Canadian Lumber Duties Fall in August, but a New 10% Tariff Keeps Framing Costs High
Canadian lumber duties drop to about 25.9% in August, but a new 10% Section 232 tariff offsets the cut, holding effective costs near 36% as framing prices climb.
Penn Station Rebuild Names a Master Developer: Halmar and Skanska Win the $8B Job
Amtrak and the DOT picked Halmar and Skanska, as Penn Transformation Partners, to lead the $8B Penn Station rebuild, with $200M added to push design toward a 2027 start.
Maryland Splits Key Bridge Reconstruction Into Four Contracts Worth Up to $4.8B
Maryland will procure the Key Bridge reconstruction as four separate contracts worth up to $4.8B, led by a $3.5B-$4B design-build for the cable-stayed main span.
Construction Software Consolidation Accelerates as Procore Bets on Agentic AI
Construction software consolidation is accelerating in 2026 as Procore folds in Datagrid’s agentic AI and rivals race to connect fragmented project data.
AECOM Hits Record Backlog as Fluor’s New Awards Slump: A Split Q1 for Big Construction
AECOM posted a record construction backlog in Q1 2026 while Fluor’s new awards fell 54%, splitting the big engineering and construction firms by end market.
EPA Moves to Redefine ‘Begin Actual Construction,’ Letting Projects Pour Foundations Before Air Permits
EPA’s proposed rule would redefine ‘begin actual construction,’ letting developers build non-emitting structures before securing a Clean Air Act NSR air permit.
Networked Geothermal Moves From Pilot to Buildout as Utilities Scale Thermal Energy Networks
Networked geothermal is moving from pilot to buildout in 2026 as utilities expand thermal energy networks, with a DOE-funded second loop coming to Framingham.
Architecture Billings Index Falls to 48.3 in April as Design Demand Stays Soft
The Architecture Billings Index slipped to 48.3 in April 2026, a 28th straight month below growth, even as project inquiries rose for the third month running.
Construction Jobs Barely Moved in April as Residential Trades Shed Work
Construction added just 9,000 jobs in April 2026 and went nowhere over the year, as nonresidential trades hired and residential specialty contractors cut staff.
The Data Center Construction Pipeline Is Colliding With the Power Grid
The data center construction boom is running into a hard limit: the grid. Announced projects total 780 GW, more than U.S. peak demand, but few will get power.
Toronto Pearson Expansion Kicks Off With a $3B First Phase
Toronto Pearson’s expansion is underway: the GTAA launched a $3B first phase of its decade-long Pearson LIFT program to handle 65 million passengers a year.
Tutor Perini’s $19.8B Backlog Hits a Record as Megaproject Bets Pay Off
Tutor Perini’s backlog hit a record $19.8 billion in Q1 2026 as nine megaprojects, from the Hudson Tunnel to California rail, lock in years of revenue.
Construction Tech Funding Climbs Again as Six Startups Pull In $126M
Construction tech funding isn’t cooling off: six startups raised $126M in 2026 for AI estimating, jobsite safety and BIM tools, led by ONESTRUCTION’s $58M round.
The SMR Construction Pipeline Is Real. The 2026 Timelines Aren’t.
Utilities and tech giants are backing small modular reactors, but the build pipeline runs years behind the hype, with most first units slipping to the 2030s.
Grain Belt Express Breaks Ground on the Largest Power Line in U.S. History
Construction starts in 2026 on Grain Belt Express, an $11B, 800-mile transmission line carrying 5,000 MW across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana.
ICON Opens Its Construction 3D Printers to Other Builders
ICON’s new Titan program lets other builders buy its robotic 3D-printing construction system for the first time, with deliveries starting in early 2027.
Steel Tariffs Hit 50% and 43% of Contractors Have Already Cut a Project
Steel and aluminum tariffs at 50% have pushed metal prices up double digits, and an AGC survey says 43% of contractors have already cut a project.
Army Corps Lines Up 14 Firms for a Decade of $2B Base Energy Work
The Army Corps awarded a 10-year, $2B contract to 14 firms for energy-resilience work at military bases, from microgrids to backup power and grid hardening.