Via Curbed, the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center put together an interesting presentation outlining logistics of downtown projects as well as projects in the region (here's a PDF). The logistics issues are concrete, steel, and labor demand, as well as worker transportation and security.
There are some great graphs that show how many projects, including the World Trade Center, East Side Access, MTA projects, the Atlantic Yards, etc., will all compete for materials and labor. With a limited supply of good union labor, we predict that it will be even harder to find competent workers and finish projects on time.
The LMCCC report shows that the highest projected demand for labor will be in 2009, with the months from January-March at especially high levels. The Labor Demand chart shows the progress of WTC Site projects increasing steadily towards 2010 until there's finally a lag in labor demands in those projects. The demand for some trades will actually outstrip the supply of labor. The peak demand for metal lathers is projected to be 25% more than the maximum supply.
Some more charts after the jump:
