Key findings from the report include:

• Break-ins surged: TrueLook monitored more than 2,600 confirmed construction site break-ins in 2025, up roughly 50% from 2024.
• Early 2026 trend: More than 800 break-ins had already been recorded early in 2026, suggesting theft activity continues to climb.
• Growing vulnerabilities: Copper wire, lumber, tools and heavy equipment remain prime targets as higher material prices increase resale value.
• Smarter security demand: Contractors are increasingly investing in AI-powered surveillance, remote monitoring and access-control systems to deter theft and reduce downtime.
• Schedule impacts: Beyond material losses, theft and vandalism continue to create costly project delays and workflow disruptions for contractors and owners.
• The report noted that many jobsites remain most vulnerable during overnight hours and periods of low activity, pushing more contractors to adopt proactive monitoring and layered security strategies.

SOURCE: “State of Construction Site Security” TrueLook // truelook.com/guide/state-of-construction-site-security-report

The post Jobsite Security Risks Rise first appeared on Construction Executive.

Construction Technology That Actually Works

Construction technology should target sources of profit loss, such as downtime, rework, budget overruns and safety incidents. Here are proven investments with measurable ROI.

Building Information Modeling

The concept of 3D modeling has been valuable in producing geometric representations of blueprints. Building information modeling takes it a step further by creating and managing extensive project data, including costs, materials and schedules.

Companies can expect better stakeholder collaboration and reduced rework when they connect on these crucial elements and stay aligned. BIM is already expected to increase from $10.27 billion in 2026 to $27.12 billion by 2034 with a CAGR of 12.90%.

Reality Capture and Machine Learning

Reality capture through drones and sensors is versatile, as these tools can be used for site surveys, progress monitoring and safety inspections. Combined with machine learning, progress reports become accurate enough to improve worksite safety for workers.

The collected data can also be used to improve equipment quality and lifespan. Use it as a basis for predictive and preventive maintenance, helping companies experience 52.7% less unplanned downtime than those using reactive maintenance.

Centralized Project Management Software

Centralized project management software can streamline communication, documentation and scheduling all in one platform. A report found that 77% of optimized users saw increased profit margins.

The software also offers productivity gains. By unifying project tasks and enhancing real-time visibility into project progress, construction businesses can reduce their administrative errors and minimize field delays.

Overvalued Tech With Uncertain ROI

As important as technology is, certain buzzwords have innovative potential but are risky or have low ROI. Firms should practice more careful consideration to avoid poor technological investments and implementations.

Metaverse

The metaverse has become more possible through a combination of virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. It has the potential to improve virtual visualization and 3D modeling, thereby impacting energy efficiency and reducing construction waste.

However, despite its power, technological limitations and data privacy concerns still hinder its widespread adoption in the construction industry. Investing in it now without proper development might involve little to no return.

Blockchain for Supply-Chain Management

Tracking materials and other resources from a factory to a jobsite can involve numerous documents. Integrating blockchain solutions can boost operational efficiency by 25% while reducing fraud by 50%, which improves transparency between workers and stakeholders.

However, it’s hard to ignore the high implementation costs associated with blockchain. It can also be complex to understand, which isn’t ideal for construction start-ups that may prefer simpler options, such as centralized project management software.

Generative Design

Another application of AI is generative design, which entails creating plans with minimal human input. It’s intended to simplify the planning process, but there are concerns about the unethical use of this technology, given GenAI’s challenges with domain knowledge and model accuracy.

Generative design is prone to hallucination and mistakes. Removing the input of experienced architects and engineers early on in the process can also lead to further delays and expenses in the long run.

How to Choose the Right Technology for the Firm

Differentiating between technological investments that deliver measurable results and those that are simply buzzwords can be challenging. It’s important to take the time to analyze these prospects. Here are tips to help construction industry professionals choose the right ones.

1. Identify Problems Instead of Products

Instead of chasing technological solutions based on what’s popular, focus on what problems the construction business is actually facing. For instance, to improve equipment lifespan, predictive maintenance analytics would be most effective.

Start by defining a problem and then work from there. If there are no clear areas for improvement, take the initiative to identify what would positively impact the company’s profits.

2. Consider the Investment Risks

As high as the ROI may be for certain technologies, it’s still important to understand any risks associated with their implementation. Small- to medium-sized companies, especially, should be vigilant about where they invest their money.

For instance, BIM is ideal for improving planning. However, implementation costs can be relatively high, with some services charging monthly or annual fees, depending on the scale and complexity of the project.

3. Implement a Pilot Project First

Before widespread technology adoption, it’s safe to implement a pilot project first. This will involve a limited number of users to evaluate functionality and gauge the budget and resources required to use the tool effectively. It’s best to have an IT specialist who can help lead its integration.

A pilot project should have a specific timeline and a list of goals that would warrant its implementation. Profitability is a key performance indicator, but it’s also important to assess other elements, such as reduced delays and errors compared to traditional methods.

4. Get Employees Involved Through Training

Incorporating new technologies can become much smoother when employees are involved in the process. Managers should provide adequate training sessions to familiarize construction teams with using these tools, ensuring greater success and better results.

Training can also translate to a more positive evaluation of the pilot project and encourage buy-in from business leaders. Seek their feedback to explore any adjustments in the implementation process when it goes companywide.

Be Intentional With Technology Adoption

Technological adoption should enhance profitability and productivity in the construction industry. Evaluate industry solutions before integrating them into the project process to ensure that upcoming investments have a real impact.

SEE ALSO: EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS 2026: LEADERS IN CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY I

The post Which Construction Technology Investments Actually Move the Needle on Profitability? first appeared on Construction Executive.

But opportunity alone does not guarantee success. As competition intensifies, communication failures and poor information management are emerging as some of the most common (and costly) reasons firms lose margins, miss deadlines or fail to secure repeat work. In data center construction, where schedules are compressed and tolerance for error is minimal, even small breakdowns in communication can have outsized consequences.

Why Data Center Projects Raise the Bar for Communication

Data centers differ fundamentally from traditional commercial construction, particularly when it comes to communication demands. These projects are not simply buildings with specialized tenants. They are mission-critical infrastructure environments where mechanical, electrical and digital systems take precedence, and where mistakes can delay commissioning at enormous cost.

In many data center projects, there is effectively zero tolerance for error. A misrouted duct, an incorrect cable path or an outdated electrical drawing can compromise airflow, redundancy or system performance. Fixing those issues late in the process often requires rework that ripples across multiple trades, extending schedules and increasing risk.

Timelines further heighten the stakes. Data center owners often pursue aggressive schedules to bring capacity online as quickly as possible. Contracts frequently include liquidated damages, meaning every missed day directly erodes profitability. Under these conditions, delays are less likely to stem from physical construction than from slow reviews, unclear approvals or conflicting information.

Confidentiality requirements add another layer of complexity. Data centers are widely considered strategic infrastructure, and owners tightly control access to designs, layouts and system details. Informal communication methods, such as unstructured email chains or unsecured file sharing, can violate contractual obligations and undermine owner confidence.

Stakeholder complexity compounds the challenge. Data center projects typically involve owners, developers, general contractors, specialty subcontractors, equipment vendors, commissioning agents, insurers and authorities having jurisdiction. Each relies on accurate, timely information. When teams lack clarity about which documents are current or which decisions are final, confusion spreads quickly.

Fragmented Communication Creates Real Risk

Despite the high stakes, many construction teams still rely on fragmented communication practices. Drawings live in shared drives, decisions are buried in email threads and approvals are tracked manually. This fragmentation increases the likelihood of errors and makes accountability difficult to establish.

Version control is a frequent failure point. When different team members reference different iterations of drawings or models, coordination errors multiply. In a data center environment, those errors can halt progress entirely.

Documentation practices also reveal a firm’s maturity. Data center commissioning requires complete, accurate records, including as-built drawings, testing results, warranties and operations manuals. Teams that delay documentation until the end of the project often scramble to assemble information, delaying handover and straining relationships with owners.

Just as importantly, communication practices directly affect reputation. Owners in the data center market tend to favor partners with proven reliability. A clear, defensible record of decisions, changes and approvals builds trust and reduces disputes. Conversely, missed deadlines, unresolved RFIs or incomplete documentation quietly damage credibility and can result in firms being excluded from future bid opportunities.

Workforce Constraints Make Communication Even More Critical

Communication challenges are intensifying as labor shortages strain the construction industry. Data center projects require specialized skills, including commissioning engineers and power systems experts. These roles are difficult to fill, yet demand continues to rise.

With limited talent available, firms cannot scale simply by adding people. Instead, they must improve how work is managed. Clear workflows, centralized information and disciplined communication allow smaller teams to handle more complex projects without sacrificing quality.

Strong information management also reduces dependency on institutional knowledge held by a few individuals. When project history is captured systematically, teams remain resilient even as personnel change.

Practical Steps to Avoid Costly Communication Failures

Firms looking to compete effectively in the data center market must treat communication as a core operational function. Several practices consistently distinguish high-performing teams:

• Centralize information. Establish a single source of truth for drawings, correspondence, RFIs and submittals. Centralization reduces confusion and minimizes version conflicts, ensuring all stakeholders are working from approved information.
• Standardize workflows. Defined processes for reviews, approvals and changes prevent bottlenecks and clarify responsibility. Automated routing and status tracking can help teams identify issues before they impact schedules.
• Build security into collaboration. Role-based access controls and secure sharing protocols are essential for protecting sensitive information and meeting confidentiality expectations.
• Document progressively. Collect and organize documentation throughout the project rather than at the end. Progressive documentation supports smoother commissioning and faster, cleaner handovers.
• Integrate systems where possible. Disconnected tools increase the risk of misalignment. A full integration improves consistency and reduces duplicate data entry.

Some organizations use dedicated platforms, like Newforma, to support these practices, but the underlying principle applies regardless of technology. Discipline, transparency and accountability matter more than any individual tool.

Communication as a Competitive Advantage

The data center boom shows no signs of slowing. Energy demand is rising, digital infrastructure investment is accelerating and owners are becoming more selective about who they trust to deliver. In this environment, communication failures are not minor inconveniences, but strategic liabilities.

Construction firms that invest in clear communication, secure collaboration and disciplined information management position themselves to win repeat work and protect margins. Those that do not risk being left behind, not because demand disappeared, but because confidence did.

In data center construction, execution defines success. That kind of success requires communication that is simple, secure and reliable from start to finish.

SEE ALSO: DATA CENTER SURGE: PRE-DEVELOPED SPACE ALREADY 90% LEASED

The post Communication Gaps Can Cost Construction Firms in the Data Center Boom first appeared on Construction Executive.

One common thread links both problems: Documentation gaps turn minor issues into major disputes.

When issues pull teams away from higher-value work, visual site documentation, especially 360° imagery, is shifting from a nice-to-have to a strategic safeguard. Captured consistently and linked to location and time, 360° documentation strengthens risk mitigation, supports compliance, speeds dispute resolution and helps teams deliver higher-quality outcomes across the full building lifecycle.

The Documentation Gap: Why Traditional Methods Fail

Most site teams already take photos. The problem instead is that conventional documentation often fails under pressure because it is hard to retrieve when needed most.

The pattern repeats across projects:

• Fragmented storage across photos, emails, paper logs and shared drives
• Limited context in standard photos that show detail(s) but not the surrounding conditions
• Inconsistent formats across stakeholders, including subcontractors and third parties
• Slow retrieval during inspections and audits
• Weak defensibility when key phases were not documented clearly

Records can exist and still be unusable. When an owner or insurer asks for proof of an inspection step, or when subcontractor disputes come down to “Who did what when?” teams can lose days searching for information or relying on memory and partial notes. When documentation processes add a layer of risk, it is the way visual information is captured that needs to be reworked.

What 360° Visual Documentation Changes

A 360° capture builds a continuous record of the site. Instead of a single photo that shows details in isolation, 360° imagery creates a time-stamped record of what was built, where it was built and what else was happening at that point.  Beyond capturing the site, documentation must be standardized across teams ensuring formats stay consistent and site data is stored in one place. With full context and a defined structure, teams can build compliance reports quickly and retrieve supporting evidence without a time-consuming search.

Stronger Risk Mitigation and Fewer Disputes

Claims often hinge on proof, sequencing or installation quality. Gaps in proof create ambiguity, which leads to disputes in predictable scenarios:

• Subcontractor responsibility disputes (what was complete when the next trade started)
• Delay claims tied to access constraints or work-area readiness
• Defect allegations where workmanship is questioned after walls close
• Warranty discussions that depend on installation conditions at handover

Consistent 360° visual documentation reduces ambiguity by showing site conditions and progress status in a single view. The discipline matters as much as the technology. When contractors capture sites consistently, disputes shift from memory-based arguments to fact-based conversations about documented conditions.

Better Compliance and Inspection Readiness

Regulators want visual proof that safety steps were completed. Insurers want transparent records to evaluate risk management and, in some cases, to shape coverage terms. Paper-based logs and disconnected systems slow teams down during audits. Digital documentation helps by centralizing workflows, which reduces errors and ensures documentation is continuous. A structured digital record can be pulled into a report in seconds. 360° capture strengthens compliance records by showing full context: not just what was installed, but what surrounded it and what stage the work was in.

Higher Quality and Less Rework

Rework is expensive because it pulls labor off planned work and creates downstream schedule impacts. A consistent 360° record helps teams track progress at each stage and compare conditions over time before they are concealed behind walls or ceilings. Later, during troubleshooting, teams can review what was installed at a specific phase without opening walls. Side-by-side comparisons between two dates show exactly when something changed, which speeds issue resolution.

How 360° Capture Fits Into Standard Workflows

To protect margins and reduce exposure, successful teams treat 360° capture as part of routine site workflows, not a separate task. Field teams walk a floor or zone with a helmet-mounted camera on a predictable schedule, then upload the imagery to a central project record where it is pinned to plans and timestamped.

When capture is consistent, it becomes useful across quality assurance, safety, progress tracking, owner reporting and closeout. Features like PlanRadar’s SiteView, for example, pair 360° walks with AI algorithms to automatically map imagery to 2D floor plans, so teams can access site areas by location rather than scrolling through folders.

Structured Data: The Foundation for AI-Assisted Workflows

As teams capture more site data, structure becomes critical. When documentation is stored consistently, tagged the same way, pinned to plans, centralized in one system, AI can retrieve information in seconds instead of hours.

This enables AI-supported capabilities like:

• Search across captured project data to find relevant records faster
• Automated project overviews generated from current field documentation
• Faster retrieval of critical information during audits, inspections or claims
• Earlier visibility into risks and patterns, such as repeat issues by location or trade

The payoff depends on fundamentals. Structured documentation today creates the foundation for AI-assisted insights tomorrow.

Documentation as a Competitive Advantage

In short, 360° documentation is risk management. It helps contractors prove what happened on a project, which supports compliance, strengthens quality control and reduces uncertainty when stakeholders disagree. When project data is structured, centralized and time-stamped, AI can surface insights in seconds, turning documentation into actionable clarity.

As projects grow more complex and regulatory expectations rise, the contractors who thrive will not be the ones with the most photos. They will be the ones who can prove what happened, when it happened and what else was happening at the same time, in seconds, not days. That’s documentation as a competitive advantage. 

SEE ALSO: THE REALITY OF IMPLEMENTING VR/AR ON THE JOBSITE

The post Full Project Transparency: Why 360° Documentation Is Becoming Essential on Modern Construction Sites first appeared on Construction Executive.

“The research indicates the construction industry is nearing a tipping point for AI adoption,” says Steve Jones, senior director of industry insights at Dodge Construction Network, who sat down with Construction Executive to delve further into the survey questions and answers and what the industry’s current position on them means for AI’s future role in construction.

Other results worth noting include:

• 85% of contractors expect they will spend less time on repetitive, mundane tasks
• Over 70% believe they can make better decisions because AI offers insights they might not arrive at on their own
• 75% look ahead to AI helping them learn from past projects by mining historical data
• 40% are currently allocating a dedicated budget to AI
• 38% are creating implementation teams
• 19% report adapting legacy workflows for an AI environment
• 51% are actively evaluating several potential AI-related changes across their teams
• 81% recognize the benefit of automated constructability analysis to identify potential field issues during design
• 80% express interest in intelligent permit submission with automatic compliance checking
• 79% note strong potential for autonomous project optimization that adjusts schedules and resources in real time
• 76% identify opportunities in dynamic pricing optimization based on market conditions and risk factors
• 92% acknowledge the value of automated contract creation and management
• 79% value intelligent bid-no-bid decision support

The overall findings seem overwhelmingly optimistic. Was that surprising?

No, because there’s already so much in the general consumer environment about AI. It’s very different than when BIM came out—because that wasn’t widely talked about; you had to be in the industry to even have heard of it and it was easily dismissed as just another form of 3D. But now AI is so wide and there probably isn’t anybody who answered our survey who isn’t already also using ChatGPT or Claude or one of these LLMs. They know how it functions, what it does, and they’ve heard so much about it.

I expected the job loss question to score pretty highly in terms of concern—I was pleased to see that that was pretty low, around 20%. I think we may have gotten over that concern.

For the last two years I’ve been pushing to call it augmented intelligence instead of artificial intelligence. AI is here to help us all be better and faster. It isn’t here to replace anybody.

The survey shows 85% of contractors expect they will spend less time on repetitive, mundane tasks. It’s surprising that that’s not 100%. It that because contractors don’t expect AI to be able to automate everything?

There are certain repetitive tasks that don’t lend themselves to AI. It will be interesting to come back to a study like this two or three years from now asking similar questions and compare answers. The answer may be 99% at that point, but at the end of the day, AI’s not going to dig a ditch for you. But there is a robot that’s going to dig that ditch. And the robot will be powered by AI.

Would you say AI is creating opportunities for more jobs rather than replacing workers?

I don’t know that it’s creating the opportunity for more jobs, but what it’s going to be able to allow people to do is contend with the resource strain and drain from the workforce shortage that isn’t going away. The combination of AI automating mundane tasks and robotics being able to actually do labor will help people become much better decision makers.

Only 40% of those surveyed are allocating a budget for AI. Is it that people can’t yet afford these full tech stacks? Or is there just not enough buy-in to AI in general?

There still seems to be a general wait-and-see attitude. People like to know they’re not alone in whatever it is they’re doing. We can say, ‘Here is what a hundred other folks who look a lot like you are doing with this and what’s working and what isn’t working.’ So, they can have the confidence to move forward.

With AI, once people are in the game, they like to play the game and they don’t know why they didn’t start playing earlier. So, how fast do you see the number of players increasing by the end of the decade?

I think it’s longer than that. Because even as big as AI already is, construction is a people business at the end of the day. Human beings have to make the decision to get in the pool and how far down towards the deep end to swim. It’s such a fragmented and growing business right now, nobody has very much time to put energy into something that would seem extracurricular.

If you look at this industry 15 years from now, it will look dramatically different than it does today. But I don’t think the next four or five years are going to show that much. We will begin to see greater preparation, much more engagement and awareness. And I think we’ll see a similar pattern of those who have gotten into the game and are using AI saying that it’s great. The vendors need the feedback coming from the users. The more people who’re using AI, the more feedback they can give and then the better the vendors can make those tools function. The function of AI already far outpaces what construction’s ready for now.

SEE ALSO: MORE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES ARE BUILDING A TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED C-SUITE

The post New Survey Reveals Overwhelmingly Optimistic Results on the Use of AI in Construction first appeared on Construction Executive.

Construction as a Technology Leader

One of the defining moments of CES 2026 came during Caterpillar’s keynote address. CEO Joe Creed addressed a packed room with a question many may have been thinking: “Why is a construction equipment company delivering a keynote at CES?”

The answer became evident quickly. Modern construction equipment is no longer just mechanical—it is digital, autonomous, connected and powered by sophisticated technology stacks. Caterpillar announced five autonomous construction vehicles and demonstrated Level 4 autonomy capabilities. The shift underway is significant: Operators are transitioning from inside the cab to remote environments where fleets can be managed simultaneously. Perhaps the most notable unveiling was the CAT AI Assistant, scheduled to go live in Q1 2026. During a live demonstration, a simple voice command adjusted an electrical line warning height to 13 feet. The assistant integrates speech, text and image recognition—representing a move toward multimodal AI systems that assist real-time field operations. Construction is no longer simply adopting technology—it is helping define how technology is applied in the physical world.

A Connected Equipment Ecosystem

Across the LVCC West Hall, the evolution of heavy equipment was unmistakable.

Oshkosh and JLG showcased paired scissor lifts engineered specifically for lifting structural steel—an example of equipment designed around task optimization rather than generalized capability. John Deere continued expanding its autonomous ecosystem, reinforcing the trend toward intelligent fleet coordination.

Battery innovation companies, including Lyten, demonstrated advances in energy density and battery chemistry, highlighting that electrification is moving beyond experimentation and toward jobsitewide energy strategies.

Electrification discussions at CES 2026 extended beyond machines themselves. Charging infrastructure, energy management systems and power optimization software were part of the broader narrative. As cities push for lower emissions and reduced noise pollution, electric equipment is becoming a practical solution for urban and indoor projects.

It is no longer just about whether electric machines can perform—it is about how entire jobsites can be powered efficiently and sustainably.

Innovation from Startups: Solving Field-Level Problems

The Venetian’s Eureka Park, home to emerging startups, provided a view into construction’s next wave of innovation.

Autodesk demonstrated advancements in component modeling, reinforcing the growing integration between design intelligence and field execution. As digital models become more detailed and connected to real-world data, the gap between virtual planning and physical construction continues to shrink.

Cosito introduced AI-powered voice and sensor technology capable of automatically generating daily reports and field documentation. For an industry burdened by administrative paperwork, automation in this space could unlock significant productivity gains.

MIMO Detect presented underground pipe detection technology using ground-penetrating radar. While still in prototype phase and currently stronger in horizontal positioning than depth accuracy, the technology reflects ongoing efforts to reduce subsurface risk and prevent costly utility strikes. 

What stood out across the startup ecosystem was focus. Solutions were not speculative—they were targeted at real-world construction challenges: documentation, detection, visualization and efficiency.

Robotics and Spatial Computing

Robotics once again drew attention throughout the North Hall, with humanoid platforms, quadrupeds and service robots on display. However, the emphasis has shifted from novelty to application.

Exoskeleton technologies continue improving in wearability and ergonomic support, aiming to reduce strain injuries and extend workforce longevity. AI hardware companies such as DeepX demonstrated embedded processing systems powering autonomous vision and robotics applications. One particularly compelling development was spatial computing integrated through hard hat-mounted camera systems. By capturing and processing real-time visual data from a worker’s perspective, these systems aim to enhance hazard detection, progress tracking, and documentation. Robotics at CES 2026 felt less like spectacle and more like support—tools designed to augment skilled workers rather than replace them.

Workforce and AI Literacy

Technology alone does not build infrastructure—people do. Several CES sessions focused on preparing the workforce for rapidly evolving tools.

In the session “Next Gen Skills: Preparing Students for Tomorrow’s Tech,” leaders from Amazon, Oshkosh, CTA, and Tech Access emphasized AI literacy as a foundational skill. Amazon has committed $2.5 million to certify students in AI education and pledged to prepare four million students to use AI by 2028. Apprenticeship models are expanding to support data center construction and advanced infrastructure projects.

Key themes included:

• Prompt engineering as an emerging skill
• Understanding how to work alongside AI agents
• Collaboration between industry and education
• Ensuring technology remains accessible

Construction faces ongoing labor shortages and safety challenges. With less than 5% of the workforce employed in construction but accounting for nearly 20% of safety incidents, AI-powered safety systems and automation could play a transformative role.

New roles are already emerging: fleet autonomy managers, digital twin specialists, AI operations coordinators and construction data analysts. Preparing for jobs that do not yet fully exist is becoming part of the industry’s responsibility.

Connectivity: The Infrastructure Behind Innovation

Discussions involving FCC and NTIA leadership highlighted another critical factor: connectivity. Universal broadband access, spectrum policy, 6G development and WiFi 7 readiness are not abstract regulatory topics — they are foundational to connected construction ecosystems. Autonomous fleets, remote equipment management, real-time drone processing and AI-driven safety systems all depend on reliable, high-speed networks. As infrastructure becomes smarter, connectivity becomes as important as concrete and steel.

Lingering Thoughts Towards a Shift in Equipment Design

In conversations with industry leaders, an intriguing idea surfaced: As autonomy advances, equipment design itself may fundamentally change. If machines no longer require operators in cabs, what happens to traditional controls? Do we eliminate joysticks, operator compartments, and certain mechanical components altogether?

Autonomy does not just change how machines operate—it may redefine how they are built.

Looking Ahead

CES 2026 demonstrated that construction technology is no longer niche. It is integrated across AI, robotics, electrification, manufacturing and policy.

The industry is entering a phase where digital intelligence and physical infrastructure are inseparable. One key takeaway resonated: Technology should be deployed to solve problems, not simply to showcase innovation. That principle applies directly to construction. Adoption must be strategic, measurable and outcome-driven.

Autonomous fleets, AI assistants, spatial computing, electrified equipment and workforce AI literacy initiatives are not distant visions—they are active deployments.

Construction is not standing on the sidelines of innovation. It is helping build it.

SEE ALSO: HOW MOBILE TOOLS ARE CAPTURING SAFETY DATA ON JOBSITES

The post Building the Future: Construction at the Center of Technological Innovation at CES 2026 first appeared on Construction Executive.

The problem isn’t opportunity. It’s access. Construction companies can readily identify the processes that drain skilled labor without adding value: preparing bids, revising estimates, updating schedules, coordinating subcontractors and managing compliance documentation. Many of these tasks could be reduced from hours to minutes with the right AI-driven automation. Instead, they pile up on wish lists, stalled by overburdened IT or central AI teams that can’t keep pace with demand.

Since the rapid rise of generative AI, tensions have intensified. Technology leaders argue that business teams lack the expertise to build reliable, secure solutions. Project managers and sales teams counter that long development queues are strangling innovation and forcing them back to spreadsheets, email and manual rework. In some cases, field teams have taken matters into their own hands, adopting unapproved tools to meet deadlines and creating “shadow AI” that quietly introduces security and governance risks.

A Different Model

A growing number of firms are closing this gap with a decentralized AI model. Rather than routing every solution through a central development team, organizations are empowering frontline business users to design and build most automations themselves, using no-code platforms. With guardrails already built in, central IT and AI teams retain oversight, managing security, governance and integration while shifting their primary role to training, standards and scalability.

The timing matters. Construction is experiencing a surge in complex renovation work, particularly in class-A office space. As return-to-work mandates accelerate, owners are reconfiguring offices to improve comfort, collaboration and performance, projects that involve intricate design decisions, compressed timelines and intense competition. Speed to bid is increasingly becoming speed to win.

In a decentralized model, sales teams and estimators don’t wait months for a custom tool. They build solutions that help design and quote complex office renovations more efficiently. Generative AI can draft proposals that incorporate past project data, updated building standards and client-specific requirements, cutting proposal turnaround from days to hours. In a crowded market, that difference can decide a contract.

Beyond the Bid

Productivity challenges extend well past estimating. Modern office renovations increasingly incorporate performance standards tied to acoustics, air quality and sustainability. Open plenum designs, alternative wall assemblies and advanced ceiling treatments manage sound transmission and airflow while meeting sustainability goals. Evaluating these options traditionally requires multiple rounds of engineering analysis, revisions and cost checks.

Advanced AI tools can compress that cycle. Engineers and sales teams can simulate sound and air flow performance across design scenarios, quickly comparing trade-offs between budget, comfort and code compliance. Customers gain clearer visibility into how design choices affect outcomes. Project teams reclaim the hours spent on manual calculations and rework.

Under a decentralized AI framework, these tools don’t require a central development team to build from scratch. Business users assemble workflows using approved no-code platforms, drawing from validated data sets and engineering rules. Central IT ensures underlying models meet security and quality standards, while allowing rapid iteration as project needs evolve.

The Citizen Developer Model

The citizen developer model formalizes this approach in practice. Central IT and AI teams provide a standardized no-code platform, along with governance, training and support. Security controls, data access rules and best practices are embedded into the platform, reducing risk while accelerating deployment. Frontline teams then design solutions tailored to how work actually gets done.

In construction, that means tools for workforce allocation, supply chain coordination and change order management. Individually, each automation may save only a small amount of time. Collectively, they can move the needle on productivity across an entire project portfolio.

That cumulative effect is precisely what the industry needs. Saving 30 minutes per estimate or an hour on a weekly coordination report may seem marginal. Across dozens of projects and hundreds of employees, those savings translate into thousands of reclaimed labor hours and measurably lower operating costs.

Decentralized AI also strengthens risk management. Automated tools can scan contracts, specifications and correspondence to flag potential scope gaps or compliance issues earlier in the project lifecycle. Supply-chain workflows can monitor vendor performance and material availability, helping teams respond faster to disruptions. Tariff and customs documentation, increasingly relevant for imported materials, can be drafted and reviewed with greater consistency and speed.

Ducker Carlisle, for example, applied this mode internally, achieving a 3% reduction in operating costs within 90 days. The savings were driven not by a single large system, but by many small automations built by employees outside traditional IT roles. The firm is now helping construction and engineering clients apply the same playbook.

Governance Is the Foundation

Successful adoption requires discipline. Without clear structure, decentralized efforts can fragment into disconnected tools and inconsistent data. Organizations that get it right establish guardrails from the start—standardized platforms, approved data sources, clear ownership and accountability. Training ensures business users understand both the power and the limits of AI, while central teams focus on scaling what works.

The shift also demands a cultural change. Construction is traditionally cautious with new technology, particularly when it touches core operations. Decentralized AI asks leaders to trust frontline teams with new capabilities, while maintaining accountability through structured oversight. It also redefines the role of IT from gatekeepers to enablers, a shift that, for many firms, may be the harder change to make.

The Competitive Case

As return-to-work renovations, sustainability requirements and labor constraints continue reshaping the industry, the ability to move quickly is becoming a competitive differentiator. AI can address construction’s long-standing productivity problem, but only if it is deployed where work actually happens, not locked behind a central development queue.

Decentralized AI doesn’t eliminate the need for central expertise. It amplifies it, allowing small, skilled teams to support dozens of use cases across the organization. For construction firms ready to close the productivity gap, the fastest path forward isn’t waiting for one perfect solution. It’s trusting the people closest to the work with the tools to build their own.

SEE ALSO: WIRING THE AI ECONOMY: CONSTRUCTION SPENDING ON DATA CENTERS

The post Decentralized AI: A Faster Path to Construction Productivity Gains first appeared on Construction Executive.

1. GOVERANCE AS A GUARDRAIL

Most firms are already piloting AI tools to update schedules, manage supply chains and monitor jobsite safety in real time. But these systems are only as reliable as the data they access.

Shifting from manual cleanup to AI-powered data governance is essential. Environments filled with redundant, outdated or trivial data increase the risk of AI “hallucinations” or accidental exposure of sensitive project, contract or employee information. Industry reports show that up to 55% of stored data falls into this category. Automating data inventory, archiving and deletion helps ensure AI tools operate on clean, secure datasets.

2. PROJECT-BASED USER ACCESS

Today’s biggest cyber threat is often not a hacker, but a dormant account. Workforce turnover, subcontractor access and shifting project teams create risk when permissions linger. Former employees and contractors remain common entry points for ransomware.

Digital access should mirror physical jobsite access: time-limited, role-specific and automatically revoked when a project ends. Pairing a least-privilege model with mandatory multi-factor authentication—which can block nearly all automated attacks—significantly reduces exposure.

3. AUDITING THE INVISIBLE THREAT

Strong cyber hygiene is now a competitive advantage, especially on projects involving sensitive data. Treat digital risk like a jobsite hazard, with regular audits to surface issues early.

Ransomware resilience does not require sweeping system overhauls. It requires discipline, clear policies and consistent review. Data risk is project risk, and managing it with the same rigor ensures firms stay resilient and ready to build.

SEE ALSO: CYBERSECURITY FOR CONTRACTORS—INCLUDING HOW TO MITIGATE CYBER ATTACKS

The post Cyber, Secured: Cybersecurity Beyond the IT Team first appeared on Construction Executive.

WHY BUILDING INNOVATION HAS LAGGED

Despite the promise of new technology, the construction and building operations sectors have been slow to change. Why? For decades, traditional procurement and delivery models have pushed critical decisions for HVAC, fire and security building systems to the end of the construction timeline. These systems are seen as bolt-on components, rather than foundational infrastructure.

Of all the technology you can deploy, HVAC, controls, and fire and security deliver outsized outcomes in energy efficiency, emissions reduction, resilience, occupant experience and safety. Treating them as afterthoughts is a missed competitive advantage and can dilute results. A few common missteps include:

• Misaligned timing: When architects select HVAC equipment during the design phase while owners weigh in on security needs later, the fragmented timing limits integrated solutions and lifecycle planning
• Silos over systems: Without a common, data-driven platform, performance visibility is narrow, handoffs are manual and change orders multiply
• Perceived complexity and cost: Teams assume smart tech adds cost, but real-world experience proves the opposite, as digital systems are cutting operating costs by up to 50% and delivering ROIs of 155% and more.

EMBEDDING TECH EARLY SETS THE TABLE FOR FUTURE SUCCESS

When smart solutions inform planning and decisions from the start, they do more than drive efficiency and deliver cost savings. They enable organizations to reinvest in their mission, create strategic advantages and differentiation, while making a positive impact on society.

Connected building technology has transformed the operations at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital in Ontario, Canada. By integrating clinical and building systems from the outset, the hospital has reduced energy consumption by 19% and now operates 33% more efficiently than the healthcare industry average. Digital tools have saved the hospital 4,000 hours in manual troubleshooting and 600 hours per year in preventative maintenance, efficiency that helps the hospital focus on improving patient outcomes and saving lives.

Stanford University faced the daunting challenge of updating its energy infrastructure while lowering their reliance on fossil fuels and water consumption. Johnson Controls AI-driven OpenBlue technologies were deployed to deliver reduced energy and water use in the central plant. The university reduced emissions by 68%, water use by 15% and in-peak energy demand by 17%. Together with energy use savings, Stanford cut costs by $500,000 a year and is projected to save $459 million over the course of the project lifetime.

Smart technologies deliver returns that go beyond operational efficiency, easier maintenance and greater adaptability. Encouraging owners and developers to shift their focus from upfront installation costs to total lifecycle value achieves better long-term results.

As buildings become more complex and performance expectations rise, reactive deployment of building systems is no longer sufficient. Technology cannot be a finishing touch. It must be foundational and inform decisions from the start.

WHAT CONSTRUCTION LEADERS SHOULD DO NOW

Construction executives are uniquely positioned to make early integration the norm. Understanding the value of smarter building systems is one thing, but acting on it requires rethinking traditional workflows and partnerships.

Here’s a practical playbook:

1. Set goals with smart solutions in mind. The most effective way to ensure project goals are met is by leveraging AI and technology from the very beginning, integrating digital tools early in planning and design to align decisions that maximize efficiency, sustainability and cost savings. Rather than relying on bolt-on solutions later, this proactive approach transforms aspirations into measurable results.
2. Select the right partners. One of the most impactful steps project teams can take is choosing providers who support a building throughout its entire lifecycle, ensuring smooth operations and easier upgrades. Equally important is involving technology experts at the very start of the design-build process, so systems are fully integrated from inception rather than added as bolt-on solutions.
3. Insist on interoperable, AI-ready platforms. Choose controls, sensors and security solutions that are pre-integrated, built for data sharing and predictive maintenance
4. Bake in operating readiness. Commission to real‑world baselines, instrument for continuous monitoring and set up service strategies that shift from reactive to proactive
5. Measure and iterate. Establish KPIs and dashboards that facilities and finance both trust; revisit quarterly to capture new savings

A SMARTER, MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Technology is no longer optional; it’s essential. From climate resilience and energy efficiency to safety and user experience, smart systems help meet rising expectations.

By embedding innovation early and fostering collaboration across stakeholders, construction leaders can deliver buildings that are both ready for today and ready to address the challenges of tomorrow.

 Those who embrace integrated, forward-thinking approaches have a clear competitive advantage and will also shape the next era of the built environment.

SEE ALSO: ENSURING SECURE REMOTE ACCESS FOR SMART BUILDINGS

The post Smart-Building Technology: The Transformative Payoff That Can’t Be Missed first appeared on Construction Executive.

What are some of the trends/patterns you saw this year as they relate to construction technology?

When we were coming into 2025, we were thinking about the things that were going to have a large impact in the industry. I think we were scratching the surface on AI in those conversations, but that paid dividends much larger than many of us expected. The advancements in that space have just been so incredibly voluminous and fast that it has given us a lot of things to talk about. And I think when we talk about AI everybody goes right to Chat GPT and the LLMs, but there’s a lot more to that.

Procore spent all of last year doing research on our The Future State of Construction report—a five- to eight-year outlook on Contech. Some of the themes popping up were automation and augmentation—whether through AI agents or robotics—and I think we’ll only see them continue to accelerate in 2026. The good news there is that, when we surveyed construction leaders in 2024, 55% believed that [that type of tech] is really going to change the way that we work moving forward. That number has likely grown significantly in the past year. I think a lot of this automation and augmentation can make the industry a lot safer; it can allow people to actually spend the time on the work that they really, really want to do, which is actually building. We can automate a lot of those dull, boring, dirty, dangerous tasks. I think that’s what we’re going to see pulling into 2026 and we’re going to see a bigger payoff.

Are there any specific products you have seen throughout the broader industry that you think will become more mainstream in 2026?

There’s no doubt that we are going to see construction specific agents. You’ll see people start to really take advantage of things like agent builders and programs to use really specific industry knowledge and data sets to accelerate workflows. And they’ll be trained to do things that we know that people need to do on a jobsite everyday. A great example: Nobody went to school to be a civil engineer or a construction manager to process submittals. It’s a paperwork process that’s just incredibly intensive. It’s boring, but it has to get done. Those are things that are ripe for automation via agents.

The conversation I have with leaders at construction companies is they’re all trying to figure out what practical applications they can start with. It’s no longer a question of if they’ll use them; it’s how. Where it used to be a $100,000 to have a Boston Dynamics robot dog, now you can buy a similar quadruped robot at like $10,000 . And the integration at the software level, how much technical knowledge you need to have, is significantly changing as well.

People are realizing that it’s incredibly important to have really good data. That’s probably the thing that holds the industry back in some cases from being able to get the insights that we want. That’s where we are going to see the use of large language models that are really good at looking at large, structured data sets.

So, the technology is there for the mass adoption of these tools. The culture and the technical knowledge I think is what has to evolve very, very quickly, which is why I think you’re going to end up seeing a ton of upskilling in our space, which is really good because I think it allows us to bring in a lot of talent to the industry. We will probably see a broader workforce come into construction, and I think we’ll see those who are here really work on upskilling their talent to have the skills around these technologies that we need.

Where and/or how does a smaller contractor start to successfully create and implement an AI agent? How can a larger company adopt these AI agents with regulation/security in mind? How can they be sure that the data is being analyzed properly and safely?

I think of it as three buckets.

The first bucket: A small contractor 100% focused on building, but that wants to put these type of tools in the hands of its people because it’s going to help them get their job done. For those people, they have to rely on the technology vendors that they are already working with. A great example of this is that we’ve built out-of-the-box agents to do very specific workflows that we know are common across all of construction: RFI creation, daily log summary, submittal review, etc.

If you’re a smaller contractor that doesn’t have a lot of resources, you can still take advantage of those things today. Use the things that’s inside of the tech stacks that you already have. There are great LLM AI capabilities inside of Microsoft and Google. They are great for your day-to-day—summarize my emails, help me schedule meetings. They should be using those things because they’re probably baked into their tech stack already.

The middle bucket: People who have some technology already and more specific use cases that they want to tackle. This company will definitely be building their own processes and workflows in something like an agent builder. But they might also want to be able to integrate those agents across platforms. It’s not a completely custom agent that they’re building. It’s doing specific tasks based on data sets that it has access to, but it’s also within a very trusted environment for them.

The third bucket: Your larger, national and/or international companies. Now you’re talking about getting into a world where they are probably building their own agent orchestration platform, which may be something that is integrating into a program like Procore, but also many other systems because they’ve got their own custom data lake already built. They’ve invested a lot more in the infrastructure and they want to do much more advanced tasks. This is not about necessarily just helping to automate a submittal process. This is trying to help automate job set up, reviewing financials, maybe time sheets which are in your HR system. How do we reconcile all of those things? Maybe they’ve gone right to Chat GPT for an enterprise license or an open AI and are building out their own workflows inside of those systems that go across many other systems.

Those are the varying stages, but the one thing that’s consistent across all three of them is it has to be something that your people will trust. If they don’t trust it, they won’t use it. And it’s very hard to earn construction professionals’ trust. So, the change management or the rollout of these things is really, really important. It’s okay to experiment. It’s okay for things to not go right, but don’t roll things out to the entire organization until you have a level of confidence.

How can construction companies get ahead of the ban of Chinese-manufactured drones on federal projects yet still operate within their own means?

That’s a really interesting situation and I think what it all comes down to is truly understanding where your data is going and how it’s being captured and where it may end up. We just talked about AI and agents—It’s the same conversation there. You have to understand where your data’s going to go and what’s going to happen with it because it is an asset to you. And so when we talk about drones and robots, the reason that the price point is coming down on robots is there are a lot of international-based companies that have been developing this technology to drive the pricing down.

But the reality of it is, at the end of the day, I think understanding the control processes of where the data actually goes and gets processed is really important. And then you choose to work with a partner that you know where your data is going and who you trust.

If you just look at reality capture as a whole here—drones, robots walking around the jobsite, humans walking around the jobsite—there’s not going to be a slowdown in capturing photo and image and video of your jobsite. It’s only going to accelerate. We’re going to see more wearables with cameras in them. We’re only going to see more and more digital capture of the jobsite through photo and video than we’ve ever seen before.

So as just a general statement, whether it’s drones, whether it’s agents, I think we do have to be more aware of where the data is going, especially based on the project. You need to be a good steward of the data for the project, for the owners, for the others that are involved and for your own company.

How will the development of construction technology affect the broader construction economy in 2026?

These high-tech industries, which are investing a tremendous amount in building right now, are really pulling the industry forward. It’s megaprojects, it’s battery plants, it’s data centers. All of these things are providing more backlog than most companies ever had. That’s why I think the confidence is there because there is a tremendous amount of investment in that infrastructure.

The technology that is coming to our industry is finally coming into its own in many ways; it’s going to start to pay down some of what we talk about in The Future State of Construction report: How do we actually influence the productivity of our industry? How do we finally make a dent in that 28% of rework? I think people are feeling good about what they’re seeing with construction technology that we’re actually starting to take a big bite out of that apple.

SEE ALSO: HOW TO BUILD A PROPER CONSTRUCTION-TARGETED TECH STACH

The post Contech for Christmas: What Technologies Contractors Are Seeking Most at Year’s End first appeared on Construction Executive.