Engineering results this week will likely determine whether the city's first residential hospice will proceed with or without a basement.

Ms. Ellis said the higher than expected ground rock means the project may proceed without a basement if it's determined there is too much rock in the way. She noted blasting or increasing the height of the hospice is not being considered as that would add another $200,000 to the construction cost, something the non-profit organization can't afford.

CIOB: How corrupt is UK construction?

51% of UK construction professionals felt that corruption is commonplace within the UK construction industry according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). The survey asked over 1400 construction professionals what type of corrupt practice was most commonly found, and examined attitudes of how corrupt they deemed a variety of practices to be. The study also looked at the areas in which respondents felt that corrupt practice was most likely to occur. 82% of respondent's were managers or directors; 57% worked in large companies, 20% were employed in medium sized firms and 23% in small organisations. 76% of respondent's regarded the employment of illegal workers as widespread in UK construction; 60% felt that fraud within the industry was prevalent and 41% had been personally offered a bribe.

Findings of forensic probe into construction training body to be ...

The troubled Construction and Training Authority (CETA), which recently received the findings of a forensic report into its operations, believes the foundations are being laid for a more sustainable operational structure. It has, therefore, moved to sign a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with construction and related companies as it sought to begin a new chapter.Earlier in the week, the CETA had received the findings of a forensic investigation it had commissioned.The investigation, which was commissioned by the CETA itself, interrogated the agency’s operations, and highlighted key weaknesses. CETA spokesperson Shereen Maubane explained that the report dealt with allegations of financial irregularities as uncovered by forensic auditors LMD Africa.“The investigation dealt broadly with any inappropriate linkages between CETA staff and training providers,” she commented.It is now possible that subsequent investigations could follow.

Lakefront homes slated for rare Boca property

Stiles Corp. has announced plans for a 172-home lakefront development on one of Boca Raton's last major vacant residential tracts. It will be the first residential project in Boca Raton for the Fort Lauderdale-based company, which has completed a number of commercial projects in the city.

"We've built a tremendous amount of product in Boca over the past 25 years, but this is our first residential project," said Denny O'Shea, president of Stiles Development Co. "We want it to be a signature project."

The unnamed development will rise on 23 acres on Broken Sound Boulevard, just south of Yamato Road. It's the same site that Delray Beach-based Office Depot Inc. once planned to use to build a new world headquarters. The site has since been rezoned to residential. Local residents may also remember the location as the site of the old Boca Raton dog park.

The giant white building off I-480?

Imagine, 30-foot ceilings, an open floor plan with a wall of windows and enough storage space for your lifetime and the lifetime of everyone you know. That's what is in the 3-year-old, 400,000-square-foot gem of a building off I-480 in Brook Park.

The building, on 34 acres owned by Walter and Karin Laich, was built for their Laich Industries Corp., which manufactured lawn chairs, laundry baskets, kitchen accessories, sports items like collectible helmets and other plastic products.