Backlog Fell to 8.0 Months, and Data Centers Are Hiding How Far
ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator fell to 8.0 months in July, its lowest since January. Contractors without data center work averaged just 7.5 months.
NIOSH Issued a New Confined Space Toolbox Talk While OSHA’s Newsroom Sits Quiet
NIOSH and CPWR published a confined-space toolbox talk for construction on Aug. 17, covering manholes, crawl spaces and tunnels under 29 CFR 1926.1203.
Dulles Gets $15.5 Billion More, Taking the Program to $19.9 Billion
MWAA’s board approved a $15.5 billion capital budget amendment on Aug. 19, lifting the Dulles revitalization program to roughly $19.9 billion through 2039.
Cleveland-Cliffs Will Rebuild the Middletown Blast Furnace in a $1 Billion Project
Cleveland-Cliffs said Aug. 21 that DOE rescoped a $500 million award into a $1 billion Middletown Works project rebuilding the blast furnace by early 2030.
An Eight-Week Pre-Apprenticeship in Augusta Ends With a Hiring Fair
Construction Ready and the Home Builders Institute are running a fully funded eight-week pre-apprenticeship at Augusta Technical College, ending Sept. 9.
K&E Excavating Sold Itself to Its 400 Employees
Salem, Oregon civil contractor K&E Excavating sold to an employee stock ownership plan, making all 400-plus employees owners. Terms were not disclosed.
New York Asks a Judge to Toss the Contractors’ Off-Site Prevailing Wage Suit
New York moved on Aug. 21 to dismiss a contractor challenge to its expanded prevailing wage law, which reaches custom fabrication performed outside the state.
Novo Construction Put an AI Diff Checker on Its Drawing Sets
Menlo Park GC Novo Construction is running BuildCheck’s automated drawing-comparison tool on two California projects to catch design changes before they get priced.
Tesla Filed for a $10.1 Billion Solar Cell Plant in Fort Bend County
Tesla’s Aug. 6 Texas incentive filing proposes a $10.1 billion solar cell and module plant in Fort Bend County, with 9,712 permanent jobs and no contractor named.
Micron Is Putting $10 Billion Into Research Labs Next to Fabs It’s Still Building
Micron announced a $10 billion research initiative anchored in Boise on Aug. 20, with a new lab breaking ground in 2027 beside two fabs still under construction.
NYC Will Spend $4B Rebuilding the BQE Triple Cantilever, Starting 2030
NYC DOT published a $4B, ten-year plan for the BQE triple cantilever on Aug. 24. Two temporary bypasses are required to build it.
Construction Starts Jumped 25.6% in July on 25 Billion-Dollar Projects
Total starts hit a $1.79 trillion annual rate in July as nonresidential rose 57.7%. Highway and bridge work fell 16.9% in the same month.
Caterpillar Puts $3M Into Arkansas Training in Its Fifth State Rollout
Caterpillar committed up to $3M to Arkansas workforce training Aug. 17, the fifth state allocation from a $100M five-year initiative.
Every Heat Rule Asks Workers How They Feel. 97 Subjects Say That Fails.
A study published Aug. 20 found perceived heat strain doesn’t reliably track core temperature at the moment a heat rule demands a decision.
Volvo CE Now Builds Half Its North American Machines in Pennsylvania
Volvo CE rolled its first U.S.-built excavators and large loaders off the Shippensburg line Aug. 19, cutting lead times by six weeks.
Skanska Booked $1.2 Billion for Four Data Centers It Won’t Name
Skanska signed a $1.2B contract Aug. 20 for four southeastern U.S. data centers totaling 808,000 sq ft. The client stays anonymous.
A 1950 Law Calling It a School Yard Just Saved a $325M Stadium
Massachusetts’ high court cleared the $325M White Stadium project Aug. 19, relying on a 1950 designation rather than parkland law.
Alaska Contractors Are Insulating Roads to Keep the Ground Frozen
Brice Inc. puts polystyrene inside road sections so permafrost stays frozen. Erosion can take 60 feet of coast in one summer.