The revered professor gives us his take on Kahn's Yale masterpieces and Rudolph's Art and Architecture Building.

By Andrea Ward
This article originally appeared on BuildingGreen.com

If the greenest building of all is one that never gets built, then the next-best thing might be a building designed to prevent unnecessary use of materials—and keep already-used building materials from ending up in the landfill. That’s the premise behind the newly released primer, “Design for Reuse,” from the San Francisco nonprofit firm Public Architecture, a group that knows a thing or two about reused building materials.

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The firm behind “ScrapHouse,” a two-story home designed and constructed using 100 percent salvaged materials, and the 1 perceng program, which invites architecture firms to donate one percent of their billable hours to pro bono projects, Public Architecture has compiled two years of research, development, and collaboration into a 125-page, freely downloadable report that uses 15 case studies to highlight projects that have made innovative use of reused—not recycled—materials. That distinction is key, according to the report, which emphasizes that building with salvaged materials removes volume from the waste stream without the additional processing (and resulting energy use) needed to create recycled-content building materials. The report also offers a list of lessons learned from the case studies on how best to integrate materials reuse into the design and construction process as both a guiding philosophy and a practical challenge.

The case studies include projects from across the building spectrum—civic, educational, residential, office, retail, interpretive, and religious—most or all of which have received accolades elsewhere for overall green design attributes. Chartwell School in Seaside, California, for example, which made waves with an ambitious design targeting net-zero energy use, draws attention here for its striking use of salvaged timbers from an army barracks deconstructed on the site, as well as wood from old wine and olive oil casks and a previously felled cypress trunk used as both a structural column and a focal point of the design. The Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation of Evanston, Illinois, the first religious center to earn LEED Platinum certification and another project highlighted in “Design for Reuse,” used reclaimed cypress exterior cladding as a visual echo of wood-clad synagogues of the Eastern European shtetl period as well as a gesture toward the Jewish principle of tikkun olam, which encourages believers to “repair the world.” Both of these projects, along with several others highlighted in the report, were recipients of the AIA Committee on the Environment’s (COTE) Top Ten award.

The “Design for Reuse” project was funded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and supported by volunteers working alongside Public Architecture staff. It is available as a free download at designforreuse.org.

Copyright 2010 by BuildingGreen, LLC

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Latvian Library By Gunnar Birkerts Finally Gets Built

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January Construction Falls 6%

New York, N.Y. – February 17, 2011 –The value of new construction starts retreated 6% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $423.4 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies.  The decline came as the result of a pullback for nonresidential building after a strong December, combined with a loss of momentum for residential building.  At the same time, the nonbuilding construction sector showed further growth in January on top of its elevated December pace, aided by several large public works projects.  On an unadjusted basis, total construction starts in January were reported at $28.4 billion, down 4% from the same month a year ago.

The January statistics lowered the Dodge Index to 90 (2000=100), compared to December’s reading of 95.  Over the course of 2010, the Dodge Index fluctuated within the range of 80 to 96, with the average for the year coming in at 88.  “The construction start statistics continue to move in an up-and-down pattern, showing that overall activity has stabilized in a broad sense but has not yet gained sufficient traction for renewed expansion to take hold,” stated Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction.  “Over the past two years, public works construction has held up fairly well, and healthy activity was reported for this sector in January.  However, public works construction is likely to slip in coming months, given waning support from the federal stimulus act and mounting fiscal stress for federal, state, and local governments.  This fiscal stress will also have a dampening impact on various institutional building types, such as school construction.  For total construction starts to register growth in 2011, it will require more upward movement from housing, after the tenuous gains witnessed during 2010.  It will also require some upward movement or at least stability for commercial building, after last year’s extremely depressed activity.  One early positive sign for commercial building is that vacancy rates appear to have topped off during 2010, and are now receding slightly.”

Nonresidential building in January dropped 13% to $138.3 billion (annual rate), following December’s strong 27% gain.  Healthcare facilities in December were lifted by the start of six massive hospital projects, and January showed this category retreating 46% from its exceptional December amount.  The healthcare category in January was still 7% above its monthly average for 2010 as a whole, and included the start of two large hospital projects located in San Leandro CA ($575 million) and Oakland CA ($244 million).  Transportation terminal work in January was also down sharply, falling 75%, compared to a robust December that included the start of a $450 million airport terminal project at Love Field in Dallas TX.  The largest transportation terminal project in January was an $86 million airport terminal expansion in Myrtle Beach SC.  Other institutional categories showing decreased contracting in January were public buildings, down 2%; churches, down 4%; and amusement-related work, down 29%.  Educational buildings, the largest nonresidential building category, held steady in January.  Support came from groundbreaking for two large high schools located in Texas ($112 million) and South Carolina ($75 million), plus the start of a $100 million medical school building in New Jersey and a $71 million art museum in Florida.

The commercial structure types showed a mixed performance in January.  Stores and warehouses slipped further, with January declines of 2% and 4%, respectively.  Office construction in January registered a 5% gain, helped by groundbreaking for four projects valued each in excess of $100 million.  These included two corporate office buildings, located in Boston MA ($252 million) and Beachwood OH ($120 million), a federal government office building in Clarksburg WV ($130 million), and a data center in Boydton VA ($125 million).  The hotel category in January increased 23%, lifted by the start of a $295 million convention center hotel in Washington DC.  The manufacturing plant category also showed growth in January, climbing 180% from a weak December, with the boost coming from a $300 million upgrade to an automotive assembly plant in Louisville KY.

Residential building, at $118.8 billion (annual rate), dropped 7% in January after showing modest improvement during the previous five months.  Single family housing held steady in January, as the result of varied behavior by geography, with growth in the South Central (up 6%) and the South Atlantic (up 5%) offsetting declines in the West (down 1%), the  Midwest (down 1%), and the Northeast (down 20%).  The U.S. residential total in January was pulled down by 35% decline for multifamily housing, which retreated after the gains witnessed at the end of 2010.  The largest multifamily projects that reached groundbreaking in January were a $32 million apartment building in Dallas TX, a $31 million apartment building in Tysons Corner VA, and a $28 million apartment building renovation project in St. Louis MO.

Nonbuilding construction in January advanced 2% to $166.3 billion (annual rate).  Highway and bridge construction soared 42%, reflecting the lift coming from $1.5 billion for the start of work to add new lanes to the LBJ Freeway in Dallas TX.  Other large highway and bridge projects reported as January starts included $140 million for a freeway widening project in Placentia CA and $114 million for work on the New Jersey Turnpike in Hamilton NJ.  Another substantial gain in January was posted by sewer construction, rising 44% with the boost coming from $199 million for the Euclid Creek Storage Tunnel project in Cleveland OH to reduce combined sewer overflows.  River/harbor development in January climbed 35%, aided by $250 million for work related to ongoing hurricane protection efforts in New Orleans LA, and the miscellaneous public works category (site work and mass transit) grew 29%.  Water supply construction was the one public works category in January to register a decline, sliding 38% after December’s 27% gain.  As for electric utilities, January showed a reduced volume of construction starts relative to an exceptionally strong December, as contracting fell 41%.  January’s level of electric utility construction was still strong by recent standards, up 56% compared to the average monthly pace during 2010.  The large electric power plant projects reported as January starts included two massive solar power facilities located in Blythe CA ($2.5 billion) and Ivanpah CA ($505 million).

The 4% decline for total construction on an unadjusted basis in January 2011 relative to January 2010 was due to this performance by major sector – nonresidential building, down 24%; residential building, down 13%; and nonbuilding construction, up 30%.  The shortfall for nonresidential building reflected in part the inclusion of the huge $3.0 billion transit hub in lower Manhattan NY as a January 2010 start.  If this project is excluded from the January 2010 statistics, nonresidential building in January 2011 would be flat relative to last year, and total construction would be up 6%.  By region, total construction for January 2011 compared to January 2010 revealed decreased activity in the Northeast, down 44%; and the South Atlantic, down 28%.  Total construction gains on a year-over-year basis were reported for the Midwest, up 1%; the South Central, up 21%; and the West, up 37%.

Additional perspective can be obtained by looking at twelve-month moving totals, in this case the twelve months ending January 2011 versus the twelve months ending January 2010, which lessens the volatility present in one-month comparisons.  For the twelve months ending January 2011, total construction was down 2%, due to this pattern by sector – nonresidential building, down 10%; residential building, up 5%; and nonbuilding construction, up 3%.  By region, the twelve months ending January 2011 showed the following behavior for total construction compared to the prior twelve months – the South Atlantic, down 14%; the Northeast, down 4%; the Midwest, unchanged; the South Central, up 1%; and the West, up 8%.

January 2011 Construction Starts

JANUARY 2011 CONSTRUCTION STARTS

MONTHLY SUMMARY OF CONSTRUCTION STARTS
Prepared by McGraw-Hill Construction Research & Analytics

Monthly Construction Starts
Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, In Millions of Dollars

The Dodge Index
(2000=100, Seasonally Adjusted)

January 2011.........................................90
December 2010.....................................95

YEAR-TO-DATE CONSTRUCTION STARTS
Unadjusted Totals, In Millions of Dollars

About McGraw-Hill Construction
McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects, and products across the design and construction industry. From project and product information to industry news, trends and forecasts, the company provides industry players the tools, resources, and applications that help them save time, money, and energy. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record (ENR), and its Regional Publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the $5.6 trillion global construction community. For more information, visit www.construction.com

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March Construction Stays Even With Prior Month

February Construction Slips 4%

New York, N.Y. – March 16, 2011 – At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $404.9 billion, new construction starts in February fell 4% from the previous month, it was reported by McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies.  Nonresidential building lost momentum for the second month in a row, and the public works sector retreated after its elevated pace in January.  Meanwhile, residential building in February was able to register modest growth.  For the first two months of 2011, total construction on an unadjusted basis was $55.9 billion, down 9% from a year ago.

The February statistics lowered the Dodge Index to 86 (2000=100), compared to readings of 90 in January and 95 in December.  For over a year, the Dodge Index has hovered between 80 and 96, with the average for all of 2010 coming in at 88.  “The pace of construction starts continues to fluctuate within a set range, as the gains for one month are taken back by weaker activity in subsequent months,” stated Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction.  “Compared to the declines witnessed from 2007 through 2009, the overall volume of activity has steadied in a broad sense, but this period of low-level stability is turning out to be extended.  Given various countervailing factors in the environment, this fluctuation within a set range is likely to continue a while longer.  On the plus side, job growth seems to be picking up, vacancy rates are beginning to recede, and interest rates remain low.  At the same time, financing for construction projects from the banking sector has shown only modest improvement.  And, the tough fiscal climate being faced by federal, state, and local governments has added further constraints to public construction programs.”

Nonresidential building in February dropped 5% to $132.3 billion (annual rate), retreating for the second straight month after December’s heightened activity.  For the commercial categories, office construction in February fell 30% from the prior month, which had been lifted by groundbreaking for four office projects valued each in excess of $100 million.  The office category in February did include the start of one project valued in excess of $100 million – the $125 million modernization of the General Services Administration headquarters building in Washington DC.  Hotel construction also reported a substantial February decline, falling 37% after the prior month had been boosted by the start of a large convention-center hotel in Washington DC.  Warehouse construction stayed weak in February, sliding an additional 13%, while store construction edged up 1%.  The manufacturing plant category in February climbed 54%, aided by the start of a $500 million cellulose ethanol plant in Kansas.

For the institutional categories, healthcare facilities dropped 27% in February, continuing to settle back after the brisk pace of contracting reported at the end of last year.  Whereas December featured the start of six large hospital projects valued in excess of $100 million, and January had two such projects, the largest healthcare project in February was the $73 million clinic portion of the $360 million Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center in Cleveland OH.  The educational buildings category decreased 12% in February, reflecting the downward pull arising from tight state and local budgets.  Providing some support in February were the start of two large high schools, located in Virginia ($66 million) and Pennsylvania ($60 million), as well as groundbreaking for a $55 million medical research facility in Texas.  The smaller institutional categories were able to register gains in February.  The transportation terminal category jumped 310% after a depressed January, helped by the start of a $200 million bus depot in New York NY and a $143 million transit hub renovation in St. Paul MN.  Amusement-related work climbed 92% in February, led by the $287 million convention center portion of the Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center.  Moderate January gains were posted by public buildings, up 9%; and religious buildings, up 5%; relative to weak activity in January.

Nonbuilding construction, at $151.5 billion (annual rate), slipped 9% in February.  Highway and bridge construction dropped 27% from January’s exceptional amount, which included the start of a $1.5 billion project to add new lanes to the LBJ Freeway in Dallas TX.  The February pace for highway and bridge construction remained a slight 1% above the monthly average for 2010, as the waning support from the federal stimulus act is only just beginning to have a dampening impact.  Decreased activity in February was also shown by river/harbor development, down 52%; site work and mass transit, down 34%; and sewer construction, down 13%; following the gains each category reported in January.  Water supply construction was the one public works category able to show improvement in February, rising 51%, with the boost coming from the start of several water treatment plant projects located in Washington state ($51 million), Oklahoma ($47 million), and New York ($45 million). The electric utilities category had a strong February, surging 46%, as the brisk activity witnessed during 2010 for this project type has yet to slow down.  Large electric utility projects that were reported as construction starts in February included a $2.4 billion coal-gasification power plant in Mississippi and a $1.4 billion wind farm in Oregon.

Residential building in February moved up 2% to $121.1 billion (annual rate).  The strength came from the multifamily side of the housing market, which advanced 67% in February after a brief loss of momentum during January.  Large projects that were reported as February starts included a $140 million apartment building in Secaucus NJ, an $87 million apartment building in Chicago IL, and a $58 million apartment building rehabilitation in Minneapolis MN.  Murray noted, “Multifamily housing is turning out to be one of the few near-term bright spots for the construction industry.  While rising from a very low amount, multifamily housing in 2010 grew 12% in dollar terms, faster than the 6% gain reported for single family housing, and it’s expected to see another double-digit increase in 2011.”  Single family housing in February slipped back 7%, as the modest improvement that seemed to re-emerge towards the end of 2010 paused.  The single family slowdown in February was widespread by geography, with all five regions showing reduced activity – the Midwest, down 2%; the South Atlantic, down 4%; the South Central, down 7%; the West, down 8%; and the Northeast, down 21%.

The 9% decline registered by total construction on an unadjusted basis for the first two months of 2011, compared to 2010, was the result of a mixed performance by major sector.  Nonresidential building was down 21%, reflecting this pattern by segment – commercial building, up 6%; manufacturing building, up 483%; and institutional building down 37%.  Last year’s nonresidential total included the start of two massive projects during the January-February period – the $3.0 billion transit hub in lower Manhattan NY and the $1.1 billion airport terminal project at Los Angeles International Airport.  If these two large institutional projects are excluded from the 2010 statistics, then the year-to-date change for 2011 would be the following – institutional building, down 18%; nonresidential building, down 5%; and total construction, down 2%.  Nonbuilding construction during the January-February period of 2011 was up 9%, helped by this year’s early strength for electric utilities, while residential building retreated 14% year-to-date.  By geography, total construction during the first two months of 2011 performed as follows – the Northeast, down 34%; the South Atlantic, down 30%; the Midwest, down 6%; the West, up 5%; and the South Central, up 17%.

Useful perspective is obtained by looking at twelve-month moving totals, in this case the twelve months ending February 2011 compared to the twelve months ending February 2010.  On this basis, total construction is down 3%, due to this pattern by sector – nonresidential building, down 10%; nonbuilding construction, no change; and residential building, up 1%.  By region, the twelve months ending February 2011 showed this behavior for total construction – the South Atlantic, down 16%; the Northeast, down 6%; the Midwest down 1%, the South Central, up 1%; and the West, up 4%.

February 2011 Construction Starts

FEBRUARY 2011 CONSTRUCTION STARTS

MONTHLY SUMMARY OF CONSTRUCTION STARTS
Prepared by McGraw-Hill Construction Research & Analytics

Monthly Construction Starts
Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, In Millions of Dollars

The Dodge Index
(2000=100, Seasonally Adjusted)

February 2011.......................................86
January 2011.........................................90

YEAR-TO-DATE CONSTRUCTION STARTS
Unadjusted Totals, In Millions of Dollars

About McGraw-Hill Construction
McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects, and products across the design and construction industry. From project and product information to industry news, trends and forecasts, the company provides industry players the tools, resources, and applications that help them save time, money, and energy. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record (ENR), and its Regional Publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the $5.6 trillion global construction community. For more information, visit www.construction.com

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November Construction Slides 11%

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ENR Texas & Louisiana Honors 2013 Best Projects

Out of more than 80 entries submitted for this year's ENR Texas & Louisiana Best Projects competition, an independent panel of judges named 27 winners, all of them featured online and in the December 16 print issue.

Best Health Care: An exterior view of the new $22-million University of Texas Moncrief Cancer Institute.

This year's winners were extremely diverse, representing a wide selection of construction projects in varied markets—projects completed in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013.

Many "firsts" made it into the winners' circle, including the first ultra-supercritical advanced-steam-cycle power generation facility in the U.S.; the first steel-arch and stress-ribbon bridge in North America; and the first Formula One racetrack in the U.S. Winners also included the restoration of a building from 1932 that had been vacant for 30 years and a seven-year bridge-widening project.

Each Best Project had to demonstrate innovation, exceptional quality and an ability to find creative solutions to daunting challenges.

To select the region's best, ENR Texas & Louisiana recruited an independent panel of six industry professionals, representing diverse fields of expertise. Read more about our judges here.

Another integral part of ENR's annual Best Projects competition is the Excellence in Safety Award, now in its second year. More than 50 entries vied for the award, with a separate panel of jurors selecting the safety winner, along with five merit-award winners.

In selecting the Project of the Year, the judges had a difficult time in making a selection considering the high caliber of entries. Five finalists were selected: 500 Fannin Building, First Baptist Church Dallas, George W. Bush Presidential Center, Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge and the President George Bush Turnpike Western Extension.

Read on to learn about the successes and challenges faced by the teams on all of this year's Best Projects in categories ranging from airports/transit to water/environment:

 

Texas & Louisiana Project of the Year

George W. Bush Presidential Center (University Park, Texas)

Safety

Best Project: The John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant Project (Fulton, Ark.)

Award of Merit: Biomedical Research and Health Professions Building (Brownsville, Texas)

Award of Merit: Carnegie Vanguard High School (Houston, Texas)

Award of Merit: GE Manufacturing Solutions – Locomotive Manufacturing Facility “Project Forward” (Fort Worth, Texas)

Award of Merit: San Jacinto College Allied Health Building (Houston, Texas)

Award of Merit: Triumph Aerostructures - Vought Aircraft Division | Manufacturing Facility (TARO 1) (Red Oak, Texas)

Airports/Transit

Best Project: Consolidated Rental Car Facility (CONRAC) Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (New Orleans, La.)

Cultural/Worship

Best Project: First Baptist Church Dallas (Dallas, Texas)

Award of Merit: Perot Museum of Nature and Science (Dallas, Texas)

Energy/Industrial

Best Project: The John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant Project (Fulton, Ark.)

Government/Public Buildings

Best Project: College Station Fire Station #6 (College Station, Texas)

Green Project

Best Project: NASA Johnson Space Center Building 12 (Houston, Texas)

Health Care

Best Project: UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute (Fort Worth, Texas)

Award of Merit: CJMH C. Bryce Thomas MD Memorial Emergency Center (Jasper, Texas)

Higher Education/Research

Best Project: George W. Bush Presidential Center (University Park, Texas)

Award of Merit: Biomedical Research and Health Professions Building (Brownsville, Texas)

Highways/Bridges

Best Project: President George Bush Turnpike Western Extension (Grand Prairie, Texas)

Award of Merit: Huey P. Long Bridge Widening Project (Jefferson Parish, La.)

Interior Design/Tenant Improvement

Best Project: Sub-Zero Wolf Showroom (Dallas, Texas)

K-12 Education

Best Project: Carnegie Vanguard High School (Houston, Texas)

Award of Merit: St. Andrew's Episcopal School - Dell Fine Arts Center (Austin, Texas)

Landscape/Hardscape/Urban Development

Best Project: City of Dallas Klyde Warren Park (Dallas, Texas)

Manufacturing

Best Project: Triumph Aerostructures - Vought Aircraft Division | Manufacturing Facility (TARO 1) (Red Oak, Texas)

Office/Retail/Mixed-Use Developments

Best Project: BBVA Compass Plaza (Houston, Texas)

Renovation/Restoration

Best Project: 500 Fannin Building (Houston, Texas)

Award of Merit: Baylor T. Boone Pickens Cancer Hospital (Dallas, Texas)

Residential/Hospitality

Best Project: Museum Tower (Dallas, Texas)

Small Projects (under $10 million)

Best Project: Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Pedestrian Bridge (Fort Worth, Texas)

Award of Merit: Turrell Skyspace (Houston, Texas)

Specialty Contracting

Best Project: GE Manufacturing Solutions – Locomotive Manufacturing Facility “Project Forward” (Fort Worth, Texas)

Sports/Entertainment

Best Project: Circuit of the Americas/Formula One US Grand Prix (Austin, Texas)

Water/Environment

Best Project: LPV-3.2 West Return Floodwall (New Orleans, La.)

Award of Merit: T-Bar Well Field Development & Delivery Project (Midland, Texas)

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Best Energy/Industrial: John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant

The $1.7-billion, 620-MW John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant took more than six years to complete. Located on a 2,800-acre greenfield site, the plant required 12.8-million man-hours, 5 million linear ft of cable, 200,000 linear ft of pipe and 66,000 cu yd of concrete.

View of the Coal Handling area. Supplier was R&S. Installation and commissioning by CB&I. Photo shows extent and complexity of coal handling equipment.

Southwestern Electric Power Co. elected to have two major engineering, procurement and construction contractors, CB&I and B&W, do the work. CB&I was the schedule integrator, leading construction and accounting for about 80% of the craft hours worked on the project.

Coordinating and planning with B&W as the other prime contractor created "a unique situation in that we did not have commercial responsibility for the other prime contractor, which, at times, led to different schedule priorities," says Scott Reschly, project director for CB&I.

"These differences were resolved through good communication, extensive planning efforts completed at the jobsite by management and the project teams, and, most importantly, staying focused on our mutual primary goal, [which] was to complete the first ultra-supercritical, coal-fired plant in the U.S. within the client's schedule requirements and to do it safely," Reschly says.

The team was able to reach a real industry achievement of commercial operation only 121 days after the boiler was first fired on natural gas, believed to be an industry best.

"There was a strong emphasis from the client in regard to the environmental aspects of the project and a zero-violations approach with respect to the permitting process," Reschly says. "To achieve this goal, we had to integrate that approach into the engineering, construction and commissioning execution plans."

During the early phases of construction, the site area experienced 100-year rainfalls, making early civil work and steel erection difficult.

"We were able to overcome the time that was lost due to the rain events by extensive planning from the project team and executing to that plan," Reschly says.

The project team also worked through one of the hottest and driest summers on record in 2012.

CB&I encouraged craft workers to embrace safety by offering six-week courses on site and providing additional pay increases for craftsman who became NCCER and CB&I certified.

Another investment that paid off on the project was CB&I's clean-pipe program. It resulted in a quicker chemical-clean, turbine oil flush and steam-blow cleaning of the facility's high-energy piping.

Key Players

Owner American Electric Power’s Southwestern Electric Power Co., Columbus, Ohio

General Contractors CB&I (BOP GC) and The Babcock & Wilcox Co. (AQCS GC), both of Charlotte, N.C.

Lead Design CB&I, Centennial, Colo.

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January Construction Slides 13 Percent

Press Release

January Construction Slides 13 Percent

New York, N.Y. – February 21, 2014 – The value of new construction starts fell 13% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $485.0 billion, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial.  The downturn followed a healthy performance in December, which was the third highest month for total construction starts during 2013.  January’s retreat encompassed all three main construction sectors, with moderate declines reported for nonresidential building and housing, as well as a more substantial loss of momentum for nonbuilding construction (public works and electric utilities) after a particularly robust December.  On an unadjusted basis, total construction starts in January came in at $34.1 billion, down 5% from the same month a year ago.

The January statistics lowered the Dodge Index to 103 (2000=100), compared to a revised 118 for December and below the average Index reading of 110 for all of 2013.  “The year 2014 began slowly, due to behavior specific to each of the three main construction sectors,” stated Robert A. Murray, chief economist for McGraw Hill Construction.  “Nonresidential building in 2013 advanced 7%, but the progress was occasionally hesitant, including sluggish activity at the end of last year that carried over into January.  At the same time, the prospects for continued growth for nonresidential building during 2014 are generally positive, helped by receding vacancies for commercial properties and some improvement in the fiscal health of state governments.  Residential building in 2013 climbed 24%, but towards the end of last year growth began to decelerate as mortgage lending to first-time homebuyers remained stringent. The January slowdown for housing was due in part to tough winter weather conditions, yet the deceleration in recent months bears watching going forward.  Nonbuilding construction in 2013 dropped 12%, as the steep pullback by electric utilities outweighed surprising growth for public works. Last year’s nonbuilding performance was also quite volatile on a month-to-month basis, including strong activity in December that’s now been followed by a sharp reduction in January. With 2014 not likely to see the same volume of very large public works projects reach the construction start stage, nonbuilding construction is expected to register another decline this year, and January’s downturn is part of that broader trend.”

Nonresidential building in January dropped 6% to $157.3 billion (annual rate), and was down 7% from last year’s average monthly pace.  The commercial building sector in January fell 13%, with declines from the prior month shown by hotels, down 43%; and warehouses, down 3%.  Hotels and warehouses posted strong percentage growth during 2013, with each rising 29%, and the sluggish activity in January is viewed as a pause in what’s expected to be continued growth for both structure types during 2014.  Cushioning the January decline for the commercial building sector was a 21% increase for office construction, helped by groundbreaking for such projects as a $125 million corporate headquarters in Houston TX, a $66 million office park in Mountain View CA, and a $44 million office building in Raleigh NC.  Store construction in January improved 4%, reflecting the start of a $30 million shopping mall in Lakeland FL and a $25 million department store in Las Vegas NV.  The manufacturing plant category had a strong January, jumping 44%, due to the impact of two very large projects – a $1.2 billion propane dehydrogenation facility in Texas and a $450 million oil refinery expansion in North Dakota.

The institutional building sector in January decreased 12%, as the recent signs of stability after a lengthy five-year decline continue to be tenuous.  The educational building category receded 3%, although the month did include the start of several large university-related projects – a $155 million renovation to an academic building at Princeton University in Princeton NJ, a $100 million business school at Baylor University in Waco TX, and a $92 million science and laboratory facility at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville TN.  Healthcare facilities in January dropped 17%, as this structure type continues to show an up-and-down pattern on a monthly basis, keeping renewed growth in a sustained manner on hold.  The smaller institutional categories in January were mixed, with reduced activity reported for transportation terminals (down 31%) and amusement-related work (down 20%), while public buildings (up 6%) and religious buildings (up 58%) showed improvement from depressed levels in December.  The decline for the amusement category was relative to a very strong December, which included the start of the $763 million Vikings Multipurpose Stadium in Minneapolis MN.  Large project support for the amusement category was also present in January, coming from $90 million estimated for a new facility at the Disney Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista FL, as part of a larger $500 million project at that theme park.

Residential building, at $204.7 billion (annual rate), slipped 2% in January.  The retreat came as the result of a 6% decline for single family housing, which has now settled back for three months in a row.  The January single family decline was widespread geographically, with this pattern for the five major regions relative to December – the South Central, down 13%; the Northeast and West, each down 6%; the Midwest, down 3%; and the South Atlantic, down 2%.  Murray noted, “Harsh weather conditions in January played some role in the sluggish single family performance, in combination with the recent pickup in mortgage rates and the tight lending environment as it relates to first-time homebuyers.  Still, it’s expected that single family construction should soon regain upward momentum, given the very low inventory of new homes for sale and what’s anticipated to be a strengthening economy and jobs picture.”  Multifamily housing in January grew 12%, staying on the broad upward track that began back in 2010.  Large projects that supported the January increase were led by a $400 million condominium and apartment building in New York NY, as this metropolitan area continues to see very large multifamily projects reach groundbreaking.  Other large multifamily projects reported as January starts were located in Washington DC ($90 million), Miami FL ($69 million), Minneapolis MN ($54 million), and Dallas TX ($50 million).

Nonbuilding construction in January plunged 32% to $123.0 billion (annual rate), following its 40% surge in December.  New electric utility work dropped 61% from the elevated pace witnessed in December, returning to the downward path that was present for much of last year.  Although January did include the start of an $800 million natural gas-fired power plant in Pennsylvania, this was not enough to avert the category’s steep drop for the month.  The public works sector overall in January was down 25%, with declines across most of the project types.  While January did include the start of a $153 million highway paving project in Texas and the $126 million deck replacement of the Pulaski Skyway in New Jersey, highway and bridge construction for the month fell 35%.  Other January declines were reported for river/harbor development, down 26%; miscellaneous public works (site work, mass transit, and pipelines) down 13%; and water supply systems, down 5%.  Sewer construction was the one public works category to register an increase in January, rising 21%, with the lift coming from such projects as a $173 million sewer tunnel in Hawaii.

The 5% decline for total construction starts on an unadjusted basis for January 2014 relative to January 2013 was due to this performance by sector – nonresidential building, down 6%; residential building, up 8%; and nonbuilding construction, down 19%.  By geography, total construction starts for January 2014 relative to January 2013 showed declines in four of the five major regions – the West, down 15%; the South Atlantic, down 9%; the South Central, down 5%; and the Midwest, down 3%.  The Northeast was the only region to register a year-over-year gain for January 2014, advancing 15%.

Useful perspective can be obtained by looking at twelve-month moving totals, in this case the twelve months ending January 2014 versus the twelve months ending January 2013, which lessens the volatility present in one-month comparisons.  For the twelve months ending January 2014, total construction starts were up 5%, due to this pattern by sector – nonresidential building, up 6%; residential building, up 22%; and nonbuilding construction, down 13%.  By geography, the twelve months ending January 2014 showed the following behavior for total construction starts – the Northeast, up 16%; the Midwest and West, each up 9%; the South Central, up 2%; and the South Atlantic, down 5%.

About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record  – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications:
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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New Construction Starts in December Improve 5 Percent; Annual Total for 2013 Climbs 6 Percent to $516.8 Billion

Press Release

New Construction Starts in December Improve 5 Percent;
Annual Total for 2013 Climbs 6 Percent to $516.8 Billion

NEW YORK – January 23, 2014– New construction starts in December grew 5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $554.5 billion, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial.  Although both nonresidential building and housing settled back during the final month of 2013, the nonbuilding construction sector (public works and electric utilities) finished the year on a strong note. For 2013 as a whole, total construction starts advanced 6% to $516.8 billion.  This follows the 10% gain reported for 2012 (which drew support from a record amount of new electric utility starts that year) and modest 2% gains in both 2010 and 2011.  If the volatile electric utility category is excluded, total construction starts in 2013 would be up 14%, following a 9% gain in 2012 and essentially flat activity during 2010 and 2011.

The December statistics produced a reading of 117 for the Dodge Index (2000=100), compared to 111 in November.  This marked the third highest month for the Dodge Index during 2013, after September’s 118 and October’s 125.  During the first eight months of the year, the Dodge Index had hovered within the fairly narrow range of 100 to 108, but then showed a stronger pace of activity during the final four months, reflecting in part the impact of several very large projects.  In December, large projects that were entered as construction starts included the $1.5 billion Goethals Bridge replacement project in New York and New Jersey, two large natural gas-fired power plants, and two large manufacturing plants.  For all of 2013, the Dodge Index averaged 109, up from 103 in 2012.

“The construction industry in 2013 made progress towards establishing a more broad-based recovery, after several years in which the upturn was more limited in scope,” stated Robert A. Murray, chief economist for McGraw Hill Construction.  “Housing continued to lead the way, strengthening throughout much of 2013, and it was joined by a faster pace for commercial building, albeit from low levels.  The institutional building sector registered a considerably smaller decline than in prior years, as its lengthy downturn appears to be ending.  The public works sector in 2013 showed surprising strength, helped by the start of several major projects even amidst restrained government spending.  Running counter in 2013 was a steep drop for new electric utility starts, after the robust amount reported in 2012.  For 2014, the prospects look good for total construction, with growth anticipated for housing and commercial building, while the institutional building sector at least stabilizes.”

Nonresidential building in December slipped 7% to $168.6 billion (annual rate), pulling back for the second month in a row after its elevated pace in October, although its fourth quarter average was still 17% above what was reported in the first quarter.  Several commercial categories in December paused from the improved activity registered earlier in the fall.  New office construction dropped 44% from November which had been lifted by the start of such projects as the $336 million Transbay office tower in San Francisco CA; in contrast, the largest office projects entered as December starts were an $80 million office complex in Cary NC and a $73 million data center in West Des Moines IA.  Similar December declines were registered by hotels, down 42%; and warehouses, down 46%; although the latest month did include the start of an $88 million Amazon distribution center in Windsor CT.  Store construction, which was the one commercial category that did not post a November gain, managed to increase 6% in December.  The December pause for nonresidential building was cushioned by a sharp 110% jump for manufacturing buildings, which reflected the start of two massive chemical plants in Louisiana, each valued at $500 million.

The institutional building categories in December were mixed.  Educational facilities grew 5%, helped by the start of a $213 million medical research building in Boston MA and a $151 million college science building in Chicago IL.  Healthcare facilities in December jumped 30% from the prior month’s subdued amount, and featured groundbreaking for an $80 million hospital in Virginia and a $70 million cancer center in Wisconsin.  The smaller institutional categories generally weakened in December, with public buildings (courthouses and detention facilities) down 32%; churches, down 44%; and amusement-related work, down 46% (compared to the previous month which included the $763 million Vikings Multipurpose Stadium in Minneapolis MN).  The transportation terminal category retreated a slight 1% in December, and included the start of a $230 million terminal renovation project at Los Angeles International Airport.

For 2013 as a whole, nonresidential building increased 7% to $168.6 billion, shifting to an upward direction after the 5% decline reported for 2012.  The commercial categories overall advanced 16%, faster than the 13% gain witnessed in 2012.  The strongest gain by commercial category was registered by hotels, up 28%; followed by warehouses, up 27%; office buildings, up 17%; and stores, up 1%.  The small 2013 increase for stores was limited by the comparison to 2012 that included the $400 million renovation to Macy’s flagship department store in New York NY.  The manufacturing building category in 2013 surged 36%, helped by the two large chemical plants in Louisiana reported as December starts as well as by such projects as a $1.7 billion fertilizer plant in Iowa, a $1.7 billion natural gas processing plant in West Virginia, and a $1.5 billion industrial gas products plant in Louisiana.  The institutional building group during 2013 decreased 3%, less severe than declines of 9% in 2012 and 11% in 2011.  The two largest institutional categories performed as follows – educational buildings, down 1%; and healthcare facilities, down 6%.  The smaller institutional categories showed this pattern for 2013 – amusement-related work, up 25%; transportation terminals, down 2%; churches down 11%; and public buildings, down 27%.

Residential building in December dropped 6% to $205.3 billion (annual rate), with both sides of the housing market easing back.  Single family housing slipped 3%, as recent months have shown more of an up-and-down pattern after the consistently steady gains witnessed earlier in the year.  When viewed on a quarterly basis, single family housing still registered consistent growth during 2013, with the fourth quarter up 8% compared to the first quarter.  Multifamily housing in December retreated 13% after November’s increase of the same magnitude.  December’s largest multifamily projects were smaller in scale than what had been reported in the previous month, but still included such substantial entries as a $159 million apartment building in Sunny Isles Beach FL, a $128 million condominium tower in Honolulu HI, and a $127 million apartment building in Brooklyn NY.

The 2013 amount for residential building was $205.5 billion, up 24%, and close to the 31% gain reported for 2012.  Single family housing in dollar terms climbed 26%, similar to the prior year’s 29% hike.  The regional pattern for single family housing in 2013 showed increases for all five major regions, as follows – the South Atlantic, up 33%; the Midwest, up 27%; the West and Northeast, each up 26%; and the South Central, up 18%.  Multifamily housing in 2013 advanced 16%, showing additional growth on top of the increases in 2010 (up 23%), 2011 (up 33%), and 2012 (up 37%).  By major region, multifamily housing revealed this performance in 2013 – the Midwest, up 26%; the Northeast, up 24%; the South Atlantic, up 21%; the West, up 13%; and the South Central, down 6%.  The top five metropolitan areas in terms of the 2013 dollar amount of multifamily starts, with the percent change from 2012, were – New York NY, up 23%; Boston MA, up 74%; Washington DC, unchanged from the prior year; Miami FL, up 12%; and Los Angeles CA, down 24%.  Metropolitan areas ranked 6 through 10 for multifamily starts were – Dallas-Ft. Worth TX, down 6%; Chicago IL, up 52%; Seattle WA, unchanged from the prior year, San Francisco CA, up 12%; and Denver CO, up 17%.

Nonbuilding construction in December soared 40% to $180.6 billion (annual rate), which was the highest monthly rate during 2013.  Bridge construction jumped 210%, boosted by the $1.5 billion Goethals Bridge replacement project in Staten Island NY and Elizabeth NJ.  Other large bridge projects that were entered as December starts were $380 million for bridge construction in Stillwater MN and $297 million for bridge construction on the I-35W reconstruction project in Texas.  The highway construction category also had a strong December, rising 19% with the help of $693 million allocated to highway work on the I-35W project in Texas.  River/harbor development in December rose 21%, supported by the start of a $290 million seawall replacement project in Seattle WA.   Sewer construction in December increased a moderate 6%, while water supply construction fell 6%.  The miscellaneous public works category (which includes such diverse project types as pipelines, mass transit, and outdoor sports stadiums) dropped 14% in December, although it did include a $425 million stadium renovation project for Texas A&M University in College Station TX.  The electric utility category in December departed from its generally downward trend during 2013, rising 127%.  Large power plant projects included as December construction starts were two natural gas-fired plants located in New Jersey ($842 million) and Pennsylvania ($800 million), as well as three wind power facilities located in Texas ($300 million and $200 million) and Oklahoma ($225 million).

For the full year 2013, nonbuilding construction dropped 12% to $142.7 billion.  After achieving a record high in current dollar terms in 2012, new electric utility starts plunged 57% in 2013.  In contrast, the public works portion of nonbuilding construction increased 9% in 2013, a resilient performance given concerns that tight government budgets would dampen activity.  Of the public works project types, bridge construction showed the largest percentage gain, climbing 55%.  Aside from what was entered into the December construction start figures, large bridge projects in 2013 included the $3.1 billion Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project across the Hudson River in New York and $1.6 billion for work on the Ohio River Bridges in the Louisville KY and southern Indiana area.  With highway construction up 10% in 2013, highway and bridge construction together registered a 21% gain for the full year.  The top five states for highway and bridge construction in 2013, ranked by the dollar volume of activity, were – Texas, New York, California, New Jersey, and Virginia.  The environmental public works categories posted annual gains for 2013, as follows – river/harbor development, up 30%; water supply systems, up 10%; and sewers, up 1%.  The miscellaneous public works category fell back 18% in 2013, following a 61% increase in 2012, due primarily to a sharply reduced amount of new petroleum and natural gas pipeline starts.

The 6% gain for total construction starts at the national level in 2013 was the result of gains in four of the five major regions.  Showing the strongest growth was the Northeast, up 17%; followed by the Midwest, up 9%; the West, up 8%; and the South Central, up 3%.  The South Atlantic was the one major region to experience a decline in 2013, dropping 3%.  The South Atlantic’s shortfall reflected the comparison to 2012 that included the start of two massive nuclear facilities, located in Georgia and South Carolina.  If electric utilities are excluded from the construction start statistics in the South Atlantic, then total construction for that region in 2013 would be up 19%.

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About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record  – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications:
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Climbs Further in January

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Climbs Further in January

NEW YORK – February 7, 2014 – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 3.0% in January compared to the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. January’s relatively strong gain brought the Momentum Index to 121.1 (2000=100), compared to a revised 117.6 in December 2013. Save for two minor dips in June and October of 2013, the Momentum Index has been on a steady climb for over a year. As the environment for new nonresidential development continues to improve, the planning pipeline of nonresidential building projects has grown more active.

The latest month’s increase for the Momentum Index was driven by strength for its commercial building segment, while plans for institutional building held steady with December. Commercial building plans gained 5.7%, largely the result of increased planning activity for office and hotel development. The largest commercial projects to enter the planning pipeline in January were a $275 million St. Regis Hotel in Napa CA, a $200 million Renaissance Hotel at LA Live in Los Angeles CA, and a $120 million mixed-use development in Mountain View CA. January’s stability for institutional building was aided by several large projects, including plans for further expansion of the San Ysidro Border Station in San Diego CA. 

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About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record  – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications:
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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McGraw Hill Construction Named Finalist for 14 Neal Awards

Press Release

McGraw Hill Construction Named Finalist for 14 Neal Awards

NEW YORK – February 18, 2014 – Architectural Record, GreenSource and ENR, published by McGraw Hill Construction (http://www.construction.com/), have been named as finalists for multiple 2014 Jesse H. Neal Business Journalism Awards.  The awards, known as “the Pulitzer Prize of business media,” are distributed annually by industry association American Business Media, in order to recognize editorial excellence among business-to-business publications.       

 The recognized work includes:

Architectural Record (http://www.archrecord.com)

• Best Technical Content: A Deeper Shade of Green: The Bullitt Center
• Best Technical Content: Wrap It Up
• Best Single Issue of a Magazine: June 2013
• Best Theme Issue of a Magazine Or Newspaper: Design from Farm to Table, July 2013
• Best Theme Issue of a Magazine Or Newspaper: Sheltering the World, March 2013
• Best Use Of Social Media: Architectural Record: Building a Community

GreenSource (http://www.GreenSourceMag.com)

• Best Single Article: Power to the People
• Best Website: GreenSourceMag.com
• Best Single Issue of a Magazine or Newspaper: Designing Healthier Communities, July/August 2013
• Best Technical Content: Bracing for Climate Change
• Best Theme Issue of a Magazine Or Newspaper: How Tall is Too Tall? September/October 2013

ENR (http://www.enr.com)

• Best Subject-Related Series: Climate Adaptation
• Best Profile: Modular Maven: Bruce Ratner
• Best Technical Content: Research Revolution

“We are thrilled that Architectural Record, GreenSource and ENR are finalists among their peers in the extremely competitive field of business-to-business journalism, and we are grateful to American Business Media for this recognition,” said Keith Fox, President of McGraw Hill Construction.  “McGraw Hill Construction has done well at the Neals in recent years, with Architectural Record named the 2012 Grand Neal winner, ENR named a 2013 Grand Neal finalist, and GreenSource awarded Best Website two years running.  We look forward to another strong showing in 2014.”

The 60th Annual Neal Awards will be held on March 14, 2014 in New York. 

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About McGraw Hill Construction: McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare® and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets.  To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial: McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact: Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, McGraw Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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ENR New York Presents MTA MWDBE Conference, May 9 in NYC

Press Release

ENR New York Presents MTA MWDBE Conference, May 9 in NYC

Event to Explore Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s New Opportunities for Minority, Women-owned & Disadvantaged Business Enterprises

NEW YORK – April 24, 2013 – During the past 18 months, New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has created and implemented small business development programs which have led to a total of $353 million in contracts awarded to New York State certified Minority, Women-owned and MTA certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (MWDBEs).  McGraw-Hill Construction’s ENR New York (http://newyork.construction.com/) will explore the MTA’s upcoming billions of dollars in business opportunities in its fourth annual MTA MWDBE conference, to be held Thursday, May 9 from 8:15 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at The McGraw-Hill Companies headquarters, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, in Manhattan.

This unique event will showcase the MTA’s special programs designed for MWDBEs while enabling attendees to make valuable connections with other small businesses that seek to establish stable, long-term business relationships with the MTA.  Panelists representing all aspects of MTA will be on hand to introduce attendees to their upcoming business opportunities. William C. Thompson Jr., Chair, New York State MWBE Task Force and former New York City Comptroller, will deliver the keynote address.

 Sponsors of the event include Platinum sponsor, Skanska and Gold sponsor, TDX. Silver sponsors, Citnalta, EE Cruz, Northeast Remsco, and WDF. Bronze sponsor, International Safety Group. Exhibitors include Armand, Fox Industries Ltd., Fritch Construction, McKissack & McKissack, Railworks, STV, Tully Construction Co., and Tutor Perini Corporation.  Supporting sponsors include Associated General Contractors of New York State, New York Building Congress, and Society for Marketing Professional Services New York.

The event’s complete agenda, speaker bios and registration information are available at http://www.construction.com/events/2013/mta.  A limited number of press passes are available to credentialed media representatives; to request one, contact Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com. 

For more McGraw-Hill Construction events, visit http://construction.com/events.

# # #

About McGraw-Hill Construction: McGraw-Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit http://www.construction.com/.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: The McGraw-Hill Companies, to be renamed McGraw Hill Financial (subject to shareholder approval), is a powerhouse in credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. Leading brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Media Contact: Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,

McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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Green Building Accelerates Globally through Economic Downturn, According to New McGraw-Hill Construction Study

Press Release

Green Building Accelerates Globally through Economic Downturn, According to New McGraw-Hill Construction Study
November 13, 2012 - New York, NY

Around the world, the green building marketplace is accelerating, according to a new study being released by McGraw-Hill Construction in partnership with United Technologies today at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco.

The study indicates a shift in the global construction market, now viewing green as a business opportunity rather than a niche market. Overwhelmingly, firms report that their top reasons to do green work are client demand (35 percent) and market demand (33 percent)—two key business drivers of strategic planning. The next top reasons were also oriented toward the corporate bottom line—lower operating costs (30 percent) and branding advantage (30 percent). In contrast, the top reason in 2008 motivating the green building market was doing the right thing (42 percent) and market transformation (35 percent), followed by client and market demand.

"This research confirms that green building advances environmental stewardship while providing value to the market," said Geraud Darnis, president and CEO, United Technologies Climate, Controls & Security.  "It also confirms that we now see more pull than push for green buildings."

In the next three years, the sectors with the largest opportunity for green building around the world include new construction and renovation projects. Sixty three percent of firms have green work planned in new commercial projects and 45 percent in new institutional projects by 2015, and 50 percent have plans for green renovation work. In the United Kingdom and Singapore, green renovation projects were planned by the greatest number of firms at 65 and 69 percent respectively. In Brazil and UAE, new projects pose the largest opportunity. In Brazil, 83 percent of firms are planning to work on new green commercial projects over the next three years, and in the UAE, 73 percent have new green institutional projects planned.

"It is notable that over the next three years, firms working in countries around the world have green work planned across all building types, incorporating both new construction and renovation," said Harvey M. Bernstein, vice president, Industry Insights and Alliances for McGraw-Hill Construction. "The existing building market is a ripe opportunity for green building, and we are seeing that play out in the market. It is clear that green is becoming an important part of the future landscape of the global construction marketplace, and firms will need to be prepared for that transition."

Green buildings are also expected to garner business benefits for building owners. For new green building projects, firms report median operating cost savings of 8 percent over one year and 15 percent over five years, as well as increased building values of 7 percent (according to design and construction firms) and higher asset valuation of 5 percent (according to building owners).

For green retrofits, operating savings are higher than for new buildings with operating costs reported to decrease by 9 percent over one year and 13 percent over five years. Asset valuation is also expected to increase, though at more moderate levels than for new green buildings—design and construction professionals expect 5 percent increased building value from green retrofits, and owners expect higher asset valuation of 4 percent. For green projects, payback on efforts is expected within 8 years for new projects and 7 years for retrofit/renovation work.

Other significant findings include:

"We’ve been on the ground watching the markets shift to green around the world. Today, there are green building councils in 92 countries around the world—more than double what it was when we first looked at the green building market globally in 2008," said Jane Henley, president of the World Green Building Council. "The business case is helping move the markets, and this study underscores the importance of measuring and reporting those benefits."

"This study validates what we’ve experienced the past couple of years — that the business community has fully embraced green building as a strategic business imperative that also happens to have a strong societal benefit.  We see this as a success of LEED and all the rating systems that have helped drive green building movement globally," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council.

The study also revealed that approximately 48 percent of the work by U.S. respondents was green—with that share expected to increase to 58 percent by 2015. These results are consistent with McGraw-Hill Construction’s 2013 Dodge Green Construction Outlook that sized the green building share of new construction starts in the U.S. to be 44 percent by value, and up to 55 percent by 2015.
The findings are drawn from a McGraw-Hill Construction survey of firms across 62 countries around the world. Firms include architects, engineers, contractors, consultants and building owners. The sample was drawn from firm members of the World Green Building Council in 62 countries, other global industry associations, and the ENR Top Lists. Of the respondents, 92 percent are members of Green Building Councils around the world. The results include a feature of 9 countries around the world with sufficient sample for statistical analysis. The study expands and contrasts against McGraw-Hill Construction’s 2008 Global Green SmartMarket Report study. Given the survey sample source, McGraw-Hill Construction compared the sample against a non-GBC member audience, which was comparable in terms of involvement in green and planned activity. Further, the U.S. sample was consistent with McGraw-Hill Construction’s extensive analysis of the U.S. construction market through its Dodge project data.

The study was produced in partnership with United Technologies with support from the World Green Building Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. Other research association partners include the Chartered Institute of Buildings, International Federation of Consulting Engineers (Fédération Internationale Des Ingénieurs-Conseils), Association for Consultancy and Engineering, Conseil International du Bâtiment (International Council for Building), Architect’s Council of Europe, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. A separate survey of global manufacturing firms was also conducted.

The results of the study will be presented today in San Francisco at the International Summit at the Greenbuild Conference and Expo at the Moscone Center—West Building, with remarks by Geraud Darnis, president & CEO United Technologies Climate, Controls & Security at noon pacific time and presentation by Harvey Bernstein at 4:15 p.m. pacific time. The study will also be discussed at a panel from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. pacific time on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the McGraw-Hill Construction Booth #3539 in the Moscone Center—North Building Exhibit Hall. The panel will feature executives from McGraw-Hill Construction, United Technologies Climate, Controls & Security, World Green Building Council and U.S. Green Building Council.

For more key findings from the 2012 World Green Buildings Study, visit http://bit.ly/ZD4zz5. The full report containing these and other study results will be published as part of McGraw-Hill Construction’s SmartMarket Report series, with global release anticipated in the first quarter of 2013.

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About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, GreenSource, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, J.D. Power and Associates and Platts, a leader in commodities information.  With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

About United Technologies:
United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Slips in August

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Slips in August
September 10, 2012 - New York, NY

The Dodge Momentum Index retreated 1.4% in August compared to July,  according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The August Momentum Index came in at 96.8 (2000=100), down from July's revised 98.1. Despite the month's pullback, the index remains 21.4% ahead of its level a year earlier. The recent softening in the U.S. economy may be causing some deceleration in plans for future development.

This is particularly true for the commercial component of the index, which dropped 3.5% in August. By contrast, the institutional building segment of the Momentum Index inched up 1.0% over the month. Both components are well ahead of their year-earlier levels. In August, the institutional building segment was buoyed by two large projects entering the planning database: the $500 million MGM Resort Casino proposed for Springfield MA and the $200 million Milford Memorial Hospital proposed for Milford DE. On the commercial side, August saw the addition of Apple Computer's $250 million planned expansion of its Prineville OR office park.

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About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction's data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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September Construction Jumps 16 Percent

Press Release

September Construction Jumps 16 Percent 
October 17, 2012 - New York, NY

New construction starts in September climbed 16% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $507.2 billion, it was reported by McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies.  The nonbuilding construction sector (public works and electric utilities) led the way, helped in particular by a massive natural gas plant and several very large electric utility projects.  Meanwhile, nonresidential building retreated after its improved performance in August, and residential building eased back slightly.  Through the first nine months of 2012, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis came in at $349.6 billion, up 5% compared to the same period a year ago.

The latest month's data lifted the Dodge Index to 107 (2000=100), up from 92 in August.  This marked the second highest reading for the Dodge Index so far in 2012, following the 115 reported in April, which benefitted from the start of an $8.5 billion nuclear power plant in South Carolina.  "The robust pace for electric utility and gas plant construction during 2012 has occasionally produced volatility for total construction on a month-to-month basis," stated Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction.  "If electric utilities and gas plants are excluded, the level of construction starts in 2012 would be up 2% year-to-date, helped by this year's further growth for multifamily housing and the emerging recovery for single family housing.  As for the other construction sectors, commercial building has shown some strengthening during 2012 – while its dollar amount has grown less than 1% year-to-date, square footage is up 16%.  However, decreased activity continues to be reported in 2012 for institutional building, manufacturing plants, and public works.  Going into 2013, it's not expected that electric utilities will be able to maintain the record pace witnessed in 2011 and 2012, and tight government budgets will restrain the institutional building and public works sectors.  It will be up to housing and commercial building to provide upward momentum, and the impending ‘fiscal cliff' makes continued growth for these sectors less certain."

Nonbuilding construction in September soared 67% to $197.9 billion (annual rate).  The main lift came from a 335% surge for the electric utility and gas plant category, as a $4.8 billion liquefied natural gas plant in Louisiana (the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project) was included as a September construction start.  Without this project, the gains for several levels of construction activity in September would have been more moderate – electric utilities and gas plants, up 60%; nonbuilding construction, up 19%; and total construction, up 3%.  There were six electric utility projects, each valued in excess of $100 million, listed as September construction starts – a $750 million wind farm in Texas, a $484 million transmission line in Nevada and California, two $300 million gas-fired power plants in Texas, a $171 million transmission line in Kansas, and a $122 million wind farm in Michigan.  Public works construction overall was up 10% in September, helped by gains from the environmental public works categories.  Water supply construction increased 48%, aided by the start of a $192 million water quality control plant in California.  River/harbor development work in September advanced 38%, while sewers rose 19%.  The "other public works" category, which includes a diverse set of projects, climbed 35% in September with the lift coming from a $326 million mass transit rail line in California, a $250 million outdoor sports stadium for Baylor University in Waco TX, and a $220 million petroleum pipeline in Louisiana and Mississippi.  On the negative side, highways and bridges settled back in September, falling 1% and 24% respectively.  For the first nine months of 2012, highways and bridges together dropped 10% compared to last year, including construction start declines for these states – Texas, down 41%; Ohio, down 19%; and Florida, down 16%.

Nonresidential building, at $139.0 billion (annual rate), fell 5% in September, retreating after the 7% gain in the previous month.  The institutional sector showed declines for the majority of its project types.  The educational building category decreased 16% after its August upturn, despite the start of a $110 million science and research center for Temple University in Philadelphia PA, as well as groundbreaking for three large high schools located in Massachusetts ($105 million), Minnesota ($78 million), and Texas ($70 million).  The transportation terminal category in September dropped 40%, although it did include $148 million for phase 1 of the Moynihan Station project in New York NY.  Also weakening in September were amusement-related work, down 27%; and churches, down 18%.  On the plus side, moderate gains in September were registered by healthcare facilities, up 5%; and public buildings (courthouses and detention facilities), up 2%.

The commercial categories in September showed stronger activity relative to August.  Warehouse construction advanced 60%, with the help of such projects as a $57 million distribution center for Dollar Tree in Windsor CT.  Hotel construction increased 37%, aided by a $68 million addition to a hotel in Miami Beach FL, plus two hotel renovations for Westin properties in Atlanta GA ($45 million) and Cleveland OH ($36 million).  Stores and shopping centers, up 11%, included $91 million for the retail portion of the Brickell CitiCentre mixed-use project in Miami FL (with the entire complex having an estimated construction start cost of $500 million).  Office construction grew 9% in September, and included $43 million for the office portion of the Brickell CitiCentre project, as well as corporate office buildings that reached groundbreaking in Canton OH ($42 million), Overland Park KS ($35 million), and Plano TX ($32 million).  Manufacturing plant construction in September dropped 10% compared to August.

Residential building in September slipped 1% to $170.3 billion (annual rate).  Multifamily housing retreated 10% after its 43% jump in August, which though down for the month still maintains the broader upward trend for this project type.  Large multifamily projects that reached groundbreaking in September included $231 million for the condominium portion of the Brickell CitiCentre project in Miami FL.  There were also two large multifamily projects that started in San Francisco CA during September – a $119 million condominium tower and an $82 million apartment building.  Single family housing maintained its gradual upward movement that's been present throughout much of 2012, growing 2% in September.  The pace for single family housing in September was 23% higher than what was reported back in January.

The 5% increase for total construction on an unadjusted basis during the January-September period of 2012 was the result of heightened activity for two of the three main construction groups.  Residential building climbed 26%, with year-to-date gains of 25% for single family housing and 30% for multifamily housing.  Nonbuilding construction was up 6% year-to-date, as a 27% hike for electric utilities and gas plants outweighed a 3% drop for public works.  Nonresidential building was the one major construction group to register a year-to-date decline, falling 12%.  The nonresidential decline came as the result of this pattern by segment – commercial building, up a slight 0.5%; institutional building, down 16%; and manufacturing building, down 29%.  The year-to-date decline for nonresidential building has been getting smaller as 2012 has proceeded.

By geography, total construction starts during the first nine months of 2012 showed a large gain for the South Atlantic, up 33%; with much of the upward push coming from the start of two massive nuclear power projects in Georgia and South Carolina.  If these two projects are excluded, then total construction starts in the South Atlantic would be up 6%.  Year-to-date gains for total construction were also reported for the Midwest, up 6%; and the South Central, up 2%.  Two regions registered year-to-date declines for total construction – the Northeast, down 5%; and the West, down 9%.

About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects, and products across the construction industry. For more than a century, it has remained North America's leading provider of project and product information, plans and specifications, and industry news, trends, and forecasts. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers in the global construction industry through Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record, GreenSource, and SNAP. To learn more, visit www.construction.com or follow https://twitter.com/mhconstruction.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services, and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

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November Construction Slips 5 Percent

Schools and Universities to Continue Investment in New & Retrofit Green Building at High Levels, According to New McGraw-Hill Construction Study
November 14, 2012 - New York, NY

Health and well-being are as important as cost savings in driving the green education market; More than 75% of respondents cite both factors as key drivers for green building in the education sector

According to a new study by McGraw-Hill Construction, both K-12 and universities plan to continue investments in green schools, citing financial and social benefits.

The New & Retrofit Green Schools study shows social benefits, such as improved health and productivity, are critical drivers for the education sector and equally as important as financial drivers.

"Over 75 percent of respondents consider improving indoor air quality and enhancing health and well being as key drivers, which is nearly the same percentage that cite financial benefits, such as lower operating costs and reduced energy use," said Harvey Bernstein, vice president, Industry Insights and Alliances for McGraw-Hill Construction. "In the K-12 sector, social factors are particularly prominent, with over 75% of respondents also citing increased student performance as an important element of their decision to build green. Aside from the real benefits to our young people in their development, this is also particularly important at driving future green building growth, as our next generation of construction industry professionals learn practices that will become embedded into the design and construction of all buildings in the future."

Improved test scores, reported by 70 percent of K-12 respondents;Increased enrollment, reported by 39 percent of higher education respondents;Increased reputation, reported by 65 percent of higher education;Positive impact on student health and well-being, reported by all K-12 respondents and 90 percent of higher education respondents

The study also shows that cost savings are critically important to the education sector, as they are to all other sectors. Over 75 percent of respondents in both K-12 and higher education report that reducing energy use, operational savings, and improving 10-year operating costs are important reasons that have led them to build green. Financially, 58 percent of administrators, facility managers and school design, and construction and real estate staffs at K-12 schools report decreased energy use in their green buildings, and 55 percent cite lower annual costs. For higher education, the financial benefits equate to 55 percent of respondents reporting decreased energy use and 46 percent reporting lower annual costs.

"At Lutron, we’re committed to sustainable buildings," said Gerard Darville, director of the energy business unit, "This research shows that the market is looking for tangible benefits from their building improvement investments, and our suite of wireless control solutions, including lighting controls, sensors and automated shades, can be easily retrofitted into any school or building, offering energy savings and enhanced comfort in the space. These wireless control solutions also make the spaces more versatile and allow for easy reconfiguration without disruption to the students," said Darville.

In addition, 81 percent of the respondents for the K-12 sector report doing at least some new green projects over the last three years, and 84 percent report doing green renovations.

"The findings captured in the study provide a roadmap to the Center and our partners for accelerating our movement to ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn in a safe, healthy and efficient place," said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council. "If we are going to chip away at the $400 billion deferred maintenance bill for U.S. schools and universities, we have to understand with absolute clarity what the challenges school administrators and designers face, as well as the opportunities before them."

The need for better measures, more consistently applied, to gauge the impact of green building in the future was also unveiled in the study. Over 40 percent of both the K-12 and higher education respondents do not know the longer-term impact of their build improvements.

"We have seen this same trend in the industry: the challenge of being able to quantify the real benefits of sustainable practices in terms that matter most to schools, which is why we have been so focused on modeling and proving those benefits as essential ingredients for superior student and staff performance," said Marijke A. Smit, vice president, Strategic Partnerships at Project Frog. "Through our component building systems, we can provide replicable and measurable results of the benefits of sustainability as a powerful driver of better, healthier, learning environments that are more cost effective to operate and show added benefits to schools by increasing student attendance and performance."

The study was produced with the support of the U.S. Green Building Council Center for Green Schools, Lutron, Project Frog and Siemens. Survey and data partners included the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, The American Institute of Architects, Associated General Contractors of America, Green Schools National Network, National Association of Independent Schools, Society for Colleges and University Planning, and Second Nature.

Key findings of the study will be presented today at 5:00 p.m. at McGraw-Hill Construction’s Exhibit Booth #3539 in the North Hall of the Moscone Center at the Greenbuild Expo in San Francisco. The U.S. Green Building Council will be holding a discussion panel at 11:00 a.m. Thursday morning at the Center for Green Schools booth in the lower level of the North building outside the expo hall.

For more key findings from the New & Retrofit Green Schools study, visit http://bit.ly/Upg7ku. The full report containing these and other study results will be published as part of McGraw-Hill Construction’s SmartMarket Report series in the first quarter of 2013.

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About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, GreenSource, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, J.D. Power and Associates and Platts, a leader in commodities information.  With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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