spa, movie theater, classrooms, a bar, and a pool." The units have sold out. CNET (05/26)
3. $1B, 70-story luxury hotel set to rise in L.A.
AGC SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
A planned $1 billion tower in Los Angeles will feature seven stories of retail and restaurant space, 400,000 square feet of office space and a 900-room luxury hotel on the upper floors, owner Korean Air says. Photovoltaic lights will cover the 70-story building, with the hotel lobby on the top floor along with a restaurant and an infinity pool. Demolition will begin this summer on the Wilshire Grand hotel, which now occupies the site of the new hotel, and the project is slated for completion by January 2017. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (05/20)
4. A/E/C recovery, industry growth remain "spotty" but showing potential
AGC SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Three A/E/C economists discuss the industry and its "spotty" recovery from the recession in this piece by SmartBrief editor Jennifer Hicks. "I have more good news than I’ve had in several years," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America, referring to numerous multibillion-dollar plant projects in the power and manufacturing sectors now under way or to be built in the coming years. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Finance (05/23)
5. Noble Energy directs $8 billion to Niobrara expansion project
AGC SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Noble Energy will spend about $8 billion over the next five years to expand its operations in Colorado's Niobrara Shale formation. The company is investing $1.3 billion this year alone and has identified 4,000 sites that will take 10 to 15 years to drill. Noble works with 120 contractors that have hired thousands of workers, according to Chuck Davidson, Noble's CEO. Denver Post, The (05/22)
6. NYC contractor cited by OSHA for structure's collapse during 2011 concrete pour
AGC SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
ABC News (05/21)
7. Shell's planned multibillion-dollar LNG plant to be Canada's largest
AGC SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Canada's largest liquefied-natural-gas plant will be built by Shell Canada and is expected to process 12 million tons of LNG a year. The project will be built in British Columbia and will consist of "design, construction, operation, storage and marine off-loading facilities." Shell did not provide cost estimates for the project, but compared to other plants with similar specifications, the cost of building it could be anywhere between $10 billion and $20 billion, writes Tim Newcomb. Engineering News-Record (05/28)
8. $1B Vikings stadium approved by Minneapolis City Council in a 7-6 vote
AGC SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (05/24)
9. Cost of New York City's East Side Access project balloons to $8.2B
AGC SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
The price of the Long Island Rail Road extension to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan is expected to balloon by $920 million, bringing its cost to $8.24 billion, up from the original $7.32 billion estimate. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority also said the project's completion will be pushed out three years, from 2016 to 2019. Daily News (Batavia, N.Y.), The (05/21)
10. Improve Your Mental Toughness in 2 Minutes
AGC SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
OPEN Forum blogs (05/28)
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