Consulting-Specifying Engineer - April 2008 - (Page 10) In The News Depending on market sector, mixed results for nonresidential construction starts he value of construction starts declined again in February, according to analysts from Reed Construction Data (RCD), continuing a trend of ebbing construction start totals that began in October 2007—and likely to continue through much of 2008. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel. RCD forecasters believe that construction starts are progressively slowing and will continue to decline well into 2008. The consensus outlook anticipates a two-quarter recession with the economy expanding again by summer. RCD reported the year-to-date value of construction starts through February, excluding residential contracts, totaled $39.2 billion, down 10.6% from the first two months of 2007. February starts declined 12.7% month-over-month from January, more than the usual seasonal decline, but in line with the average 11.5% month-over-month change over the past five T years. The slowdown now underway in the overall economy has already weakened consumer spending and cut employment. In the construction market, this is reflected in the relatively high year-to-date starts declines for manufacturing (-61%), commercial space other than retail (-49%), offices (-48%), and warehouses (-38%). There are, however, a number of rapidly expanding sectors. These include military facilities (+308%), public safety buildings (+66%), laboratories (+56%), water and sewer projects (+48%), religious buildings (+46%), and libraries and museums (+34%). These projects are being funded with public budget reserves, donations, and investment earnings accumulated during the last three years. Institutional projects, for the time being at least, are insulated from any immediate impact of changing economic conditions because of their use of bond and tax funding rather than short-term loans. Continued from page 8: Earth Hour diary individual (or two—my husband was home) could have during Earth Hour. We planned our Earth Hour carefully, and opted for the full effect. Carrying his cell phone as a flashlight, my husband—trained as a low-voltage communications electrician—went to the basement to turn off all the lights at the circuit breaker. We both held our breath as he flipped the switch. We’d had our 60-year-old house converted just months before from a four-fuse box (with fuses that always blew when the toaster oven was on in conjunction with the microwave), to a multi-circuit breaker box. We hadn’t touched the electrical box since then, and didn’t know what effect turning off the power would have. Would it come back on? Had the electrician wired it correctly? We had an hour to think about it. Dinner started shortly after 8 p.m. so we could take full advantage of the candlelit atmosphere. The pizza came out of the oven just minutes before “lights out.” After dinner, we opened our living room shades to see if the rest of our block was participating. Though Chicago was an Earth Hour participant, the city had not turned off its street lights. Our living room was flooded with orange light from the street lights—we hadn’t even needed the candles. Across the street, all but two of our neighbors seemed to be participating. The two with their electricity on had their drapes wide open, and their large-screen TVs on, almost mocking the rest of us. Scott Siddens, senior editor: What surprised me most about my personal observance of Earth Hour was the revelation that there are many things that I can do without electricity. It took some preplanning. My wife, daughter, and I made a list of routine activities that can be accomplished in the dark. For me, it was the perfect opportunity to get started on some of the physical exercises that I have only been talking about for months. And it was a chance for family conversation. From our place, we have a view of Chicago to the west, south, and east. While streetlights continued to glare, it was a remarkable sight to see so many buildings go almost completely dark. And we were inspired not to wait around for next year’s Earth Hour. We’ll continue the practice on a weekly basis—maybe even shoot for two hours of dark each Saturday night. Melissa Hillebrand, associate editor: My small family remembered Earth Hour— but barely. Leading up to it, I repeatedly e-mailed friends and family to take part in Earth Hour. I encouraged everyone to not just turn off their lights—but to turn off TVs, cell phones, and computers, and unplug microwaves and other appliances. My boyfriend, our dog, and I live about 2 miles from the downtown Chicago lakefront. Because we nearly forgot, for 10 minutes before Earth Hour we both ran around the house turning off lights and unplugging all appliances and gadgets. We lit candles for dinner in our family room, which was the brightest because it faces the street, and despite Earth Hour, Chicago doesn’t get very dark. Around 8:30 p.m., the two of us and the dog walked to a major intersection. This intersection gives a clear view to the downtown lakefront and we could see everything from the Hancock building to the Sears Tower. It was a sight to view the outlines of those buildings—but without the lights, antennae lights, and spire lights they usually have on. Even the Walgreens at this intersection had all of its exterior lights off. It was a highlight of the night. 10 Consulting-Specifying Engineer • APRIL 2008
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