http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/ en rcdwebmaster@reedconstructiondata.com Copyright 2009 2009-11-20T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/which-states-will-lead-the-construction-recovery/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/which-states-will-lead-the-construction-recovery/}#When:18:00:00Z Led by California and Texas, twenty states account for more than 75% of the US construction market. The projected recovery in the construction market early next year must be driven by a significant improvement in a large share of these key states. A pickup in construction activity in the thirty smaller states would not be sufficient to set off a national market recovery, says Reed Construction Data chief economist Jim Haughey. Market Insights, Construction Forecasts, Economy & Finance, Connections, US, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming 2009-11-20T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/a-strange-brew-low-construction-starts-near-zero-interest-rates-and-asset-p/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/a-strange-brew-low-construction-starts-near-zero-interest-rates-and-asset-p/}#When:17:00:00Z CanaData’s latest construction starts forecasts are set out in the tables that accompany this report. The current year will see non-residential building starts in Canada drop to about half the level that they reached two years ago in 2007, 45.5 million square feet versus 92.1 million. The credit crunch, reduced international travel, lower world trade and high unemployment are all factors holding back privately-funded construction projects at this time. What is perhaps most remarkable, however, is the fact that interest rates remain so low in Canada and throughout the industrialized world. In no way are interest rates inhibiting factors with respect to investment. Market Insights, Construction Forecasts, Construction Starts, CAN, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan 2009-11-20T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/declining-domestic-materials-demand-drops-october-construction-price/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/declining-domestic-materials-demand-drops-october-construction-price/}#When:15:00:00Z The construction materials price index fell 0.2% in October but remains 0.5% higher than three months ago. The price trend ahead is for modest increases into the winter and then larger monthly increases for the rest of 2010. Monthly price changes into the winter will more likely be up than down but the net price rise will be small until domestic demand for construction materials is again rising steadily, says Reed Construction Data chief economist Jim Haughey. Market Insights, Economy & Finance, Connections, RSMeans, US 2009-11-19T15:00:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/us-housing-starts-take-a-bad-turn-in-october-probably-due-to-tax-credit-unc/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/us-housing-starts-take-a-bad-turn-in-october-probably-due-to-tax-credit-unc/}#When:21:10:00Z U.S.  housing starts took an unexpected bad turn in October to record an annualized rate of only 529,000 units versus their almost 600,000-unit level of the previous four months. The latest month-to-month drop was probably caused by uncertainty over the future of the first-time homebuyers’ tax credit. It was due to run out on November 30th. Builders were being cautious in anticipating that demand for new housing would be adversely affected. The Obama administration has just recently extended the program through April 2010. Market Insights, Housing, US 2009-11-18T21:10:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/us-and-canada-move-away-from-deflation-in-october/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/us-and-canada-move-away-from-deflation-in-october/}#When:20:00:00Z There is much to be said for viewing the economy as some out-of-step version of a metronome, moving back and forth according to its own internal rhythm. It may stray a considerable distance in one direction or another, but it does always return to a “norm”. Many key financial and statistical indicators are now in the process of doing just that, moving back towards more central positions. The latest Consumer Price Index results in the U.S. and Canada are cases in point. Market Insights, Economy & Finance, US, CAN 2009-11-18T20:00:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/october-construction-starts-up-but-less-than-usual-seasonal-gain/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/october-construction-starts-up-but-less-than-usual-seasonal-gain/}#When:16:30:00Z Reed Construction Data announced today that the year-to-date value of construction starts through October 2009, excluding residential contracts, totaled $209.7 billion, 10.1% less than in the same period in 2008. Individual month of October starts were 6.5% higher than September so the latest month total was about a 3% decline after seasonal adjustment. October 2009 starts were about 3% below last October. Starts remain well above the depressed June total but continue to slip slowly lower, says Reed Construction Data chief economist Jim Haughey. Market Insights, Construction Starts, Connections, RSMeans, End Use Types, Civil, Commercial, Governmental, Medical, Residential, US 2009-11-18T16:30:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/rising-living-standards-mean-economics-may-no-longer-be-the-dismal-science/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/rising-living-standards-mean-economics-may-no-longer-be-the-dismal-science/}#When:13:45:00Z Ever since the Rev. Thomas Malthus published his Essay on the Principle of Population, economics has been referred to as the “dismal science.” Market Insights, Economy & Finance, CAN 2009-11-18T13:45:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/scaffold-estimating/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/scaffold-estimating/}#When:14:00:00Z Scaffolding is a very efficient method of providing access to workers up to approximately 60 feet, although it can be used to access much greater heights. It can be used in a number of ways. It can be erected and rolled from place to place as a tower. It can also be erected adjacent to a vertical wall for either the construction or maintenance of the wall or it can fill a cavity such as room in order to construct a ceiling. In each case the unit of measure is different. Connections, RSMeans, US 2009-11-17T14:00:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/conceptual-estimating-101/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/conceptual-estimating-101/}#When:17:28:00Z Not being able to see the forest for the trees is a well-known idiom, particularly if you’ve personally experienced the frustration of having approached a problem or task too narrowly. Once you’re in the thick of the details, it might even be too late to pull back and see the bigger picture—the better path to take. SmartBIM, Connections, RSMeans, US 2009-11-16T17:28:00-05:00 http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/canadian-manufacturing-and-us-retail-sales-show-recent-improvements/?NID=4810/ http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/news/2009/11/canadian-manufacturing-and-us-retail-sales-show-recent-improvements/}#When:17:00:00Z According to a report released by Statistics Canada today, nation-wide manufacturing sales in September were -18.6% compared with the same month a year ago.  However, a more recent improvement has been underway since May. On a month-to-month basis, Canadian manufacturing sales in September were +1.4% versus August. This was almost entirely due to an improvement in the motor vehicles category (+16.4% month to month). Also today, U.S. retail sales figures for October were made public. Again, it was the auto sector in the forefront.  Total U.S. retail sales were +1.4% month over month and auto and parts sales were +7.4%. Market Insights, Economy & Finance, US, CAN 2009-11-16T17:00:00-05:00