A recent survey of more than 200 subcontractors and suppliers in the Northeast found that respondents have been prefabricating 20% more than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. And 71% said that they had seen an increase in requests for design-assist proposals, a strong sign that speed-to-market is a priority.
Consigli Construction’s Market Outlook Report for the first and second quarters of 2021 states that the pandemic has motivated subs and vendors to turn to technology in their shops and field processes. The survey’s respondents are also more receptive to cost-saving material management software, tool upgrades, and robotics that improve efficiency and give subs the flexibility they need to manage on-site workforces at a time when skilled labor is in short supply in some markets.
While 72% of the survey’s respondents say they aren’t concerned about staffing their projects this year, Consigli suggests they need to monitor their workforce resources for 2022, based on the amount of work in the pipeline.
PRICING AND SUPPLY ARE ISSUES FOR SEVERAL PRODUCT
The Market Outlook expects copper and steel to manifest the greatest risk for price inflation. Chart: Consigli Construction
The Market Outlook Report also looks at materials price inflation in several product categories (see chart). Metal studs, copper, and PVC are the materials that the report expects to show the greatest price increases in the first half of the year. The report also suggests that lumber—whose pricing had jumped by 73% since February 2020—could be stabilizing, depending on residential demand.
(The Commerce Department reported last week that housing starts had surged to a nearly 15-year high in March.)
Consigli recommends that subs keep a close eye on high-risk materials, and lock in prices as soon as possible to avoid exposure to inflation. Subs should also watch for supply-chain disruptions, especially for products coming from overseas like flooring and cabinetry. Where possible, have access to alternate materials and delivery options.
Related Stories
| Nov 2, 2010
Wind Power, Windy City-style
Building-integrated wind turbines lend a futuristic look to a parking structure in Chicago’s trendy River North neighborhood. Only time will tell how much power the wind devices will generate.
| Nov 2, 2010
Energy Analysis No Longer a Luxury
Back in the halcyon days of 2006, energy analysis of building design and performance was a luxury. Sure, many forward-thinking AEC firms ran their designs through services such as Autodesk’s Green Building Studio and IES’s Virtual Environment, and some facility managers used Honeywell’s Energy Manager and other monitoring software. Today, however, knowing exactly how much energy your building will produce and use is survival of the fittest as energy costs and green design requirements demand precision.
| Nov 2, 2010
Yudelson: ‘If It Doesn’t Perform, It Can’t Be Green’
Jerry Yudelson, prolific author and veteran green building expert, challenges Building Teams to think big when it comes to controlling energy use and reducing carbon emissions in buildings.
| Nov 2, 2010
Historic changes to commercial building energy codes drive energy efficiency, emissions reductions
Revisions to the commercial section of the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) represent the largest single-step efficiency increase in the history of the national, model energy. The changes mean that new and renovated buildings constructed in jurisdictions that follow the 2012 IECC will use 30% less energy than those built to current standards.
| Nov 1, 2010
Sustainable, mixed-income housing to revitalize community
The $41 million Arlington Grove mixed-use development in St. Louis is viewed as a major step in revitalizing the community. Developed by McCormack Baron Salazar with KAI Design & Build (architect, MEP, GC), the project will add 112 new and renovated mixed-income rental units (market rate, low-income, and public housing) totaling 162,000 sf, plus 5,000 sf of commercial/retail space.
| Nov 1, 2010
John Pearce: First thing I tell designers: Do your homework!
John Pearce, FAIA, University Architect at Duke University, Durham, N.C., tells BD+C’s Robert Cassidy about the school’s construction plans and sustainability efforts, how to land work at Duke, and why he’s proceeding with caution when it comes to BIM.
| Nov 1, 2010
Vancouver’s former Olympic Village shoots for Gold
The first tenants of the Millennium Water development in Vancouver, B.C., were Olympic athletes competing in the 2010 Winter Games. Now the former Olympic Village, located on a 17-acre brownfield site, is being transformed into a residential neighborhood targeting LEED ND Gold. The buildings are expected to consume 30-70% less energy than comparable structures.
| Oct 27, 2010
Grid-neutral education complex to serve students, community
MVE Institutional designed the Downtown Educational Complex in Oakland, Calif., to serve as an educational facility, community center, and grid-neutral green building. The 123,000-sf complex, now under construction on a 5.5-acre site in the city’s Lake Merritt neighborhood, will be built in two phases, the first expected to be completed in spring 2012 and the second in fall 2014.
| Oct 21, 2010
GSA confirms new LEED Gold requirement
The General Services Administration has increased its sustainability requirements and now mandates LEED Gold for its projects.
