In recent years, AGC members have been pressed to deliver more services at lower cost, while maintaining the highest quality. Recognizing this challenge, AGC developed a “Doing More With Less” webpage, which contains a number of tools and resources to help members maximize their efficiency.

In May, the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI), rebounded back into growth territory with a reading of 52.9 after last month’s reading dropped below 50 to 48.6. This was the first significant decrease in design activity after eight straight months of gains.

At the 2013 Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) Spring Owners Leadership Conference, Mortenson Construction conducted a survey on construction owner’s perspective on facility management and project delivery.  More than 60 facilities professionals including facilities leaders for organizations such as higher education, healthcare and government participated in the survey.

AGC testified at a U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) public hearing on June 26, 2013, regarding EPA’s ongoing evaluation into whether and how to regulate renovation, repair and painting (RRP) activities in all public and commercial buildings that purportedly have lead-based paint. 

On July 2, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the results of the member ballot for the newest version of its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for green buildings.  With 67 percent of the overall vote needed to pass the changes, LEEDv4 received 86 percent if the membership’s vote.  USGBC will launch LEED v4 this fall at its annual conference, Greenbuild, in November 2013.

Green Globes®, used for the environmental assessment and certification of commercial buildings, has recently undergone revisions.  The Green Building Initiative (GBI), the administrator of the program in the U.S., announced the availability of an updated version of Green Globes for New Construction (NC), which is also used for major renovations. The recent changes to Green Globes NC are based on an ANSI standard, ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings. GBI intends this update to improve technical rigor and enhance ease of use.

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) is the leading economic indicator of construction activity, with approximately a nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending.  The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the April ABI score was 48.6, down from a mark of 51.9 in March.  After eight straight monthly gains in design activity, revenue at architecture firms fell in April.

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been challenging for many employers. To offer assistance to construction employers, AGC has dedicated a page on its website to providing compliance resources on the ACA. The members-only page includes links to white papers, a webinar and government resources. AGC will update the page routinely as new and relevant information becomes available.

This AGC Project Delivery Resources document was created to serve as a quick reference of construction industry resources related to construction project delivery. The chart encompasses all of the resources that AGC offers including white papers, online resources, and webinars and textbooks available in the AGC Store.

Construction employment increased by 7,000 in May, helping to push the industry’s unemployment rate down to the lowest May level in five years, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC of America. Association officials said the relatively positive jobs report for the sector underscores the need to address potential shortages of skilled workers.