ConstructConnect Blog

Good news. The number of fatal occupational injuries for the construction industry declined in 2020. The number of construction worker deaths in 2020 was 1,008, a 5.3% reduction from the 1,061 fatal work injuries in 2019.

U.S. construction starts grew 5.9% in 2021 to $747 billion, with divergent outcomes across the three headline sectors. New residential construction grew 14.5%, with growth in both the single-family and multi-family segments. Nonresidential building, by contrast, declined 1.3% with significant pandemic-related scarring persisting in sectors related to travel and office working. Civil engineering construction was broadly flat, posting growth of just 0.9%.

Lessons From the First to Summit Mt. Everest Edmund Hillary once remarked that he was unsure if summiting Mt. Everest was within the realm of "humanly possible." Nonetheless, he and his Nepalese climbing partner, Tenzing Norgay, left the first confirmed pair of human footprints on the summit of Mt. Everest in May of 1953. Hillary's doubt surely stemmed from the failed previous attempts to summit the highest peak on earth (last recorded in 2020 as 29,031.7 feet above sea level).

As we reflect on another year of challenge and change, we're looking back at some of our most popular posts from 2021. But, of course, these articles wouldn't have been possible without your support. We're grateful to our subscribers and the support you've shown us over the past year. We look forward to connecting with you in 2022!

Darwin got his from over 100 pigeons. Galileo used crude telescopes to get his. Marie Curie had a pocket watch. George Washington Carver a microscope. And Florence Nightingale saved lives with it.

All in all, 2021 was an okay year for the commercial construction industry. Overall construction spending was up, with residential construction put-in-place seeing an increase but nonresidential experiencing its second year of decline.

A Special Message from Doug Dockery, CTO, on Platform Security

It’s that time of year again. As we say get ready to say goodbye to 2021 and ring in another new year, it's time to unveil ConstructConnect's Top 5 Coolest Buildings of 2021.

From building materials to tools to heavy equipment, construction site theft is an industry-wide epidemic. In addition to the direct costs of replacing the stolen goods, there is also the indirect cost due to increased insurance premiums, rental costs to replace stolen equipment, and lost productivity.

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any commercial construction project. Being able to effectively manage cash flows on projects and throughout the year can be the difference between the success and failure of your business.