Briefly

• The RSMeans national construction cost index for the United States recorded its lowest year-over-year increase (+4.6%) in three-and-a-half years, dating back to January 2004 (+2.4%). During the intervening period, the largest year-over-year price jump (+10.5%) occurred in January 2005.

• Despite a slowdown in September, consolidation in the AEC industry approached record levels over the past three months, according to Morrissey Goodale LLC, Newton, Mass. The 47 transactions in the third quarter brought the year-to-date total to 153, just shy of last year’s record of 163.

• The U.S. General Services Administration and Bentley Systems, Exton, Pa., announced the latter’s collaboration on the development of “The Building Information Modeling (BIM) Guide Series 02 - Spatial Validation Program.”

• Private nonresidential construction increased in August, according to analysts at Global Insight, Lexington, Mass., distributed across several categories: lodging was up 65%, offices up 15%, commercial up 14%, and educational up 35%.