Engineering News-Record
Encyclopedia
Engineering News-Record (widely known as ENR) is a weekly magazine
that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry
worldwide. It is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies.
The magazine's subscribers include contractor
s, project owners, engineer
s, architect
s, government regulators and industry suppliers.
It covers the design and construction of high-rise buildings, stadium
s, airport
s, long-span bridge
s, dam
s, tunnel
s, power plants
, industrial plants, water and wastewater
projects, and toxic waste
cleanup projects.
It also covers the construction industry's financial, legal, regulatory, safety, environmental, management, corporate and labor issues.
ENR annually ranks the largest contractors and design firms in the U.S. and internationally. Its "construction economics" section covers the cost fluctuations of a wide range of building material
s.
The rankings include the largest 400 U.S. general contractors, the largest 500 U.S. design firms (architectural and engineering firms), the largest 600 U.S. specialty contractors, the largest 100 construction management firms, the largest 100 design-build firms, the largest 200
environmental engineering firms, the largest 40 program management firms, the largest 200 international design firms, and the largest 225 international contractors. Since well over 90 percent of these firms are privately owned, most of the financial breakouts contained in these ranking tables are not available elsewhere.
The 25 award recipients, called "Newsmakers", receive brief writeups in the first issue in January.
After choosing the 25 Newsmakers, the editors then pick the single Newsmaker they feel has made the most significant contribution during the year, and designate that person to receive the ENR Award of Excellence. The Newsmakers and the Award of Excellence recipient are all recognized at a dinner held in New York City in March or April.
The Newsmaker awards, which were originally called Marksmen awards, have been issued annually since 1964. The Award of Excellence, originally called the Man of the Year award, has been issued annually since 1966. Award of Excellence recipients include Robert Boyd, who brought engineering and managing excellence to Hydro-Québec
's $15-billion James Bay project, Fazlur
Khan, avant-garde designer of tall buildings, and Vinton Bacon, whose fearless fight against graft in Chicago's Metropolitan Sanitary District brought an attempt on his life.
A small amount of this data is then used to calculate two monthly index figures, the Construction Cost Index and the Building Cost Index. Both indexes are calculated using a formula made up of fixed amounts of four components—Portland cement, 2x4 lumber, structural steel (steel beams), and labor. The only difference between the two indexes is in their labor
component. The labor component of the Construction Cost Index is common (unskilled) labor, while the labor component of the Building Cost Index is skilled labor.
The Construction Cost Index has been issued since 1908, while the Building Cost Index has been issued since 1915. Each index is widely used throughout the U.S. construction industry as a benchmark for measuring inflation.
The ENR cost indexes were created by ENRs director of market surveys, Elsie Eaves.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
worldwide. It is owned by The McGraw-Hill Companies.
The magazine's subscribers include contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
s, project owners, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s, architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s, government regulators and industry suppliers.
It covers the design and construction of high-rise buildings, stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
s, airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, long-span bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s, dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s, tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s, power plants
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
, industrial plants, water and wastewater
Wastewater
Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...
projects, and toxic waste
Toxic waste
Toxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It spreads quite easily and can contaminate lakes and rivers. The term is often used interchangeably with “hazardous waste”, or discarded material that can pose a long-term risk to health or environment.Toxic waste...
cleanup projects.
It also covers the construction industry's financial, legal, regulatory, safety, environmental, management, corporate and labor issues.
ENR annually ranks the largest contractors and design firms in the U.S. and internationally. Its "construction economics" section covers the cost fluctuations of a wide range of building material
Building material
Building material is any material which is used for a construction purpose. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and rocks, even twigs and leaves have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made products are in use, some more...
s.
History
ENR traces its roots to two publications. The older magazine was first published as The Engineer and Surveyor in 1874. This publication was later renamed The Engineer, Architect and Surveyor,then Engineering News and American Railway Journal and eventually Engineering News. The second publication was first known as The Plumber and Sanitary Engineer. It was later renamed The Sanitary Engineer, then Engineering and Building Record, and finally Engineering Record. In 1917, Engineering News and Engineering Record merged to become the magazine that is published today, Engineering News-Record.ENR rankings
Engineering News-Record compiles and publishes rankings of the largest construction and engineering firms annually, measured by gross revenues.The rankings include the largest 400 U.S. general contractors, the largest 500 U.S. design firms (architectural and engineering firms), the largest 600 U.S. specialty contractors, the largest 100 construction management firms, the largest 100 design-build firms, the largest 200
environmental engineering firms, the largest 40 program management firms, the largest 200 international design firms, and the largest 225 international contractors. Since well over 90 percent of these firms are privately owned, most of the financial breakouts contained in these ranking tables are not available elsewhere.
ENR awards
The editors of Engineering News-Record collectively decide each year to recognize 25 individuals who they feel have served the best interests of the construction industry and the public. To be eligible, a person, or the project they worked on, must have been covered in the pages of the magazine or the magazine's website. No outside nominations are allowed.The 25 award recipients, called "Newsmakers", receive brief writeups in the first issue in January.
After choosing the 25 Newsmakers, the editors then pick the single Newsmaker they feel has made the most significant contribution during the year, and designate that person to receive the ENR Award of Excellence. The Newsmakers and the Award of Excellence recipient are all recognized at a dinner held in New York City in March or April.
The Newsmaker awards, which were originally called Marksmen awards, have been issued annually since 1964. The Award of Excellence, originally called the Man of the Year award, has been issued annually since 1966. Award of Excellence recipients include Robert Boyd, who brought engineering and managing excellence to Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
's $15-billion James Bay project, Fazlur
Khan, avant-garde designer of tall buildings, and Vinton Bacon, whose fearless fight against graft in Chicago's Metropolitan Sanitary District brought an attempt on his life.
ENRs economic data
Engineering News-Record, as a service to its readers, compiles and publishes an extensive amount of data on building material prices and construction labor costs. Each month it publishes prices for 75 different building materials, in each of 20 major U.S. cities, as well as Montreal and Toronto. The first weekly issue each month contains a table of cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregate (crushed stone) prices, the second weekly issue contains a table of pipe prices, the third issue contains lumber, plywood, drywall, and insulation prices, and the fourth issue contains steel and other metal product prices.A small amount of this data is then used to calculate two monthly index figures, the Construction Cost Index and the Building Cost Index. Both indexes are calculated using a formula made up of fixed amounts of four components—Portland cement, 2x4 lumber, structural steel (steel beams), and labor. The only difference between the two indexes is in their labor
component. The labor component of the Construction Cost Index is common (unskilled) labor, while the labor component of the Building Cost Index is skilled labor.
The Construction Cost Index has been issued since 1908, while the Building Cost Index has been issued since 1915. Each index is widely used throughout the U.S. construction industry as a benchmark for measuring inflation.
The ENR cost indexes were created by ENRs director of market surveys, Elsie Eaves.