New construction technology releases: July 2025

Offerings include a new drone system, a reality capture platform and project management software for construction pros.

Detroit deploys drones and AI to target building efficiency improvements

The city has partnered with startups and a tech incubator to test drone and AI technology that guides energy retrofits, saving time and money compared with traditional assessments.

Updated July 8, 2025

Chicago-area school district deploys geothermal system that’s a US first

The dynamic closed-loop system uses groundwater to reject and absorb heat to provide year-round space conditioning for a 130-year-old elementary school, Trane Technologies says.

Tutor Perini nabs $1.87B NYC bus terminal job

The Los Angeles contractor will build the staging and storage facility for the $10 billion Midtown Bus Terminal Redevelopment.

California walks back environmental law for housing, advanced manufacturing

The changes to the California Environmental Quality Act could greatly speed up the issuance of building permits.

Skanska, FlatironDragados win $1B DC bridge upgrade

The roughly 1-mile span will ease congestion for both freight and passenger rail along the Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia corridor.

Construction spending drops for fourth straight month

High interest rates, fluctuating material prices and labor uncertainty mean that activity may not rebound this year, economists say.

Loss of 179D deduction could derail office conversions

Although the deduction is about making commercial buildings energy efficient, it’s been key to owners’ willingness to invest in obsolete and financially distressed properties, supporters say.

Construction Dive’s June 2025 economic roundup

Higher material costs and weaker spending suggest growing pressure across the construction industry.

Defense Department simplifies NEPA reviews

The move announced June 30 is part of a government-wide deregulatory effort from the Trump administration to speed up infrastructure construction.

Hiring rate, job openings remain historically low

Though contractors are optimistic in the face of a subdued labor market, it’s not yet clear how President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have affected the data.

Data center vacancy rates hit record low

As AI adoption ramped up, colocation facility rental rates rose precipitously during the first three months of the year, according to CBRE research.

Suffolk starts $750M New York hospital expansion

The Boston-based contractor will use its proprietary artificial intelligence-based steel tracking system, along with handheld scanners, to construct the project.

How synthetic lichens can launch Martian construction

The NASA-funded system can form building materials with no outside intervention, which could lead to 3D printing in space.

Amid the hype, contractors find practical safety uses for AI

Construction pros sort through a flood of information about artificial intelligence to find the applications that make sense for their firms.

Construction restarts on $2.1B Portland water plant

The Bull Run Filtration Project in Oregon has been paused since February due to a legal fight with area residents.

$1.3B Harbor Bridge opens in Texas after series of delays

FlatironDragados built the project, which will allow Corpus Christi’s ship channel to accommodate taller cargo vessels.

How XL Construction built a building on top of a building in an earthquake zone

Cal Berkeley’s $95 million Grimes Engineering Center sits just 1,300 feet from the menacing Hayward Fault. 

Home Depot goes after pro market with $4.3B acquisition

The retailer has inked a deal for its SRS Distribution subsidiary to acquire GMS, which specializes in drywall, ceilings and steel framing.

Bechtel completes $3.5B Sydney airport 7 months early

The new Western Sydney Airport is the country’s first international, greenfield airport in over 50 years.

Yale pauses 10 projects as funding worries grow

Several universities are reassessing their capital plans due to rising costs and uncertain federal support.

Bechtel nabs $9B more Rio Grande LNG work

The Reston, Virginia-based contractor has been tapped for trains 4 and 5 of the plant in Brownsville, Texas, where it is already building Phase 1 of the project.

Swinerton scales up with public work

The Concord, California-based contractor is finding ways to grow by leaning into civil projects and shoring up its supply chain, according to a company executive.

OSHA hearings hint at revised heat rule

Though many expected the Trump administration to kill the proposed regulation, the agency may simply tone it down to a more performance-based standard, experts say.

June 2025: Contractors report their latest awards

Construction Dive rounds up the newest project wins from some of the country’s biggest builders including Walsh, Yates and Lunda.