Backlog Rebounded in March with Contractors Unphased by Iran War Impacts
Construction backlog rose to 8.6 months in March, rebounding from a four‑year low recorded in January. The increase of 0.5 months over February and 0.1 months year‑over‑year was driven by gains in infrastructure and commercial‑institutional segments, while heavy‑industrial bookings slipped. Contractors with data‑center contracts held a markedly higher backlog at 10.6 months, compared with 8.3 months for the rest of the market. Economists caution that the ongoing Iran conflict could push oil prices higher and increase borrowing costs, potentially dampening future confidence.
McKinsey, ALICE Technologies Partner on Generative AI Scheduling
McKinsey has teamed with ALICE Technologies to deliver generative‑AI scheduling software for large‑scale infrastructure and construction projects. The solution, already deployed with more than 35 clients, can accelerate schedules by up to 20% and, in pilot cases, shave 28 days...
Jury Awards Cemex Driver $5M in ‘Egregious’ Disability and Race Bias Lawsuit
A federal jury in California awarded a Black truck driver $5 million after finding Cemex liable for race and disability discrimination. The plaintiff, born with congenital aural atresia, alleged daily harassment, ignored HR complaints, and wrongful termination. The jury concluded Cemex...
Oil Prices Triggered Higher Construction Costs in March
Construction input prices rose 2.2% in March, driven by a 20.2% jump in crude petroleum. Year‑over‑year material costs are up 4.8%, the biggest gain since Jan 2023. Diesel surged 37.8% from February to March, the steepest one‑month rise since the 1990...
Construction Needs to Overhaul the Culture of Communication
The construction sector suffers from a entrenched habit of delaying communication, turning minor hiccups into costly setbacks. Professionals often hide early warnings to avoid appearing incompetent, while incentive structures reward silent problem‑solving. This cultural flaw erodes schedule reliability, inflates budgets,...
Lane Construction Wins $582M Florida Interstate Job
Lane Construction, a Charlotte‑based subsidiary of Italy’s WeBuild Group, secured the lead role on Project 2 of Florida’s $2.5 billion Moving I‑4 Forward program. The contract, valued at $582 million, covers redesign and widening of a 3.1‑mile I‑4 segment, a reconfigured SR‑429 interchange,...
Texas A&M Breaks Ground on $226M Semiconductor R&D Facility
Texas A&M University broke ground on the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute, a $226 million, 80,000‑square‑foot research and development campus in Bryan. The facility will feature clean rooms rated at 100 and 1,000 class, 300 mm equipment, and flexible labs for process, packaging,...
Iran War Impacts on Oil Prices Spiked Construction Stress, Increased Abandonments
Construction stress index rose 4.2% in March as project abandonments jumped 22.8% month‑over‑month, the sharpest increase since late 2025. ConstructConnect links the surge to the Iran‑War‑driven oil price spike, which is inflating input costs for private developers. While delayed bids fell...
Veteran Architect Wants More Women on Jobsites
Veteran architect Gail Sullivan, founder of Boston‑based Studio G Architects, reflects on her 35‑year career and the evolving role of women in construction. She recalls that women comprised only 2.6% of registered architects in 1983, but today sees women working as...
Suffolk Tapped as Construction Manager for $1.2B Student Housing Project
Boston‑based Suffolk Construction has been selected to manage a $1.2 billion, multiphase student housing expansion for California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The program will deliver roughly 3,600 new beds and renovate about 1,200 existing ones across two new...
Construction’s Economic Outlook Is Increasingly Cloudy
Construction activity in early 2026 shows a mixed picture: overall backlog and starts rose, but the gains are almost entirely driven by data‑center projects linked to AI infrastructure. Contractors focused on data‑centers enjoy roughly four months more backlog than peers,...
Beyond Winning Work: The Key to Contractors’ Sustained Growth
Contractors expanding into larger, more complex infrastructure projects often outgrow the risk frameworks that served smaller jobs. Misaligned contract language, indemnity clauses, and insurance programs can leave firms exposed to unexpected liabilities, cash‑flow strain, and reduced bonding capacity. American Global’s...
Balancing Control and Efficiency: When to Use Construction Takeoff Services
Construction takeoff services let contractors outsource the detailed material counting that underpins accurate bids. By feeding blueprints and MEP plans to specialized estimators, firms can free internal staff to focus on bid strategy and site management. The model shines when...
What Owners and Contractors Should Know About Data Center Construction Contracts
Data center construction is entering a $7 trillion global capex surge, with 40% slated for the United States. Developers must choose between EPC and design‑build contracts, each shifting risk and control differently. Early procurement of critical systems and well‑drafted liquidated‑damages clauses...
Data Centers Powered March Construction Planning Almost Exclusively
The Dodge Momentum Index showed a 1.8% month‑to‑month rise in March, driven almost entirely by data‑center projects. Commercial planning increased 7% while institutional activity slipped 8.8%, and without the data‑center boom commercial planning would have fallen 12.7% year‑over‑year. Fifty‑four projects...
