Construction Bidding Opportunities

Autodesk Study Finds Commercial Bidding Activity Surpassing Pre-Pandemic Levels

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By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW

A Spring 2021 study by Autodesk, Inc. sheds light on the construction industry’s health one year after the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Autodesk’s “Construction Outlook 2021: Risks & Opportunities” study tracks five industry trends – growth, health and construction safety, labor, supply chain and design – and analyzes how each of these has been affected as the compounding effects of the pandemic and resulting economic instability and uncertainty manifest.

According to aggregated product data from the company’s preconstruction platform, BuildingConnected, in January 2021 real-time bidding activity surpassed pre-pandemic levels and reached an all-time high.

Construction Analytics Economist Ed Zarenski said increased levels of bidding activity, paired with a consistent level of construction project volume, signals the industry is getting back to work and breaking ground at an energetic pace.

“While it’s not an indication that we’re entirely out of the woods, the real-time bidding data from BuildingConnected suggests that delayed or rescheduled projects may be coming back online,” said Zarenski.

Also according to the study, while bidding activity was initially on the rise at the beginning of 2020, it dropped roughly 34 percent in the 60 days following the first U.S. stay-at-home orders in mid-March. Bidding activity slowly began to recover between March and October 2020, hitting a high for 2020 in November.

Compared to a three-month pre-pandemic average, total bidding activity was up 15 percent in November and 36 percent in January 2021. The rate of new projects being added to the Autodesk platform remained constant, indicating increased bidding activity may be related to project restarts, not new projects.

“In the early days of the pandemic, the construction industry turned to technology to readjust,” said Jim Lynch, senior vice president and general manager of Autodesk Construction Solutions. “Now that the industry looks to be picking up and teams are headed back to the jobsite, adopting technology, digitizing workflows and upskilling employees is more important than ever to handle the increased workload.”

To download the full report, see https://construction.autodesk.com/resources/2021-autodesk-construction-outlook/.

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Nearly $1B Construction Bidding Opportunities to be Featured at 2019 Investment in Infrastructure Expo

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Major public works construction projects in the St. Louis region with bidding opportunities in 2019 will be presented to interested contractors and suppliers by the owners of those projects at the 2019 Investment in Infrastructure Expo hosted by the SITE Improvement Association on Tuesday, February 26, 2019, at the St. Charles Convention Center.  The event will feature a series of presentations on contracting opportunities and related topics plus a trade show-style exhibition hall for attendees to network and meet with project owners, industry vendors and suppliers.

“The amount of public works construction projects that will be available this year approaches one billion dollars in the St. Louis region,” said SITE Executive Director Terry Briggs.  “The Infrastructure Expo provides contractors, suppliers, engineers and equipment dealers the opportunity to hear and personally discuss these upcoming projects with these public bodies and be better prepared to bid on and win work from them.”

Presentations on upcoming public work projects will be made by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), City of St. Louis Board of Public Service, St. Louis County Department of Transportation and the Jefferson and St. Charles counties road boards.  Other presentation topics will include:

  • A construction economic forecast by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis;
  • Ameren Missouri’s construction plans for the year;
  • The proposed hyperloop transportation system between St. Louis and Kansas City; and
  • Panel discussions on diversity requirements on public works projects and addressing safety culture within a contractor’s workforce.

Presentations begin at 1:30 p.m. and end at 3:45 p.m. and will consist of four concurrent presentations allowing attendees to pick the topics that most interest them.  A networking session will run from 3:45 – 6:00 pm in the exhibit hall for attendees to meet and browse the displays and booths showcasing services and latest equipment.  Refreshments will be available during the networking session at no additional cost.

“This event is a great opportunity to get the inside track on future construction projects, meet new people in the industry and strengthen relationships that already exist,” said Briggs. “The event is open to the entire construction industry including prime and subcontractors, suppliers, professional associates, engineering firms and businesses connected with the construction industry.  More than 400 attendees and 35 exhibitors were at last year’s event.”

For more information about the 2019 Infrastructure Expo or to purchase tickets, visit www.sitestl.org or email to leah@sitestl.org  or by phone at (314) 966-2950.

SITE Improvement Association is an independent construction trade association of more than 200 contractors and businesses associated with the construction industry in eastern Missouri.  The association is governed by a 16-member Board of Directors composed of representatives from the Concrete, Asphalt Paving, Sewer/Utility, Highway and Bridge, Earthmoving, Landscaping, Specialty Construction and Associate divisions. SITE is dedicated to the enhancement of the construction industry by promoting its members through involvement in labor, government, community relations, education and networking opportunities. 

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