The construction industry has traditionally been one of the largest industries in the United States. As reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, the value of construction in 2006 was $1,260.128 billion, representing 8% of the gross domestic product (GDP) (Figure 1.1). The industry employed approximately 7.614 million people in 2007 (Figure 1.2). By its very nature construction activity in the United States has not been subjected to the trend toward offshoring that has plagued both the manufacturing and service industries. The BLS report titled “State of Construction 2002–2012” forecasts that 58.4% of U.S. jobs will be construction-related at the end of that decade. Although other industries have blazed a trail to higher levels of quality and performance, the majority of construction work is still based on long-established techniques.