Convention center floor gives way, causing investigation
Investigators are assessing the safety of the nearly five-year-old David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburg after a 20-foot by 60-foot section of the floor gave way and sent concrete and equipment crashing to a walkway about 30 feet below on Feb. 5. Currently the architect, engineer and contractors are evaluating the the safety of the building, but Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato also plans to bring in an outside inspector to ensure an honest assesment of exactly what happened. He said that while investigators have yet to arrive at any conclusions, an initial focus appears to be on an expansion joint in the area of the collapse. The break in the slab occurred in the second-floor loading dock, outside the footprint of the exhibit halls and above an underpass and the main entry thoroughfare. The collapsed section of slab held a trailer-truck, which was unloading for a now-cancelled auto show. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

NYC mayor suggests new policies for suspended scaffolding
In an effort to protect workers from falls from suspended scaffolds, New York City has announced plans to toughen-up on inspections and monitor the contractor safety practices. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said the recommendations developed by a task force that included employers, will be enacted through new laws submitted to the City Council and through new city policies. Representatives of the U.S. Labor Dept. also worked with the city in developing the new measures. Because more than half of the suspended scaffold accidents in the city last year involved scaffolds hung from C-hooks, new laws will require the city be notified prior to their use or installation. Another measure submitted to the City Council would increase penalties for the violation of regulations governing licensed riggers, and a third bill would require daily written inspections by a trained site supervisor, rather than by the user of the suspended scaffold as currently required. “I know a lot of people will say, ‘Oh, more regulation,’ but there were 29 lives lost last year,“ Bloomberg said at a City Hall press conference. Over the next four years the City will invest $6 million dollars in implementing these recommendations, with $4 million dedicated to the creation of a new scaffold safety unit within the Department of Buildings.

World of Concrete hits Las Vegas
The 2007 World of Concrete returned to Las Vegas by reaching several milestones including the largest number of buyers and exhibits in the show’s history. The WOC is known as the construction industry’s largest and most important annual international event, with more than 900,000 net square feet of exhibit space occupied by more than 1,700 exhibitors and over 90,000 attendees. This year’s events not only highlighted the latest products and equipment on the market, but also featured 90-minute seminars in tracks. Notable were the outdoor demonstration areas, which have increased dramatically to accommodate all of the new outdoor exhibitors showcasing in-booth demonstrations. “We are extremely pleased with the result of this show,“ said Tom Cindric, show director. “In addition to the multitude of demonstrations and competitions happening at WOC, along with the newly enhanced Seminar program, and an endless show floor full of the best known suppliers in the business, WOC is the show to attend for all commercial construction industry professionals.

President Bush proposes $2.9 trillion budget, calls for increased spending on highway construction
President Bush’s 2008 budget, a proposed $2.9 trillion package, has good news for some federal construction programs but promises cuts for others. The plan calls for increased spending on highways, mass transit, and other surface transportation programs such as the federal-aid highway program, which would get a one percent hike, to $39.6 billion. But it also wants to depress growth in non-defense, non-homeland security areas. That means a 15 percent cut for the Environmental Protection Agency water infrastructure to $2.7 billion, and trimming airport construction grants 21 percent, to $2.8 billion. Among federal buildings accounts, General Services Administration new construction would receive $615 million, down 22 percent from the pending appropriations package. Bush is also asking for an extra $93.4 billion in 2007, plus $141.7 billion in 2008, mostly to be spent on military and defense.

Atlas Copco acquires Dynapac AB
Atlas Copco has entered into an agreement to acquire Dynapac AB of Sweden, a leading supplier of compaction and paving equipment for the road construction market. Atlas Copco has a presence in construction, which currently represents about 22 percent of its sales. The acquisition will provide additional products and sales channels to grow in the expanding road construction market, as new roads are constructed in many countries, such as China and India.