CCS Announces Checklist Overhaul
The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) has overhauled its assessment process, moving to a percentage‑based scoring system that equally weights community, environment and workforce themes. The new checklist adds safety, social value, inclusivity, UV‑protection and mental‑health criteria while aligning with BREEAM’s environmental and social standards. Over 7,300 sites will adopt the revised model from 5 May, offering clearer, evidence‑based metrics for contractors and stakeholders. The changes aim to improve transparency, consistency and continuous improvement across the construction sector.
Design Partners Chosen for Transformation Programme of AGS Airports
AGS Airports has appointed WSP and Pascall + Watson as design partners for the next phase of its £350 million (≈$440 million) AGS Reimagined transformation programme. WSP will act as lead development designer for Southampton Airport, while WSP and Pascall + Watson...
Frontline Machinery's New Division Brings Specialized Soil and Slurry Washing Support to Canada
Frontline Machinery has created Frontline Washing Systems, a new division focused on soil and slurry washing for Canadian construction, aggregates, and waste operators. The service offers modular, scalable washing equipment that lowers upfront investment while increasing material recovery. Leveraging Frontline's...
Hyundai’s Stronger, Smarter Excavators
Hyundai North America unveiled five next‑generation HX excavators at ConExpo, promising at least 22% higher productivity and nearly 10% better fuel efficiency. The lineup—HX230 through HX400—features fully electro‑hydraulic (FEH) controls, new DX05/DX08 engines, and larger standard buckets up to 2.03 cubic...
“RVNL Delivers 17,000 Km Rail Projects, Executes ₹2 Trillion Infrastructure:” Railway Board CEO
Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) has now delivered more than 17,000 km of railway lines, with cumulative project value exceeding ₹2 trillion (about $24 billion). The company highlighted marquee achievements such as the New Pamban vertical‑lift sea bridge, extensive Himalayan tunnelling, and...
California Bill Would Limit EV-Charging Access in Affordable Housing
California requires new multifamily developments to include EV‑charging outlets for residents with parking, a policy hailed as the nation’s most equitable. A February‑introduced bill, AB 2748, would suspend this requirement for affordable‑housing projects until at least 2036, reverting to the...
Scottish Public Buildings Framework Extended
LHC Procurement Group has prolonged the £750 million (≈$960 million) Scottish Public Buildings and Infrastructure Framework (PB3) by 19 months, keeping it active until 30 April 2027. The extension bridges the gap while the successor framework, PB4, is finalized, and no new projects will...
Steppe Cement Reports Strong Growth and Market Share Gains in Kazakhstan
Steppe Cement Ltd posted a 16% market‑share rise in Kazakhstan in Q1 2026, up from 13.5% a year earlier. Sales jumped to about $19.5 million from 344,058 t, versus $12.7 million and 276,217 t in Q1 2025, while the average price per tonne rose to $57...
CalPortland Announces Temporary Layoffs at Redding Cement Plant
CalPortland announced temporary layoffs of 53 workers at its Redding cement plant due to a decline in cement demand across Northern California. The cuts affect 42 hourly and 11 salaried employees, with the layoff date set for June 15 but...
Renovation Design of Yongping Warehouses / Atelier cnS
The Yongping Warehouses in Dali’s Nanhai District have been reborn as a 4,311 m² waterfront park and mixed‑use complex, slated for completion in 2025. Designed by Atelier cnS, the project lifts a public “cloud‑in‑the‑sky” park onto the rooftops while preserving historic brick...
Gov't Approves RM52 Million to Rebuild SK Balaban Jaya
The Malaysian government has approved roughly $11.5 million (RM52 million) for the 2025 reconstruction of SK Balaban Jaya in Beluran, Sabah, under the Fifth Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan. The project will add six classrooms, an administration block, special rooms,...
Bangladesh Cement Industry Seeks Major Tax Reforms to Combat Slump
The Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association has asked the National Board of Revenue for sweeping tax cuts in the upcoming budget. It proposes replacing the 15% customs duty on clinker with a flat BDT 500 per tonne (about US$40.65), lowering machinery spare‑parts...
Rolls Royce Signs Small Nuclear Plants Contract
Rolls‑Royce SMR has secured the UK government’s preferred technology contract for small modular reactors, backed by £2.6 billion (≈ $3.3 billion) allocated in the 2025 Spending Review. The first project will be built at Wylfa on Anglesey, targeting peak construction employment of around...
Lawmaker Questions Delayed Maran Hospital
A lawmaker has flagged the prolonged stall of the RM150 million (≈$33 million) Maran Hospital project, which was first approved under the 11th Malaysia Plan and re‑approved with an additional RM350 million (≈$77 million) in the 2023 budget. Groundbreaking took place in 2018, but...
Stanford Develops Volcanic Rock Cement Alternative
Stanford researchers have created a low‑carbon cement called Phlego, using volcanic rock instead of limestone. The carbonate‑free igneous material eliminates CO₂ emissions from calcination, cutting cement‑related emissions by up to two‑thirds while matching performance. Phlego also offers a scalable alternative...
Building Commencements Soar to Four Year Highs
Australia’s new residential construction rebounded sharply, with seasonally adjusted building commencements rising 8.0% to 53,567 in the December 2025 quarter—the highest since September 2021. On an annual basis, starts jumped 14.9% to 194,604, marking the strongest year since the 2021...
Is the Rail Sector Ready for Smarter Earthwork Monitoring?
Rail operators face mounting risk as climate‑driven landslips threaten aging earthwork assets, highlighted by the 2025 Shap derailment. Network Rail oversees roughly 190,000 embankments and cuttings, many built over two centuries ago, and still relies largely on visual inspections. A...
MPB Builds £160m Pipeline as Public Sector Pivot Pays Off
MPB Structures has pivoted sharply toward public‑sector and infrastructure work, driving a £160 million (≈$205 million) order book that is now 65% government‑backed. Turnover slipped to £106 million (≈$136 million) but pre‑tax profit held at £4.1 million, lifting margins to 3.9%. Cash on hand more...
Go West! US Datacentres Head for Available and Cheap Energy
US datacenter construction is moving from coastal hubs to the country’s interior, with Texas and the Midwest becoming the primary targets. Synergy Research notes 1,360 operational sites globally at the end of 2025, 580 of which are in the US,...
Victoria’s Old Retail, Racing and Radio Sites Now Set to Become New Housing
Victoria's government launched the Unlocking Strategic Sites pathway to fast‑track rezoning of underutilised land for residential use. The first seven identified parcels—including a former Bunnings store in Preston, a Bendigo radio station, and surplus university land—could yield up to 9,155...
New Change Management Contract for Welsh Transport
Transport for Wales has awarded a £667,735 (≈$855,000) contract to Bristol‑based WCL Infrastructure for specialist programme management support as it prepares to assume rail infrastructure duties from Amey. The one‑year agreement, commencing 1 April 2026, covers strategic planning, business change management, and...
MB Crusher Announces New MB-T150 Hydraulic Side Shift
MB Crusher unveiled the MB‑T150 hydraulic side‑shift attachment, letting skid‑steer operators slide and rotate tools from the cab. Weighing about 805 lb, it fits loaders in the 6,600‑12,100 lb range and works with demolition pulverizers to break, reduce, and recycle material on‑site....
KOBELCO Introduces the SK1300DLC-11
Japanese heavy‑equipment maker KOBELCO unveiled the SK1300DLC‑11, a demolition‑specific excavator with a 512 hp Isuzu Tier IV Final engine and a maximum reach of 130 ft. The machine’s modular front attachments allow 3‑piece or 4‑piece high‑reach configurations, supporting tools up to 9,480 lb at...
Kubota Breaks Ground On New Kansas Construction Equipment Test Center
Kubota North America broke ground on a $30 million, 57,000‑square‑foot construction equipment test center in Salina, Kansas. The facility expands the company’s compact construction business and will accelerate development cycles while providing locally validated performance. It reflects Kubota’s long‑term confidence in...
Indian Railways Expansion to Boost Jobs
Indian Railways will embark on a $18.5 billion expansion in 2025‑26, approving 100 projects that add more than 6,000 km of track. The plan represents a 56% rise in project count and a 114% increase in route coverage versus the prior year’s...
Delhi CM Rekha Takes Stock of Metro and Flyover Projects; Says Will Help Ease Congestion
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed the city’s metro and flyover expansion, highlighting that several key corridors are slated for completion by December 2026. Phase IV of the Delhi Metro is 80% finished, with an additional 104.45 km of track and 81...
What Is Project Houdini? How Amazon Plans to Build Data Centres Faster by Cutting Thousands of Labour Hours
Amazon is rolling out Project Houdini, a modular construction program designed to accelerate data‑centre builds for its AI services. By shifting much of the work off‑site, the company aims to compress the typical 15‑week construction timeline to just two or...
Fuel Crisis Hits Australia’s Civil Construction Hard
A new report by economist Saul Eslake for the Civil Contractors Federation finds Australia’s civil construction sector is bearing the brunt of a global fuel shock. Diesel prices have jumped 78% to over $3 AUD per litre (≈$2 USD), adding about $128 million AUD...
WT Partnership Appointed on Sydney Metro West Project
WT Partnership has been appointed Independent Estimator for the Sydney Metro West Linewide Systems Package, a 24‑kilometre underground rail link between Parramatta and Sydney’s CBD slated for completion in 2032. The package, covering track, power, ventilation, lighting, drainage, fire systems...
Airport Rail Moves Forward with Shortlist
Two consortia—CPB Contractors with SMEC Australia and FCC Construction with Martinus Rail, Arcadis and BG&E—have been shortlisted to deliver the next major package of Melbourne Airport Rail Stage 1. The contract, expected in 2025, will upgrade the West Footscray‑Albion corridor, add...
U.S. to Cut Canadian Lumber Duties by 10% — Rate Stays at 35%
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a preliminary revision that lowers the combined antidumping and countervailing duty on most Canadian softwood lumber to 24.83%, but a 10% Section 232 tariff remains, keeping the effective burden at roughly 34.8%. Antidumping duties...
When Compliance Isn’t Enough: Why Accessibility Still Fails on Site
Australian building standards such as the DDA, NCC and AS 1428 have dramatically improved accessibility regulations, yet many sites that meet these codes still fall short for users with disabilities. The article argues that compliance alone does not guarantee functional accessibility...
Armenia Looking for Additional Partners for TRIPP Implementation
Armenia is expanding the investor pool for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a 42‑kilometre land bridge linking Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia’s Syunik province. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan say...
Kai Tak’s Transport Solution Could Be a Model for Other Hong Kong Districts
Hong Kong’s Executive Council approved the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in Kai Tak, an elevated 3.5 km rail line connecting the cruise terminal to the Kai Tak MTR station. The line will serve four intermediate stops, cut travel time to ten...
Secret Documents Reveal Landmark Housing Project's Budget Headache
Internal Victorian government documents reveal that the state’s $5.3 billion (≈$3.5 billion USD) Big Housing Build has absorbed an extra $1 billion (≈$660 million USD) in unbudgeted costs within two years. Soaring construction prices – timber and reinforcing steel up about 60% – added...
Reytech Raises Standards in Philippines Construction with Top ISO Marks
Reytech Construction & Development Corp. secured three international ISO certifications—ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety, and ISO 14001 for environmental management—following rigorous audits in 2025. The certifications were granted by Europe‑based A Cube TIC, underscoring Reytech’s adherence to global...
These Las Vegas Tiny Homes Can Be Assembled in an Hour
The Las Vegas city council approved a $6 million tiny‑home community built with Boxabl’s modular units. The project will place 50 custom 360‑sq‑ft homes on a 2.25‑acre vacant lot, each renting for roughly $1,000 per month. Boxabl’s patented design allows each...
Amazon’s Mass Timber Delivery Centre ‘Locks in’ Carbon for 50+ Years
Amazon has completed its DII5 delivery station in Elkhart, Indiana, using more than half a million board feet of 3‑ply cross‑laminated timber (CLT) for walls, roof and canopy. The engineered‑wood envelope locks sequestered carbon for 50‑100 years, creating a long‑term...
Exclusive: How Are ‘Digital Twins’ Revolutionizing Infrastructure?
Arup’s digital rail leader Lindsay English explains how digital twins and AI are reshaping Canadian infrastructure. Real‑time twins on Vancouver’s Canada Line and YVR airport have boosted asset availability and operational agility, while the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension used a...
Coffee in Your Walls? Breakthrough Converts Grounds to Insulation
Researchers at Shenyang Agricultural University have created a biochar‑based insulation material from spent coffee grounds that achieves a thermal conductivity of 0.04 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹, comparable to expanded polystyrene. The method dries the grounds, pyrolyzes them at 700 °C to raise porosity to 71%,...
RTS Link: Johor Must Refine Strategy to Tackle Skilled Labour Outflows
Johor must sharpen its cross‑border economic strategy as the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, slated for a January 2027 launch, promises to ease travel between Johor Bahru and Singapore. The 5‑minute, 10,000‑passenger‑per‑hour service could accelerate the outflow of skilled Malaysian...
Bad Land Policies Worsen Africa’s Housing Problem
African cities are grappling with a deepening housing shortage as rapid urbanisation drives demand for 40 million new homes by 2050. UN‑Habitat officials highlighted that costly, insecure land tenure and outdated acquisition laws are the primary bottlenecks in the housing value...
The Babel Community - Coliving Residence / D'HOUNDT+BAJART Architectes&associés
Architects D'Houndt + Bajart unveil the Babel Community, a 304‑room coliving residence slated for completion in 2025 on a 13,524 m² site in Lille’s historic business district. The development replaces inefficient office towers with a U‑shaped building that wraps a sun‑lit...
NSW Supply Chain Rubbishes “Free Kick” Claims on Wood Supply Agreements
The New South Wales hardwood supply chain has rejected activist Dailan Pugh’s claim that state‑run wood supply agreements are free and untendered, emphasizing that royalties and harvest rates are set by the government. Timber NSW highlighted that the $2.9 billion AUD...
As Planning Permission Application Costs Rise, Could Getting Pre-Application Advice Save You Money?
Planning application fees in England rose 3.8% on 1 April 2026, increasing the financial stakes for homeowners. Consultants argue that pre‑application advice can surface zoning or policy issues early, potentially avoiding costly resubmissions. However, experts warn the service is not a guarantee...
Timber Beats Steel by 97% on Carbon — Yet Databases Haven’t Caught Up
A new open‑access study in npj Materials Sustainability shows engineered wood products contain only 3‑5% of the embodied carbon of primary steel in structural beams, with reused steel achieving a 97% reduction. The researchers examined 204 emerging structural materials but...
Canada Backs Timber Robotics to Deliver It’s $13B Housing Agenda
Canada is investing more than $4 million CAD (≈$3 million US) in a robotics‑enabled wood‑truss plant in Clinton, Ontario, under the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program. The facility, run by Atlas Engineered Products, will boost precision manufacturing, cut waste, and...
America's Heaviest Swing Bridge Is A Sacramento Beauty Currently Being Revitalized
The historic I Street Bridge in Sacramento, built in 1911, spans 363 feet and weighs roughly 7 million pounds (about $9 million), making it the nation’s heaviest swing bridge. A swing bridge rotates 90 degrees to let river traffic pass, a rare design today....
SM Offices Saves More Water in 2025 Through Recycling Initiatives
SM Offices, the leasing arm of SM Prime Holdings, reported saving over 185,000 cubic meters of water in 2025 through expanded recycled‑water systems. The company reclaimed 57,190 m³ from stand‑alone offices and 128,700 m³ from mall‑integrated sites, enough to supply 775 average...
Full Building Permit Issued for Development at 2249 W. Belmont
BM International Builders Inc. received a full building permit to replace a two‑story house at 2249 W. Belmont with a four‑story, 45‑foot brick building. The new development will contain six condominium units—two three‑bedroom duplexes, two three‑bedroom simplex units, and two four‑bedroom duplexes...