Today's Construction Pulse
Poland pushes ahead with $50B nuclear plant EPC talks
Poland is working to secure an engineering, procurement and construction contract with Westinghouse and Bechtel for its first nuclear power plant, a $50 billion, 3.6 GW project. Negotiations have slipped past the original mid‑2025 target as parties discuss construction‑risk allocation.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Dalmia Bharat acquires JAL cement assets for $350M
Digital, Economy, Climate Change, Safety and Wellbeing: CIOB Wales Conference Tackled the Big Issues
The CIOB Wales Conference highlighted that Wales’ construction future hinges on collaborative leadership, digital innovation, and a people‑first mindset. Speakers showcased AI‑driven modular design, the AI in Construction Playbook, and digital‑twinning as catalysts for efficiency. Panels debated heritage retrofits as low‑carbon assets and outlined the upcoming Building Safety (Wales) Bill slated for July 2026. The event also stressed professional development, announcing a 25‑hour CPD minimum and the Tomorrow’s Leaders student awards.
Long Beach Airport Breaks Ground on Passenger Concourse Enhancement Project
Long Beach Airport (LGB) has broken ground on a $37 million Passenger Concourse Enhancement Project slated for completion in summer 2027. The upgrade, timed for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, will modernise circulation, add charging stations, a garden area,...
Network Rail Carrying Out £140.5M of Engineering over May Bank Holidays
Network Rail will undertake £140.5 million (≈$178 million) of engineering works across the UK rail network during the two May bank holiday weekends. Projects focus on track renewal, signalling upgrades, and drainage improvements on key corridors such as the East Coast Main...
Jan De Nul Installs Export Cables for Taiwan’s Fengmiao 1 Offshore Wind Farm
Jan De Nul has finished laying two high‑voltage export cables—45 km and 44 km long—for the Fengmiao 1 offshore wind farm located 35 km off Taichung, Taiwan. The cables are now wet‑stored offshore while the offshore substation jacket is prepared. The next phase will...
Panattoni Starts Construction on Large-Scale Coventry Logistics Scheme
Panattoni has begun construction on a large‑scale logistics park in Coventry, slated to cover roughly 1.2 million square feet. The development is being built to BREEAM Outstanding standards and aims for net‑zero carbon emissions. Its strategic location near major motorways positions...
Industrialised Delivery and Workforce Capacity Identified as Key to Progressing MMC in Ireland
The fourth MMC Ireland National Conference highlighted industrialised construction as essential to solving the country’s housing shortage. Ministers James Browne and Marian Harkin pledged government backing, emphasizing procurement reform, pipeline certainty, and workforce upskilling. Speakers stressed that standardised, panel‑based systems...
Michigan Townships Battle Microsoft and Others Over Hyperscale Data Centers and Grid Strain
Michigan townships are confronting proposals from Microsoft and other tech giants to build hyperscale data centers, sparking fierce community opposition over electricity demand, water use and zoning authority. About 600 residents attended a Gaines Township meeting to debate a rezoning...
Kick-Starting Conversations About Mental Health: New Charter Focuses on System Change
The Mindflow Charity will unveil its new Mindflow Charter at a CIOB‑hosted event in Manchester on May 12. The charter seeks to embed mental‑health best practices into construction sites, positioning wellbeing alongside physical safety. Leveraging football’s cultural reach, CEO Trevor Steven aims...
Finland’s Longest and Highest Bridge Opens to Public
Finland’s new Kruunuvuori bridge, at 1,191 m long and 135 m high, opened to pedestrians and cyclists in Helsinki. Designed by WSP with Knights Architects, it links the Kruunuvuorenranta district, Korkeasaari island, and central city. The structure features a illuminated central pylon...
$2.4 Billion New Huntington Bank Field Breaks Ground in Brook Park, Ohio
The Haslam Sports Group, AECOM Hunt‑Turner JV and HKS broke ground on the New Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio, launching the region’s largest development project at an estimated $2.6 billion. The enclosed stadium, slated for completion in 2029, will seat...
Hilton Posts 3.6% RevPAR Rise in Q1 2026, Announces Record Development Pipeline
Hilton Worldwide posted a 3.6% year‑over‑year rise in systemwide comparable RevPAR for the first quarter of 2026 and disclosed a record development pipeline of 3,768 hotels, underscoring resilient demand and aggressive growth targets.
‘Clear Gap’ Between Words and Action on New Brunswick Prompt Payment: CANB
New Brunswick’s Prompt Payment Act, passed in June 2023, remains unenforced, with the government targeting a 2027 rollout despite draft regulations still pending. The Construction Association of New Brunswick (CAN B) reports that 80% of its members still endure late payments,...
Timebomb Jobs: The Activities Most Likely to Delay Your Project
Buildots’ analysis of 102 international construction projects reveals that certain trades—especially sprinkler branches, steel‑frame system walls, and raised access flooring—take nearly twice as long as scheduled to complete the final 20% of work. The study, covering 40 activity types and...
Development Partner Sought for County Hall Hotel Transformation
Derbyshire County Council has launched a £138.4 million (≈ $176 million) tender to find a single development partner for the Smedley’s Hydro Project in Matlock. The scheme will convert the listed South Block of County Hall into a hotel with up to 100...
Clearbell JV Completes Largest Deal with 180,000 Sq Ft UK Industrial Acquisition
Clearbell’s joint venture with Deva Capital closed its largest ever transaction, acquiring a 180,000‑square‑foot industrial warehouse in the United Kingdom. The property, situated near a major transport hub, was purchased for roughly £36 million (about $45 million) and includes 12‑foot clear heights...
Avison Young Reports Regional Office Shortages ‘Intensifying’ as Completions Fall
Avison Young warns that office completions across eight UK regional markets will fall 48% below the ten‑year average by 2028, deepening an existing supply shortage. The cities affected include Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Glasgow. The...
Alaska Officials Welcome Federal Funding for Seven Port Improvement Projects
Alaska has been awarded more than $115.4 million in federal grants through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Port Infrastructure Development Program. The funding will support seven projects ranging from a $20.4 million rail‑tunnel upgrade in Whittier to a $38.6 million industrial dock in...
Nobu Residences at 619 Brickell Miami 75-Story Foster and Partners Tower Launches Sales
Developers 13th Floor Investments and Key International have launched sales for Nobu Residences at 619 Brickell, Miami’s first Nobu‑branded luxury tower. Designed by Foster + Partners, the 75‑story, 296‑unit tower offers 90,000 sq ft of amenities and a dedicated Nobu restaurant. Units range from...
Singapore to Ease Entry Rules for Thai, Chinese Workers
Singapore will relax entry requirements for Thai and Chinese construction workers starting 1 January 2027, eliminating the pre‑entry skills test. Employers will instead schedule and administer the test in Singapore after the workers arrive. The move addresses a growing labour shortfall as...
Rock & Alluvium Installs Its Deepest Ever Piles at London Development
Rock & Alluvium, a Van Elle subsidiary, has completed its deepest continuous flight auger (CFA) piling at the Bow Green development in East London, driving 594 piles up to 40 m deep. The work marks the start of Phase 2 for St James,...
Govt to Continue with Budgeted Capex Despite Fiscal Stress Due to Global Uncertainties: Official
The Indian government has reaffirmed its commitment to spend the budgeted Rs 12.22 lakh crore (approximately $147 billion) on capital expenditure this fiscal year, despite mounting fiscal pressure from the West Asia crisis. Expenditure Secretary V Vualnam emphasized that infrastructure projects in highways, railways, shipping,...
New Silt Press Recovers 90% Water at Holcim UK's Hillhead Quarry
Holcim UK has poured a multimillion‑pound (£10 million, ≈$14 million) investment into its Hillhead quarry in Devon, installing a state‑of‑the‑art silt press. The equipment captures roughly 90% of the water used in silt washing, dramatically reducing discharge and reuse needs. By reclaiming...
Adif (Re)-Tenders Management of Valladolid Terminal
Spanish rail infrastructure manager Adif has reopened a tender to operate the new Valladolid terminal after dismissing the first two offers. The six‑year contract is valued at €807,935 (approximately $880,000) and is slated to begin operations in September. Bidders must...
Vietnam: Sun Group Begins Construction of Phan Thiet Airport
Sun Group has broken ground on the civil aviation component of Phan Thiet Airport in Lam Dong province, a project valued at roughly VND 3.9 trillion (about $160 million). The 75‑hectare facility will meet 4E standards, allowing wide‑body aircraft, and is slated to...
“Earth Is Not Nostalgia”: Hand Over on Design-Build and Local Materials
Hand Over, a Cairo‑based studio that blends design, construction and research, was named a 2025 ArchDaily Next Practices Awards winner. The practice champions an integrated design‑build workflow that prioritises earth construction, local stone and emerging geopolymers while training community workers....
MJ Gleeson Warns Building Cost Inflation Prompting ‘High Caution’
MJ Gleeson warned that building‑cost inflation, driven by the Iran‑war‑induced supply‑chain squeeze, is forcing the housebuilder into "higher than usual caution" on land and financing decisions. Despite a modest uptick in net reservation rates to 0.88 from 0.86, the firm’s...
Porsche Design Tower Bangkok Sets New Standard for Branded Residences
At the Singapore Yachting Festival 2026, Porsche Design Tower Bangkok was unveiled as an ultra‑luxury branded residence featuring only 22 sky‑villas. The development translates Porsche’s high‑performance automotive DNA into residential architecture, highlighted by a private “Passion Space” garage and a...
Sparc Technologies Announces AkzoNobel Commercial Launch of Ecosparc Graphene-Enhanced Additive in Australia
Sparc Technologies announced that AkzoNobel will commercialise its graphene‑based ecosparc additive in Australia, embedding it in the heavy‑duty Interzone 954 protective coating starting May 2026. The launch follows more than six years of R&D and 21 months of field trials on steel...
ACA Revises 2026 Forecast Amid Regional Conflict
The American Cement Association (ACA) has lowered its 2026 U.S. cement consumption outlook, projecting a 2.5% decline. The downgrade is linked to higher borrowing costs triggered by the February conflict in Iran, which has unsettled bond markets and pushed mortgage...
Bridge Opens in Key Qld Coal Corridor
The Queensland government officially opened the Phillips Creek Bridge on Saraji Road, creating a flood‑resilient crossing between Dysart and Moranbah in the Bowen Basin. The bridge is designed to withstand high water levels, improving safety for miners and freight operators....
Webuild Celebrates Completion of ‘Epochal’ Bridge in the Highlands of Lesotho
Webuild and local partners completed the 825‑meter Senqu Bridge in Lesotho’s highlands, a 90‑meter‑tall structure that will span the future Polihali Dam reservoir. The bridge, the region’s first extradosed design, combines cable‑stayed and girder elements to withstand strong mountain winds....
KHD Humboldt Wedag Achieves Milestone at Cimpor Alhandra
KHD Humboldt Wedag has completed the first kiln firing and cold commissioning of Line 7 at Cimpor’s Alhandra cement plant in Portugal, marking a key step toward full production. The upgrade introduces the Pyrorotor alternative‑fuel combustion reactor, enabling the use of...
Concrete Loses 32% More Heat Than Mass Timber in Chile’s Cold Zones
A peer‑reviewed study from Chile’s CENAMAD shows concrete buildings lose 26‑32% more heat than equivalent mass‑timber structures when thermal bridges are included. The research modeled three cold‑climate zones, finding thermal bridges represent up to 35% of concrete envelope loss versus...
As Bhogapuram International Airport Nears Launch, Rural Economy Takes Wing
Bhogapuram International Airport in Andhra Pradesh is set to open in July, sparking a rapid economic upswing in surrounding villages. Land values have leapt from ₹1.5‑3 crore per acre (≈$180k‑$360k) to ₹5‑8 crore (≈$600k‑$960k), while small retailers, hospitality chains, and construction firms...
AI Agents and the Future of Construction Sales
In this episode of AEC Business, host Arne Heiskanen talks with Paul Indinger, Managing Director of Building Radar, about how AI and generative AI are transforming sales in the construction sector. Paul explains the evolution of Building Radar from a...
LHC Launches £1bn Housing and Demolition Framework
LHC Procurement Group has opened bids for its third‑generation Housing, Regeneration and Demolition (H3) framework valued at £1 billion (about $1.25 billion). The framework, split into 12 lots ranging from small 1‑to‑10‑home schemes to projects over 50 homes and high‑rise builds, will...
Digital Foundations: Building the Connected Construction Site
Construction sites are hampered by unreliable digital connectivity, driving costly delays and safety risks. A recent webinar highlighted that UK connectivity outages cost roughly $23 bn a year in lost output, underscoring the financial stakes. Speakers from UK Connect, Cambium Networks,...
Radio & Television Building (RTS) / OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen
The Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) headquarters opens on the EPFL‑UNIL campus beside Lake Geneva. The building combines a broadcasting centre with public, educational, and research spaces, organized as four independent rectangular boxes and a suspended “field” slab. A glazed foyer...
Delay Fuel Duty Hike or Risk Stalling Major Transport Projects, Labour Warned
The Construction Plant‑hire Association (CPA) warns that the scheduled 5‑pence‑per‑litre fuel duty increase in September could cripple major UK transport and infrastructure projects, including HS2, nuclear and renewable sites. The CPA, representing over 2,000 firms with roughly £1.5 billion (≈$1.9 billion) in...
Common Ground Alliance Charts Future of Damage Prevention at 2026 Conference & Expo
The Common Ground Alliance concluded its 2026 Conference & Expo in Colorado Springs, drawing more than 1,400 damage‑prevention leaders from utilities, construction, technology and regulators. Speakers highlighted that nearly 200,000 utility strikes each year cost the United States over $30 billion...
Two More Early Qld Beef Roads Projects Underway
Construction has begun on two priority projects under Queensland's $500 million (≈$330 million USD) Beef Corridors Program, aiming to seal about 200 km of unpaved roads in Central Queensland. An early‑works package of $47.5 million (≈$31 million USD) will seal up to 20 km across five...
India’s Great Nicobar Project Aims to Strengthen Maritime Connectivity and Strategic Presence
India’s Great Nicobar Project is a multi‑phase, $0‑cost infrastructure programme slated for 2025‑2047 that will build a deep‑water transshipment port, a greenfield international airport, a 450 MVA hybrid gas‑solar power plant, and a new township on Great Nicobar Island. The 14.2 million...
New Changes Trim “Essential” REZ Transmission Route to Avoid Caves – and Another 50 Landholders
EnergyCo has trimmed the proposed transmission corridor for New South Wales' New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) from a 3 km to a 1 km width, cutting the number of affected landholders from roughly 200 to 150. The adjustment also reduces dwellings...
Railway Supply Industry News Round-Up
Rail Baltica’s construction accelerated this week, with 107 km of track and the Ülemiste terminal under way in Estonia, a 30 km priority segment and upgrades at Riga’s central station and airport in Latvia, and 8.8 km of track laid in Lithuania as...
60% of Australian Timber Ends Up in Landfill. But a TANA ‘Shark’ Is Changing That
Bendigo‑based Hopley Group has commissioned a second TANA Shark shredder, expanding timber and construction‑waste recovery across regional Victoria. The new machine, delivered in early 2026, features a touchscreen interface, remote‑control mobility and a tungsten‑lined barrel that cuts maintenance. Capable of...
Housing Inventory Rebounds, Nearing 2018 Levels by 2026
Active housing inventory by April: April 2018 -> 1,102,064 📉 April 2019 -> 1,137,198 📈 April 2020 -> 941,733 📉 April 2021 -> 435,663 📉 April 2022 -> 379,978 📉 April 2023 -> 562,966 📈 April 2024 -> 734,318 📈 April 2025 -> 959,251 📈 April 2026 ->...
Yorkshire Gleeson Homes Marks Completion Before Full Compliance
#GLE I’d always assumed that house builders only recognised development completion when all units were solved and all statutory/planning conditions were satisfied https://t.co/e7N3CogoQI Not so in Yorkshire Gleeson Homes division .. @tradermark72 may be able to shed some light on the topic...
Australian Government’s Housing Advisor Hides Shortage
The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council (NHSAC) warned in its May 2025 State of the Housing System report that Australia’s housing shortage would grow by about 79,000 homes by 2028‑29. The council’s forecast for 2024‑25 assumed 179,000 new dwellings would...
Healthy Homes: The Next Big Real Estate Payday
Developers across the U.S. are embedding health‑focused systems—air filtration, circadian lighting, water purification, and on‑site wellness services—into new residential projects. Luxury towers such as the Ritz‑Carlton Residences and Ytech’s Brickell tower command prices above $2.5 million and $4.4 million, while North Development’s...
LATICRETE Opens Expanded Research Lab in Texas
LATICRETE announced a 4,000‑square‑foot expansion of its Grand Prairie, Texas R&D lab, bringing the total facility size to 6,500 square feet and supporting up to 25 researchers. The new space sits beside the company’s second‑largest U.S. manufacturing plant, enabling tighter...