Following months of political debate over the nation’s 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 bill—which faces scrutiny by House members before it is sent to President Biden for signing—includes $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 that’s about it.
“There is much more that Congress can do to improve our nation’s building stock,” wrote former House Rep. (D−Mo.) 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 nation’s buildings, opined that infrastructure upgrades and building investments should go hand in hand. Buildings, he wrote, “serve the national interest” and “impact our quality of life in many of the same ways as other infrastructure” does. And investment in building upgrades and new construction projects—especially energy-efficient buildings—tends 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 nation’s 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 “with new investments to support forward-thinking planning, design, and construction, the building industry can be a leader in saving lives and reducing costs.”
Regardless, unless the Senate’s 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
Libraries | Jul 20, 2022
Canada to open one of the world’s largest library and archive facilities
When it opens in 2026, Ādisōke is expected to be one of the largest library and archive facilities in the world.
Energy-Efficient Design | Jul 19, 2022
All is not lost: 3 ways architects can respond to the Supreme Court’s EPA ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power plants dealt a significant blow to our ability to fight the climate crisis with federal policy.
Office Buildings | Jul 19, 2022
Austin adaptive reuse project transforms warehouse site into indoor-outdoor creative office building
Fifth and Tillery, an adaptive reuse project, has revitalized a post-industrial site in East Austin, Texas.
Women in Design+Construction | Jul 18, 2022
Registration is open for BD+C's 2022 Women in Design+Construction Conference
Join your AEC industry peers in Chicago, September 26-28, 2022, for the 7th annual Women in Design+Construction Conference, hosted by the BD+C editorial team and the 35-person WIDC Advisory Board.
Airports | Jul 18, 2022
FAA will award nearly $1 billion for airport projects
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award nearly $1 billion to 85 airports of all sizes across the country to improve terminals.
Building Team | Jul 18, 2022
Understanding the growing design-build market
FMI’s new analysis of the design-build market forecast for the next fives years shows that this delivery method will continue to grow, despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mixed-Use | Jul 18, 2022
Mixed-use development outside Prague uses a material made from leftover bricks
Outside Prague, the Sugar Factory, a mixed-used residential development with public space, marks the largest project to use the sustainable material Rebetong.
Building Team | Jul 15, 2022
ABC: Construction materials prices increased in June, up 20% from a year ago
Construction input prices increased 1.9% in June compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today.
Arenas | Jul 15, 2022
U. of Oregon renovation aims for ‘finest track and field facility in the world’
The renovation of the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field had the goal of creating the “finest track and field facility in the world.”
Building Team | Jul 14, 2022
ABC’s construction backlog inches lower in June; Contractor confidence falters
Associated Builders and Contractors reports today that its Construction Backlog Indicator fell 0.1 months in June and stands at 8.9 months, according to an ABC member survey conducted June 21 to July 5.
