The Blue Book Network Velocity Index ticked up 0.5% to 100.9 in February from a revised 100.5 in January (December 2018 = 100). This the most stable the Index has been since before the pandemic began.
The Blue Book Network Velocity Index is a measure of month-to-month changes in bidding activity in The Blue Book Network, accounting for seasonality, providing a leading indicator of construction spending to inform critical decision making.
Analysis by building sector shows that the manufacturing, institutional, and multifamily categories fell back slightly, but were offset by gains in commercial and lodging. Lodging jumped nearly 50% to 69.4 following a 44% increase from December to January.
Some highlights:
• The institutional building sector dipped 2.5% to 117.2, but showed strengthening in the Midwestern states
• The manufacturing sector was mostly unchanged, with Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington, and Louisiana gaining
• The commercial buildings sector climbed 3.6% to 75.1
• Lodging continued its two-month recovery with strong gains mostly in the Sun Belt
• Multifamily, while down slightly, remained strong at 118.8, bolstered by Midwest and Southeast states
• States split the difference in February, with 22 on the rise
• Midwest states held the line with most showing moderate increases
• Larger states losing ground included California, Florida, New York, and Texas, with modest declines.
More on the The Blue Book Network Velocity Index.
Related Stories
| Oct 4, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Gold Winner: Rice Fergus Miller Office & Studio, Bremerton, Wash.
Rice Fergus Miller bought a vacant and derelict Sears Auto and converted the 30,000 gsf space into the most energy-efficient commercial building in the Pacific Northwest on a construction budget of around $100/sf.
| Oct 4, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Award Platinum Winner: Building 1500, Naval Air Station Pensacola Pensacola, Fla.
The Building Team, led by local firms Caldwell Associates Architects and Greenhut Construction, had to tackle several difficult problems to make the historic building meet current Defense Department standards having to do with anti-terrorism, force protection, blast-proofing, and progressive collapse.
| Oct 4, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Platinum Winner: City Hall, New York, N.Y.
New York's City Hall last received a major renovation nearly a century ago. Four years ago, a Building Team led by construction manager Hill International took on the monumental task of restoring City Hall for another couple of hundred years of active service.
| Oct 4, 2012
BD+C's 29th Annual Reconstruction Awards
Presenting 11 projects that represent the best efforts of distinguished Building Teams in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovation and addition projects.
| Oct 4, 2012
Electronic power tool builds project transparency
As building projects have grown in scope and complexity, so, too, has the task of document management. A new online tool is helping Building Teams meet that demand.
| Oct 4, 2012
HMC Architects in service to the community
HMC employees give back to their communities through toy drives and fundraising efforts like CANstruction, which benefits local food banks.
| Oct 4, 2012
Career development, workplace environment programs key to retention at HMC Architects
Architecture firm take a multifaceted approach to professional development.
| Oct 4, 2012
Foundation tightens HMC Architects bond with local communities
Founded in 2009 with an initial endowment of $1.9 million, HMC’s nonprofit Designing Futures Foundation (DFF) has donated about $230,000 in its three years of existence, including $105,000 in scholarships to California students. The grants help promising high schoolers with an interest in architecture, design, engineering, education, or healthcare pay for expenses like test preparation services, computers, and college entrance exam fees and tuition. The scholarships can be extended for up to five years of college.
| Oct 4, 2012
Gilbane publishes Fall 2012 construction industry economic report
Report outlines fluctuation in construction spending; predicts continued movement toward recovery.
| Oct 3, 2012
Fifth public comment period now open for update to USGBC's LEED Green Building Program
LEED v4 drafts and the public comment tool are now available on the newly re-launched, re-envisioned USGBC.org website.
