Contractors, do you understand that you are throwing away hundreds of thousands of dollars and risking your business when you skirt around regulations by starting and completing a construction project without obtaining a building permit? Sure, they take time out of your busy day, are challenging to obtain and involve lots of documents, but the…
Admit it! You have checked the box next to the Terms and Conditions when making a purchase or signing a contract and never actually look at the terms and conditions a million times. We have all signed contracts without reviewing each paragraph, often just focusing on what it’s going to cost us and how long…
If a worker fell on the jobsite, how fast would the operations and safety managers learn about the incident and be able to locate the worker to render assistance? When a construction company hires a subcontractor for a big job, does it always know if the sub has the promised number of crew members working…
Peer-to-peer marketplace apps are all about getting rid of the often expensive and usually time-consuming intermediary process and connecting users directly to the services they need. This way of doing business has become popular with everything from vacation rentals a la Airbnb to ride sharing via Uber and Lyft. That desire for convenience — and…
IRVING, Texas – ExxonMobil and Global Thermostat said recently that they have signed a joint development agreement to advance breakthrough technology that can capture and concentrate carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources, including power plants, and the atmosphere. ExxonMobil and Global Thermostat to advance breakthrough atmospheric carbon capture technology Technology removes carbon dioxide from industrial sources…
Modular construction is known for shaving time from construction schedules and reducing project budgets. But in the case of the $10 billion ExxonMobil-SABIC ethane steam cracker and plastics plant in Corpus Christi, Texas, it looks like it is also going to do away with some jobs as well. After the two energy giants announced the project a…
Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announced today that the Fluor-led joint venture company composed of Fluor and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., was selected by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to design and construct the I-635 LBJ East Project in Dallas. The Fluor team’s scope of work includes the widening and full reconstruction of about 11 miles…
Old East Dallas is a mix of historic homes, mid-century and newly built multifamily buildings, and empty lots. A great deal of empty lots. For now, the lots at the corner of Burlew and Scurry streets are relatively empty as well. In some places, they’re even prairie-like. But development signs stipple the landscape, some of…
Houston Endowment (HE), a leading Houston philanthropic organization, and design competition organizers Malcolm Reading Consultants, recently launched the global search for an outstanding design team of architects and landscape architects for HE’s new headquarters. The center, circa 40,000 s.f., will be HE’s new public face and will provide dedicated space for the organization’s team and community…
“Mobility as a Service” (MaaS) is a new concept being driven by today’s technology-enabled world and is the future of mobility as we know it. It’s smart, integrated, on-demand mobility at your fingertips that puts you in charge of your journey. You may see it in examples like rideshare, bikeshare, scooters and many on demand…
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and American Airlines announced Monday that they will build a sixth terminal at DFW and make improvements to existing Terminal C — work representing a capital package worth between $3 billion and $3.5 billion. The airport is making the investment as part of a long-term commitment from American to operate out of DFW. Design…
By: Nathan Estrada First, you may be asking yourself, “How can an attorney be my friend?” A valid question. Second, you may be thinking of the stigma that can be associated with having an attorney. However, an attorney’s job is to protect you and your rights, as well as your business. The road of business…
In the construction industry, the most threatening risks are the ones that go undetected for too long — design flaws that are spotted well into construction, bad habits that could get a craft worker hurt or a hazard that escapes a manager’s attention. Underlying most contractors’ safety programs is a group effort at vigilance on…
The truth is pulling a residential building permit when required is the right thing to do for your customer and it minimizes your liability as a contractor. It is exciting to see trucks rolling, hammers swinging, and a lot of contractors participating in the estimated $450 billion home remodeling market in the U.S. And while…
ExxonMobil said today it will invest up to $100 million over 10 years to research and develop advanced lower-emissions technologies with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory. ExxonMobil to invest up to $100 million on lower-emissions R&D with U.S. National Labs Ten-year agreement with National Renewable Energy…
The renewable energy sector is entering a new phase of subsidy-free growth across the world, according to the 53rd EY Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI). Mainland China and the US remain at first and second positions respectively on the top 40 ranking, while France moves up two positions to third from fifth, led by a new focus…
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approvedconstruction of a fourth liquefaction train at Freeport LNG’s $14 billionLNG export terminal in Freeport, Texas. Freeport LNG filed its FERC application in June 2017. The liquefaction unit, which is expected to become operational in 2023, will be similar to three others in various stages of completion at the Freeport site,…
The Texas DOT has unveiled an $8 billion plan this week that would revamp Interstate 35 through Austin and alleviate traffic congestion through the capital city, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The project would see the addition of two sections of managed lanes in each direction on I-35 — one 12 miles and the other…
For nearly the past 100 years, Houston has been proud to be a world leader in the oil and gas industry. However, despite the recent fracking boom, there seems to be a growing sense among its entrepreneurial and political elite that this economic model is going to fail at some point, or at the very…
The first full mass timber structure in the nation to use southern yellow pine cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels is set for completion in September 2019. Designed by Gensler’s Dallas office, the First United Bank in Fredericksburg has the distinction of being the first full mass timber construction project to be completed in Texas as well…
