Lumber Hits a One-Year High as Canada Burns
Lumber prices climbed to a one-year high in late July as more than 900 wildfires burned across Western Canada, tightening supply from British Columbia’s mills.
The Backlash Catches Up: Towns Are Voting to Pause Data Centers
Data center moratoriums are spreading across U.S. towns and states in 2026, as local boards vote to pause new projects over power, water and land-use concerns.
California Puts Nearly $2.5 Billion on the Table for Roads and Transit
California is directing nearly $2.5 billion to transportation and transit projects statewide, a state-led push as federal infrastructure dollars grow harder to count on.
A Colorado City Hall Goes All-Electric and All-Timber at Once
Northglenn, Colorado is building a fully electric mass timber city hall targeting CORE green certification, pairing exposed wood structure with a no-combustion mechanical plan.
Two Startups Want AI to Read the Documents Construction Runs On
Alloovium and Torus emerged from stealth with AI built to read construction and engineering documents, flag conflicts, and answer questions with citations.
TSMC Is Pouring Concrete Faster in Arizona to Catch the AI Chip Wave
TSMC is accelerating its Arizona fab build-out to meet AI chip demand, its CFO says, pulling forward construction on one of the largest industrial projects in the U.S.
The Trades Are Recruiting Their Way Toward a 349,000-Worker Hole
The trades need 349,000 net new workers in 2026. Union apprenticeship pipelines are growing fast, but immigration enforcement is draining the other end.
Google and Cypress Creek Break Ground on the Largest U.S. Solar Project
Cypress Creek and Google broke ground on Steel River Energy Center in Arkansas, the largest U.S. solar project, built with 100% domestic panels and steel.
Contractor Backlog Slipped in June. Data Center Builders Didn’t Notice.
ABC’s construction backlog dipped to 8.8 months in June, but data center contractors reported 11.0 months, exposing a widening split in the market.
Bosch Lands Up to $225 Million in CHIPS Money for Its California Fab
Bosch signed a deal for up to $225M in CHIPS Act funding for its $2B silicon carbide fab in Roseville, California, a plant that could hold 40% of U.S. SiC capacity.
Copper Quietly Became the Metal That Can Bust a Data Center Budget
Copper blew past $14,500 a ton in 2026 as AI data centers drive a structural deficit, and the cost is landing on electrical scopes across construction.
Meta Commits $50 Billion to a Louisiana Parish Most People Can’t Find on a Map
Meta raised its commitment to the Hyperion data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana past $50 billion, a 5-gigawatt AI campus reshaping a rural grid.
Procore Now Ships 20 AI Agents. The Question Is Whether Crews Use Them.
Procore expanded its AI library to 20 agents in new Digital Coworker packages, aimed at routine RFI, submittal, and document work. Adoption is the open question.
A $30.5 Billion Water Bill Just Cleared Committee, 66-0
WRDA 2026 cleared the House T&I Committee 66-0, authorizing $30.5 billion for state water revolving funds and 133 new feasibility studies.
AECOM Posts Record $26.2 Billion Backlog and Raises Its Guidance
AECOM posted a record $26.2B backlog and record 16.5% margins in fiscal Q2 2026, then raised full-year EPS guidance to $5.90–$6.10.
OSHA’s Heat Standard Stalled. Its Heat Inspections Didn’t.
OSHA’s heat standard is stalled, but its heat inspections jumped to about 2,400 a year in 2026, and contractors are being cited under the General Duty Clause.
Low-Carbon Concrete Is Becoming a Bid Requirement, Not a Bonus
State Buy Clean laws and DOT pilots are turning concrete’s carbon intensity into a number that affects bid scoring, pushing embodied-carbon rules from voluntary to mandatory.
Data Centers Aren’t the Only Boom. Factories Are the Other One.
Behind the data-center headlines, a reshoring wave in chips, autos, rail, and grid gear is keeping industrial builders busy as the rest of nonresidential softens.