California Reverses Itself, Exempting Projects from Eco Law
In a stunning turnaround in a state with some of the strictest environmental laws in the country, many construction projects will now be excluded from protectionist laws. The YIMBY — Yes In My Back Yard — faction has won a major victory in the country’s most populous state with the signing into law by Gov. […]
Lumber Prices Edge Up in May
As inventories issues continue to accumulate the supply chain is causing prices to increase. Madison’s Lumber Reporter said for the week ending May 30, Western Spruce-Pine-Fir was up 1 percent, or $6, to $450 per thousand-board-feet from the week before. Compared to a month ago, it was also up 1 percent. Year-over-year the increase was […]
Teddy Roosevelt Riding into the Mass Timber Movement
The new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota is the latest mass timber structure – fitting for a man who loved nature. He was the driving force behind the creation of the National Parks Department so it seems only fitting that his library, now under construction in Medora, ND, use mass timber construction. Set to […]
These Are the World’s 9 Most Beautiful Bamboo Buildings
Architectural Digest searched the world for the most beautiful structures made of bamboo, many of which are in Asia. Bamboo has been a building material staple for centuries, especially in Asia, but is often used in more pedestrian applications. Architectural Digest magazine decided there was more to bamboo than that and set out to find the […]
Construction Backlog at Highest Level in Nearly Two Years
New findings from the Associated Builders and Contractors show a significant increase for both large and small contractors. The housing slowdown and looming impacts to cost increases due to pending tariffs remain but right now the backlog remains strong, the association said in a survey taken in the period of late April to early May. It […]
He Was the Most Famous Builder Ever in American Residential Construction
A new book on the man behind Levittown shows how William Levitt changed the way the country builds new homes. Over a career spanning decades and stretching from the former potato fields on Long Island to as far away as France, William Levitt claims to have built 140,000 new homes, becoming the Henry Ford of […]
Mass Timber Support Bill Pushed in U.S. Senate
The Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act, which has bipartisan support, promotes the use of mass timber in U.S. construction. The renewed effort to pass the legislation originally introduced last year is led by Oregon Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley and Idaho Republican Senator James Risch and supports efforts to promote the use of mass timber in […]
A New 3D-Printed Railway Shelter Shows the Potential for the Technology
Most uses of 3D printing are still for smaller objects and products but the technique is increasingly being used in new construction. In a remarkable example of the potential for 3D printing technology and how it might ultimately compete with more traditional building methods, workers in Hatsushima, Japan built a rail transit shelter in less […]
February Was an Unexpected – and Pleasant – Surprise for Housing Starts
Even as the new construction market for housing continues to struggle the results from February were better than expected. The new numbers are in from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development and they are encouraging compared to the previous month. Privately owned housing starts were 1,501,000, an 11.2 percent […]
Lumber Prices Finish 2024 in More Traditional Pattern
Madison’s Lumber Reporter’s year-end review shows a return to less volatile prices, encouraging news for 2025. The noted source for lumber prices says there is a “sureness” for the new year that should be good news for the construction industry which saw widespread volatility over the past several years. In 2024, lumber prices stayed within […]