Know What's Happening in Construction
Know What's Happening in Construction
U.S. Cement Shipments Dip 1.7% in 2025 as December Volume Slightly Rises
December 2025 cement shipments reached an estimated 6.82 million metric tons, a modest rise from 6.79 Mt a year earlier. Yet total shipments for the year fell 1.7% to about 101 Mt compared with 2024. Blended cement is overwhelmingly Type IL, making up 96% of blended tonnage, with Texas the top producer and consumer.
The Slag Cement Association honored Amrize Projects with two top awards in its Lower Carbon Concrete category, recognizing breakthroughs in mix design and material optimization. One award celebrated an AI‑optimized concrete blend created for Meta’s Rosemount data center, delivering high strength, rapid set times, and reduced carbon intensity. The second recognized Amrize’s ECOtect mix used at Procter & Gamble’s Principio facility, which combined durability with a lower environmental footprint. These accolades underscore Amrize’s role in advancing sustainable, high‑performance construction solutions.
Carbon Upcycling Technologies has secured up to $10 million in asset‑secured financing from ATEL Ventures. The capital will fund its flagship project at the Ash Grove Mississauga cement plant, where captured CO₂ will be converted into low‑carbon supplementary cementitious materials. Once...
A new tower crane signals the start of Jacmar Cos.'s mixed‑use development at 6052 W. Olympic Boulevard in Mid‑Wilshire. The six‑story building will house 120 studio, one‑ and two‑bedroom apartments above 5,135 sq ft of ground‑floor retail and a two‑level, 132‑car underground garage....
West Hollywood Community Housing Corp. is constructing a seven‑story, 89‑unit affordable housing complex at 910 N. Wetherly Drive, slated for completion in 2027. The development will offer studio, one‑, two‑ and three‑bedroom units with 66 parking spaces, reserved for households...
Two single‑shield tunnel boring machines built by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry have been completed and are slated for deployment on Italy’s Fortezza railway tunnel. The 175‑metre, 2,600‑tonne TBMs, each with a 9.68 m excavation diameter, will excavate parallel 12.75 km drives...
Data center construction is hitting a perfect storm of delays, with more than half of 2025 projects slipping three months or longer. The primary culprits are power availability, skilled‑labor shortages, and procurement bottlenecks for critical components. Developers are moving to...
A recent study maps New York City’s “Blue Zones,” revealing that roughly one‑fifth of the metropolis sits in areas vulnerable to past, present, and future flooding. Natural low‑lying regions such as the Rockaway peninsula, Staten Island swamps, and Jamaica Bay...
A detailed cost analysis of a typical 25 m² single‑storey rear extension in the UK shows a total spend of roughly £85,000. The breakdown covers groundwork, structural work, roofing, windows, internal finishes and services, each with specific price ranges. The article...
Komatsu Germany Mining Division has globally launched the PC9000‑12, the largest hydraulic mining excavator in its lineup, after a successful rollout in Canada. The machine can handle 46‑m³ front‑shovel or 49‑m³ backhoe buckets and load 240‑400‑ton trucks in three to...
Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers signed a $137.6 million investment agreement with China’s Shenfeng Zet Cement to build a new cement plant in the Chui region. The project will install a clinker line capable of producing 3,200 tonnes per day in the Kemin district’s...
Dynamic Star has submitted a new plan to erect a 34‑story, 368,469‑square‑foot mixed‑use tower at 360 West Fordham Road in the Bronx. The site, previously part of the ambitious Fordham Landing affordable‑housing project that aimed for 927 low‑income units, is...
Japan's 8th International Construction & Survey Productivity Improvement Expo (CSPI‑EXPO 2026) will take place in Tokyo from June 17‑20, inviting global construction and surveying professionals. The event, aligned with the government’s i‑Construction initiative, will showcase ICT‑enabled machinery, automation, robotics, AI,...
The Denver Downtown Development Authority (DDDA) will invest $5.2 million to repair the Denver Pavilions’ parking garage and install a fixed roof, with construction slated to begin within 30 days and run 18 months. The garage overhaul, costing $3.8 million, includes a...
The UK build‑to‑rent (BTR) market posted its strongest first‑quarter performance since 2022, with Savills reporting roughly £1.2 billion (about $1.55 billion) in transaction volume. Investor appetite surged, driving a 30% year‑over‑year increase in deals and pushing average yields to 5.5% on fully‑let...
Mobile impact crushers are increasingly equipped with digital control and connectivity platforms that streamline operation and maintenance. OEMs such as Kleemann, SBM, Rubble Master, and Keestrack now offer remote‑monitoring apps, automated setup advisors, and real‑time performance dashboards. These tools let...
HD Hyundai has merged its Hyundai and DEVELON construction equipment brands under the HD Construction Equipment subsidiary, while preserving each brand's market identity. The integration aims to streamline management, accelerate R&D, and leverage shared engine production for better performance and...
DEVELON unveiled its –9 Series heavy excavators at CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026, launching four models ranging from 26 to 48 tons. The line replaces traditional pilot controls with electro‑hydraulic (EH) systems, delivering up to 8 percent better fuel efficiency. Integrated smart features include Advanced...
CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026 drew over 140,000 attendees and showcased a wave of connected construction tech, AI voice assistants, and autonomous retrofit kits. OEMs such as Komatsu, Caterpillar, Bobcat, and Hitachi demonstrated platforms that turn machine data into real‑time insights and conversational...
Gravis Robotics’ Gravis Rack won the Contractors’ Choice award at CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026 and promises to turn standard earth‑moving machines into intelligent robotic equipment. The retrofit kit bundles LiDAR, cameras, GNSS and on‑board computing, delivering real‑time site mapping and augmented‑reality guidance....
Equipment as a Service (EaaS) lets firms pay for heavy‑equipment usage rather than owning the machines. Under an EaaS contract, the OEM or dealer retains ownership, provides a block of operating hours, and handles all maintenance and repairs. This model...
The Texas Department of Transportation announced that construction on the Rainbow Bridge in Southeast Texas is finished after a year-long closure for extensive maintenance. Final inspections, employing bridge‑snooper vehicles and rope‑access crews, began on March 13. Officials expect the bridge...
Wacker Neuson unveiled the 4‑metric‑ton ET40 mini excavator at ConExpo 2026, featuring a 39.6 hp Yanmar engine, 7,980 lb breakout force and an 11.2‑ft digging depth. The machine sports a redesigned cab with a 7‑inch touchscreen, keyless start, four‑position door and integrated rear camera...
Construction fatalities in the United States slipped to just over 1,000 in 2024, marking a modest decline from the previous year but remaining one of the highest industry totals. Falls continued to account for roughly one‑third of deaths, while transportation...
DP World has launched a £36 million (≈$46 million) tender to build Boxbay, a high‑bay automated storage system for empty containers at its London Gateway terminal. The 55‑metre‑tall structure will cover roughly 323 m × 159 m, requiring over 5,000 precast piles, 15,000 tonnes of steel and...
Rework imposes a hidden financial burden on UK construction, costing roughly £5 bn (~$6.3 bn) annually and representing 5‑12% of contract values, sometimes rising to 30%. The majority of rework—up to 70%—originates from design‑related errors, amplified by poor communication and manual, paper‑based...
Network Rail is allocating roughly $96 million to conduct extensive renewal work over the Easter bank holiday, keeping most of the UK rail network open while targeting reliability improvements. The centerpiece is a $508 million resilience programme on the West Coast Main...
Ireland aims for up to 37 GW of offshore renewable capacity by 2050, relying heavily on floating wind in its deep Atlantic waters. The government’s climate and industrial strategies earmark billions of euros—roughly $327 billion—in the National Development Plan, but current port...
The Railway Engineering Institution (formerly PWI) showcased innovative track‑renewal methods for the London Underground that aim to extend mileage while cutting costs. Strategies highlighted include longer welded rail panels, mechanised track‑laying equipment, predictive‑maintenance analytics, and recycled ballast. Case studies from...
The shell for the new Toots Thielemans station on Brussels' Line 3 has been finished, but the region announced a major scale‑back to curb spiralling costs. The line’s total budget has been halved from €2 billion (≈$2.18 bn) to €1 billion (≈$1.09 bn), with the...
The Danish Maritime Authority has approved the immersion vessel IVY, clearing the way for the first Fehmarnbelt tunnel elements to be submerged off Lolland this spring. The 18‑km Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will consist of 89 precast concrete sections—79 standard (73,000 t...
Wave 4 and 5 of the ECR Health Care Complex in Sopot, Poland, are slated for completion in 2025, adding an analytical laboratory, outpatient clinic, day‑surgery hospital, and specialist hospital to the campus. The development reclaims five hectares of flood‑prone brownfield land...
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has rolled out an outsourced “batching” model that groups building‑control applications for specialised external suppliers. Early pilot data show gateway‑two approval rates climbing to 67 percent and median assessment times falling to four weeks. The approach...
In this episode, host Fred Mills and guests Luke Bly and Liam Marsh dissect Switzerland’s $2 billion Gotthard road‑tunnel replacement project, explaining its strategic importance for European transport and the technical challenges of building a new tunnel alongside the aging 1980s...
Tracklaying has begun on the 846km Chongqing‑Kunming high‑speed railway in Yunnan, with the first 500‑meter rail segment installed in Songming County. The line features extensive civil works, including bridges and tunnels that comprise 87.4% of the alignment, such as the...
Bouygues has secured the contract for the second phase of a major London estate redevelopment, committing roughly £500 million to the project. The plan will deliver about 2,500 new homes, with a significant share earmarked for affordable housing. Sustainable design standards...
Arup has been commissioned to lead the redevelopment of Armagh Astropark, a key sports and community hub in Northern Ireland. The project aims to modernise the facility with sustainable design, enhanced spectator amenities, and expanded training spaces. Planned upgrades include...
Construction has begun on Guangzhou New Airport in Gaoming, about 60 km southwest of the city. The first phase will feature a 260,000‑square‑metre terminal, two parallel runways and 94 aircraft stands. When fully operational by 2030, the facility is designed to...
Dublin’s Glass Bottle megaproject, valued at €3.5‑4 billion, is reshaping a 37‑acre brownfield into a mixed‑use district with up to 4,000 rental homes and 1 million sq ft of commercial space. The first residential block, Lime House, delivered 212 apartments in late 2025 and is...
New Cushman & Wakefield data shows European office fit‑out costs have plateaued after a period of volatility, with price growth slowing to near‑flat levels across major markets. Occupier demand is rebounding, driven by hybrid work models and renewed leasing activity....
Ireland aims to harness up to ~37 GW of offshore renewable energy by 2050, leveraging its deep Atlantic waters for floating wind. However, existing ports lack the depth, capacity and lay‑down space—currently only 40‑50 ha—required for large‑scale projects. The government has outlined...
Construction has begun on United Heat, a renewable cross‑border district heating network linking Görlitz, Germany and Zgorzelec, Poland. The system combines heat pumps, biomass, solar thermal, power‑to‑heat and waste‑heat from sewage gas to replace gas‑fired and coal plants. A 3.8 km...
Construction cost inflation is now driven primarily by rising labour expenses, with wages climbing 6.4% in 2025—double the pre‑pandemic rate. While the BCIS Materials Cost Index eased to a 2.6% annual increase, it remains 43% above pre‑COVID levels. A shortage...
Hong Kong’s post‑war public housing originally relied on passive design—thin blocks, opaque façades, concrete mass, and atrium ventilation—to achieve thermal comfort. As air‑conditioning became affordable in the 1970s‑80s, window units proliferated, reshaping façades into a patchwork of condensers. This shift altered...
Construction Management’s 2026 Powered Access survey of 115 senior professionals reveals that safety remains the dominant priority when selecting and using powered access equipment. Ground conditions (65%) and inadequate training (60%) are the top‑rated hazards, driving demand for stability‑enhancing and...
Apetito and its Wiltshire Farm Foods arm have secured planning permission to build Kitchen West, a new food‑production facility on the Canal Road Industrial Estate in Trowbridge. The project is backed by more than £100 million of shareholder investment and will...
Construction firm Graham has been named the strategic delivery partner for London Metropolitan University’s £284 million estate transformation, emerging as the sole bidder in the long‑running procurement. The contract, running to 2031 with an optional extension to 2036, combines capital works...
Ardmore will appeal a High Court ruling that applies the Building Safety Act 2022 to its entire corporate group, imposing a £14.9 million fire‑safety defects bill after its main contracting arm entered administration. The judgment in Crest Nicholson v Ardmore grants...
Delaware DOT is refurbishing four I‑95 bridges with a $42 million Ultra‑High‑Performance Concrete (UHPC) overlay. The two‑year effort, now 40% complete, targets deck patches, potholes, and deteriorated joints. UHPC’s steel‑fiber composition offers four‑times the strength of traditional concrete and promises up...
The Ohio Concrete Industry will host its 2nd Annual Mixer Driver Competition on April 25, 2026, at Rush Truck Centers of Ohio in Columbus. Limited to 25 drivers nominated by producer members, the event blends a written exam, hands‑on vehicle...
SharpGrade has launched its flagship GS130 precision grader blade in the United States, debuting at ConExpo‑Con/AGG 2026 and quickly securing advanced orders. The attachment is engineered for the fast‑growing 100‑135 hp large‑frame skid steer and compact track loader segment, merging six‑way dozer...
