Through the 2012 Owner Study, consultant FMI and the Construction Users Roundtable set out to understand how large capital program owners are coping with the current environment, as well as what challenges they believe the future environment holds and how prepared they feel to face these challenges. In general, survey and interview questions fell into these broad areas:
-
Identification of future issues impacting capital programs and the degree of preparedness toward addressing those issues.?
-
Level of staffing changes during the past four years and anticipated staffing trends going forward.
- Degree of project disruptions affecting capital programs resulting from delays, cancellations and funding challenges.
- Continued evolution of project delivery systems and procurement methods.
Based on survey responses, it is clear that many capital program owners have already begun the process of identifying future challenges and mitigating the impact of those issues on their capital programs. Other owners, however, anticipate many of these challenges to have a significant effect on their capital programs and are not confident in their responses to date. The ability of these owners to maintain the objectives of their capital programs in the face of these challenges will depend on the actions they take to identify and address these issues. How capital program owners respond to both the current and future environment will significantly influence their ability to plan, design, procure and manage capital projects effectively. As their ability to engage in these activities changes, so too will the expectations of owners for their planning, design and construction partners.
Survey responses reflect the fact that economic recovery has yet to begin for many, especially in the engineering and construction industry. At its peak in 2006, the construction industry represented more than $1 trillion of economic activity, roughly 9% of nominal GDP. The industry has contracted every year since then. The burst of the housing bubble, the credit crisis and the ensuing recession reduced the industry to roughly 70% of its 2006 size in 2012, and to only 5% of nominal GDP. The dark cloud, however, is clearing. according to FMI forecasts, construction put-in-place voluimes in 2012 are expected to end the year 5% higher than in 2011.
For a free download: http://www.fminet.com/fmi-curt-survey-of-owners-2012.html
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 13, 2023
Healthcare construction costs for 2023
Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a three-story hospital across 10 U.S. cities.
Higher Education | Apr 13, 2023
Higher education construction costs for 2023
Fresh data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a two-story college classroom building across 10 U.S. cities.
K-12 Schools | Apr 13, 2023
Creating a sense of place with multipurpose K-12 school buildings
Multipurpose buildings serve multiple program and functional requirements. The issue with many of these spaces is that they tend not to do any one thing well.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 13, 2023
Urgent care facilities: Intentional design for mental and behavioral healthcare
The emergency department (ED) is the de-facto front door for behavior health crises, and yet these departments are understaffed, overwhelmed, and ill-equipped to navigate the layered complexities of highly demanding physical and behavioral health needs.
Office Buildings | Apr 13, 2023
L.A. headquarters for startup Califia Farms incorporates post-pandemic hybrid workplace design concepts
The new Los Angeles headquarters for fast-growing Califia Farms, a brand of dairy alternative products, was designed by SLAM with the post-Covid hybrid work environment in mind. Located in Maxwell Coffee House, a historic production facility built in 1924 that has become a vibrant mixed-use complex, the office features a café bordered by generous meeting rooms.
Urban Planning | Apr 12, 2023
Watch: Trends in urban design for 2023, with James Corner Field Operations
Isabel Castilla, a Principal Designer with the landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, discusses recent changes in clients' priorities about urban design, with a focus on her firm's recent projects.
3D Printing | Apr 11, 2023
University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory unveils Shell Wall—a concrete wall that’s lightweight and freeform 3D printed
The University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory’s research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete.
Market Data | Apr 11, 2023
Construction crane count reaches all-time high in Q1 2023
Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Denver top the list of U.S/Canadian cities with the greatest number of fixed cranes on construction sites, according to Rider Levett Bucknall's RLB Crane Index for North America for Q1 2023.
University Buildings | Apr 11, 2023
Supersizing higher education: Tracking the rise of mega buildings on university campuses
Mega buildings on higher education campuses aren’t unusual. But what has been different lately is the sheer number of supersized projects that have been in the works over the last 12–15 months.
Contractors | Apr 10, 2023
What makes prefabrication work? Factors every construction project should consider
There are many factors requiring careful consideration when determining whether a project is a good fit for prefabrication. JE Dunn’s Brian Burkett breaks down the most important considerations.
