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
Utah’s Wonder Valley and the Industrialization of AI Infrastructure
Kevin O’Leary’s Wonder Valley project in Utah’s Box Elder County is being positioned as the next‑generation AI infrastructure campus, combining hyperscale data centers with on‑site utility‑scale power generation. The development, overseen by the Military Installation Development Authority, could host up to 9 GW of natural‑gas‑fired generation, with Phase 1 delivering about 3 GW. The plan includes a mixed‑use industrial platform—energy, data, manufacturing, housing—and offers substantial tax incentives, projecting $30 million in county revenue initially and over $100 million at full buildout. While the scale is unprecedented, no anchor hyperscale tenant has been publicly identified, leaving demand certainty in question.
Jesse Clarke and Digging Into the Passive House Story
Jesse Clarke, a building physicist and Pro Clima R&D manager, argues that Passive House design must prioritize occupant health before energy efficiency. He highlights Europe’s “sick building” crisis caused by overly airtight construction and notes the UK’s corrective use of ventilation....
Permits Lag, but Boom Builds at Lightning Speed
Building permits are frustratingly slow—but once we have permission to build, the Boom team builds super rapidly. https://t.co/KQxo7mGHLY
Trump's Pool Repair Cost Soars 88% to $13.1M
NEW: The cost of President Trump's plan to repair the Reflecting Pool has jumped by 88 percent, to $13.1M, gov't records show. The price appears to include a 20 percent profit margin for Trump's handpicked contractor, who got the job in...
Western Kentucky U., With Gilbane, Launches $350M Residential Housing Transformation
Western Kentucky University has launched the $350 million "Elevate WKU" public‑private partnership with Gilbane and construction firm Broeren Russo Builders. The initiative will replace aging dormitories with a new 1,000‑bed residence hall and a modern dining facility, designed by Mackey Mitchell...
Construction Sector: Kerakoll Partners with Fibre Net
Kerakoll, the Italian public‑interest construction group, has announced a partnership with Fibre Net, a B‑Corp‑certified leader in structural reinforcement systems. The two firms will integrate gradually, keeping Fibre Net’s founders as CEOs, to create a European platform targeting more than...
All-Electric Hotel Marcel to Host Passive House Network Conference
The Passive House Network will hold its 2026 conference on June 4‑5 in New Haven, Connecticut, at Hotel Marcel. The venue is the nation’s first Passive House‑certified hotel, an all‑electric renovation of a 1970 brutalist building that includes EV charging,...
Blackstone to Offer Loans to Help Build 50,000 US Homes a Year
Blackstone announced a new lending platform, backed by its Brio Homebuilder Solutions affiliate, to finance the construction of more than 50,000 single‑family homes each year in the United States. The initiative seeks to partner with builders and other stakeholders to...
Residential Building Worker Wages Remain Soft in Early 2026 Amid Slower Housing Activity
Residential building workers saw nominal hourly earnings rise 2.1% year‑over‑year in March 2026, a sharp slowdown from the 9.4% peak in mid‑2024. After inflation adjustment, real wages actually fell 1.2% YoY, indicating earnings are not keeping pace with price growth....
Model Taps Multiplex for Eco‑focused Build‑to‑Rent Projects
"MODEL has appointed Multiplex under an Early Contractor Involvement agreement for its first two Build to Rent projects in Abbotsford... Both developments are targeting 6 Star Green Star, 9 Star NatHERS and Certified Passivhaus" #passivhaus #passivehouse https://t.co/oRwQw8IoVd https://t.co/yJqLJa19mY
KC Water Marks Completion of Blue River Biosolids Facility Transformation
KC Water completed the transformation of the Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant into the Blue River Biosolids Facility, installing thermal hydrolysis process (THP) technology. The upgrade treats 75 million gallons of wastewater daily, processes 98% of the city’s solids, and produces...
Egypt and Morocco Dominate Africa’s Hotel Pipeline
Egypt is leading Africa’s hotel development surge, accounting for over a third of the continent’s planned rooms. The W Hospitality Group reports a record pipeline of 675 hotels and 123,846 rooms, a 18.6% increase from 2025, with Egypt alone adding...
Utility in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Imposes One-Year Moratorium on Supplying New Data Centers
The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) has enacted a one‑year moratorium on providing water and sewage services to any new data‑center projects within its jurisdiction. The pause follows votes by the Ypsilanti City Council and Charter Township Board and will...
Severn Tunnel Upgrade in ‘One of the Toughest Environments on the UK Rail Network’
Network Rail and contractor ARQ will upgrade the Severn Tunnel’s overhead power system to combat its harsh, salty environment. The 7 km tunnel will see 838 bridge arms replaced and 9,000 m of copper contact wire installed, with work running nonstop from...
LE: APEC Pipeline Reaches Record High
Lodging Econometrics reports that the Asia‑Pacific (excluding China) hotel construction pipeline reached a record 2,387 projects and 442,973 rooms at the end of Q1 2026, up 15% and 9% year‑over‑year respectively. Under‑construction projects now represent 40% of the pipeline, while early‑stage...
Mah Sing Rides Malaysia's Growth with $633M Sales and Premium Housing, Data‑center Push
Mah Sing posted a decade‑high RM2.51 billion ($633 million) in 2025 real‑estate sales and raised its 2026 revenue target to RM2.76 billion ($696 million). The developer is now shifting toward luxury apartments in Kuala Lumpur’s core and a 150‑acre data‑center campus in Selangor, betting...
Orsted and PGE Start Baltica 2 Build
Ørsted and Poland's state utility PGE have kicked off offshore construction on the 1.5 GW Baltica 2 wind farm, located 40 km off the Baltic coast near Ustka. The first foundations—111 monopiles weighing about 1,500 tonnes each—have been installed by Van Oord, with turbine...
DfT Launches Ninth Edition of Its First-of-a-Kind Competition for Railway Innovation
The UK Department for Transport has opened the ninth round of its First‑of‑a‑Kind (FOAK) competition, offering £4.8 million (about $6.1 million) in grant funding for rail‑technology pilots. Since its inception, the programme has invested roughly £62.5 million (≈$79 million) in early‑stage innovations that can...
Dublin Automated Metro Procurement Launched
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has opened the tender for the M500 contract, the core package to design, build, finance, operate and maintain Dublin's 18.8‑km MetroLink automated line. The scope includes trains, GoA4 signalling, stations, depot, park‑and‑ride, control centre and related...
Electric Excavators Prove EV Adoption Goes Heavy
Electric vehicle uptake has spread much, much further than you'd think. Exhibit 3. Ever seen a fully electric excavator? This is a 17t XCMG Group XE135CREV, powered by a 262 kWh CATL battery. 📌 New Zealand, shared by Ross Linton, Owner of Etrucks...
The MEP Data That AI Cannot Work Without
The Solibri webinar highlighted Finland’s national MEP data standard, covering over 800 product identifiers and system classifications, now integrated into the buildingSMART Data Dictionary. Using a single‑click dropdown in tools like MagiCAD for Revit, designers can export fully classified IFC...
Whole‑system Design Essential for True Passive House Comfort
“Passive House isn’t about picking your favourite parts,” Tylah and Dylan say. “To make a home really comfortable, healthy, and easy to live in, all the pieces need to work together.” #passivhaus #passivehouse https://t.co/DpBjbRmNwL https://t.co/v06yDK6WFO
Zoning Committee Approves Mixed-Use Development at 215 N. Racine
The Chicago Committee on Zoning approved Domus Real Estate Group’s mixed‑use project at 215 N. Racine. The 30‑story tower will contain 347 residential units—including 70 affordable units—1,128 sq ft of retail, 88 car spaces and 350 bike spaces. The $160 million development seeks a rezoning...
GS Architecture Meets Passivhaus EnerPHit Low‑Energy Standard
Beautiful project: "GS Architecture set out to achieve the rigorous Passivhaus EnerPHit standard, which certifies low-energy buildings that have been refurbished" #passivhaus #passivehouse https://t.co/sRI9IdHWO1 https://t.co/kK2cfgw5v6
How to Make Large Walls with Stackable Concrete Blocks
Stackable concrete blocks provide a modular, fast‑assembly solution for constructing large walls in commercial and residential projects. The blocks are produced in uniform molds, interlock without mortar, and can be installed on a prepared foundation using lifting equipment for heavy...
Nonresidential Construction Spending Down Again in March
National nonresidential construction spending slipped 0.2% in March, reaching $1.244 trillion on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis. The decline affected 9 of 16 subcategories, with both public and private sectors posting identical month‑over‑month drops. Private‑sector spending is now more than 2%...
Has Legislation Made Construction More Adversarial?
The 1996 Construction Act was introduced to curb disputes, improve cash flow and embed fairness in UK building projects. Over the past 25 years, however, a succession of shocks—Brexit, the pandemic, soaring material costs and tighter safety regulations—has turned the...
Solibri Launches Security+ for Air-Gapped BIM Workflows
Solibri introduced Solibri Security+, a standalone BIM validation product designed for air‑gapped, sovereign environments where cloud solutions are prohibited. The offering enables rule‑based model checking, coordination and compliance verification for defense, government and critical‑infrastructure projects. It operates offline, meeting data‑sovereignty...
Transformer Shortages Stall Half of US AI Data Centers
Transformer equipment shortages (the electrical kind, not the AI kind) are delaying nearly half of planned U.S. AI data center builds, with an 18-month backlog on new orders. https://t.co/FW7XpwA2w6 #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech #TechNews https://t.co/2lVF9UuZd9
HSE Warns Against Dry Cutting of Stone in Fightback Against Silicosis
The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued new COSHH guidance prohibiting dry cutting of engineered stone, labeling the practice illegal after two young workers died from silicosis. The guidance mandates water‑suppression methods, low‑silica stone, respiratory protective equipment and...
The Grand Egyptian Museum Is a New Wonder of the World
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) finally opened in November after two decades and a $1.2 billion investment, earning the nickname “Fourth Pyramid.” Designed by Heneghan Peng, the glass‑and‑alabaster complex houses over 100,000 artifacts, with roughly 50,000 on display across a chronological journey...
$340 Million United Nations’ Nairobi Expansion Project Inauguration, What You Should Know
President William Ruto and UN Secretary‑General António Guterres will inaugurate the United Nations Nairobi Expansion Project in Gigiri on Monday. The $340 million initiative, approved by the UN General Assembly in December 2023, includes a $265.6 million conference‑facility upgrade and a $74.5 million...
$1.2bn HS2 Rail Contract for Birmingham Depot Project in UK Awarded to TWA Joint Venture
The UK High‑Speed Two (HS2) programme has awarded a $1.2 bn (£856 m) contract to the Taylor Woodrow Infrastructure‑Aureos Rail joint venture to build a new rail depot and Network Integrated Control Centre at Washwood Heath, Birmingham. The 70‑ha former industrial site...
£1.25bn Housing and Demolition Framework Launched
The LHC Procurement Group has launched the £1.25 bn (≈ $1.6 bn) Housing, Regeneration and Demolition (H3) framework for public‑sector clients across the UK. Running for four years with a possible one‑year extension, the framework is split into 12 lots covering new‑build homes,...
GL Homes Accelerates Florida Expansion, Guided by Founder’s Vision
GL Homes announced an accelerated rollout of new residential communities across key Florida markets, citing steady demand and the continued guidance of founder‑chairman Itzhak Ezratti. The builder’s disciplined, community‑focused approach aims to align with evolving buyer preferences for lifestyle‑driven neighborhoods.
The Biggest Hurdles for Data Center Contruction
The permitting process is the biggest bottleneck for AI data center construction, requiring approvals from local, county, state and private landowners as well as environmental clearances. Emissions permits must be secured before any combustion equipment can operate, and offset credits...
Contractor Training and Incentives: The Hidden Long‑term Barrier
When we look back 20 years from now and realize the biggest barrier was contractors’ training and incentives. My experience tracked with this one. ⬇️
Construction Robotics Startup Flo Mobility Raises $2.5 Mn in Pre-Series A Round
Bengaluru‑based Flo Mobility announced a $2.5 million pre‑Series A round co‑led by Mela Ventures and Arali Ventures. The funding will accelerate manufacturing, enhance its AI autonomy stack, and support rollout across India and into the Middle East. Flo’s flagship Flo Hauler,...
LIebherr’s LB 35.1: Higher Performance, Deeper Depths
Liebherr has launched the LB 35.1, an upgraded version of its compact drilling rig, featuring a lattice‑boom extension that raises maximum drilling depth to 37.5 m—six meters deeper than its predecessor. The rig is powered by a 603‑hp diesel engine delivering 255,934 ft·lb...
CIOB Urges New Welsh Government to Adopt Long Term Strategy on Construction Sector Challenges
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is urging Wales’s newly formed government, led by Plaid Cymru, to adopt a long‑term, industry‑partnered strategy for the construction sector. It warns that without coordinated action, Wales will continue to grapple with skills shortages,...
Liege Aim to Launch First-Line Warehouse by 2028
Liege Airport will open a 38,000 m² first‑line warehouse by the end of 2028, part of the CargoLand hub slated for full completion in 2040. The €500 million (≈$540 million) investment also adds a 120,000 m² e‑commerce facility, a 180,000 m² landside warehouse, 15 GSE...
Wills Bros Secures £13.8M Devon Relief Road Contract
Devon County Council has awarded Wills Bros Civil Engineering a £13.8 million (≈ $17.5 million) contract to construct the Cullompton Town Centre Relief Road. The 1.3‑km bypass, linking Station Road and Exeter Road via Meadow Lane, will run from 1 June 2026 to 1 January 2028. The scheme...
CDM 2015 ‘Remains Fit for Purpose’, Concludes HSE Review
The Health and Safety Executive’s second post‑implementation review finds the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 still meeting their safety objectives. While simplified guidance has boosted compliance, the report notes lingering gaps in pre‑construction clarity and duty‑holder understanding. The HSE...
New Framework Could Standardize 3D Printed Construction in Earthquake Zones
Researchers at IIT Guwahati have experimentally validated a design framework for 3D‑printed concrete walls that can withstand seismic loads. The study tested three wall variants, including a ductile concrete mix reinforced with modular steel, and demonstrated compliance with Indian and...
Freight Terminal Proposal to Fill an England – Scotland Gap?
Rail Sidings Limited, operator of the historic Eastriggs site in southwest Scotland, has unveiled plans to transform the former munitions‑factory yard into a multi‑purpose rail freight terminal dubbed Borderlands Rail Hub. The location sits on the West Coast Main Line,...
Meeting the Demand for Resilient Construction
Cities nationwide are tightening building codes, offering mitigation grants and insurance incentives to boost resilient construction. A new national alliance between the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and roofing giant GAF has broadened access to the Fortified...
Loans in Focus: Maslow Helps Unlock Major Madrid Logistics Development, Standard Chartered Provides £250m for London PBSA, Pbb Issues €86m...
Maslow Capital has extended a €40 million ($44 million) facility to Dunas Capital Real Estate to accelerate a large logistics park in Madrid. Standard Chartered is providing a £250 million ($313 million) construction loan for a purpose‑built student accommodation (PBSA) project in London. pbb...
More Muscle, Less Hassle: Liebherr’s HS 8100.2
Liebherr unveiled the HS 8100.2, the newest duty‑cycle crawler crane, at ConExpo. The machine lifts up to 100 tonnes and delivers 15% more engine power than its predecessor, while its winch line pull rises 9% to 2 × 66,319 ft‑lb. A compact 3.5‑metre width and...
Singapore Enhances Cruise Infrastructure for Tourism Growth
Singapore is upgrading its cruise infrastructure with a new Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront, slated to open on July 15, 2026. The terminal will feature self‑service check‑in kiosks, baggage drop, automated boarding gates and biometric immigration, expanding waiting areas by...
Pre-Tender Estimates — Why They Save UK Projects Thousands
Pre‑tender estimates are detailed cost forecasts prepared by quantity surveyors before tendering, giving UK developers a realistic financial blueprint. They break down direct, indirect, contingency and inflation adjustments, aligning budgets with market rates that range $1,875‑$3,125 per sqm for residential...