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December 11, 2013 • Vol. XXV • No. 25 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
S.C. Research Lab Modernizes Home Building By Seanna Adcox
Leitner Construction at Work in Rock Hill, N.C. …8
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Despite soaking rains during crucial months, construction is nearing completion on a new inland port in Greer, S.C. Located halfway between the two largest urban centers in the southeast, the $50 million investment is expected to handle up to 40,000 container lifts a year initially, with potential expansion to 100,000 containers annually. “This isn’t the first inland port in the U.S., but it was an innovative concept for us,” said Jack Ellenberg, South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) senior vice president of economic development and projects. “It provides access to 100 million consumers within 500 miles along the I-85 corridor, and allows us to redefine what ‘near port’ means to our customers.” The site is 90-acres, with approximately 40 developed for use. The new port offers access to water, rail and truck transportation capabilities, as well as the Greenville Spartanburg Airport. For the upstate, the South Carolina Inland Port (SCIP) offers connectivity to the global marketplace that did not exist one year ago. “The SCPA has owned the property in Greer since 1982, and the concept of utilizing the prop-
RICHBURG, S.C. (AP) The insurance industry hopes a 21,000-sq.-ft. lab in rural South Carolina can help revolutionize the way homes are built and stem the cost of Mother Nature’s disasters. Officials at the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety say the wake of destruction left by hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters can be greatly reduced with construction choices that cost little extra upfront. They hope research at the facility persuades people to make those choices, ultimately saving lives and money. In 2012, there were 11 billion-dollar-plus disasters nationwide, according to the National Climatic Data Center. They caused more than $110 billion total in damages and 377 deaths — for the second-costliest year on record, with Sandy alone accounting for $65 billion. The price tags are not sustainable, yet people continue to build and rebuild without the next disaster in mind, IBHS president Julie Rochman said. “We cannot continue this cycle of destruction. We’ve got to learn from the loss of life and the huge amounts of federal spending and private sector spending,’’ she said. “We can break these cycles. We know what to do. It’s simply a matter of will to do so.’’ Since the facility opened in fall 2010, it has simulated hurricane winds, hail storms and wild-
see PORT page 34
see LAB page 72
The new port offers access to water, rail and truck transportation capabilities, as well as the Greenville Spartanburg Airport.
Trekker Tractor Holds Open House…12
ConExpo Retro See page 28 for an ongoing series of highlights from past ConExpos as they were reported in the pages of CEG.
Table of Contents ............4 Truck & Trailer Section .... ..................................39-42 Recycling Section ....43-57
S.C. Inland Port Set to Boost Economic Development By Cindy Riley
CEG CORRESPONDENT
Attachment & Parts Section ......................59-62
ARTBA Forecasts Moderate Growth for 2014
Business Calendar ........72
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is forecasting that beyond a modest increase in construction costs nationwide, the overall U.S. transportation infrastructure construction market will grow five percent from $129 billion this year to
Auction Section ......76-87 Advertisers Index ..........86
$135.8 billion in 2014. ARTBA Chief Economist Alison Premo Black said the market would be led by expected double-digit growth in airport runway and terminal work, a six percent increase in bridge and tunnel construction, and five percent, or better,
growth in total investment in waterways and ports, and heavy and light rail. Uncertainty about the level of federal support for state highway programs after next September, however, will continue to depress see TRANSPORTATION page 18