Applied Digital Breaks Ground on $3.6B Delta Forge AI Campus in Louisiana
Applied Digital broke ground on Delta Forge 1, a $3.6 billion, 430-MW AI data center campus in Boyce, Louisiana, with first power targeted for mid-2027.
Women in the Trades Hit 14.5% of Apprenticeships, but the Jobsite Number Lags
Women now make up 14.5% of registered apprenticeships, nearly double a decade ago. On the trades jobsite itself, though, they’re still under 4%. Retention is the problem.
Dodge Momentum Index Jumps 5.9% in May as Data Centers Pull Planning Higher
The Dodge Momentum Index rose 5.9% in May to 275.7, led again by data centers but with healthcare, retail, and offices finally adding momentum of their own.
Trench Safety Month Closes With Two LA Fatalities Under Investigation
As contractors marked Trench Safety Month with stand-downs, Cal-OSHA was investigating two LA County trench-collapse deaths. Cave-ins remain almost entirely preventable.
3D Concrete Printing Lands a Real Retail Job, and the Math Is Getting Closer
Alquist printed a 5,000-sq-ft Walmart expansion in 75 hours. 3D concrete printing is moving from demo walls to paid commercial work, but the economics aren’t universal yet.
Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act Returns to Congress for a Third Try
The Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act is back for a third year, giving engineered wood a contracting preference for federal and military construction projects.
Carbon-Negative Concrete Moves From the Lab to a Real Pour
Carbon-negative concrete made with biochar hit a real London jobsite this year, as low-carbon mixes shift from pilot batches to materials owners can actually specify.
Construction Wage Growth Cools, and That Says the Labor Market Is Settling
Construction wage growth is cooling in 2026, with compensation costs up 3.2% year over year, a sign the labor market is stabilizing even as the worker shortage holds.
Data Center Construction Spending Tops $50B and Is Holding the Market Up
US data center construction spending topped $50 billion in 2026, outpacing public transportation work for the first time and propping up an otherwise flat nonresidential market.
LA Metro A Line Picks Skanska-Led JV to Manage the Final Push to Claremont
The Foothill Gold Line authority picked a Skanska-Stacy Witbeck-Herzog JV to manage the LA Metro A Line extension to Claremont, kicking off an 18-month preconstruction phase.
AI-Powered Exoskeletons Reach the Jobsite as Wearables Move From Pilot to Purchase
AI-powered exoskeletons are moving from jobsite pilots to off-the-shelf gear in 2026, as German Bionic and Sumbu ship suits that learn how each worker lifts.
Modular Construction Goes High-Rise as Offsite Finds Its Footing
Modular construction is climbing higher in 2026, with a 16-story stacked-module tower in Abu Dhabi and offsite factories scaling to chase housing shortages.
Nemetschek’s $2.4B HCSS Buy Bets Big on Heavy-Civil Software
Nemetschek’s $2.4B HCSS acquisition, its largest ever, pushes the contech firm into heavy-civil contractor software and signals more consolidation ahead.
Cities Turn Sewage Into Tap Water as Potable Reuse Goes Mainstream
Potable water reuse is going mainstream as El Paso builds the first U.S. direct-to-distribution plant, turning wastewater into drinking water for drought defense.
All-Electric Building Codes Take Hold in 2026, and Builders Are Adjusting
All-electric building codes took effect in New York and California in 2026, banning gas hookups in most new construction and pushing heat pumps to the default.
Contractor Failures Climb as Thin Margins Meet Higher Costs
Contractor failures and subcontractor defaults are climbing in 2026 as material costs outrun bid prices and squeeze the thin margins that hold projects together.
Rebar-Tying Robots Move Past Pilots and Onto Real Decks
Rebar-tying robots like TyBOT and IronBOT have logged 65+ field deployments and 4M+ ties, cutting deck schedules and injuries on heavy civil jobs.
Sphere Abu Dhabi Awards a $1.7B Build to ALEC, Setting Up the World’s Second Sphere
DCT Abu Dhabi handed ALEC a $1.7B design-procure-build contract for Sphere Abu Dhabi on Yas Island, the world’s second Sphere, targeting Q3 2029.