Published Nationally ®
Southeast Edition
December 18 2019
$3.00
Vol. XXXII • No. 26
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded 1957.” 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com
Inside
A Vision of the Future: Inside Nashville International Airport’s $1.2B Expansion By Lori Lovely CEG CORRESPONDENT
Women in Construction: Chelsea Parker...8
GOMACO Now Selling Diecast Scale Models...10
Rubblization: A Cheaper Paving Alternative...29
Table of Contents ................4
Since its establishment in 1937, the Nashville International Airport has undergone numerous name changes, expansions and renovations. The public/military airport in southeast Nashville, Tenn., currently hosts 16 airlines with 585 daily flights, including nonstop flights to more than 70 cities in North America and Europe. In addition, Berry Field Air National Guard Base is located at the airport — which was the genesis for the airport’s IATA identifier: BNA. Growth in passenger numbers and flights has increased at BNA substantially since 2011, with total passengers hitting a record 10.3 million in 2013. In 2017, the airport was named the fastest growing airport of any size and was given an award a year prior to acknowledge its 11.2 percent growth in passenger traffic in the mid-sized category. Nashville International Airport reported a 15 percent increase in passenger travel last year while continuing to hold claim to the title of fastest growing airport in the country. With the number of passengers climbing and goals of adding more non-stop destinations, increasing cargo service and broadening international flights, it became clear that the terminal, built in 1987, was inadequate to keep pace with the airport’s growth. Therefore, the Metro see BNA page 14
Overhead view of construction on the six-level, 2,800-space short-term parking structure as part of BNA Vision.
Contractors Discuss Rising Construction Costs
Paving Section..............29-45 By Irwin Rapoport
Mini & Compact Equipment Section ..........................47-69 Parts Section ......................70 Business Calendar ............72 Auction Section ............78-84 Advertisers Index ..............86
CEG CORRESPONDENT
General contractors and subcontractors across the nation are witnessing increases in construction costs, be it for department of transportation contracts or commercial, industrial, institutional and residential projects. While some companies, due to their size and geographical range, have been aware of the trend from the beginning, others are dealing with it on a case-by-case basis and are seeking data to confirm their suspicions.
“If you think construction is getting more expensive, you’re right,” Ken Simonson, chief economist of The Associated General Contractors of America, told Construction Equipment Guide. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) compiles a producer price index (PPI) that measures the change in what contractors say they would charge to put up a set of specific non-residential buildings. By asking the same contractors about the same set of hypothetical buildings each month, BLS is able to compare ‘apples to apples.’ “The PPI for new non-residential building
construction increased 5.6 percent from August 2018 to August 2019,” he added. “In contrast, the consumer price index (CPI) — the most commonly cited measure of inflation as experienced by consumers — increased only 1.7 percent over that period. Over the past three years, when construction costs began to accelerate, the ‘bid price’ index has risen 13 percent, while the CPI climbed just 7 percent.” According to Simonson, construction costs have been driven by an acute shortage of hourly craft workers and by tariffs on steel, see COSTS page 20