Spending was up on a monthly basis in 8 of 16 nonresidential subcategories. Both public and private nonresidential spending were up 0.1% in June. Private nonresidential construction spending was down nearly 5% from a year ago.

“Through April 2025, private nonresidential construction spending ascended to $806.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted annual rate basis, an all-time high,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Since then, that figure has expanded only three times over the past 14 months.

“Despite an ongoing data center construction boom, private nonresidential construction spending has declined to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $745.3 billion since the April 2025 peak, which translates into a decline exceeding 7%,” said Basu. “Tellingly, private nonresidential construction spending excluding data centers fell 0.6% in June 2026 and is down 7.9% year over year.

“Meanwhile, data center construction was up 7% in June and up 46% from a year ago. Contractors working on data centers continue to benefit from this momentum. According to ABC’s latest Construction Backlog Indicator, the 13% of ABC members under contract to work on data centers have significantly higher backlog (11.0 months) than the 87% that are not (8.5 months).”

Visit abc.org/economics for the Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index, plus analysis of spending, employment, job openings and the Producer Price Index.

Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and 24,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC helps members offer a robust employee value proposition, develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at abc.org. 

The post June Nonresidential Construction Spending Up on Strength of Data Centers first appeared on Construction Executive.

Animal shelters, veterinary clinics and animal control buildings appear straightforward at first glance. Yet beneath that simple exterior lies a level of technical complexity that surpasses that of many other building types. Think about required ventilation rates, material durability requirements or intricate plumbing systems. All of these components converge within a single building environment.

If you are considering bidding on an animal care project, understanding these unique elements is essential for protecting your profit margin, setting realistic construction expectations and delivering a facility that performs as specified.

Study the Construction Documents

Unlike many commercial projects where contractors can rely on field adjustments or lean on design-build flexibility, animal care projects require contractors to be well-versed in all the construction documents from day one. This type of facility depends heavily on precise details and complex systems that run throughout the entire building. And small oversights early in the process can lead to significant coordination issues or costly change orders later for contractors.

So how can you prepare for this type of build? Start by thoroughly understanding all the construction documents—especially the mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings. The mechanical plans often account for a significant portion of the project’s complexity. They are also a source of information that directly impacts other aspects of the build, from routing to equipment selection to structural coordination to envelope penetration.

It is also a best practice to get all your questions answered from the beginning. As you work through the documents, consult with the design team to receive any detailed clarifications you may need. Often, these clarifications and answers impact how contractors make decisions on procurement, scheduling and installation. Three aspects of construction that have significant investment impacts.

As contractors work through the construction documents, they are often surprised to see that animal care facilities often have far more mockups than traditional building projects. Another unique aspect is that many of the building components require field validation before complete implementation—from the finishes to kennel systems to waterproofing transitions to mechanical assemblies. Without validation, contractors are often responsible for correcting issues down the road.

A good rule of thumb is that if something seems unusually specific or heavily detailed, there is a reason behind it. And usually that reason is tied to an engineering requirement related to durability, sanitation or animal welfare. If a detail raises questions, it is far better to clarify than to assume.

Understand That MEP Systems Drive the Project

If there is one area that consistently surprises contractors new to animal care work, it is the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. These systems are not only more complex than those in most commercial buildings but often govern the entire project’s sequencing, costs and risk profile.

Modern animal care facilities must meet exceptionally high ventilation rates to control odor, disease transmission and humidity. At the same time, current energy codes require significant amounts of conditioned outside air, which drives the need for a dedicated outdoor air system. Introducing large volumes of outside air creates a unique challenge: humidity control. This is one of the most common points of failure in animal care buildings. The failure often occurs because dehumidification equipment is frequently targeted during value engineering decisions. Standard AC-based dehumidification only works when the cooling system operates. On cool, damp days (common in many parts of the country), the building may require moisture removal even when the air temperature does not call for cooling. And without dedicated dehumidification, moisture begins to accumulate on surfaces, odors intensify, mold becomes a real risk, and animals and staff experience uncomfortable, unhealthy conditions.

Contractors should confirm the specified dehumidification type and evaluate whether any suggested value-engineering options compromise system functionality. No one wants to be involved in post-construction litigation.

It is equally important to ensure that all of your subcontractors, especially mechanical subcontractors, fully understand the design intent. These systems must be sized, installed and controlled correctly. Otherwise, the building will never perform as designed and that could lead to legal challenges in the future. The long-term ramifications of improper humidity control often far outweigh any up‑front cost savings.

Choose Subcontractors Carefully

The quality of any building project often reflects the quality of its subcontractors. Nowhere does this ring truer than in animal care construction. Not every plumbing, HVAC or flooring subcontractor has the experience or technical knowledge needed for environments that experience frequent wash-down cycles, heavy moisture and high sanitation demands.

• Ensure your MEP subs are comfortable with complex ventilation systems, pressure differentials between rooms, chemical-resistant equipment, specialized drainage and wash-down systems.
• Ensure your waterproofing subs must execute details with precision, as even minor lapses can lead to major failures.
• Ensure your flooring installers understand resinous systems and moisture mitigation.

Choosing subs based solely on price can put your entire project at risk. If a sub does not have direct experience in animal care, explore whether they have successfully worked in similar environments, such as laboratories, food processing facilities, clean rooms or smaller animal care projects.

Don’t Underestimate the Material Requirements

Materials used in animal care facilities are subject to conditions well beyond those typical in commercial construction. Every surface must withstand moisture, chemical exposure, animal abrasion and frequent cleaning. Contractors sometimes underestimate the cost, lead times and installation complexity of these products. The lower four feet of walls, for example, take the most abuse and must be finished with materials that resist scratching, impact and moisture. Traditional drywall is normally unacceptable except in specific low‑risk areas.

Flooring presents another challenge. Simple sealed concrete rarely holds up under continuous washing and chemical use. High‑performance resinous coatings or specialized flooring systems are usually required to meet the animal care facility’s sanitation, durability and moisture-resistance needs. Even doors, frames and casework must be moisture‑tolerant, which often means stainless steel or solid polymer materials.

It is also important to assume that any room—even administrative or office spaces—may ultimately house animals during overflow or emergency conditions. Build with that logic in mind.

Prepare for Strict Acoustic Requirements

While many contractors expect odor and durability challenges in animal care buildings, fewer anticipate the acoustic demands. Noise control (particularly related to barking dogs) drives several major design decisions. To meet acoustic requirements, many shelters rely on grouted and filled CMU walls, walls that extend to the deck or hard‑lid ceilings instead of suspended acoustical tiles. These requirements increase both labor and materials costs. Further, they can complicate coordination with mechanical and electrical systems.

To add to the challenge, many standard sound‑absorbing products are not acceptable in wet or washable environments because they are porous and can harbor moisture or bacteria. As a result, acoustic performance often requires specialized products or assemblies that may differ significantly from what estimators encounter in other building types.

Plan for Disease and Odor Control Measures

Infection control and odor management are not optional in animal care facilities. They are fundamental to the building’s functionality. This introduces a layer of technical complexity that rivals healthcare construction.

• Exhaust systems must be strategically located and routed to prevent cross‑contamination.
• Surfaces in every room—from holding areas to exam spaces to laundry rooms—must be easy to sanitize and moisture-resistant.
• Drainage systems require precise coordination, from trench drains to sloped floors to backflow prevention.
• Pressure relationships between spaces must be maintained through careful MEP balancing to keep odors and contaminants confined to appropriate zones.

Misunderstanding or overlooking these requirements almost always leads to costly change orders, rework or post‑occupancy complaints.

Expect Active Construction Administration

Another aspect that often surprises contractors is the high level of involvement from the design team during construction. Animal care projects are rarely a simple punch-list situation. Instead, the design team typically participates actively throughout construction. Common ways include:

• Attending coordination meetings
• Reviewing detailed submittals
• Clarifying field conditions
• Conducting regular site visits

The focus is not micromanagement but rather proactive risk mitigation. The complexity of MEP systems, waterproofing details, kennel assemblies and finishes requires close oversight to ensure the building performs as intended. Catching issues early and ultimately correcting them before they escalate protects both the owner and the contractor.

Bidding on an animal care facility requires more preparation, more technical understanding and more coordination than most standard commercial buildings. When contractors take the time to review the drawings thoroughly, engage early with the design team, select experienced subcontractors, respect the HVAC and humidity‑control requirements, and recognize the environment’s durability and acoustic needs, projects run more smoothly with fewer surprises.

Animal care buildings may be challenging, but they are also deeply rewarding. When well constructed, they support communities, protect animals and serve as a testament to the contractor’s technical capability. With the right approach and awareness, your team can deliver a high‑performing facility that serves its staff, animals and community for years to come.

SEE ALSO: TOP FIVE CONSIDERATIONS FOR PRECONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATING FOR ANIMAL CARE FACILITIES

The post What Contractors Need to Know Before Bidding on an Animal Care Project first appeared on Construction Executive.

On June 26, the National Geographic Museum of Exploration opened its brand new doors at 1600 M St. NW in Washington, D.C. Since that grand opening, it has seen tens of thousands of attendees—families, individuals, school groups, private tours, courtyard parties and more.

National Geographic Society’s vice president of creative, John Boyer, says, “The goal has always been to open this to the public, to bring people in, to get them excited, to spark curiosity. Now is that moment and we’re excited to see people in the building. Let’s see their reactions, let’s get them excited about something. It’s surreal.” Boyer notes, too, that this renovation won’t stop in 2026—the space has been designed to be flexible, “to change and evolve as we move forward as an organization.”

But should this grand opening perhaps be considered a re-opening? The first installment of this article series relayed that the MOE campus comprises multiple buildings—Hubbard Hall (1904), named for the group’s first president, Gardiner Greene Hubbard; the administration building (1912-1913); the south wing and central pavilion (1932); the Stone building (1964), named for its architect Edward Stone; and a fourth modern wing (1984). Those buildings were brought together—literally—by contractors HITT and Hickock Cole to form the twenty-first century design.

If you think merging multiple centuries of construction sounds challenging, you’d be correct. Emily Dunham, the National Geographic Society’s chief campus and experiences officer, says, “One of the most challenging things has been the coordination: finishing the physical building while also finalizing all of the experiences, technology, exhibit cases and objects. Then, of course, things might arrive later than expected or aren’t working quite as we expected. We ended up with so many different vendors in the space at the same time.”

This is where having strong relationships partners and vendors—like HITT, Hickock Cole, Rolex, Cengage and more—proves symbiotic.

“That makes all the difference,” says Dunham. “Rolex is a 70-plus-year partner and has been supporting National Geographic and our explorers for decades. Telling the story of what an explorer is on the Rolex Explorers Landing and including that partnership is natural for us.”

Similarly, Cengage supports the Learning Launchpad. “They have been publishing National Geographic textbooks and other learning materials for a long time,” says Dunham. “And so they were the natural partner to sponsor the National Geographic Learning Launchpad, powered by Cengage. From the development of the physical space to the selection of exhibits to the feeling of the overall experience, having the right partners has made all the difference in completing this on time at the level of quality we always strive to serve.”

The quality of the campus is of course found within the information it showcases and the inspiration it instills, but the concrete, steel, sustainable ash wood, 3D-modeled features and temperature-regulating glass are of the highest quality as well, earning the building LEED Platinum.

On June 22, Construction Executive was invited to take a preview tour of the MOE, guided through exhibits by National Geographic Explorers from around the world.

The MOE covers more than 100,000 square feet, a boundary which begins at the grand entrance pavilion, featuring a larger-than-life version of the iconic yellow border and sweeping curved planters filled with bronze animal statues that inhabit island archipelagos, meandering glacier rivers and places in between.

A rooftop terrace overlooks the courtyard to host immersive nighttime experiences and other events, and a massive digital display wall projects film, photos and other media. A step inside the front doors brings you into the main lobby with a rippling skylight that enriches the entire space—from floor to 40-foot ceilings—with natural light, which gives the sense of being both high up in a rain forest and below the surface of the ocean all at once. Another high-tech video wall towers behind the welcome desk. Immediately to the left sits a new store and renovated cafeteria, but less immediately noticed is a model of the RMS Titanic in a repurposed staircase turned in-floor display. It was here that Bob Ballard, a Nat Geo Explorer-at-Large, who is also an iconic oceanographer, spoke about his helping discover the legendary vessel.

Then on to The Archives. Once inside and embraced between the bronze Nat Geo emblem on the floor and coffered woodwork on the ceiling, the past came alive via a welcoming digital presentation and Lee Berger, a paleoanthropologist and Nat Geo Explorer-in-Residence, who detailed his explorations into human origins in Africa and Micronesia—which have yielded discoveries of two new species of early human relatives. Some of Lee’s work can be seen in The Archives.

Then two masterfully crafted French doors open seemingly by magic into the Learning Launchpad sponsored by Cengage. This space is highly interactive, allowing students and groups to try their hand—or their foot—at trivia on their digital display floor. The Learning Launchpad also houses Kirsten Elstner’s National Geographic Photo Camp. Another Explorer-in-Residence, Elstner founded and directs the Photo Camp as part of her mission working with youth from diverse global communities to develop their own skills—and stories—through photography.

Just beyond the Learning Launchpad is the Geoverse theater, where Peruvian biologist Ruthmery Pilco spoke on her works in conservation and biodiversity projects in Costa Rica and Peru. This stop was highlighted by a theater viewing of a documentary excerpt on her work preserving the Ukuku—the Quechuan word for bear—in the Peruvian Andes.

Around the corner is the nearly 400-seat Grosvenor Auditorium—which will officially open later this summer.

A trip up the spiraling staircase takes you to the Rolex Explorers Landing where the pillars of Nat Geo—spark, impact, purpose and trek—shine. You will see artifacts like a bathysphere from the New York Zoological Society, an atmospheric diving JIM suit, an off-roading vehicle equipped with tent top and camera attachment, and more. This is where Steve Boyes, who launched the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project in 2015, spoke on his lifelong dedication to conservation of Africa’s wilderness and wildlife employing integrative and innovative methods.

Back down and to the right of the entrance is the photo gallery, which is grounded by a perimeter of static feature pieces—including the iconic portrait of the Afghan Girl from the 1985 cover—and a center selection which rotates a few times per year.

Lastly, the Photo Ark next to the photo gallery is completely curated by Joel Sartore, a Nat Geo photographer, conservationist, speaker, author and teacher. He spoke outside his own exhibit on the creation of the digital and interactive photo/video gallery, highlighting endangered animals and insects, species and landscapes with imagery taken at scale in accordance with their level of endangerment. The gallery will become a travelling exhibit after leaving the MOE at the end of this year.

Other hidden gems worth mentioning include the parametric molded cornice—a striking architectural feature on the facade echoing sand dunes that required complex 3D modeling never previously seen in the United States; the Magazine Gallery, digitally depicting every single published National Geographic cover to date; a Terracotta soldier from Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s famous Terracotta army; an exquisite mosaic of shimmering tiles in the shape of two massive jellyfish in the downstairs bathroom; and more you will have to see for yourself to believe.

For the day, the professional explorers brought the museum to life, embodying the depth, meaning and purpose behind Nat Geo’s larger mission, but if you feel you’ve missed out on the initial fanfare, fear not. The MOE will also feature regularly scheduled public programming including:

• Farmstand
• Trivia
• Nat Geo Nights
• Coffee With an Explorer
• Drinks With an Explorer
• Concerts in the Courtyard
• Pop-Up Talks With an Explorer

For the days to come, the future visitors are what will bring life to the museum. At the top of the tour, Nat Geo’s CEO Jill Tiefenthaler mentioned that this museum was, in fact, not built for the explorers met at each exhibit, but rather for the next generation of explorers. What Dunham hopes that future generations take away from their own tours through the MOE is a spark.

“We have a space on the Rolex Explorers Landing,” she says, “that’s called the Spark exhibition. It’s about different explorers sharing their own stories of inspiration—inspiration that for them changed the course of their life and gave them a purpose to pursue—in hopes of sparking questions that maybe someone hadn’t asked before; ideas that hadn’t been thought of. And what I hope is that every visitor has a spark moment, big or small. Everyone can be an explorer.”

Even without that iconic yellow border welcoming visitors through the new courtyard and into the new lobby underneath the new skylight, the MOE is unmistakable as a National Geographic creation. 

“It’s the wonders of the world on display,” says Dunham.

Boyer concurs: “It’s the stories of our explorers. It’s the mission of the society. It’s everything on display—the media, the animals, the sculptures, the portraiture. Everything is part of the mission and part of the storytelling of the wonders of the world.”

For information on museum hours, special events and more, visit moe.nationalgeographic.org.

SEE ALSO: STATUE OF LIBERTY MUSEUM USES STRUCTURAL THERMAL BREAKS TO PROTECT THE PAST AND THE PLANET

The post Wonder of the World Part II: National Geographic’s Museum of Exploration Opens in Downtown D.C. first appeared on Construction Executive.

When teams coordinate early with manufacturers and align foundations, utilities and long-lead systems around a pre-engineered building package, they often cut months from traditional timelines and reduce schedule risk from weather, trade stacking and material delays. 

WHY PEMBS ACCELERATE CONSTRUCTION

PEMBs use a systems approach that standardizes many elements that typically slow projects the most, including:

• Structural steel detailing
• Connection design
• Secondary framing
• Building envelope interfaces

Manufacturers design and engineer frames, purlins, girts, cladding and bracing as an integrated package. Components arrive on site ready for assembly, so contractors don’t have to field-fit them. That approach eliminates a large portion of requests for information, rework and sequencing conflicts that often appear when separate teams handle structural, envelope and miscellaneous steel scopes.

The model also aligns with the realities of modern construction labor. Crews assemble prefabricated frames and panel systems with repeatable, well-documented erection procedures, which help contractors ramp up new team members quickly while maintaining productivity. Because pre-engineered metal buildings rely on bolted connections instead of extensive field welding, teams reduce specialized labor needs and compress critical erection durations.

STREAMLINED DESIGN AND ENGINEERNG

Coordinated Structural Design Up Front

Pre-engineered metal building projects shift design effort from the field into the front end of the job, where it produces the greatest schedule benefit. During the design phase, the building manufacturer and design team coordinate structural loads, bracing locations, deflection criteria and interface points with slabs, mezzanines, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and architectural features. When the team resolves these issues before fabrication, the contractor avoids costly detailing changes and field modifications that can stall erection.

Property and business owners increasingly treat PEMBs as mainstream solutions for low-rise nonresidential work, so guidance and requirements exist to support predictable delivery. For example, state-level pre-engineered metal building guidelines in the public sector require complete sealed documents, clear load tables and explicit code compliance criteria, which provide a solid framework for permitting and plan review. The clarity reduces back-and-forth during approvals and keeps design milestones aligned with construction and start dates.

Standardization That Protects the Schedule

PEMB systems benefit from repeatable details that manufacturers have refined across many projects and climates. Standardized frame geometries, panel profiles and connection details streamline engineering checks and shop drawing production, which shortens the path from schematic design to released-for-fabrication documents. In practice, that means contractors receive issued drawings earlier and can lock in procurement and erection plans with more confidence.

Because PEMB suppliers build to established specifications and quality programs, contractors also gain schedule protection on the back end of the project. Consistent tolerances and predictable connection behavior reduce time spent resolving misalignments, flange conflicts or panel fit issues during erection. This results in fewer unscheduled downtime days and a smoother critical path for follow-on trades such as interior build-out, process equipment installation and site improvements.

OFFSITE FABRICATION AND LOGISTICS ADVANTAGES

Pre-engineered metal building components come from controlled factory environments instead of jobsites, which removes weather from much of the structural schedule. Fabricators cut, drill and weld members indoors with automated equipment and quality inspections, so the contractor receives ready-to-assemble bundles instead of raw shapes. This off-site manufacturing model reduces fabrication variability and allows parallel progress, since the building goes into production while sitework and the foundations are in the works.

Logistics planning becomes more straightforward. Manufacturers ship frames, secondary members and panels in sequenced loads that match erection order, which minimizes double-handling and laydown congestion on tight sites. With fewer SKUs and a higher degree of prefabrication, contractors spend less time chasing missing pieces or improvising substitutions that can trigger change orders and schedule slips.

FASTER, MORE PREDICTABLE ERECTION IN THE FIELD

Erection speed remains one of the most visible advantages of pre-engineered metal buildings for contractors under schedule pressure. Because primary frames, roof structures and wall systems arrive as coordinated packages, crews can move quickly from first columns to a dried-in shell.

Weather sensitivity decreases once the building reaches that milestone, so the project team removes a major external risk from the schedule.

Repeatable erection sequences also support more accurate planning. Critical path schedules for PEMB projects often show compressed durations for structural steel compared to conventional methods, especially on low-rise commercial, industrial, athletic and agricultural buildings.

Less in-field layout, fewer complex connections and minimized welding enable smaller crews to maintain high productivity, which proves especially valuable in regions where specialty labor remains tight.

LABOR, SAFETY AND SITE COORDINATION BENEFITS

PEMB projects often require fewer total onsite labor hours than comparable conventional builds. The fewer the hours, the shorter the overall calendar time and the reduced exposure to site risks. Prepunched members and factory-fitted components limit cutting and drilling at height, while bolted assemblies reduce hot work. Those characteristics support safer workflows and more predictable productivity rates, which help contractors hold critical milestones even when conditions change.

Simplified scopes also ease coordination with other trades. Clear building geometry, known frame lines and predictable roof and wall assemblies give MEP and specialty contractors a solid foundation for routing and support planning.

When teams model penetrations, support points and hanging loads against pre-engineered metal building design early, they avoid many of the clashes that typically require late-stage rework.

APPLICATIONS WHERE SCHEDULE GAINS STAND OUT

Contractors see the strongest schedule impact from PEMBs on projects where simple structural grids and large clear spans take priority. Distribution centers, light manufacturing, storage facilities, athletic complexes and agricultural buildings often fit this profile and can move from foundation to occupancy significantly faster with pre-engineered systems than with traditional framing.

In sectors that depend on fast deployment, such as logistics, cold storage or year-round training facilities, compressed schedules translate directly into earlier revenue or operational readiness.

Specialized facilities, including metal equestrian buildings, also benefit from the repeatable, open-span structures that pre-engineered metal buildings deliver. Designers can integrate a steel shell, so contractors still meet sector-specific requirements while maintaining aggressive timelines.

BRINGING SCHEDULE CERTAINTY TO THE CRITICAL PATH

As owners push for shorter delivery windows and more predictable openings, contractors face increasing pressure to control variables that traditionally sit outside their direct influence. Pre-engineered metal buildings address that challenge by packaging key structural and envelope decisions into a coordinated, engineered system that moves much of the risk away from the jobsite and into controlled design and fabrication environments.

When project teams engage PEMB suppliers early, align permitting and foundations with the manufacturing schedule and plan erection logistics around sequenced deliveries, they create a clearer critical path and more reliable completion dates for commercial and industrial projects.

SEE ALSO: EVOLUTIONARY THEORY: PREFABRICATION’S TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDUSTRY

The post How Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings Can Help Contractors Shorten Project Timelines first appeared on Construction Executive.

These scenarios play out in commercial buildings across the country every day. And in most cases, they can be avoided entirely with proactive capital planning.

An Elevator Works Harder Than Most People Realize

The average commercial elevator makes up to 500 trips per day, equivalent to traveling more than 1,000 miles per year. Over the operational life of a building, that is an enormous cumulative load on mechanical and electronic components that were engineered for a specific service life. The cab and its components such as control systems, drive technology and door operators are relics of the era in which they were installed, likely operating well past their optimal performance window.

Regular maintenance can keep aging systems running smoothly for decades, but even the best maintenance plans have their limits. At some point, repairs can only do so much, and the cost of keeping an outdated system operational begins to outpace the cost of replacing it with something built for the next 20 to 30 years. 

The Three Costs Building Owners Aren’t Accounting For

When a building owner defers an elevator modernization, the calculus often looks straightforward: The repair bill today is smaller than the proposed modernization project. What that calculation misses are the three categories of cost that accumulate as your elevator equipment ages.

The first is operational. Aging components fail more frequently and less predictably. Emergency service calls can carry premium pricing, and replacement parts for obsolete systems can be difficult to source, which adds extended downtime on top of cost. What begins as a manageable maintenance budget and downtime can quickly double over a three-to-five-year window as a system continues to age.

The second is liability. Aging elevator equipment interacting with the public every day creates real exposure for building owners, operators and managers alike. ADA compliance, fire safety codes and local inspection requirements are not static, and systems that were fully compliant at installation may no longer meet current standards. Owners who get ahead of modernization are protecting their tenants, their visitors and themselves.

The third is asset value. In a competitive leasing market, vertical transportation is not a background amenity, it’s a daily touchpoint for every tenant in the building. Slow wait times, frequent service interruptions and outdated cab aesthetics are documented factors in tenant retention decisions. For building owners preparing for a refinance, a sale or a major lease renewal cycle, an aging elevator system is a liability that sophisticated buyers and tenants will price in.

Modernization Is a Roadmap

One of the most persistent misconceptions about elevator modernization—one that often causes decision makers to delay—is that it requires a complete system replacement, a prolonged construction period and a major capital event. In practice, a well-structured modernization can be phased across budget cycles, prioritized by risk exposure and executed with minimal disruption to building operations.

Modern approaches allow individual cars to be taken offline for upgrades while the remaining units stay fully operational, a meaningful advantage in multi-cab modernizations where downtime is the primary operational concern. Building owners and their contractors can also take advantage of online planning tools that allow modernization scenarios to be modeled and costed before any contractor engagement begins, enabling more informed conversations with lenders, ownership groups and tenants.   

The conversation has also shifted around destination dispatch technology, which optimizes traffic flow across a bank of elevators by assigning passengers to specific cabs before they reach the lobby. Originally developed for new high-rise installations, this technology is now broadly applicable to modernization projects and can be added to many existing systems without a full cab or hoistway replacement. For building owners looking to meaningfully improve performance without a full overhaul, it represents one of the highest impact upgrades available for elevator systems.

The Efficiency Case Is Getting Harder to Ignore

For building owners navigating ESG reporting requirements or managing LEED-certified properties, an elevator modernization carries an energy efficiency dividend that is increasingly difficult to overlook. Modern drive systems, including regenerative drive technology that return energy to the building’s electrical system during descent, can reduce elevator energy consumption significantly compared to older motor-generator technology. In large, multi-cab installations, that reduction is a meaningful contribution to a building’s overall energy profile.

Modern systems also reduce the carbon footprint of ongoing maintenance, as intelligent diagnostics and remote monitoring allow service teams to address emerging issues before they become emergency calls. This predictive maintenance reduces unplanned service calls and tenant disruption.

Where to Start

For contractors advising building owner clients, the starting point is an honest assessment of the equipment. The right questions are simple: How old are the core control and drive components? What does the repair history look like and in what direction is it trending? Are there pending code reviews or renovation projects that could trigger compliance requirements? What does the leasing picture look like over the next three to five years?

Online planning tools now make it possible for building owners and their advisors to begin modeling modernization options, including phased timelines and associated costs, well before a formal contractor engagement. That early homework separates building owners who are in control of their modernization timeline from those who find themselves at the mercy of it.

The Cost of Waiting Is Already on the Ledger

For building owners and facility managers with aging elevator equipment, an elevator modernization is not just a future expense to be budgeted; it is an opportunity to plan your downtime and therefore provide a better customer experience. The cost of waiting to modernize your elevator is real, and those who work in the industry can confirm it almost always exceeds the cost of a proactive modernization.

Treating your vertical transportation systems as strategic assets rather than maintenance line items will put you in control, helping to avoid emergency calls, increase tenant satisfaction and retention, and ultimately protect the long-term value and reputation of the property. The cost of waiting to modernize is real, and in the experience of those who work with customers facing these decisions every day, it almost always exceeds the cost of proactive modernization. So rather than crossing your fingers that your equipment can survive another year, talk to your elevator service provider about how to get ahead of it on your schedule, on your terms, and on your budget.

SEE ALSO: RISING DEBATE: PROPRIETARY VS. NON-PROPRIETARY ELEVATOR EQUIPMENT

The post How Deferred Elevator Modernization Quietly Erodes Your Building’s Bottom Line first appeared on Construction Executive.

Cofounder of the Boston-based contech company, Cyvl, Pelaez is helping over 100 U.S. cities rethink how they build and rebuild their roads.

“Through vehicle-mounted sensing and analytics already embedded in day-to-day operations, Cyvl is effectively powering the reconstruction of roads up and down the country—determining what gets fixed, when and why,” says a representative of the company.

Having just been named in Cemex Ventures’ Top 50 Contech Startups for 2026—which recognizes companies that are already influencing how construction and infrastructure decisions are made on the ground—Cyvl sat down with Construction Executive to discuss their evolutionary work further.

Maybe even stay tuned for a sneak peek inside one of their AI-powered cars.

What was the impetus for starting this product/company?

DANIEL PALAEZ: It’s a fun story. It started with the problem and we found the technology to solve that problem. One of my first ever jobs was working on the road crew for a public works department in Southbury, Connecticut. And I was seeing firsthand how hard it was to manage infrastructure. The town was reacting to issues every single day, whether that be residents hitting a pothole or trees falling down or missing signage no one noticed until it caused an accident. This was a smaller city that was relying on outdated data that lived on paper in a three-ring binder.

I was only about 18 or 19 at the time, but I figured there had to be a better way. So, I started talking to lots of other communities and realized they were relying on similar techniques. When I entered college in 2020 for engineering is when I started to learn about these sensors used for self-driving vehicles, and that was the “a-ha” moment of seeing the massive problem firsthand, recognizing that pretty much every community across the U.S. is battling with outdated infrastructure and information. Then it was about figuring out how technology from self-driving cars could be applied to automatically map out infrastructure, and how to use AI to perform condition assessments, recommend treatments, budgets, etc. That is really where we saw the magic of applying that tech to this problem. Ever since then it’s been a very fun journey helping hundreds of governments implement this into their day-to-day workflows.

What was the process of getting this off the ground?

About halfway through college, I thought this would be a fun application of the tech. It was never a class project. I just started conceptualizing it in my mind and I recruited one of my best friends and roommates—we’ve actually known each other since we were seven years old—who is way smarter than I am to help me build it out.

We didn’t know anything about starting a company; we just thought we were solving a cool problem. We began looking for funding to make prototypes and entering innovation contests across the country. After winning a few of them, everyone kept telling us, ‘Hey, this is a really big problem that our country and the world needs to solve,’ which motivated us to take it more seriously. So, shortly after graduating, we decided to become cofounders and brought on a third friend of ours from college to help us with the AI side of things. We raised $100,000 from our first ever investors, which felt like a lot of money at the time—we were all just 22 years old. We made that last more than a year until we got our first customers. And it’s been a wild ride since then.

When did this product officially hit the streets?

At the beginning of 2022, we started our first projects with municipalities and a few civil engineering firms in Massachusetts. Those were crazy days where the product barely worked, but we were determined to make it better and to keep getting feedback from the cities and towns we were working with, which was invaluable to us at time.

Do these sensors/vehicles operate as a service (i.e. SaaS)?

It’s an annual investment the cities make in our technology. What that gives them is access to the sensors, which they can put on their vehicle so they don’t need to buy them, and access to our software program, which is what’s taking all the data from the sensors, automatically processing it, doing the condition reports and then creating plans and budgets so the city can get to work with more speed and accuracy.

Was it hard to get cities to agree to bring this tech on board?

Yeah, it was incredibly hard. Imagine a 22-year-old placing cold calls into every single town or city in the state telling them, ‘Hey, I have a better way to manage your very expensive roads and sidewalks.’ There was a lot of skepticism—especially when they asked how many customers we had and we had to say zero. We got a lot of nos, but, slowly but surely, we started building a reputation. It’s still challenging these days, but I think that’s what’s really been special.

Cities do see immediate value when they start working with our technology. Now there’s less perceived risk when we can present them with data from working with some of the biggest cities in the nation. It was never easy, but, as with any business, you just have to keep pushing through.

What is the smallest/biggest city you’ve worked with?

We’ve worked all over Massachusetts, Iowa, Wisconsin in some pretty small communities, about 5,000 people or under. Our first big customer was the city of Atlanta. We partnered with them about a year and a half ago, and we were just selected by the city of Nashville to do a full five-year infrastructure plan. We have a few other big cities that we cannot formally announce yet, and we’re even beginning talks with some state DOTs.

How do you hope to see your company evolve?

I’d say our number one goal and our mission as a company is to enable government agencies to build infrastructure 90% faster and 50% cheaper than they’re doing today. And if we can encourage a digital-first standard, I’m sure there will be more companies like us popping up, and I’m sure some of the major civil engineering firms are going to start to embrace these technologies, too. If we can make that the de facto standard for the U.S. by 2030, that will be a huge accomplishment for us. We’re really trying to change an entire industry here, and we’re not going to do that alone. So, bringing more people along with that shared digital-first mentality and the new operating model for infrastructure is incredibly important.

How do you hope that your story might inspire the future of construction business owners and innovators?

I’ve been so fortunate just to be surrounded by mentors and advisors and friends that have been cheering for us, supporting us, rooting for us unconditionally, because the construction industry is definitely not the quickest to adopt technology and rightfully so—there are major risks on the line when you’re talking about critical infrastructure. I think for good reason people are conservative about trying new things.

My advice is simply ‘don’t give up.’ It’s very easy to be told no 99 times and to return to whatever you were doing in life before. But, I guarantee you, that if you just keep your mind to it, you don’t give up, you persist, whatever you’re working on, whether it’s a business in this industry or not, you’ll be successful. Then surround yourself with like-minded folks, because you need that positivity. You have to be a default optimist.

SEE ALSO: NEW WALL-SCALING ROBOTS ARE SAVING CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES TIME, PRODUCT AND PERSONNEL

The post Contech Company Cyvl Uses Vehicle-Mounted AI Sensors to Collect Fresh Data for Some of America’s Biggest Cities first appeared on Construction Executive.

What drew you into the entrepreneurial world?

I’ve been in construction my whole life starting at age 14 or 15. I worked in Lubbock framing apartments and learning all the ins and outs of how not to hurt yourself. Ultimately, after I graduated college, I tried all kinds of different jobs.

I ended up at a company in Grand Prairie, Texas, called Read Plastics. I had to wear a suit and tie and work indoors. We supplied colorant to any company throughout the U.S. that would manufacture a plastic product that had color. One of the companies that we supplied material to was called Sport Court out of Salt Lake City. So, I picked up the phone and gave them a call—fortunately it was family owned back then. They said for $250 they’d send me a [sport court starter] kit. So, I scrambled up $250, sent it on in, and that’s how it got started. That was around 1988, 1989—and I’ve just enjoyed the journey so far.

While sport courts themselves are prolific, construction-wise they are down a pretty niche avenue. Elaborate on the actual construction process of building a court.

It starts with a phone call or a referral. We talk to the family or business briefly about what they’re looking for, how many people will be using the court, what sports they are looking to play, etc. And then we work on setting up a time and a date to go out and meet with the client at their home or business, paying close attention to easements, HOA requirements, permitting, etc. If mother nature isn’t an issue, we can get permitted pretty quickly once we start breaking ground—typically about 45 days or less.

Then we work on design: If it’s outdoors, that means paying attention to the lay of the land, the flow of water, the orientation of the sun at different times of day. Once the design is set, we come in and pour a concrete slab, which sets up for a few days. Then we can start topping it out with the fencing, the lights, the hoops, the surfacing, the tennis net, the shuffleboard lines or other. Then it’s a cleanup, a handshake and years of fun.

All these courts are built custom, in one-foot increments, whether it’s a full-size tennis court or a compact sport court—which allows you to play up to 15 games from roller hockey to basketball to volleyball to pickleball to paddle tennis to badminton and more.

We do a lot of indoor courts, as well. We are seeing a trend of more and more families doing indoor courts, especially in homes up in Minnesota where they have frigid temperatures, or in incredibly hot climates. We actually have a ribbon cutting tomorrow with the Mavs Foundation—we supplied the floor and the sports equipment for the YMCA in Flower Mound.

Do you do work with any multifamily complexes or retail places?

We have an individual in our office who specializes in that area. There’s a huge amount of development going on in North Texas right now with homes, community homes, apartments, etc. We are staying busy every week building commercial pickleball courts, basketball courts, tennis courts.

How has your company grown since you first started?

Early on, it was just me and my dad. Eventually, I met my wife and she came on board and took care of all the stuff that I wasn’t doing properly—I had shoe boxes in our bedroom where I kept all my receipts. She got me organized and started handling the phones, entering in leads and more, and that enabled me to go out and continue to sell and build and so forth. Over the years we went from three people to now 12 employees, so it’s grown a lot. And of course our business seems to keep growing as well.

We want to continue to grow. We are always looking at potential new products and partnerships. Ten years ago, we teamed up with Donnie Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks. He created the PFL, the Professional Futsal League, and we helped promote that league for him and it just slowly keeps growing and growing and growing. And we’ve partnered with FC Dallas, building eight mini-pitch soccer courts for them. We are always looking for ways to grow our business, and a lot of that’s going to have to do with making sure that we know what’s coming down the pike as far as new sports and new equipment and things of that nature.

Talk about your philanthropy efforts—namely the Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Award from D CEO magazine—but also where did these efforts originate? Was this always something you wanted to make part of your business plan?

It started probably 25 years ago with the Mavs Foundation. I learned that they would go out once a year and renovate an old basketball court. And I actually saw them doing that in South Dallas 25 years ago. What they were doing back then is taking an old basketball court and then putting a layer of paint on it. But in six months to a year, that paint would either peel or crack or the logos would fade. So, I introduced them to the modular-tile sport court product, and they thankfully said, ‘You know what, let’s try one.’ 25 years later, we’ve completed probably close to 40 courts now with the Mavs Foundation.

Then I became a sponsor of the Texas Legends in Frisco, the NBA G-League team. I did a court for Pat Summerall, the former pro-football player and sports announcer. Then I met Nancy Lieberman, the former pro-basketball player and coach, and she put together a program called Dream Courts, and we built her very first one 17 years ago in Frisco. And now she’s done 150 nationwide, and we’ve done about 50 of those locally.

It just kept blossoming: We did five or six ball-hockey courts for the Dallas Stars Foundation, and we’ve done about eight futsal courts for FC Dallas.

By partnering with these organizations and groups, we’re able to provide that same upper echelon product and design to the lower income communities that normally might just be playing on a painted slab or an asphalt court.

When you go look at an old basketball court that’s been there for 25 years, the rims are faded, they’re broken, the court’s cracked. For an organization to come in and use a high-end product, the before and after pictures are unbelievable. When the local kids who are used to the dilapidated court walk in and see this color—because it comes in 20 different colors—they are just so excited to see what someone’s given back to them.

From there, we got into donating courts to some of these nonprofit groups for their live auctions. The very first one I did was with the Children’s Cancer Fund of Dallas. It just so happened at that first event, Dak Prescott was the highest bidder. So, we built him a pickleball court. Then Dak Prescott’s foundation—Faith. Fight. Finish.—called and said, ‘Hey, will you do that for us?’ So, we have stayed active in that realm.

How do you instill that sense of philanthropy in the people you hire?

When a court’s donated, obviously we have to fund it. And I’m not as young as I used to be, so I tend to ask one of my sales reps. It’s worth their while because every time you build a court, you build a relationship with a family or business and that family or business has relationships with other families or business associates.

Right now, we just finished a court for someone who was the highest bidder at the Cattle Baron’s Ball in Dallas. It turns out we’re actually doing a big basketball court and a little football field in his neighbor’s home, whose best friend and wife are this year’s chair of Make-A-Wish. So, to give the employees and give the sales reps stories to tell is a big part of selling.

Of course, the benefits of getting involved in a lot of these groups and organizations is you often get invited to events, and we make sure that our employees and their family can come to these events, which is always a lot of fun as well.

Let’s talk about the award.

This is the benefit of having a PR firm like The Power Group. One of the things they started doing that I never would’ve thought of doing is to nominate the company for various awards like this one. So, I have to give 100% of the credit to The Power Group in Dallas.

When you received word that you got the award, how did you feel about that?

Well, I felt excited. Finally, I found an avenue where people can educate families and educate the public about what we do. Hopefully there’ll be a family that sees it, and we can help them build something for their kids to grow up with in their own backyard.

We were also just awarded a contract to build seven mini-pitch soccer courts for the North Texas World Cup Committee. So, we’re very excited about that. It’s probably going to be over 40,000 square feet of court surfacing, fencing, soccer goals. I grew up in Arlington, Texas, playing soccer, and one of the courts is going to be right in downtown Arlington, real close to where the games are going to be starting in June. The World Cup coming to DFW is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but then being awarded that contract is just something else.

SEE ALSO: TRUSTING THE PIPELINE: SUPPORTING EARLY-CAREER CONSTRUCTION TALENT

The post Build a Court, Give a Court: Dallas Business Founder’s Philanthropy and Construction Efforts Culminate in World Cup Spotlight first appeared on Construction Executive.

This unique dynamic creates an environment where construction activities are happening adjacent to sensitive testing and treatment, a complex setting where disruptions can have serious consequences. Skanska continues to successfully navigate these challenges across multiple sectors, including from occupied lab space at the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s (NCDEQ) Reedy Creek Laboratory in Raleigh to hospital corridors alongside staff and patients in various hospital locations across the country.

While laboratories and hospitals are inherently different, the approach behind renovating these facilities without disrupting regular operations is quite similar. The secret sauce: strong communication with the customer, alongside careful planning and strategic scheduling that keep disturbances to an absolute minimum.

Construction in Phases

Splitting construction into phases is critical: It allows upgrades to be carried out in predetermined spaces, while maintaining the majority of the customer’s standard operations. This strategy is implemented with a detailed schedule that establishes the framework for the duration of critical activities in each specific phase, guaranteeing the customer is informed about every step in the process. Each phase is sequenced deliberately and intentionally, such that work generating the most noise, dust or disruption is clustered together and scheduled when it will have the least impact on surrounding operations, so that no single moment in the project catches the customer off guard.

Navigating Disruptions

While assembling a thoughtfully crafted plan to renovate an active facility is difficult in itself, the real challenge begins when crews step into the occupied space to start construction activities. Isolating the activities with barriers  is crucial to maintaining operations and reducing the impact of noise and vibrations.

Skanska has extensive experience working within active hospitals nationwide. Protecting patients, staff and ongoing operations is always a priority. Construction activity is carefully isolated from treatment rooms, laboratories and corridors through temporary partition walls and negative air pressure environments that keep dust and debris within the construction zone. This is instrumental for patients to receive uninterrupted treatment and testing progresses as usual.

At NCDEQ, the firm utilized vibration monitors on sensitive equipment to ensure construction activities had no adverse effects. In addition, while noisier actions and complex electrical work were completed on weekends or outside of typical working hours.

Maintaining Critical Infrastructure and Technical Systems

Occupied facility renovations demand meticulous attention to air quality, power continuity and specialized infrastructure. Air quality is particularly crucial in healthcare facilities and laboratories, where airborne contaminants from construction could compromise patient health or experimental integrity. In instances such as this, advanced filtration systems and carefully sealed containment barriers can be used to ensure particulates and fumes stay confined to construction areas—a standard that goes beyond typical jobsite practice.

While air quality is a major concern, the presence of construction chemicals in a laboratory space pose a similar threat to ongoing research. Skanska held extensive discussions with the NCDEQ to identify and review the chemical makeup of proposed construction materials, verifying these chemicals would not impact ongoing testing. Knowing exactly what compounds were present in the lab determined which adhesives, coatings and construction materials could safely be used in proximity to active research.

Maintaining power during construction is perhaps the most important when working on an occupied facility. Healthcare and research facilities depend on uninterrupted electrical service for everything from life-support equipment in hospitals to climate-controlled sample storage in laboratories. While upgrading electrical systems at NCDEQ, Skanska used temporary panels, circuits and mechanical connections to sustain power for lab technicians as work progressed, ensuring that at no point during the electrical upgrade did researchers lose power to the equipment they depended on.

In addition to electrical upgrades, Skanska’s work at operating facilities throughout the country include the replacement of the entire mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure; these sophisticated overhauls require careful tracing of the existing MEP systems to confirm there is no interference while preserving service throughout the facility’s active and occupied spaces.

Keeping Crews and Occupants Safe

The importance of safe construction practices is always paramount; however, safety is further heightened when working in active facilities. The construction site is no longer an isolated zone but a shared space where construction workers, facility staff, patients or researchers may all be present simultaneously. Managing that reality means more than posting signage—it requires construction teams and facility staff to operate as a single coordinated unit, with clear protocols for who goes where, when and why. Comprehensive safety measures include creating clearly marked construction zones, establishing controlled access points and exits, implementing strict material handling procedures and maintaining constant communication between construction teams and facility management.

Building For Tomorrow, Operating Today

Renovating active healthcare and laboratory facilities is entirely achievable with the right combination of strategic planning, technical expertise, and collaborative communication. Skanska has proven that success relies on a phased construction approach, rigorous safety protocols, earned trust and a commitment to minimizing disruption to the essential operations within these spaces.

The work performed at NCDEQ and various research and hospital locations throughout the country doesn’t just provide modernized facilities, it demonstrates that with enough planning, transparency and technical discipline, construction and critical customer operations can share the same space without either one giving ground. As the demand for modernized healthcare and research infrastructure continues to grow, projects like these will serve as a blueprint for how the construction industry can address that need without completely shutting down critical operations.

SEE ALSO: INSIDE CONSTRUCTION’S HIGHEST-PERFORMING PROJECTS

The post Building the Research and Healthcare Facilities of Tomorrow Without Impacting the Progress of Today first appeared on Construction Executive.

“We realize how necessary it is to get in front of students at a young age to let them know our industry exists and that there are a multitude of careers available,” says Helen Robinson, chair of the DFI Educational Trust and vice president of GEI Consultants Inc.

The trust serves as the charitable arm of DFI—an international association of contractors, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, academics and owners in the geotechnical construction industry.

Over the past 20 years, more than 700 students and young professionals—geoprofessionals involved in the design and construction of foundations, excavations, ground improvement and tunneling—have received scholarships and grants across the United States and Canada, which includes many international students studying in North America.

“We always get a very high caliber of candidates, so it’s very difficult to make the scholarship selections,” Robinson says.

Recipients of the scholarships are enrolled full time at U.S. and Ontario, Canada-based colleges or universities and are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees related to the field. Spring scholarships range from $2,000 to $5,000. “A $5,000 scholarship is wonderful, but we’d love to do even more,” says Robinson.

“We’re always trying to quantify the impact and determine how we can use the funds more effectively. It’s a challenge because the cost of getting an engineering degree continues to increase,” she says.

Since 2006, the trust has awarded nearly $2.7 million in scholarships and grants through 24 funds, including the spring offerings for At-Large Scholarship Program and Women in Deep Foundations Professional Development Grants Fund.

Recognizing diversity gaps within the industry, DFI’s Women in Deep Foundations Committee worked with the trust to create an initiative to support professional growth and industry engagement among women involved in geotechnical design, manufacturing and construction.

The grant awards recipients $1,750 and provides a complimentary opportunity to attend DFI’s Annual Conference on Deep Foundations in Orlando, Florida—helping expand networking and career development opportunities.

“Over the past 15 years or so, we’ve seen real progress for women in the industry,” Robinson says. “But there’s always more we can do, especially when it comes to supporting parents starting young families.”

Despite strong career potential, the geotechnical industry is not usually at the forefront of students and parents’ minds. A lack of awareness around the field’s opportunities continues to impact recruitment.

“There’s so much work to be done. We are working to educate parents and students who may be interested in the field,” says Robinson. “Not everyone needs to go to college. You can make a good living, be part of a team and be very successful without that path. We want young people to know that.”

Retention is another growing concern.

“People in the industry are getting burned out because we can’t keep up, and some are seeking lower-stress jobs. It creates a cycle,” she says. “Geotechnical work has a reputation for people getting dirty, and the tools or lab testing may not seem as exciting.”

The solution? Supporting the next generation of professionals in the geotechnical industry with access, awareness and opportunity.

“We need to change the image of professions in the industry to reflect innovation,” says Robinson. “It’s not just about moving dirt—it’s an exciting and highly challenging field, and the world is built on the work we do.”

SEE ALSO: A BEACON OF HOPE: JOSEPH GROH FOUNDATION’S NEWEST GRANT RECIPIENT

The post Trusting the Pipeline: Supporting Early-Career Construction Talent first appeared on Construction Executive.

Years of engineering intelligence, construction documentation and design intent are bundled into a project closeout package and handed to the owner—who files it in a system you will never access again. Three ownership transitions later, that documentation is gone. Not destroyed. Not deleted. Just disconnected—spread across file servers of firms that no longer manage the property, locked inside software platforms replaced twice over or sitting in the memory of a facilities director who retired years ago.

Buildings in the United States routinely operate for 50 to 100 years. The digital records documenting those assets are lucky to survive a single ownership transition.

A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM THAT PREDATES TECHNOLOGY

The construction and design industry has invested heavily in digital transformation over the past two decades. Project-management platforms, cloud-based document control and real-time collaboration tools have fundamentally changed how buildings are designed and delivered. The data generated across a modern project is extraordinary in its depth and precision.

And virtually none of it persists.

The reason is not a failure of technology. It is a failure of architecture—specifically, the absence of any persistent identity layer connecting digital records to the physical asset they describe. Infrastructure data is organized around projects, platforms and organizations. When the project closes, the platform migrates or the organization changes, the data disappears with them. The building itself has no digital identity to which records can remain permanently anchored.

What is missing is not better data management. What is missing is a permanent, asset-anchored identity that exists independently of any platform, project or organization.

THE HANDOVER MOMEMENT IS WHERE IT BREAKS

The handover package represents the most complete snapshot of a building that will ever exist—the engineering intent of every system, installation records for every component, commissioning results and compliance documentation. It is the institutional memory of the building at its most complete. From the moment it is handed over, that memory begins to degrade.

Maintenance records accumulate in facility management platforms, but reference equipment by asset tag rather than by any identifier tied to the original engineering record. The connection between the installed system and its design specification is severed.

Renovation work is documented in project files, organized around the contractor’s workflow rather than the building’s lifecycle record. Pre-renovation conditions and as-built changes exist in isolation from everything that preceded them.

Insurance events are recorded in underwriting systems with no connection to the engineering documentation that would contextualize a claim. An underwriter assessing a roof failure has no reliable access to the original specifications or maintenance history that might explain it.

Each system generates accurate, professionally maintained records. The trouble is, none can communicate with the others because they do not share a common reference point—a persistent identity for the asset itself.

THE REAL COST TO BUILDERS AND DESIGNERS

The design and construction industry bears costs from this fragmentation that are rarely attributed to their true source. When a renovation contractor cannot locate original structural drawings and commissions new engineering studies, that is a cost of identity fragmentation. When a contractor’s litigation defense depends on locating decade-old installation records, the difficulty of that search is a cost of identity fragmentation. When an insurance carrier disputes a claim because maintenance compliance cannot be verified, that delay and expense trace back to the same structural failure.

The construction and design industry produces some of the most technically sophisticated documentation in any field. The fact that it routinely disappears within a decade of project completion is not a reflection of the industry’s capability. It is a reflection of the absence of infrastructure designed to preserve it.

A NEW FRAMEWORK: PERSISTENT INFRASTRUCTURE IDENTITY

Addressing this problem requires a solution that operates at the identity layer rather than the application layer. Rather than connecting existing systems through integrations, the emerging approach treats identity itself as the foundational layer: a permanent, globally unique identifier assigned to every physical infrastructure asset at the point of creation and maintained across its entire lifecycle.

This concept—Persistent Infrastructure Identity—draws on well-established precedents. The automotive industry has used Vehicle Identification Numbers since the 1950s to maintain a continuous record of every vehicle across manufacturers, dealers, insurers and owners. Aviation assigns registration identifiers that persist across operators and jurisdictions for decades. Financial markets rely on standardized securities identifiers that track assets across institutions and ownership structures with complete continuity.

A persistent infrastructure identifier provides a stable reference point not owned by any platform, not dependent on any organization and not invalidated by any ownership transition. Engineering documentation, construction records, maintenance histories, inspection reports and renovation records all reference the same underlying identifier—creating a continuous chain of custody that follows the physical asset rather than the parties who have managed it.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR DESIGN AND BUILD PROFESSIONALS

Documentation continuity. Engineering records created at design and construction remain associated with the asset across its lifecycle rather than being effectively lost at project close. The technical intelligence embedded in a building becomes a permanent part of its record.

Liability clarity. A persistent, append-only record of what was designed, built, installed and inspected creates a defensible documentation chain accessible decades after project completion. The ambiguity that complicates construction litigation is a direct consequence of fragmentation—one that persistent identity directly addresses.

Lifecycle value. Buildings with continuous, verifiable records are more valuable, more insurable and more financeable. As capital markets and insurers recognize the risk premium of undocumented assets, professionals who establish those records at project inception will have made a measurable contribution to long-term asset value.

Interoperability. A shared identity standard allows platforms used across the construction lifecycle—design, project management, facilities management and insurance—to reference the same underlying asset without requiring replacement or direct integration.

THE ORIGIN POINT OF EVERY BUILDING’S LIFECYCLE

The design and construction industry sits at the origin point of every building’s lifecycle. The records created at design and construction are the most complete documentation an asset will ever have. Establishing persistent identity at that origin point—at the moment of creation rather than retroactively—is both the most logical and the most efficient approach to solving a problem that costs the global built environment trillions of dollars annually.

Buildings should not forget their history. The professionals who build them are in the best position to ensure they never do.

SEE ALSO: THE INDUSTRIAL METAVERSE: ACT NOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR AEC WORKFLOW

The post When Buildings Forget: Digital Data Siloing first appeared on Construction Executive.