The Latest

  • Construction workers build out a new building in San Francisco, California
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    5 construction trends to watch in 2026

    Contractors will be keeping tabs on material costs, data center demand, interest rates and more this year.

  • A digital illustration depicts a smart city concept with a glowing brain icon symbolizing artificial intelligence. Below, a 3D building model emerges from a tablet. Surrounding icons, including charts and alerts, suggest technology integration, conveying innovation and connectivity.
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    Slate Technologies, Inc.

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    Sponsored by Slate Technologies

    The future of construction is integrated intelligence

    Rising demand for complex infrastructure is colliding with flat productivity, making execution of critical projects high-risk.

  • Two women construction workers discuss a project.
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    Getty Images
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    Construction Champions 2026 call for entries kicks off

    Submit your nominations for outstanding women builders for our annual showcase, which will run during this year’s Women in Construction Week, slated for March 1 to 7.

  • A crowd of people in business and business-casual clothes wander around an open space filled with booths for companies that represent construction technology firms.
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    Matthew Thibault/Construction Dive
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    2026’s top construction conferences

    It’s time to plan for the year to come. Construction Dive has you covered with a full list of the industry conferences and expos on tap for 2026.

  • Construction workers at a construction site on a street in Manhattan
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    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Labor, tariffs collide with data center boom

    The latest outlook from the Associated General Contractors of America reveals two bright spots amid a growing number of challenges.

  • An overhead shot from high in the air of a set of roads that weave into each other on a sunny day.
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    Courtesy of Arizona DOT
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    Arizona DOT taps Sundt for $396M highway job

    The Tempe-based builder will negotiate with the state’s DOT on a preconstruction services contract that is expected to be finalized in February.

  • Overhead view of a street alongside two railroad tracks and a parking area with a red tile roofed train station.
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    (2024). "OC Streetcar Corridor Construction April 2024" [Video]. Retrieved from goOCTA/Orange County Transportation Authority.
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    13 transit projects expected to open in the US this year

    Cities are investing in less costly bus rapid transit over light rail systems, says Yonah Freemark of The Transport Politic.

  • Two construction workers wear respirators on a jobsite.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Why OSHA standards shouldn’t be the high-water mark for contractor safety

    As 2026 gets underway, a construction injury lawyer argues that government benchmarks represent the bare minimum, not the ultimate goal, for protecting workers. 

  • Construction workers help build a mixed-use apartment complex on January 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, Calif.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How immigration enforcement will impact construction in 2026

    Undocumented workers are becoming increasingly scarce on jobsites. That means higher expenses in sectors with less demand, while data center wages continue to command a premium. 

  • Rendering of an AVAIO Digital data center in Little Rock, Arkansas
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    Courtesy of AVAIO Digital
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    Data center developer invests $6B in Arkansas campus

    AVAIO will start the first phase of its data center hub in the first quarter, and could scale its investment up to $21 billion.

  • Lumber is displayed for sale
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Tariffs push construction input prices higher

    The latest PPI report presents “plenty of cause for concern,” according to Associated Builders and Contractors.

  • Large conceptual image of building with the Micron logo, parking lot and cars in the front
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    Retrieved from Micron on January 14, 2026
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    Major factory construction projects to watch in 2026

    TSMC, Micron, Samsung, Lilly and others are set to break ground on or open new facilities this year.

  • A man in a suit and an orange safety vest uses a tablet on a construction site. The user is in the foreground and clear, the background is blurred.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    How AI can help builders weather the labor crunch on jobsites

    With wage expenses piling up, leveraging the technology lets builders protect their margins and get more value out of existing crews, writes a contech expert.

  • Construction of Microsoft Azure data center campus, known as IAD01-1 and IAD01-2, on Oct. 19, 2024, in Leesburg, Va.
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    Getty Images
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    Data centers drive lopsided backlog gains

    The AI frenzy is mostly confined to big contractors’ pipelines, with smaller firms seeing fewer benefits from the boom.

  • The AbbVie logo is prominently displayed on the facade of a sleek, contemporary building surrounded by a clear blue sky.
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    Alamy
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    AbbVie pledges $100B to US production in drug pricing deal with Trump

    As with the many other “most-favored-nation” deals between the White House and large pharmas, the agreement is short on details as well as its potential financial impact.

  • A highway exit sign is seen at the Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kansas
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    Jamie Squire/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Kansas DOT awards $288M contract, its largest ever

    The record project went to Dondlinger Wildcat EKC1, a joint venture between Wichita-based general contractors Dondlinger & Sons Construction and Wildcat Construction.

  • Construction on the Signal Butte Water Treatment Plant in Mesa, Arizona
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    Courtesy of McCarthy Building Cos.
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    McCarthy hits milestone on $168M Arizona water treatment plant expansion

    Working with Black & Veatch, the contractor used virtual design and construction modeling to plan shoring, soil nails, slopes and crane locations.

  • Serán Bioscience, in collaboration with Mortenson, hosted a topping-out ceremony on new manufacturing facility in Bend, Oregon.
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    Courtesy of Mortenson
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    Mortenson tops out Oregon pharmaceutical manufacturing facility

    A $200 million transaction between owner Serán Bioscience and Bain Capital Life Sciences in 2024 helped support the buildout of the commercial-scale plant. 

  • A professional podcast mic hangs in the foreground in an orange room with an "on air" sign in the background.
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    Getty Images
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    Top construction-related podcasts

    The AEC industry boasts a vast offering of informative, on-demand programs. Here are some to add to your playlist.

    Updated June 3, 2025
  • A city's downtown seen from across a river
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    Getty Images
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    Louisville, Kentucky, joins growing number of cities bringing AI to permitting

    The city also appointed its first-ever chief AI officer to lead its effort to “harness the power” of artificial intelligence.

  • Construction workers at a construction site on a street in Manhattan
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    Spencer Platt/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Construction planning jumped 7% to close 2025 strong

    On top of the monthly gain in December, the Dodge Momentum Index finished the year 37% higher compared to 2024.

  • An aerial photo shows a natural gas power plant on the shores of a lake.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    America’s infrastructure is only as strong as its AI governance

    Given the proliferation of tools for both workers and cyber criminals, providing internal safeguards is a critical step for AEC firms, a consultant writes. 

  • CLOs, ACC, lawyers, 2025 in-house trends
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    Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Why construction M&A activity is likely to continue in 2026

    Tariffs and new tax laws have given foreign-based engineering firms incentive to establish a beachhead within the U.S. to lower costs, according to an attorney. 

  • A rendering depicts a women's soccer stadium.
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    Courtesy of Populous
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    Mortenson scores $225M Denver women’s soccer stadium

    The Minneapolis-based contractor will kick off construction this spring for Denver Summit FC’s new home pitch in the Sante Fe Yards redevelopment district.

  • A wood-frame apartment building under construction.
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    Getty Images
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    Multifamily starts tumble 26%

    Overall housing starts fell to the lowest level since 2020 in October.

  • Rendering of the Potomac Overlook development, consisting of five towers and park space.
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    Permission granted by DCS Design
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    Plans unveiled for 1,775-unit megadevelopment in DC area

    Quadrangle is developing the transit-oriented Potomac Overlook apartment and hotel project, slated for the 5.5-acre Key Bridge site in Rosslyn, Virginia.