International building materials firm Cemex has rolled out its new digital i-Con system, which the company said will help contractors achieve "smarter, more efficient concrete construction, during the critical curing process." Using i-Con, Cemex said, and its wireless smart sensors placed within formwork, contractors will be able to tap into real-time data to inform their decision-making processes regarding when to remove forms, apply loads and pour concrete. This Bluetooth-enabled technology, according to the company, will give contractors the ability to make better, faster decisions and enjo ..read more

Construction tech company Dusty Robotics on Tuesday introduced its new FieldPrint Platform and FieldPrinter 2, which, Dusty said, better supports and streamlines project workflow from the building information modeling (BIM) design phase through field installation and the rest of the project lifecycle. The new platform builds on Dusty's original FieldPrinter offering, which prints full-size digital plans directly onto jobsite floors, replacing the need for chalk-line layout and incorporating multiple CAD layers so that all trades are able to work from the same blueprint with fewer costly errors ..read more

The United States Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) said it has awarded $34 million in grants to 10 projects that will advance digital construction technology throughout the U.S. The grants are being made through the $85 million Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems (ADCMS) program, which focuses on digital industry technologies – such as computer modeling and 3D design – that will fast-track project delivery and lessen the number of project delays and reduce cost overruns. The five-year program is included in 2021's $1.2 trillion Bipartisa ..read more

Multinational firm BlackRock Inc. is investing $550 million on behalf of its clients into Stratos, the world's largest direct air capture (DAC) facility, according to 1PointFive, BlackRock's partner in the deal and a subsidiary of energy company Occidental. Through a fund managed by its Diversified Infrastructure business, BlackRock and 1PointFive will own the Stratos project, which is estimated to cost more than $1 billion. The Ector County, Texas, DAC facility also represents the first large-scale application of Canadian clean energy company Carbon Engineering's capture technology, according ..read more

  Offsite modular construction firm MODLOGIQ on Monday said that it has started installation of the more than 200 modules that will make up Memorial Health System's Athens Medical Campus in Athens, Ohio. This will be, the company said, the largest North American permanent healthcare facility built using offsite modular construction. Mark Molen Design and Trinity: NAC designed the project, which was developed by Medical Innovations Development (MIND). MODLOGIQ, based in New Holland, Pennsylvania, announced the start of fabrication for the four-story, approximately 100,000-square-foot struc ..read more

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced Tuesday that it will give approximately $150 million to 11 companies with new technologies that could advance long-term lunar and space exploration, including those that are working on infrastructure, construction and power-related projects. This sixth round of Tipping Point grants include almost $35 million to Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin located in Kent, Washington. The NASA funding will help the company advance its Blue Alchemist project, which will attempt to produce solar cells from the dust and crushed rock, or regolith ..read more

Steve Jones, Dodge Data and Analytics This is a guest article from Dodge Data and Analytics' Steve Jones senior director, industry insights research. Construction lacks workers — making workplace safety for those currently in the industry more important than ever. A recent study from Dodge Construction Network found that 72% of civil contractors struggle to hire skilled workers. This shortage means that existing workers are experiencing overwork, or at the very least, stretched thin, leading to a greater risk of onsite safety hazards. These hazards are not just dangerous, but costly. How can c ..read more

The process of layout – installing a physical "map" that guides construction crews' placement of work — is a critical step in ensuring that a construction project is executed according to the architects' and engineers' designs. If crews miss on their control points or other measurements, somewhere along the line, project elements might not fit together like they should. Significant errors in this early phase could lead to extra costs as crews are forced to perform rework or move ahead and try to accommodate the miscalculations. Add to that a dwindling pool of workers with expert skills in layo ..read more

ALICE Technologies on Tuesday said that it has raised $13 million of additional funding as part of a Series B round that launched in June 2022, bringing that round's total to $47 million. The new money includes equity financing from Swire Properties (Hong Kong) and a term loan from Bridge Bank (San Jose, California), a division of Western Alliance Bank. ALICE's AI-powered "optioneering" platform, the company said, helps contractors and owners plan, bid and build large-scale industrial, commercial and infrastructure projects more efficiently and with less risk via a system that gives users the ..read more

Construction equipment and technology firm EquipmentShare said Wednesday that it has completed a $290 million funding round led by BDT Capital Partners. The round also saw participation from Brown Advisors, RedBird Capital Partners, Sound Ventures and Tru Arrow Partners. "Our growth continues to be fueled by new customers who are ready for a technology-driven construction solution," said Jabbok Schlacks, CEO and co-founder of EquipmentShare. "This latest round of funding brings in growth capital from both new and existing investors," Schlacks said. "We were pleased to have completed this raise ..read more