Commercial
Construction backlog in July plunges to lowest level since January
According to a report released by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) in July, construction backlog fell sharply month-over-month to its lowest level since January. Contractors' average backlog was 8 months, down 0.8 months from both June and the same period last year. ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu noted that the data center boom masks weakness in other sectors, with small and mid-sized contractors facing particularly severe challenges.
AECOM reports loss, but data center business pipeline is strong
During AECOM's third quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call, the company stated that despite a quarterly net loss due to a $337 million charge from a construction management project, its data center, water, and defense business pipelines continue to expand, and management remains optimistic about infrastructure investment prospects.
Washington Commanders select joint venture to build approximately $3.8 billion NFL stadium
The Washington Commanders have selected a joint venture comprising Clark Construction, Mortenson, and Smoot Construction of Washington, D.C., to build a new NFL stadium in the capital. The venue will have a building area of 1.8 million square feet and accommodate approximately 65,000 people, with construction expected to begin in spring 2027 and be completed by spring 2030. The total project cost is reported at $3.8 billion, and the contract amount for the joint venture has not been disclosed.
Bally's Slows $1.7 Billion Casino Construction After Chicago Expands Gambling Rules
Bally's Chicago is slowing parts of its $1.7 billion development, involving a hotel, event center, and restaurants, after the city expanded gambling rules, affecting 1,500 workers, but the casino's opening timeline remains unchanged.
Fluor Prioritizes Power Business, Data Center Construction Takes a Backseat
In its Q2 earnings call on August 7, Fluor reported solid core business performance with new orders of $6.1 billion, up $1.8 billion year-over-year. CEO Jim Breuer stated that the power business is the company's best entry point into the data center construction boom, while data center construction itself is listed as a lower priority.
Caterpillar quarterly revenue exceeds $20 billion, data center generator demand as engine
Caterpillar reported second-quarter earnings with record sales and revenue of $20.5 billion, up 24% year-over-year, driven by demand for data center generators and construction equipment. The company raised its full-year growth outlook to mid-to-high double digits and resumed production of 10-megawatt gas engines.
This Week's Construction News: Gilbane Launches $322M Hospital Expansion, McCarthy Promotes New COO
Construction Dive's Friday Punch List series summarizes major construction news contractors may have missed this week. Highlights include: Gilbane, as construction manager, begins a $322 million expansion of Cleveland Clinic's Avon Hospital; McCarthy promotes Dhruv Patel, president of its renewable energy business, to President and COO; Tutor Perini's Perini Management Services wins a $69.5 million contract to restore the water treatment system at Death Valley National Park; ASHRAE awards 47 scholarships totaling $225,200 for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Texas Data Center Grid Connection Suspension May Affect 20% of U.S. Projects Under Construction: BNEF
BloombergNEF (BNEF) released an analysis on Wednesday stating that Texas's suspension of data center grid connection reviews could affect approximately 20% of U.S. data center projects, involving nearly 49.8 gigawatts of capacity. If 60% of these are AI-related projects, revenue losses could reach $8 billion by the first quarter of 2027.
Jacobs Data Center Pipeline Triples, Backlog Reaches $28.9 Billion
Jacobs disclosed on its fiscal 2026 third-quarter earnings call that the data center backlog roughly doubled, the opportunity pipeline tripled, and market visibility extends two to three years. The company's overall backlog reached a record $28.9 billion, but net income fell 24% year over year.
Almost no building in New York City is free of violations: engineers say it is 'impossible' to find fully compliant buildings under comprehensive inspections
New York City has recently strengthened inspections of office building renovation projects following structural accidents, leading to work stoppages at multiple sites. Experts say that while this strict review is expected, its scale is unprecedented. Engineers note that under such meticulous inspections, it is almost impossible to find buildings without violations.