Ideas

2026 Oracle Construction Predictions: Cloud as the Foundation, AI the Brain, Data the Lifeblood

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:37:52 -0500

Site automation, agentic artificial intelligence and cloud connectivity will continue to change the role of the contractor from one of builder to conductor of all construction processes in 2026, says Oracle Construction's Ryan Kunisch.

Filling the Gaps: Robots Close the Loop for Digital Twins

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 22:51:05 -0500

The question of whether field construction should digitize further should, rather, be whether the construction industry can afford for it not to.

Capital Thinking: The ‘Picks and Shovels’ in Today’s Data Center Gold Rush

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 09:57:00 -0500

An immense investment opportunity lies with design firms, contractors and others responsible for creating and powering data centers, but AI’s current hyper-growth market of hyperscaling could fall short of current rosy predictions.

AI in Construction Momentum Will Only Continue to Grow

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:33:22 -0500

Some say artificial intelligence is just another tech bubble when it comes to architecture, engineering, and construction. Industry technologist Burcin Kaplanoglu says it is already changing workflows for the better.

Two Contractor Selections: One Ruined, One Misunderstood

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 16:07:17 -0500

A commentary on recent procurement uproars in Massachusetts and Corpus Christi.

Contractors Can Shift Focus From Projects to Portfolio Via Better Data Discipline

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:21:45 -0500

Amir Berman says contractors can embrace their data-centric future and standardize project metrics to fully take advantage of artificial intelligence-based workflows.

Zero Disputes and Stronger Relationships: A New Vision for Construction, Says CEO

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:40:57 -0400

Document Crunch CEO Josh Levy says a culture of accountability and an ideal of zero disputes can push construction forward, even if disputes don't totally dissipate.

What Does Construction's AI-Powered Future Look Like?

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 16:24:48 -0400

Artificial intelligence can transform the business of construction, enabling processes such as bidding and scheduling to be modernized in ways manufacturing and other industries have already embraced.

Construction’s Productivity Paradox and the Urgent Need for Innovation in the Sector

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 09:11:39 -0400

The author says construction must take advantage of technological advances such as AI and digital twins to innovate and improve construction efficiency.

Home Depot and Lowe's Take Page out of the Software Vendor Book for Pro Strategy

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:29:30 -0400

The CEO of BigRentz says big box construction retail sees its future the same way software vendors once did with the SaaS model.

In Engineering, an AI Regulation Scalpel Is Better Than a Broad-Ban Sword

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:40:13 -0400

Stantec VP Jeff Albee says states and federal regulators should step into the void and begin developing the framework for responsible artificial intelligence regulation that doesn't stifle creativity.

AEC Firms Invest in Technology for a Competitive Edge, So Can Yours

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 09:49:01 -0400

In today's competitive marketplace, AEC firms that develop their own technology enjoy a competitive edge, but becoming a technology developer and owner isn't easy.

Office AI May be Evolving Faster, But Physical, Sensor-Based AI Is a Construction Game Changer

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:02:41 -0400

As AI has an unprecedented ability to analyze and discover hidden patterns in vast volumes of sensor data, the potential for "physical AI" could make construction processes far more predictable and efficient.

Bid Protests Offer a Way Around PLAs, But Will a Slow, Steady Precedent Win the Day?

yodersj@enr.com (Jeff Yoders) — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 17:33:00 -0400

While bid protests offer a legal strategy to challenge the Biden-era project-labor agreement mandate, a First Amendment-based case could overturn it, author contends.

Digital Crossroad: Why Infrastructure Leaders Must Choose a New Path Right Now

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:22:34 -0400

Marginal gains will not cut it in today's competitive environment, says tech visionary Khaled Naja, CEO of Core Group Partners

Heads Carolina, Tails California—Rebuilding Needs to be Based on Data, Not Just Local Concerns

Thu, 22 May 2025 15:57:26 -0400

A commentary on how data will aid disaster-struck communities.

The Age of AI: How Construction Is Leveraging New Tech to Create a Safer Workplace

Thu, 08 May 2025 21:57:04 -0400

Everything from AI to wearables and the ubiquity of drone flights is changing construction to make it easier for everyone to go home at night.

From the ENR Archives: August 15, 1935

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0400

This 1935 cover image shows a tower under construction for New York City’s Triborough Bridge (now known as the RFK Bridge), a suspension bridge with a main span of 1,380 ft, connecting Queens County with Wards Island.

Predictive Analytics Promise the End of 'Gut Feelings' in Construction

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 20:13:24 -0400

In construction, predictive analytics and the artificial intelligence that underpins it can support humans decisions, not replace them.

Strengthen Subcontractor Relationships Through AI-Powered Insurance Management

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 21:16:51 -0400

Artificial Intelligence can help contractors develop better subcontractor relationships and streamline certificate of insurance processes.

Too Soon for AI in AEC? Should Small Firms Make the Leap or Wait and See?

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:27:34 -0500

Should smaller firms dive headfirst into artificial intelligence? Or wait to see what works as bigger firms take the plunge?

On the Ground as Altadena, Calif., Begins Its Wildfire Recovery

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:00:00 -0500

Editor-in-Chief Scott Blair headed to the Los Angeles area when the wildfire that destroyed much of Altadena, Calif., was about 60% contained and damage assessment and recovery had begun.

Accelerating Digital Transformation in AEC, Operations in 2025

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 12:29:58 -0500

Autodesk Executive Vice President Amy Bunszel believes more artificial intelligence in AEC and operations, technology enabling sustainability goals to be met and extended reality will continue to shape building and infrastructure design, construction and operations.

ENR Travel Memories: Reporting From Disaster Zones, Various Locations, 2000s

sawyert@enr.com (Tom Sawyer) — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 17:05:28 -0500

ENR editor Tom Sawyer traveled extensively for ENR to project sites, disaster areas and war zones far afield and close to home.

ENR Travel Memories: China, Russia, Germany and the Gulf States, 2000s

choa@enr.com (Aileen Cho) — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 15:34:45 -0500

ENR Transportation Editor Aileen Cho has many travel memories from her decades writing about construction, but there are a few instances that stand out from her many trips to distant locales.

ENR Travel Memories: Chernobyl Nuclear Plant, Ukraine 2008

reina@btinternet.com (Peter Reina) — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:58:27 -0500

ENR correspondent Peter Reina took a journey into the Chernobyl exclusion zone in eastern Ukraine to see the construction of a new enclosure over the reactor at the destroyed nuclear power station.

ENR Travel Memories: A Trip to the Oil Fires, Kuwait 1991

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:50:29 -0500

Judy Schreiner details her trip through Saudi Arabia into war-torn Kuwait in the aftermath of the Gulf War to document the rebuilding work as well as efforts to bring the nation's heavily damaged oil fields back online.

2025 Predictions: Embrace AI to Help Create a Safer, More Efficient Construction Industry, says IT Giant

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:04:17 -0500

How Oracle's "oracle," Construction General Manager Mark Webster, predicts artificial intelligence and big data will accelerate growth in construction in 2025.

Jacobs' Role in a Huge Coal Ash Cleanup and the Workers' Quest for Justice

kormanr@enr.com (Richard Korman) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 12:00:00 -0500

A review of a new book and its allegations related to the firm's safety activity on the project.

The History Books Never Really Close on Construction

kormanr@enr.com (Richard Korman) — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:30:00 -0500

One thing that jumps out at me from reading ENR’s yearlong series celebrating our 150th anniversary is the perspective it affords us about construction and journalism.