Sustainability & Resilience

  • geothermal hvac system, Trane Technologies, North Shore school district
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    Courtesy of Trane Technologies
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    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.

    By Brian Martucci • July 9, 2025
  • A pure white building looms in the foreground around green foliage and a bright blue sky.
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    FrozenShutter via Getty Images
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    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.

    By • July 8, 2025
  • Aerial view of construction work on the Bull Run Filtration Project in Oregon.
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    Courtesy of Portland Water Bureau
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    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.

    By • July 1, 2025
  • A rendering of a tall, wood-covered building looms in the foreground.
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    Courtesy of C.D. Smith / Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture
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    Project Milestones

    World’s tallest mass timber building breaks ground in Wisconsin

    Neutral Edison, a 31-story mixed-use tower in Milwaukee, will break the record set by another apartment complex in the state once complete.

    By • Updated June 26, 2025
  • Aerial view of the Jack H. Wilson Water Treatment Plant in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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    Permission granted by Central Arkansas Water
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    Project Milestones

    $230M overhaul starts on Arkansas’ biggest water plant

    Max Foote Construction is renovating the Jack H. Wilson Water Treatment Plant in Little Rock, Arkansas.

    By • June 23, 2025
  • People walk across a makeshift bridge with damaged infrastructure around them.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Targeted investment, tech can sustain critical infrastructure

    To help communities bounce back after disaster, jurisdictions must identify gaps in lifeline systems and cost-effective ways to mend them, panelists at the Building Innovation 2025 conference said.

    By • June 17, 2025
  • Steam rises from a geothermal power plant.
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    Meta signs geothermal power deal for New Mexico data centers

    The tech and social media giant entered an agreement with XGS Energy to help develop 150 MW of power generation.

    By Lamar Johnson • June 17, 2025
  • Aerial view of flooded homes following Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    New ASCE codes aim to provide vital flood protection

    The updated standards mark a major shift in approach for design and construction in flood hazard areas, according to a floodplain manager.

    By Tom Little • June 13, 2025
  • An aerial shot of an under-construction, wooden building amid a nest of other, fully constructed buildings.
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    Permission granted by FLOR Projects
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    Q&A

    Mass timber provides options amid steel tariffs: Timberlab CEO

    Chris Evans, president of the Swinerton-owned supplier and contractor, is eyeing opportunities in this uncertain economy.

    By • June 11, 2025
  • Aerial view of the Gross Reservoir Dam in Denver, Colorado.
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    Courtesy of Denver Water
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    How climate modeling, AI can power innovative building

    Contractors must understand the legal landscape in order to manage risk when implementing new materials, data or processes, panelists at the Building Innovation 2025 conference said.

    By • June 10, 2025
  • The north facade of the White House is seen partially illuminated at night
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    Samuel Corum via Getty Images
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    White House unveils plan for tech-focused permit reforms

    The initiative follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the scope of environmental reviews required on major infrastructure projects.

    By • June 4, 2025
  • Natural gas fired turbine power plant with it's cooling towers rising into a cloud filled blue sky.
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    Ron and Patty Thomas via Getty Images
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    DOE cancels $3.7B in carbon capture, decarbonization awards

    Calpine, PPL Corp., Ørsted and Exxon Mobil are among the companies affected by the decision.

    By Ethan Howland • June 3, 2025
  • A person wanders in the distance near a fence on a dry day under the blue sky.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Texas plans $20B to mitigate looming water crisis

    The cash comes as droughts intensify throughout the Lone Star State and the broader region.

    By • May 30, 2025
  • An overhead shot of a massive wooden building that stands on dirt in the middle of a bright day with clear skies.
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    Courtesy of Mercer Mass Timber
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    Project Milestones

    Theodore Roosevelt’s $400M mass timber library rises in North Dakota

    Mercer Mass Timber, working with general contractor JE Dunn, is supplying around 1,800 cubic meters of engineered material for the 93,000-square-foot structure.

    By • May 21, 2025
  • A wind turbine against a background of a blue sky and clouds.
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    Jezperklauzen via Getty Images
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    Stop work order on Empire Wind 1 lifted, Equinor resumes construction

    Statements from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum imply that the restart approval was related to conversations about the state’s natural gas pipeline capacity.

    By Diana DiGangi • May 21, 2025
  • An empty Wall Street subway station
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    art2002 via Getty Images
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    M&A activity cools amid instability: WSP

    CEO Alexandre L’Heureux nonetheless sees a strong year ahead for North America, he said in a Q1 earnings call.

    By • May 9, 2025
  • An aerial view of the 200-MW Big Elm solar project in Bell County, Texas
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    Courtesy of MIT Office of Sustainability
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    Policy uncertainty could trigger ‘recession’ for renewables, analyst says

    A lack of clarity surrounding tariffs and tax credits has triggered steep declines in funding for renewable energy in the first quarter of 2025, per Mercom Capital Group.

    By Emma Penrod • May 2, 2025
  • Long rows of solar panels under a bright blue sky.
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    Permission granted by Mortenson
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    Q&A // ConTech Conversations

    Innovate for craftworkers, and tech will follow: Mortenson exec

    Trent Mostaert, vice president of industrialization for the Minneapolis-based firm, says that a person-centered approach is key to implementing technology.

    By • April 30, 2025
  • A rendering of a rectangular, brown building on a nice, sunny day.
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    Permission granted by Gilbane Building Co.
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    Project Milestones

    Gilbane breaks ground on $84M Massachusetts college modernization

    Salem State University’s BOLD project will add a geothermal wellfield to support heating and cooling of the forthcoming facilities.

    By • April 28, 2025
  • A visual rendering of Kore Power's battery cell facility in Buckeye, Arizona.
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    Courtesy of Kore Power, Inc.
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    Clean energy manufacturers cancel projects as Trump-era policies take hold

    Companies scrapped, closed or downsized nearly $8 billion in projects in Q1.

    By Kate Magill • April 25, 2025
  • The heads of people sitting are silhouetted in the foreground. In the background, a mockup of a new, advanced building titled the "Phillip A. Levy Engineering Center" stands.
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    Courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Madison/Bryan Richter
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    Project Milestones

    UW-Madison breaks ground on $420M engineering center

    The structure, which was at the center of a prolonged funding fight, will feature mass timber and sustainability components.

    By • April 22, 2025
  • Aerial view of a channel with a red ship in it leading out to a bigger body of water.
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    Courtesy of Flatiron
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    Project Wins

    Kiewit anchors $404M floodwall project

    Part of a larger $7 billion initiative, the improvements at Port Arthur, Texas, will protect the area’s petroleum processing hub. 

    By • April 22, 2025
  • Utility poles are bent, broken and splintered
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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Project Wins

    Jacobs lands $137M contract to manage US Virgin Islands rebuild

    The Dallas-based builder will guide the reconstruction of critical infrastructure across St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, including hospitals, schools, roads and power projects.

    By • April 18, 2025
  • A large robot with a mechanical arm hefts a heavy solar panel while people in safety equipment watch.
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    Permission granted by Rosendin
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    Rosendin to demo robotic solar panel installers on Texas jobsite

    The electrical contractor claims the tech will triple installation speeds, enhance worker safety and help address the industry’s persistent labor shortage.

    By • April 14, 2025
  • A tall framework of a building stands under a blue sky. Timber surrounds the exterior of the structure.
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    Courtesy of Mercer Mass Timber/Watson Media House
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    Walmart adds mass timber to new corporate HQ campus

    Mercer Mass Timber helped erect four CLT and glulam buildings, alongside additional offices with full frames made of the material.

    By • April 7, 2025