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August 5, 2015 • Vol. XXVII • No. 16 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
Q&A With NSSGA President
Richard S. Burns & Co. Stays Ahead of the Times…8
By Giles Lambertson CEG CORRESPONDENT
Copeland & Johns Inc. photo
The 10.89-acre site at the corner of Russell Street and Highway 12 will feature a 73,975-sq. ft. (6,872 sq m) office and conference center, with a 1,000-seat ballroom in the renovated E.E. Cooley Building. Doosan Ensures More Business Stays in Reach…12
The Mill: MSU’s $40M Job to Restore Landmark Structure
Table of Contents ............4
A more than $40-million construction project in Starkville, Miss., is breathing new life into a landmark structure, while creating new economic opportunities. The Mill at Mississippi State University will transform a former cotton mill into a conference center and office space, while offering an adjacent hotel and parking garage.
Backhoes & Attachments Section ......................57-68
Subcontract Labor Prices Advance Solidly in July
By Cindy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT Capitol Dome Undergoes Renovation…22
“With its opening later this summer, The Mill will provide a world-class meeting place where the university can host major academic and research conferences,” said David Shaw, the university’s vice president of research and economic development. “One of our leading research centers will also move into office space there. The city and larger region will
Michael W. Johnson, president and CEO of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, interrupted his advocacy efforts recently to talk about the DRIVE Act and the need for a long-term, stably funded surface transportation bill. The DRIVE Act is the reauthorization bill approved July 21 at the committee level for full Senate consideration. CEG: A release by your association says that the NSSGA knows “exactly what it will take to get America’s economy and infrastructure back to what it needs to be.” Is the association’s answer, by any chance, “money”? Or is there more to it than that? Johnson: It certainly starts with money. For every dollar in infrastructure spending, you generate additional spending — I
Materials and equipment prices continue to
pricing environment appears to be stabilizing, a
to IHS and the Procurement Executives Group (PEG). The headline current IHS PEG Engineering and Construction Cost Index (ECCI) registered 48.4 in July, up from June’s reading of 47.4, but below the neutral mark. The headline index has not indicated rising costs since December 2014. The current materials/equipment index registered 47.4 in July, up from 46.0 in June. The
of the year, but remains soft. The underlying detail shows falling prices for half of the 12 individual components tracked by the survey. Prices for copper-based wire and cable, carbon steel pipe, and fabricated structural steel registered the weakest performance. Six components did show higher prices in July, led by turbines, which overtook ready-mix concrete prices as the strongest price performer. Ready-mix con-
Paving Section ..........69-82 drag down overall construction costs, according change from the weakness seen in the first half Auction Section ......98-104 Business Calendar ......104 Advertisers Index ........106
see NSSGA page 44
see MILL page 34
crete prices have held the top spot since January. “Material and equipment costs remain subdued, although conditions appear to have firmed somewhat since spring,” according to John Mothersole, research director at IHS. “With the exception of cement, material prices continue to be soft. In contrast, equipment prices started to tick higher in July, with the market for turbines showing some tightness.” The current subcontractor labor index regissee LABOR page 30