President Donald Trump recently signed executive orders that could raise the cost of construction projects.
Trump aims to place new restrictions on foreign worker visas and limit the materials that public agencies can buy from foreign manufacturers. The President’s "Buy American, Hire American" order includes increased restrictions on the waivers that public agencies use to buy goods from overseas.
That measure requires agency chiefs to sign off on any exemptions to domestic sourcing requirements and mandates that transportation projects use steel that has been melted and poured in the U.S. Trump’s actions include a revamping of the H-1B skilled-worker lottery program that governs certain foreign workers’ ability to work in the U.S.
The executive order calls for a 220-day review period by agency heads to figure out how to make the changes necessary to comply. There will be no changes to existing rules for several months.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Apr 18, 2018
New Green Globe pilot program launched
Precursor to revised Green Globes Assessment Protocol for Commercial Buildings.
Codes and Standards | Apr 17, 2018
Contractor charged with fraud in winning $200 million in federal contracts
Accused of falsely claiming veteran- and minority-owned business status.
Codes and Standards | Apr 16, 2018
Wide variations in adoption of National Electric Code could jeopardize safety
An NFPA report found that code adoption is under heavier political scrutiny, leading to delays and decisions motivated by factors other than safety concerns.
Codes and Standards | Apr 12, 2018
Corruption in New York City construction industry is common
Scale of projects, number of players involved contributes to problem.
Codes and Standards | Apr 11, 2018
Urgent need for government to make communities, infrastructure more resilient
More than 350 people died from extreme weather events in 2017.
Codes and Standards | Apr 10, 2018
Boosting energy efficiency helps reduce health risks
Cleaner air results in fewer heart attacks, respiratory disease, and premature deaths.
Codes and Standards | Apr 9, 2018
U.K. business leaders call for zero-carbon buildings by 2030
Real estate, construction industry executives among those supporting the goal.
Codes and Standards | Apr 5, 2018
In Houston, proposed rules would require building above 500-year flood level
Change would impact 85,739 pieces of property.
Codes and Standards | Apr 4, 2018
New ASTM standard supports stucco use in construction
Provides way to measure tensile strength in vertical applications.
Codes and Standards | Apr 3, 2018
LEED v4.1 O+M for Existing Buildings available for beta testing
Update said to be most inclusive and transparent platform to date.