Constructionmail Newsletter December 15, 2005

	December 15, 2005
WELCOME TO CONSTRUCTIONMAIL! -- the e-mail newsletter from McGraw-Hill Construction, with up-to-the-minute news from the architecture/engineering/construction industry. McGraw-Hill Construction -- we connect people_projects_products. Visit us at construction.com.

Featured Story

Minnesota Light Rail Delivers Progress
(designbuild.construction.com)
After a 50-year hiatus, rail transit has finally returned to the Twin Cities. The new $715.3-million Hiawatha Light Rail Line connects downtown Minneapolis and the Nicollet Mall with the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America in nearby Bloomington.

News Alert

ENR's FOURTH QUARTERLY COST REPORT:
Costs Remain High As Escalation Peaks
(enr.construction.com)
Contractors should get some relief in 2006 from two years of intense material price escalation, but price declines will be modest compared to the increases of 2004 and 2005.
• Read the full Fourth Quarterly Cost Report for 2005

Industry Pitching In to Help Disabled Veterans
(enr.construction.com)
The sight of wounded soldiers coming home from Iraq on television prompted a home contractor and construction supervisor to found the nonprofit organization "Homes for Our Troops," now retrofitting houses around the nation without charge.

Neutra's Kraigher House to Be Saved
(archrecord.construction.com)
Richard Neutra’s Kraigher House, a 1937 International Style gem that has been on the verge of ruin for years, has been granted new life.

Architect Co-Founds Company to Turn Medical Waste into Energy
(archrecord.construction.com)
A process under development by a company co-founded by an architect may
offer a solution to the expensive problem of dealing with medical waste.

Tokyo Scandal Grows over Faulty Towers
(enr.construction.com)
An unfolding scandal involving falsified earthquake resistance calculations is roiling Japan’s building sector.

Fund Established to Help Save Gehry's Ohr-O'Keefe Museum
(archrecord.construction.com)
Friends of the late David Whitney launched a building fund in his honor Dec. 9. that will aid reconstruction of Katrina-damaged Ohr-O’Keefe museum, located in Biloxi, Miss., and designed by Frank Gehry.

Mexican Oil Pipeline Helps Arizona Project Clear Hurdle
(enr.construction.com)
One of the last remaining hurdles has been removed for construction by mid-2006 in Arizona of the first U.S. grassroots oil refinery in 30 years.

HURRICANE RECOVERY INFORMATION CENTER

MOBILE CONSTRUCTION RESOURCE CENTER
Our mobile resource center is now open. Located in Kenner, La. we are ready to support rebuilding efforts by offering a plan room with support staff, telephone and fax services, Internet access, computers, device recharging, a pick-up and drop-off station and printing. Call 800-556-5308 or click above for more information.

HURRICANE RESOURCES DIRECTORY
Our directory is a repository of firms and individuals looking to assist with recovery efforts.

DODGE PLANS
For projects in affected areas, we have plans from 2003 - 2005 available at no charge to qualified professionals.

DODGE REPORTS
Reports on hurricane-related projects with a construction value exceeding $1 billion. Available on the McGraw-Hill Construction Network.

Visit our Hurricane Recovery Information Center for more news and updates.

More News & Features

DuPont to Pay $10-Million Penalty in Settlement with EPA
(enr.construction.com)

Sheet Piles in Big Easy Measure Up, Test Tools Do Not
(enr.construction.com)

Cause of Blast at Large Fuel Tank Farm Is Still Unknown
(enr.construction.com)

Major Texas Toll Road Job May Be Halted
(enr.construction.com)

Architects Name First Female Leader
(enr.construction.com)

Crews Prepare Memphis Crossing for Future Quake
(enr.construction.com)

Wastewater Treatment Attracts Earth Tech to Mexico
(designbuild.construction.com)

Lumber Prices Hold Steady After Strong Gains
(enr.construction.com)

** Construction.com's NewsCenter--Updated Daily
A good page to add to your Favorites.

Projects

At an Alabama Stamping Plant, Design-Build Breaks Barriers
(designbuild.construction.com)

Ellie Caulkins Opera House Brings Denver a World-Class Stage
(colorado.construction.com)

Hunt Completes Amarillo's Globe-News Center
(texas.construction.com)

Mold Updates

Flood-Proof Flooring

ASK THE EXPERTS:
What can you tell me about special lights used to treat mold?

**Fresh news about mold in our Mold Newswire feed
http://www.construction.com/moldnews/

China Newswire

China Sorts Out Work Plans for National Power Program
(enr.construction.com)

Old Beijing on Show at New Museum

Northwest Province Invests Heavily in Power Construction

Private Company Has Part in Building Hydropower Station

Contracts Signed for Water Diversion Project

ASK THE EXPERTS:
How do builders in China handle security issues?

** Fresh news about China from our newswire feed

** See our international news and resources, including "Spotlight on China," in the new McGraw-Hill Construction International Center

Tech Newswire

Expanding Wireless Options: See a Movie on the Phone?

Wireless Antennae Cropping Up Across the County

Tiny Windmills Could Make Wireless Networks a Breeze

Consumer Reports Ratings Go Wireless

** Fresh tech news every day from our newswire feed

** Selected company tech-related press releases

Win more jobs in less time. Learn how by signing up for a FREE trial to the McGraw-Hill Construction Network. Real Leads. Real Plans. Real Fast.
click here>>

opinion

A Return to Normalcy Should Not Mean Being Complacent
(enr.construction.com)

Subsurface Work Can Benefit from Some Small Changes
(designbuild.construction.com)

top ten construction markets

This week: Health
(analytics.construction.com)
For a quick snapshot of the top construction markets in the U.S. with a different property type each week, click on the yellow and blue chart on the newly renamed McGraw-Hill Construction Analytics home page.

instant poll

Should labor unions, such as the Carpenters, recruit members regardless of their immigration status?

	No. Members should be required to be legal residents.
	Yes. At their current rate of decline, unions should accept anybody they can get.
	Yes. Illegal aliens are the ones doing all the work, why not let them organize?
	Yes. The union should admit them and then work to change their legal status.
	No. Let them form their own independent unions here in the U.S.
	Why can't they join a union in their country of origin?
	Either way, nonunion labor will quickly replace them if they do join.

View comments from last week's poll: What do you plan to do at age 65?

job of the week

APAC
(construction.com)
APAC has positions for experienced major projects professionals. See a more detailed listing in McGraw-Hill Construction's Career Center. Look for posting #4708. Visit the Career Center often: View hundreds of listings! Apply online! Post your resume!

products

NEW PRODUCT LISTINGS ON SWEETS
(sweets.construction.com)

EMCO's unique hinged coat rack system makes compliance with the specifications of the Americans with Disabilities Act simple.

Nevco LED message centers and full-color video displays provide your fans with the ultimate sports experience.

Pathway Surfaces' SAF-DEK system provides a safety system proven to be the most effective playground choice for resisting vandalism.

new on our sites

NINTH ANNUAL BUSINESSWEEK/ARCHITECTURAL RECORD AWARDS
(archrecord.construction.com)
Submissions are now being accepted for these awards recognizing good design that serves a strategic purpose. Recipients will be featured in the November 2006 issues of both magazines, read by more than five million business and design professionals.

InDemand: CAREERS IN CONSTRUCTION
(construction.com)
Read our new interactive magazine - InDemand. One million jobs will be added in construction by 2012. InDemand provides today's students with information on the construction industry careers of tommorrow.

NEW RESEARCH & ANALYTICS STORE
(analytics.construction.com)
Visit the new McGraw-Hill Construction Research & Analytics online store for up-to-date information on construction industry historical trends and forecasts and hot markets in building types, sectors and sub-trades.

GOING GREEN WITH MCGRAW-HILL CONSTRUCTION
(greensource.construction.com)
McGraw-Hill Construction remains committed to helping all design and construction professionals incorporate sustainable practices. The Green Source Web site is a constantly updated compendium of news, feature articles and best practices from all our publications.

EARN CONTINUING ED CREDITS
(construction.com)
Now available -- Earn AIA Continuing Education learning units through an online interactive program. Through McGraw-Hill Construction Online, design professionals can meet and satisfy their state continuing education requirements.

**Two suggestions:
• Designing Public Rest Rooms:
Privacy Is in the Details
• Colored Concrete Application and
New Technologies

book of the week

For professionals seeking authoritative books in the field, find a wide range of architecture, engineering and construction titles. When you select from one of the three categories, you will enjoy a host of money-saving special offers, including free shipping and special discounts. Bookstore >>

How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home

ISBN No: 0071448853
Your Price: $34.95

events

ENR's AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
(enr.construction.com)
New York Marriott Marquis, New York, N.Y., April 6 Join ENR to honor the top 25 newsmakers of 2005 and the 41st recipient of ENR's Award of Excellence at The Newsmakers Luncheon and Award of Excellence Reception and Dinner. Invitations will be mailed in January, but you can reserve your table or seats early by calling (212)904-4634 or e-mailing Chuck_Pinyan@McGraw-Hill.com.

TECHNOLOGY FOR CONSTRUCTION
(technologyforconstruction.com)
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 16 - 20
Features the newest information technology products and solutions for the construction industry from top IT and systems providers.

2006 GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT
(construction.com)
Beijing Lufthansa Center, Beijing, China,
April 25 - 27
Share best practices and brainstorm with top minds from around the world in the global $4.2-trillion construction marketplace.

MORE INDUSTRY EVENTS
(construction.com)
Look for a complete list of some of the industry's most important upcoming events on Construction.com's updated Industry Events Calendar.

did you know?

FREE DOWNLOAD: The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Engineering
(books.mcgraw-hill.com)
Derived from the world-renowned McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, this engineering reference software offers a wealth of information in a quick-find format. The digital edition brings you thousands of terms from all major engineering disciplines.

PUT OUR HEADLINES ON YOUR HOME PAGE
(construction.com)
We recently expanded information on our RSS feeds at McGraw-Hill Construction. Now you can quickly and easily put our latest headlines on your corporate Internet or intranet pages by copy-pasting a few lines of code. Find out more on our RSS information page.

TRY 4 ISSUES OF ENR FOR FREE! click here>>

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