Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/70749
66 • JULY 2012 • WORLD FENCE NEWS New construction starts in April advanced 11% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $531.3 billion, accord- ing to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Compa- nies. The increase for April followed a 23% gain in March, as contracting soared well above its lackluster pace at the outset of 2012. Much of the lift in March came from work at a nuclear power facility in Georgia, and a similar lift was pro- vided in April by work at a nuclear power facility in South Carolina. Aside from the strength shown by electric utilities, April drew support from an improved amount of public The Dodge Report First months of 2012 see rise in contruction starts works construction and a sizeable up- turn for nonresidential building after a weak March. Also contributing to April's gain for total construction was a slight in- crease for residential building. During the first four months of 2012, total construction on an unad- justed basis came in at $138.2 billion, up 4% from the same period a year ago. The latest month's data raised the Dodge Index to 112 (2000=100), com- pared to 102 for March. Both April and March were considerably above the full year 2011 average for the Dodge Index at 91, as well as above the depressed readings for the Index in January (85) and February (83). The April construction start statis- tics included $8.5 billion for work at the Virgil C. Summer nuclear power facility near Jenkinsville, S.C. In late March, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a combined construction and operating DECORATIVE PRIVACY SLATS for chain link fencing. Introducing SlatSource®'s New Family of Slats with the Lowest Price Guarantee! EconoLink™ OptionLock® SlatSource's Standard Line of Quality Decorative Privacy Fence Slats! license for Units 2 and 3, enabling construction work to begin on the two nuclear reactors. This follows more than $1 billion related to site work at the Summer fa- cility that had been entered into the construction start statistics during 2011. If both the Vogtle nuclear power facility in Georgia (entered as a March 2012 start) and the Summer nuclear power facility are excluded from the March and April statistics, respec- tively, then total construction starts in March would be down 3% followed by a 13% increase in April. The pace of total construction starts for April without the Summer nuclear facility would be $429.3 bil- lion (annual rate), producing a reading of 91 for the Dodge Index, the same as the average monthly pace for total con- struction in 2011. "Aside from the boost coming from this year's nuclear power proj- ects, the picture for construction starts in early 2012 is one of deterioration though March followed by some im- provement in April," stated Robert A. Murray, vice-president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction. "The overall level of activity con- tinues to hover within a set range, and has not yet shifted from a hesitant up- and-down pattern to more steady ex- pansion. On a positive note, nonresidential building in April was able to bounce back, suggesting that this sector's current status is not quite as weak as portrayed in February and March." Nonbuilding construction in April advanced 15% to $245.6 billion (an- nual rate). • Orders usually ship in 24 hours • Warehousing on east and west coasts • Quotes responded to within 20 minutes • Warehouse inventory includes most heights and colors for all slats DECORATIVE PRIVACY SLATS PrivacyLink 3 1/2" x 5" mesh IndustrialLink 3 1/2" x 5" mesh SlatLink 2" mesh 1-888-806-7528 • www.eprivacylink.com "pre-woven" into the chain link mesh. PrivacyMaster 2" mesh The electric utility category was able to climb 9% on top of its excep- tional March rate, as work at the Sum- mer nuclear power facility in South Carolina matched the lift coming in March from the Vogtle nuclear power facility in Georgia. In addition, April included the start of other large electric utility proj- ects – a $1.1 billion natural gas-fired power plant in Virginia, a $668 million waste-to-energy facility in Florida, a $375 million wind farm in Illinois, and two wind farms in Pennsylvania val- ued at $220 million and $210 million. Subscribe to World Fence News Today! For subscription info, visit our web site at VinylWood 3 1/2" x 5" mesh BudgetLink 3 1/2" x 5" mesh TempGuard 3 1/2" x 5" mesh • Available in a variety of wire gauge weights and finishes, colors and heights • Pro-rata limited warranties 1-800-574-1076 • www.eprivacylink.com www.worldfencenews.com Click on the "Subscribe Now" button at the bottom. Or contact us at 800-231-0275 Aluminum Slats HedgeLink™ BottomLock® Lite Link™ Top Lock FinLink® Feather Lock® Winged Slat ® Pre-Inserted 2000 Top Cap™ Inventory! World's Largest Slat First Time Purchase Incentive! shipping from east and west coast Now warehouses! Quotes in just 20 minutes!