Category: Construction News
-
Bluebeam Acquires Firmus AI to Expand Preconstruction Risk Analysis Tools
Bluebeam has acquired Firmus AI, a company specializing in artificial intelligence for preconstruction design review and risk analysis. The acquisition will bring Firmus’ technology into Bluebeam’s review and markup workflows, allowing project teams to identify design-related risks, coordination issues and scope gaps earlier in the process. Firmus analyzes construction documents and drawings to find missing…
-
SAKAI America Builds 1,000th SV544 Soil Compactor in Georgia
SAKAI America has produced its 1,000th SV544 soil compactor at its Adairsville, Georgia, plant. The milestone unit, an SV544TBCF with a padfoot drum, blade, cab and removable smooth shell, is headed to Power Motive, a dealer in the western United States. The SV544, introduced in 2017 to replace the SV540 series, is an 84-inch compactor…
-
An Expanding Concrete Economy | For Construction Pros
If there was a word for 2025’s concrete contractor industry, “uncertainty” would fit. As more and more data centers are needed, we found a boom in tilt-up and warehouse construction as well as infrastructure work — while other areas experienced some shrinkage. We connected with a group of insiders from throughout the concrete industry for…
-
Trimble Names New CAO and CIO as Leadership Transitions Begin
Trimble announced that chief accounting officer Julie Shepard will retire in early 2026 after more than 18 years with the company. Shepard will remain in her role through the audit of the 2025 financial statements and work closely with her successor to ensure a smooth transition. The company named Kenny Bement as its next CAO,…
-
Wirtgen Group Highlights New Machines, Digital Tools at Brazil Trade Show
Wirtgen Group is introducing several new machines and technologies at an upcoming trade show in Brazil, including the South American debut of the Vögele MINI 500 tracked paver. The compact paver is designed for small-scale tasks such as trench capping. Also on display is Ciber’s iNOVA 1200 mobile asphalt mixing plant, now equipped with new…
-
Pre-Apprenticeship Programs Fuel Workforce Diversity in Illinois Construction
Women and people of color are now the two fastest-growing groups in Illinois’ construction workforce, a shift researchers link to investments in pre-apprenticeship programs. The findings come from a study by the nonpartisan Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Pre-apprenticeships, also called…
-
National Street Sweeper Test Highlights Microplastic Removal and Water Quality Impact
For the first time in over 25 years, a comprehensive, grant-funded national test of street sweeper performance took place the second week of July, marking a pivotal moment for the power sweeping industry. Designed and conducted by WSA’s Director, Ranger Kidwell-Ross, along with noted testing authority, Roger Sutherland, the testing process was administered by the…
-
Unions Promise More, Deliver Less for Workers: NAW Study
Workers in the least unionized jobs under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) experienced the strongest wage growth over the last decade, according a new study released by National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) and conducted by Elevated Insights Group. “These findings underscore that over the past decade workers have not realized gains from aggressive union…
-
RodRadar and Lynch Partner to Bring Utility Strike Prevention Technology to UK Construction
RodRadar is entering the UK market through a partnership with Lynch Plant Hire, bringing its Live Dig Radar (LDR) technology to construction sites nationwide. The system, embedded in excavation equipment, uses real-time ground-penetrating radar to detect and alert operators to underground utilities during digging. The move aims to address a costly challenge for the UK…
-
Skanska Report Highlights 2025 Construction Market Trends Amid Tariffs and Rising Material Costs
Skanska has released its Summer 2025 Construction Market Trends Report, offering analysis on the impacts of tariffs, supply chain conditions and material pricing on the U.S. construction industry. According to the report, total construction starts rose 16% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.33 trillion, largely driven by manufacturing and data center…