Following months of political debate over the nationās infrastructure spending needs, with multiple bills in play, the Senate took a major step forward in August, passing the $1 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The billāwhich faces scrutiny by House members before it is sent to President Biden for signingāincludes $550 billion in new spending over five years for a range of initiatives related to bridges, roads, railways, even broadband Internet. Allocations include $110 billion for roads, bridges, and major projects; $66 billion for passenger and freight rail projects; $65 billion to expand high-speed Internet access; $25 billion for airports; $17 billion for port infrastructure; and $7.5 billion each for electric vehicles and zero- and low-emission buses and ferries.
When it comes to buildings-related investments, the bill is noticeably light on earmarks for initiatives in the commercial, institutional, and multifamily building sectors. It would set aside $500 million for energy upgrades in schools, but thatās about it.
āThere is much more that Congress can do to improve our nationās building stock,ā wrote former House Rep. (DāMo.) Russell Carnahan in a recent editorial in the SmartCitiesDive newsletter. Carnahan, Co-founder of BuildingAction, a non-profit group that advocates for policies and investments aimed at improving the nationās buildings, opined that infrastructure upgrades and building investments should go hand in hand. Buildings, he wrote, āserve the national interestā and āimpact our quality of life in many of the same ways as other infrastructureā does. And investment in building upgrades and new construction projectsāespecially energy-efficient buildingsātends to outperform investment in other sectors when it comes to creating jobs, according to BuildingAction analysis.
In late May, a collective of 21 AEC industry organizations, including ABC, ACEC, AIA, ASHRAE, BOMA, and USGBC, co-signed a letter to Congress pushing for funding in the infrastructure bill aimed at enhancing the resilience of the nationās buildings. Citing nearly 4,000 deaths and some $550 billion in damage from weather- and climate-related events between 2014 and 2019, the group claims that āwith new investments to support forward-thinking planning, design, and construction, the building industry can be a leader in saving lives and reducing costs.ā
Regardless, unless the Senateās infrastructure bill sees a major shake-up in the House, or a second heftier spending bill makes its way through Congress, the AEC industry will have to wait for the next major infrastructure spending initiative to state its "buildings as infrastructure" case.
Related Stories
| Nov 1, 2022
Updated Florida building codes helped newer homes withstand Hurricane Ian
Newer homes seemed to fare much better than older structures during Hurricane Ian, suggesting that updated Florida building codes made a difference.
Wood | Nov 1, 2022
A European manufacturer says its engineered wood products can store carbon for decades
Ā MetsƤ Wood, a Finland-based manufacturer of engineered wood products, says its sustainable, material-efficient products can store carbon for decades, helping to combat climate change.Ā
Data Centers | Oct 31, 2022
Data center construction facing record-breaking inflation, delays
Data center construction projects face record-breaking inflation amid delays to materials deliveries and competition for skilled labor, according to research from global professional services company Turner & Townsend.
School Construction | Oct 31, 2022
Claremont McKenna College science center will foster integrated disciplinary research
Ā The design of the Robert Day Sciences Center at Claremont McKenna College will support āa powerful, multi-disciplinary, computational approach to the grand socio-scientific challenges and opportunities of our timeāgene, brain, and climate,ā says Hiram E. Chodosh, college president.
Energy Efficient Roofing | Oct 28, 2022
Rooftop mini turbines can pair with solar panels
A new type of wind turbine can pair well on roofs with solar panels, offering a double source of green energy generation for buildings.
Building Team | Oct 27, 2022
Who are you? Four archetypes shaping workspaces
The new lifestyle of work requires new thinking about the locations where people work, what their workflow looks like, and how they are performing their best work.
Codes and Standards | Oct 27, 2022
Floridaās Surfside-inspired safety law puts pressure on condo associations
A Florida law intended to prevent tragedies like the Surfside condominium collapse will place a huge financial burden on condo associations and strain architecture and engineering resources in the state.
University Buildings | Oct 27, 2022
The Collaboratory Building will expand the University of Floridaās School of Design, Construction, and Planning
Design firm Brooks + Scarpa recently broke ground on a new addition to the University of Floridaās School of Design, Construction, and Planning (DCP).
Codes and Standards | Oct 26, 2022
āLandmark studyā offers key recommendations for design-build delivery
The ACEC Research Institute and the University of Colorado Boulder released what the White House called a ālandmark studyā on the design-build delivery method.
Building Team | Oct 26, 2022
The U.S. hotel construction pipeline shows positive growth year-over-year at Q3 2022 close
According to the third quarter Construction Pipeline Trend Report for the United States from Lodging Econometrics (LE), the U.S. construction pipeline stands at 5,317 projects/629,489 rooms, up 10% by projects and 6% rooms Year-Over-Year (YOY).