Construction News Tracker Video: Housing Starts Top 1 Million for First Time in 7 Years

For the first time since 2007, housing starts topped 1 million units in 2014 and single-family construction nationwide gained 7.2% reflecting optimism for 2015; plus more industry news on the February 5, 2015 edition of Construction News Tracker

A special report from National Pavement Expo...

Home builders association survey positive...

And an alternative to the worker shortage...

That and more on Construction News Tracker brought to you by Caterpillar and produced by ForConstructionPros.com.

Overall housing starts topped one million units last year for the first time since 2007. Single-family construction nationwide gained 7.2 percent giving rise to optimism for 2015. A new report by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB)claims that 66 percent of millennials seek roots in the suburbs disputing reports over preferred urban housing which boasts better transportation but is a trade-off for smaller quarters. The NAHB survey claims the Gen Y folks born in the 80s and 90s are like older Americans when it comes to settling down: three bedrooms, two baths in a single family home in the 'burbs.

Shortages of Construction Workers in Japan has let Komatsu to deploy drones and driverless bulldozers to construction projects. Nearly fully automated early foundation work is the focus of the Komatsu plan, as the company itself will lease and operate unmanned drones, bulldozers and excavators at worksites - many of them tied to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Taking a fresh look at the "Big Bertha" tunnel project in Seattle, a 120-foot pit is being dug to provide a massive crane room to reach down and pick up the 2,000-ton cutting head. Bertha has been stuck for over a year after its bearings failed. Once removed, it will be repaired on the surface then dropped back into the pit to resume the tunnel dig. All that has delayed completion of the Alaskan Way Viaduct until 2017.

In closing, success always occurs in private and failure in full view.

 

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