North America’s Largest Low-Carbon Cement Plant Nears Startup in East Chicago
Ozinga’s East Chicago plant, billed as North America’s largest low-carbon cement facility, nears startup as buyers chase offtake deals to scale the market.
CATL and Stellantis Break Ground on a 4.1 Billion Euro Battery Gigafactory in Zaragoza
CATL and Stellantis broke ground on a 4.1 billion euro LFP battery gigafactory in Zaragoza, Spain, one of Europe’s largest bets on home-built battery supply.
Construction Material Costs Climb Toward a July Tariff Cliff
Construction material costs hit a record this spring, and a July 24 tariff change could push steel, copper, and cement higher. What contractors should expect.
OSHA Renews Its Heat Enforcement Program as the Federal Standard Stalls
OSHA heat enforcement just got renewed for five years even as the federal heat standard sits unfinished. For construction, the citation risk is already here.
Construction Backlog Hit a Three-Year High in May, but the Number Hides a Split
Construction backlog hit a near three-year high of 9.1 months in May, but the gain masks a widening gap between data center contractors and everyone else.
Cities Chase AI Permitting, and HUD Is Helping Pay for It
More cities are adopting AI permitting systems to cut review times, and HUD grants of up to $3M are on the table for local governments that apply by July 13.
Manhattan and AECOM Hunt Will Manage the $1.45B Rebuild of Florida’s ‘Swamp’
A Manhattan and AECOM Hunt team will manage the $1.45B renovation of UF’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the latest billion-dollar college football construction deal.
Google Puts $50M Into Skilled Trades as Data Center Owners Buy Their Own Labor Pipeline
Google’s $50M skilled trades pledge lands a week after Meta’s $115M training academy, as data center owners move to build the construction workforce they need.
McCarthy Hires Palantir to Build Its Own AI, Not Buy Someone Else’s
McCarthy’s multiyear Palantir deal signals a shift in construction AI: big contractors are building their own software instead of renting it from startups.
The Infrastructure Law Expires in September, and the Trust Fund Math Doesn’t Add Up
The IIJA’s surface transportation programs expire September 30, and a five-year renewal faces a $166 billion Highway Trust Fund gap. Contractors are watching.
KBR Wins an $8 Billion, 20-Year Contract to Keep US Antarctic Bases Running
The National Science Foundation awarded KBR an $8 billion, 20-year contract to run logistics and infrastructure for the US Antarctic Program’s research stations.
Autonomy Moves From the Mine to the Jobsite as Equipment Makers Scale Up
Caterpillar, Komatsu and Doosan Bobcat are pushing autonomous and electric machines past the concept stage as the autonomous equipment market nears $18 billion.
Housing Starts Slid to a Five-Year Low in May as Builders Pulled Back
US housing starts fell to a 1.177 million annual rate in May, the slowest since 2020, as elevated mortgage rates pushed builders to slow new groundbreakings.
America’s Biggest Offshore Wind Farm Enters Its Final Build Year Off Virginia
Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, the largest US offshore wind farm at 2.6 GW, is on track to finish its 176 turbines off Virginia Beach through 2026.
LEED v5 Goes Live and Makes Embodied Carbon Mandatory
LEED v5 certification is open and the v4.1 window closes July 1, making embodied carbon reporting a prerequisite on the top green building system.
Saipem JV Lands $1B-Plus Aramco Uthmaniyah Gas Compression Job
Aramco awarded the Uthmaniyah gas compression EPC to a Saipem and Nasser Al-Hajri JV, with the Italian contractor’s share topping $1 billion.
Trench Safety Stand-Down Returns June 15 as Cave-Ins Stay Deadly
The 2026 Trench Safety Stand-Down runs June 15-19 as cave-in protection stays the top OSHA trench violation and collapses keep killing crews.
Skanska JV Wins $711.7M Hudson Tunnel Surface Alignment Contract
Skanska Creamer Sanzari JV wins the $711.7M Hudson Tunnel New Jersey Surface Alignment contract, the rail approach linking the new tube to the NEC.