The shortage of truck drivers and increase in fuel prices are causing the cost of construction materials to rise, so roofing contractors should have a plan to deal with possible delays and higher project costs, writes Trent Cotney of Cotney Attorneys & Consultants. Cotney recommends including price acceleration clauses and language allowing extensions for material delays in contracts.

Six tenets are at the core of lean construction, a set of collaborative practices for project management that help contractors meet challenges. Robyn Griggs Lawrence looks at how contractors use lean construction in conjunction with integrated project delivery and building information modeling.

San Francisco plans to require inspections and possibly retrofits of concrete high-rises built before 1980 that the city has identified as potentially seismically vulnerable. The action was spurred by the deadly partial collapse of a Surfside, Fla, condominium.

The potential for energy recovery and mineral recycling from construction and demolition materials will be the subject of a study by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Holcim and its Geocycle unit. The study will begin with a waste characterization analysis.

The heavy metal band Metallica has donated $25,000 to Grand Rapids Community College for its "heavy metal" welding program. It's the third grant the college has received from the band, which has given grants to 23 colleges through its All Within My Hands Foundation.

Skilled employees are a key component of every HVAC company's success and hiring becomes much simpler when company culture is in a healthy place, writes Gordon White. Recognize each employee's efforts, encourage current employees to refer potential talent and take part in training programs to attract new workers and build a positive company culture.

All major construction sectors suffered declines in June as construction starts fell 7%, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The biggest decline was the nonbuilding category's 13% drop, largely because of a 63% decline in utilities and gas plants.

Housing starts surged 6.3% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.643 million units, according to the Commerce Department. However, permit issuance declined to an eight-month low, with builders citing a tight labor market, as well as high prices and supply shortages for materials and components.

AGC's latest BD Best Practice, "Why Negotiate vs Traditional Bid Delivery," developed by Hal Routh,Equalizer9, walks AGC members and clients through the components of cost, showing that general contractor's mark-up is not the driving force behind total cost. Furthermore, the white paper describes the most prevalent mistakes buyers of construction make on a regular basis. The white paper also describes the "smart way to buy construction services" and further explains the benefits of negotiated construction with regard to schedule efficiency, budget adherence, and capturing the best subcontractor pricing.