Original article by Michael Voelker on Property Casualty 360

Call it “the Big Build-Up”: construction-focused carriers are cheering the multi-year run of positive news in the building sector. Growth in nonresidential construction is projected at more than 7.4% in 2016, according to the industry trade group Associated Builders and Contractors.

Four key areas of growth stand out: large commercial residential buildings, infrastructure projects, renewable energy, and transformation of manufacturing or other commercial facilities into new uses. Although commercial residential has slowed a bit from its blistering double-digit growth pace in recent years, Dodge Data & Analytics, which provides news and intelligence for the North American construction industry, still predicts a 7% increase in 2016.

Article written by Tom Ichniowski on ENR.com

With the $305-billion Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act on the books for nearly three months, the focus now has shifted to moving the five-year measure’s 2016 funding out to the states and turned into construction contracts. As the FAST Act implementation phase heats up, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation is moving to set up the statute’s new programs, and state agencies are gearing up for bid lettings for this year’s fast-approaching construction season.

DOT Deputy Secretary Victor Mendez told the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ annual Washington briefing on Feb. 24, “In order to make this a reality, we know we have to get busy to implement the FAST Act.” He added, “At the federal level, we are working very hard to make sure that these funds get to all of you as quickly as possible.”