U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh announced a $20 million cooperative agreement between the Department of Labor and the nonprofit organization TradesFutures to advance equitable opportunities in construction through DOL’s “Scaling Apprenticeship Readiness Across the Building Trades” initiative.

Officials identified a Philadelphia worker who died in a construction accident in late February, according to Marcella Baietto of CBS Philadelphia. The scene of the accident is still undergoing safety inspections.

Total construction starts rose 8 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.12 trillion.

The Canadian Construction Materials Centre recently added the new TYPAR Construction Tape to its list of approved products, making the complete TYPAR Weather Protection System now available to the Canadian market. Builders throughout Canada can now rely on the company’s industry-leading limited lifetime warranty that covers both labor and materials when the complete TYPAR Weather Protection System—which consists of TYPAR BuildingWrap, Flashing and Construction Tape—is installed.

FMI Corp. released a new white paper, titled “The New Economy Versus the Old Economy: Winners and Losers in Tomorrow’s Built Environment.” The white paper includes the company’s research on how current industry and economic trends are expected to shape the broader built environment in the coming months and years.

Hurricane Ian created billions of dollars of damages to homes, buildings and a variety of structures throughout Florida. As the construction industry mobilizes to assist with cleanup and restoration, it is important for out-of-state contractors to understand the complexity and enforcement of Florida’s construction licensing laws.

In celebration of National Tradesmen Day (September 16) and National Construction Appreciation Week (September 19 – 23), the Carpenter Contractor Trust is highlighting four union tradespeople who have dedicated their lives to building (quite literally) a better future for the United States. Michael Conner, Lauren LaForge, Layla Bibi and Abbey Agius all come from vastly different backgrounds and represent several generations of U.S. trade union builders.

In its sixth year, ATAS International once again sponsored the Greater Lehigh Valley Let’s Build Construction Camp for Girls. On June 23rd, Kevin Klersy, CAD Draftsman for ATAS, spent the afternoon with the campers, demonstrating the installation of standing seam metal roof panels, along with metal shingles.

In the past few decades, hemp has been increasingly grown as a principal material in construction.

The Dodge Momentum Index moved 4% higher in March to 166.9 (2000=100), up from the revised February reading of 160.3. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.