Progressive Design-Build Is Now Law for Military Construction
The FY2026 NDAA writes progressive design-build into military construction for the first time and adds multiyear MILCON authority, reshaping how the Pentagon buys buildings.
OSHA Sharpens Silica Enforcement for Concrete and Demolition Crews in 2026
OSHA is leaning harder on respirable silica in 2026, with targeted inspections of concrete, demolition and stone work and close scrutiny of engineering controls and exposure assessments.
Data-Center Construction Spending Runs Four Times Last Year’s Record
Year-to-date data-center construction spending is running about four times 2025’s full-year record, ConstructConnect reports, and it’s carrying an otherwise flat nonresidential market.
Low-Carbon Cement Leaves the Lab as First Commercial Plants Fire Up in 2026
Sublime, Brimstone and National Cement are moving low-carbon cement from pilot to commercial scale in 2026, the first real test of whether green cement can pour like the real thing.
Construction Robots Cross From Pilot to Payroll on Rebar and Brick
Rebar-tying and bricklaying robots are moving from demos to production work in 2026, with hard numbers on speed that are finally beating skilled crews on the right jobs.
Ferrovial’s Webber Wins $721M for New Water Plants in Austin and Fort Worth
Ferrovial’s U.S. construction arm Webber landed about $721 million to build two major water facilities in Austin and Fort Worth, a bet on Texas’s water infrastructure crunch.
California High-Speed Rail Awards $3.5B Track and Systems Contract to Kiewit-Led Team
California high-speed rail moves from earthwork to track as the Authority awards a roughly $3.5B track-and-systems contract to a Kiewit, Stacy and Witbeck and Herzog team.
Construction’s Next Hire Isn’t a Laborer. It’s a Robot Operator.
As autonomous excavators and site robots scale in 2026, contractors are retraining crews to run fleets from a tablet, reshaping what a construction job actually is.
Mass Timber Keeps Rising as LEED v5 Ties It to Forest Sourcing
Mass timber keeps gaining as LEED v5 aligns credits to sustainable wood certification, tying the material’s carbon story to how the forests behind it are managed.
KKR Launches a $10B Data-Center Platform as the Power Crunch Sets the Pace
KKR launched Helix Digital Infrastructure with $10B+ from KKR, the Kuwait Investment Authority, NVIDIA, and Vistra, a bet that power, not capital, now gates data-center builds.
Washington Tightens Tower-Crane Rules, Putting Prime Contractors on the Hook
Washington’s new tower-crane rules make prime contractors responsible for assembly, dismantling, and reconfiguration, years after a deadly Seattle crane collapse.
FAA Spreads $970M Across 129 Airports in FY26 Terminal Grants
The FAA is funding 133 projects at 129 airports with $970M in FY26 Airport Terminal Program grants, aimed at terminal reconstruction, energy upgrades, and control towers.
Nemetschek Buys HCSS in a Bet on Heavy-Civil Field Software
Nemetschek is acquiring HCSS from Thoma Bravo, adding heavy-civil estimating and field software as construction tech consolidation picks up through 2026.
Construction’s July 24 Tariff Cliff Forces a Procurement Scramble
A July 24 tariff deadline replaces flat 10% duties with country-specific rates, and with steel, aluminum, and copper at 50%, contractors are locking in orders now.
Construction’s Pipeline Swells Even as Architects’ Billings Slip
The Dodge Momentum Index jumped 5.9% and sits 30.7% above a year ago, but the Architecture Billings Index slipped 3%, a split that says planning is racing ahead of near-term work.
Dubai to Award $15B in Al Maktoum Airport Contracts as DWC Construction Accelerates
Dubai will award roughly $15B in Al Maktoum International Airport contracts this year as the $35B first phase pushes toward a 2032 opening at Dubai World Central.
Skanska-Koch JV Wins $1.06B MBTA Contract to Replace Boston’s North Station Draw Bridges
A Skanska-Koch JV won the $1.06B MBTA design-build contract to replace Boston’s 1930s Draw One rail bridges and expand North Station from four tracks to six.
I-30 Canyon Breaks Ground: $888M Rebuild of Downtown Dallas Freeway
TxDOT broke ground on the $888M I-30 Canyon project June 30, widening 2.3 miles through downtown Dallas and setting up lid parks over the freeway.