US Construction Spending for March 0.6% versus 0.2% Estimate
U.S. construction spending rose 0.6% in March 2026, surpassing the 0.2% forecast. Total construction reached $2.1855 trillion, up 1.6% year‑over‑year. Private residential construction led the gains with a 1.7% month‑over‑month increase, while non‑residential private and public segments slipped modestly. Year‑to‑date spending climbed 0.3% versus the same period in 2025.
Here's a Closer Look at Plans for UCLA Research Park
UCLA is converting the shuttered Westside Pavilion mall into the UCLA Research Park, a roughly 800,000‑square‑foot campus spread across two Pico Boulevard wings. The mixed‑use facility will house 271,000 sq ft of wet and dry laboratories, 214,000 sq ft of office space, extensive meeting...
61 Townhomes Approved at 12722 Woods Ave. In Norwalk
The Norwalk Planning Commission approved Hamilton Land Development's plan to replace an existing church and school with 61 three‑story townhome condominiums at 12722 Woods Avenue. Designed by KTGY, the contemporary stucco‑finished homes will offer two‑, three‑ and four‑bedroom layouts, each...
Construction Begins for 87 Apartments at 12124 Pacfic Ave. In Mar Vista
Construction has begun on a six‑story, 87‑unit multifamily building at 12124 W. Pacific Avenue in Mar Vista. Developed by Robert Green’s Frame LA, the project will offer one‑ and three‑bedroom apartments with underground parking for 124 vehicles. In return for...
Governments Should Help Finance Infrastructure — Not Construct and Run It
Bob Hellman, CEO of American Infrastructure Partners, argues that the United States should stop building and operating megaprojects itself and instead act as a catalyst for private capital. He cites the Gateway Hudson Tunnel, California high‑speed rail, Boston’s Big Dig,...
Original Atlanta Department Store’s Rebirth as Apartments Has Arrived
Historic 85 Peachtree Street, Atlanta’s original department store, is being transformed into 26 loft‑style apartments after a $25 million renovation. The building, bought for $3.3 million in foreclosure, will open this summer with studios to two‑bedroom units ranging from 650 to 1,100 sq ft....
Algeria Acquires New Wagon Fleet
Algerian National Railways (SNTF) signed a roughly $118 million contract with domestic manufacturer Ferrovial to purchase 800 wagons for phosphate transport. The fleet will lift annual capacity to about 13.6 million tonnes as the 422‑km Eastern Mining Line is upgraded. Deliveries begin...
Bright Power Launches AI-Powered Energy Compliance and Carbon Forecasting Platform for Commercial Real Estate
Bright Power announced Bright Power AI, an AI‑driven platform that combines two new software tools—Predict and Navigate—to help multifamily real‑estate owners forecast carbon compliance, plan retrofits, and automate energy‑benchmarking reporting. Predict delivers emissions baselines, scenario modeling, and fine projections, while...
Construction Hiring Still Exceptionally Slow in March
The construction sector reported 224,000 job openings on March 31, according to ABC's analysis of the BLS JOLTS data. Openings increased by 23,000 from February but remain 54,000 below the same month last year, reflecting a persistently sluggish hiring environment....
The Albanian Kaleidoscope - Reconstruction and Musealization of the National Historical Museum / Casanova + Hernandez Architects
The National Historical Museum in Tirana is undergoing a 21,400 m² overhaul slated for 2026, led by architects Jesús Hernández Mayor and Helena Casanova. The "Albanian Kaleidoscope" adds a plug‑in architectural layer that reconfigures circulation, introduces an underground Black Box archive,...
Retentions Ban: Has the UK Missed a Kiwi Trick?
In late March the UK government announced a blanket ban on retention payments in construction contracts, ending a practice that typically withholds 3‑5% of contract value until defects are resolved. Proponents such as the Electrical Contractors Association argue the ban...
South Africa Infrastructure Expo Returns In June, Expanding To Include Transport Evolution Africa, Spotlighting Transport And Infrastructure Priorities
The South Africa Infrastructure Expo returns June 9‑11 2026 at Johannesburg’s Gallagher Convention Centre, now co‑located with Transport Evolution Africa and the 14th Big 5 Construct South Africa. The three‑day event aligns with the National Development Plan 2030 and the National Infrastructure Plan 2050, bringing...
Spain Allocates €212m for Offshore Wind Ports
Spain’s government has provisionally set aside €212 million (about $231 million) from its Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan to upgrade six coastal ports for offshore wind and marine‑energy projects. The targeted facilities are Gijón, Las Palmas, Tarragona, Castellón, and the combined ports of...
Stantec to Oversee New Tees Valley Energy-From-Waste Plant
Stantec has been selected to provide technical oversight and advisory services for the Tees Valley Energy Recovery Facility, a 450,000‑ton‑per‑year energy‑from‑waste plant in Redcar. Developed by Viridor for a consortium of seven North‑East local authorities, the plant will treat residual...
Solstad’s Normand Maximus CSV In Line for Two-Year Subsea Work
Solstad Offshore signed a letter of intent to charter its flagship construction support vessel, Normand Maximus, to an international subsea contractor. The two‑year agreement runs from Q1 2027 to Q1 2029, with an optional extension to Q1 2030. The vessel will provide worldwide subsea...
Construction Believes in Collaboration – so Why Isn’t It Practising It?
A OnePoll study commissioned by NEC Contracts surveyed 1,065 construction professionals across the UK, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Peru, revealing that 83% view trust as essential and eight‑in‑ten believe collaboration boosts performance. Respondents with collaborative‑contract experience report faster delivery, fewer...
Mark Robinson on Scape at 20
Scape marks its 20th anniversary after evolving from a post‑war school‑building consortium into a national framework provider serving 675 public‑sector clients across the UK. The group has delivered more than 2,000 projects and 3,500 commissions, and its next construction framework...
Rwanda Seeks to Deepen Central Corridor Links Through SGR
Rwanda and Tanzania have signed an agreement to build a $2.5 billion standard‑gauge railway linking the port of Dar es Salaam to Kigali, with Rwanda seeking roughly $1.3 billion for its 150‑km stretch. The electrified line aims to cut transport costs, speed...
FP McCann Tests Graphene Roof Tiles on Site
FP McCann has moved its graphene‑enhanced concrete roof tiles from lab to full‑scale production, completing a series of trials at its Cadeby plant. After an initial batch of 2,500 tiles in January, the company proved the formulation can be integrated...
Double Whammy Hits April Construction Output
The S&P Global UK construction Purchasing Managers' Index slipped to 39.7 in April, marking the steepest monthly decline since November 2025 and the 16th straight month of contraction. Civil engineering fell to a 35.3 score, the sector’s weakest, while commercial...
Fives and NOC Energy Partner on Electrified Heat Technology for Clay Calcination
Fives Group and NOC Energy have teamed up to test a high‑temperature thermal battery in Fives' clay‑calcination pilot plant. The 10 MW NOC Cell™ can convert renewable electricity into heat up to 1,500 °C and store it on demand, potentially avoiding up...
Atlantic Canada’s First Tall Mass Timber Tower? Dartmouth Study Compares Mass Timber Vs. Concrete
A feasibility study for a 12‑storey residential tower in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia compared concrete and mass‑timber construction. The timber option was 8.39% more expensive but could be completed two months faster, with a potential four‑to‑six‑month lead time. Savings stem from...
Costain Secures Lot Contract for Dover Harbour Board Framework
Costain has been awarded Lot 1 of the Dover Harbour Board’s Project Contractors Framework, a six‑year contract worth up to £235 million (≈ $300 million). The lot covers utilities refurbishment and replacement across the Port of Dover, aligning with the port’s 2050 Masterplan and...
Industry Perspectives Op-Ed: Where Are the Provinces in Carney’s ‘Team Canada Strong’ Initiative?
Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the “Team Canada Strong” plan to train 100,000 new trades workers over the next five years. The federal package allocates roughly $1.5 billion USD for paid apprenticeship placements, $245 million USD to modernise training, and $2.5 billion USD...
Haslam Breaks Ground on Browns’ $2.4B Domed Stadium Set to Open in 2029
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam broke ground on a $2.4 billion, 67,500‑seat domed stadium slated to open for the 2029 season. The project sits on former Ford plant land near the airport, with a folded‑plate transparent roof and fan‑centric seating that...
Cairo Metro Line 4 Opening Announced
Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels announced that Phase 1 of Cairo Metro Line 4, a 19‑km underground stretch with 17 stations including a new Pyramids stop, will open in the first half of 2028. The project is backed by a $640 million loan...
New-Construction Insights: Urban New Builds Are Scarce and Expensive
New‑construction median listing price held steady at $449,373 in Q1 2026, while existing‑home prices slipped 0.9% to $390,550, pushing the national new‑construction premium to 15.1%. Builders reduced new‑home prices more frequently than resales, yet days on market remained unchanged, underscoring a...
SPIE Secures Cable Termination Work on Poland’s Bałtyk 2 & 3 Offshore Wind Farms
SPIE Global Services Energy has been awarded a contract by Seaway7 to perform inter‑array cable termination and testing for Poland’s Bałtyk 2 and Bałtyk 3 offshore wind farms. The work, handled by SPIE’s Wind Connect unit, will begin in the second quarter...
Georgia Announces €1.4bn Railway Investment for Coming Decade
Georgia has announced a €1.4 billion (≈$1.53 billion) rail investment for the next decade, aiming to halve transit times on the China‑Europe Middle Corridor. The plan includes 50 new locomotives, 1,500 freight wagons worth over €300 million, modernised stations, automated management systems, and...
Benson Elliot and Hobart Pre-Let Entire City Office Scheme to Lockton
Benson Elliot and Hobart have pre‑let their entire new office development in the City of London to insurance broker Lockton, creating the largest office pre‑let recorded for 2026. The transaction fills the building before construction is complete, guaranteeing full occupancy...
Kapsch TrafficCom Expands San Bernardino Express Lanes Network
Kapsch TrafficCom secured a contract from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority to extend the I-15 express‑lane system by eight miles, linking it with Riverside County’s toll network for a continuous 53‑mile corridor. The expansion responds to projections of half...
Multi-Skilled Humanoid Robots for Construction Sites Are on Their Way
Humanoid robot "Leo" is being developed to perform hazardous, repetitive and off‑hour tasks on construction sites, with a service‑as‑a‑product model slated for mass rollout from 2030. Founder Vassos Chrysostomou plans a consortium of universities, contractors and tech firms to create...
Owens Corning to Sell Glass Reinforcement Business to Praana Group
Owens Corning announced the sale of its glass reinforcement business to Praana Group for approximately $1.2 billion in cash. The transaction, expected to close in Q3 2026, transfers manufacturing sites in the United States, Europe and Asia to the buyer. Proceeds will...
Heidelberg Materials Reports Lower 1Q26 Earnings
Heidelberg Materials posted a 3.8% drop in Q1 2026 revenue to €4.54 bn (≈$5.34 bn) and a 30.4% fall in result from current operations (RCO) to €163 m (≈$192 m). Adverse weather in Europe and the U.S. Northeast, higher energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty...
Building with the Landscape: Non-Invasive Design Strategies for Steep Terrain
Architects confronting steep terrain are shifting from earth‑moving to non‑invasive design, letting the landscape dictate form. Five strategies—point loading, stepped cascades, spanning bridges, vertical cores, and fragmented clusters—demonstrate how minimal ground contact can preserve slope stability while delivering striking architecture....
KHD Industry Workshop Showcases 2nd-Gen Pyrofloor and New Roller Press
KHD staged a live demonstration at its Faridabad plant, showcasing the second‑generation Pyrofloor² cooler to 75 industry professionals. The system’s optimized airflow and a new cassette design improve heat‑recovery efficiency while lowering pressure drops and maintenance needs. Technical sessions then...
Holcim Deploys Carbon-Storing Concrete Technology in German Logistics Project
Holcim, together with Swedish startup Paebbl and contractor Goldbeck, has completed the first commercial‑scale deployment of Paebbl’s carbon‑storing supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in a logistics centre in southern Germany. The concrete mix, which incorporates Paebbl Rebond, cut cement use by...
Ukraine’s Timber Glut Hits 15,000m³ a Day as EU Demand Collapses
Ukraine’s state‑owned forest manager is flooding the market with at least 15,000 cubic metres of timber each day, pushing warehouse stocks above 1.17 million cubic metres. The surplus outpaces domestic consumption of roughly 40,000 m³ per day and follows a four‑month harvest...
Bedeschi Wins North African Reclaimer Orders for Chinese Client
Italian equipment maker Bedeschi secured a new order in North Africa to supply multiple bulk storage lines for a cement plant owned by a Chinese EPC contractor. The contract includes two circular storage units with high‑capacity rotating stackers and circular...
Go-Ahead for Another Giant Data Centre at Redhill
Planners have approved a new 15 MW data centre at Redhill, part of a £200 million ($254 million) investment by Castleforge and Galaxy Data Centers. The expansion adds a two‑storey building with four data halls on the 3.1‑hectare Foxboro Business Park site, bringing...
The Boston Metro Is Switching to Digital Signalling
Knorr‑Bremse’s KB Signaling division is in the final phase of a digital signalling overhaul for the MBTA’s Red and Orange lines, targeting completion by the end of 2026. The program will install AFTC5 Audio Frequency Track Circuit systems at all...
Manufacturing Sector Warns State NCC Variations Are Increasing Building Industry Complexity, Says BPIC
Australia’s building and manufacturing sectors face rising compliance costs as state and territory variations to the National Construction Code (NCC) proliferate, according to the Building Products Industry Council (BPIC). Tasmania has introduced 125 new NCC 2025 variations on top of...
Lessons in Top-Level Sustainability From Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School has expanded its sustainability portfolio to include nine green roofs, the first of which debuted in 2009. The flagship meadow‑style roof on McCollum/MacArthur Hall spans 11,058 sq ft, using lightweight growing media to meet structural limits while delivering a...
Potain MCT 385 Cranes Support Construction of World's Longest-Span Road-Rail Bridge
Two Potain MCT 385 topless tower cranes are central to building the Zhoushan Taoyaomen Bridge, set to become the world’s longest‑span road‑rail cable‑stayed bridge with a 2,185‑ft main span. The cranes, owned by Guizhou Shengyongsheng and supported by Potain’s Zhangjiagang facility,...
Caterpillar Opens Registration for Global Innovation Challenge
Caterpillar has opened registration for its Building the Future Workforce Challenge, a global innovation competition announced at CES 2026. The contest is part of a five‑year, $100 million pledge to develop future‑ready skills. Organizations worldwide can submit proposals by July 30, 2026, with pilots...
Works Ministry Launches an EV Charging System Installation Guidelines Book as Reference for Installers
Malaysia's Works Ministry unveiled a "Design and Installation Guidelines for Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Systems" to standardise charger deployment across the country. Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the manual will aid contractors, designers, government bodies and station...
Iran Conflict Hits Lumber — and Canfor Warns $72M Loss Is Just the Start
Canfor reported a Q1 2026 operating loss of CAD $72.5 million (≈ US $53 million) as the Iran‑driven closure of the Strait of Hormuz spiked diesel and crude prices, adding up to US $5,000 per container in freight costs. The loss was split between a CAD $43.7 million...
China’s Energy Security Strategy Expands South: How Hainan Is Becoming an LNG Storage Hub
China is expanding its energy‑security portfolio by accelerating LNG storage development in Hainan. The second phase of the Danzhou bonded LNG terminal is now about 50% complete, adding three 220,000‑cubic‑metre tanks and targeting full operation by 2027. The first phase,...
Partners Group on the Race to Meet US Power Demand
Partners Group executives Andre Burba and Patrick Langan argue that co‑locating solar photovoltaic and battery storage with existing natural‑gas plants offers a faster, lower‑cost route to satisfy the United States’ rising electricity demand. The hybrid approach leverages existing transmission connections...
India Is a Breakout Market for American Hardwood and Softwood
U.S. lumber shipments to India surged in early 2026, with March volumes climbing 41% year‑over‑year to 13,800 cubic metres and Q1 totals reaching 28,100 cubic metres, a 24% increase over 2025. While southern yellow pine still dominates volume, high‑value hardwoods...