KEY FINDINGS FROM THE REPORT INCLUDE:

• Governance concerns: Nearly 80% of executives said they lack strong confidence their organization could pass an independent AI governance audit within 90 days.
• Performance divide: Companies with fully integrated AI are nearly four times more likely to report AI-driven revenue growth than organizations still in the pilot phase.
• Strategy gaps: While most companies are investing in AI, only 22% reported having a fully developed and implemented enterprise AI strategy.
• Workforce readiness: Just 12% of executives said their workforce is truly prepared to effectively use AI technologies.
• Construction and real estate investment: In the construction and real estate sector, 79% of boards have approved AI investments, but only 40% have established formal AI governance policies.

Grant Thornton noted that organizations seeing the strongest AI outcomes are prioritizing governance, employee training and measurable performance metrics as AI adoption accelerates across industries.

SOURCE: “2026 AI Impact Survey” Grant Thornton // grantthornton.com/insights/survey-reports/real-estate/2026/construction-and-real-estate-insights-2026-ai-impact-survey

SEE ALSO: REGULATING DJI DRONES ON FEDERAL AND PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION SITES

The post The AI Accountability Gap first appeared on Construction Executive.

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.

Key findings from the report include:

• Modest spending growth: Total U.S. construction put in place is forecast to increase about 1% in 2026 to roughly $2.2 trillion after a slight decline in 2025.

• Sector divergence: Public infrastructure and government-funded projects are expected to remain relatively strong, helping offset weaker activity in several private building segments.

• Soft private markets: Sectors such as multifamily housing, lodging and traditional office construction continue to face headwinds from high financing costs and economic uncertainty.

• Megaproject drivers: Data centers, infrastructure and certain advanced manufacturing projects are expected to remain key growth engines for the industry.

FMI notes that contractors are increasingly forced to make “sharper choices about where to compete and how much risk to take on” as growth becomes more selective across construction markets.

SOURCE: “2026 Engineering & Construction Outlook” FMI // fmicorp.com/insights/construction-outlook

The post Selective Growth: FMI’s 2026 North American Engineering & Construction Outlook first appeared on Construction Executive.

Key findings from the report include:

• Steel prices declining: The national average price of structural steel fell to about $2,343.93 per ton in January 2026, down 5.38% from the previous quarter and 7.18% year over year.

• Longer-term price correction: Steel costs have been trending downward since 2024 after earlier volatility driven by inflation, supply shortages and global demand swings.
• Short-term fluctuations: Prices briefly rose in mid-2025, increasing 2.06% in Q3, while certain components—such as open web steel joists—spiked roughly 12% nationally.
• Market stabilizing: Overall construction material pricing is showing signs of balance, though metals like steel and copper still face upward pressure tied to tariffs, energy costs and global demand.

Gordian notes that while volatility has eased compared with earlier years, contractors should still plan for periodic price swings and regional variation when estimating projects.

SOURCE: “Steel Price Updates,” RSMeans Data / /gordian.com/resources/steel-price-updates/

The post Steel Cooling: Steel Costs Steadily Decline After Pandemic Price Shock first appeared on Construction Executive.

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE REPORT INCLUDE:

Modest industry growth forecast: After declines in 2025, investment in structures is projected to grow approximately 1.8% in 2026, led by AI-related data center and energy projects.

Tariffs and material cost pressures: Elevated tariff rates on key materials and ongoing supply disruption are raising costs and prompting more strategic procurement and contract risk management.

Digital transformation focus: Firms are increasingly deploying advanced digital tools (AI, BIM, digital twins, IoT) to improve planning, safety and project delivery amid tight labor and cost conditions.

Severe labor shortages: The industry faces a substantial workforce gap, with demand for hundreds of thousands of additional workers and an aging labor pool, pressuring timelines and productivity.

Strategic resilience and M&A: To thrive, firms need financial agility, smart capital allocation and selective mergers/acquisitions that strengthen digital and operational capabilities.

SOURCE: “2026 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook,” Deloitte // deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/engineering-and-construction/engineering-and-construction-industry-outlook

The post Heads or Tails: Deloitte’s 2026 Construction Industry Outlook first appeared on Construction Executive.

KEY TAKEAWAYS INCLUDE:

• Safety remains a top concern amid complex construction environments, with labor shortages and rising costs adding pressure on safety performance.
• Techenabled safety tools are increasingly used, including digital reporting systems, sensors and monitoring platforms that improve hazard identification and compliance tracking. 
• Worker wellbeing is highlighted, recognizing that fatigue, stress and health concerns contribute to safety risk and need integrated support.
• Cultural investment in safety—beyond equipment and tech—is critical, as organizations seek to strengthen training, leadership commitment and proactive practices. 

SOURCE: “2025 Construction Industry Safety Challenges,” American Society of Safety Professionals // assp.org/news-and-articles/2025-construction-industry-safety-challenges-report-now-available

The post Connected and Protected: Digital Safety Tools for Construction first appeared on Construction Executive.

• October 2025 structural steel cost: $2,477 per ton, down 6.6 % from the previous quarter

• Year-over-year decline: 4.7 % versus October 2024

• July 2025 marked the first quarterly increase in over a year (2.06 %)

• April 2025 saw a 3.15 % rise from Q1, but annual decline remains 10.5 %

• Earlier years saw steep increases (e.g., +43 % from Q1 2020 to Q1 2021), but volatility has now eased

SOURCE: “Steel Price Updates,” Gordian // gordian.com/resources/steel-price-updates/

The post Steeling the Construction Industry first appeared on Construction Executive.

Key points from frontline supervisors:

• 40% seek more communication/conflict resolution training

• 47% lack access to mental health resources

• 67% have made safety decisions without company guidance

• 81% want safety training refreshers

• 72% believe better tech would improve safety and quality

SOURCE: “The State of Frontline Safety Leadership in Construction,” Vector Solutions // vectorsolutions.com

SEE ALSO: SAFETY LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS

The post On the Front Lines: Securing Support for Safety Supervisors first appeared on Construction Executive.

KEY DATA POINTS:

• Prefabricated systems reduce greenhouse emissions, energy use, resource scarcity impacts compared to conventional methods. 
• Prefabricated building cost is approximately 30% less than conventional construction across many metrics. 
• Material costs represent more than 50% of total costs in prefabricated systems. 
• Performance depends heavily on local labor/material/transport costs.
• Prefabrication rate (percentage of prefabrication usage) is a key factor shaping cost reduction. 

SOURCE: “Impacts of Prefabrication in the Building Construction Industry,” MDPI // mdpi.com/2673-8392/3/1/3?

The post Pre-Fabulous: Cost and Environmental Savings With Prefabrication first appeared on Construction Executive.

KEY DATA POINTS

• Accuracy improvement range: 
• 20–90% (mean: 55%)
• Rework reduction:
•  >50% across most robots
• Time savings:
• up to 2.3 times faster execution
• 8 of 10 robots also reduced injury risk
• Human oversight remained necessary in 80% of cases

SOURCE: “Safety, quality, schedule, and cost impacts of ten construction robots,” PMC // pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9244236/

The post Robotics Boost Construction Efficiency first appeared on Construction Executive.