January 2012
Happy New Year!

ABC: A Year of Gradual Progress

By Gail Raiman & Gerry Fritz
Article courtesy of abc.org

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released its 2012 economic forecast for the U.S. commercial and industrial construction industry. “ABC's analysis of construction trends indicates 2012 will be a year of gradual progress as advances in private construction are partially offset by ongoing declines in publicly financed construction,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.

“Nonresidential construction spending is expected to grow 2.4 percent in 2012 following a 2.4 percent decrease in 2011,” Basu said. “The pace of recovery in the nation's nonresidential construction industry remains soft and 2012 is positioned to be a year of slow gain. The first half of 2012 may be particularly challenging, a reflection of the soft patch in economic activity experienced during much of the first half of 2011.

"Health care represents another likely candidate for economic expansion."

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Copyright 2011 by Associated Builders and Contractors

	Big Building, Bigger Achievement: Empire State Building Achieves LEED Gold for Operations

By Paula Melton
Article courtesy of Green Source Magazine

The highest-profile (and tallest) deep energy retrofit in the U.S. has earned LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance certification at the Gold level. In addition to reducing the Empire State Building's energy consumption by an estimated 38 percent, potentially saving $4.4 million a year in energy costs, the $550 million project also emphasized ongoing water efficiency, green cleaning, recycling, and programs that engage tenants in furthering environmental goals.

The 2.85-million-square-foot building, completed in 1931, is also a National Historic Landmark.

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	Building Code Reference Library Courtesy of reedconstructiondata.com

Building codes available online for reference by state.

http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/building-codes/