Opinion

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders

If you are interested in having your voice heard on Construction Dive's Opinion page, please read our editorial guidelines and fill out the submission form here.

  • a software developer writes code while using an external monitor in an office setting
    Image attribution tooltip
    Nattakorn Maneerat via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why agentic AI may herald golden age for procurement

    Procurement is an ideal use case for agentic AI because it’s inherently complex, data-driven and prone to human error, writes Globality’s Keith McFarlane.

    Keith McFarlane • June 20, 2025
  • Photograph depicts a security scanner extracting virus from a string of binary code.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Hailshadow via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why cybersecurity matters for construction

    As the building industry digitizes, cyber hygiene, training and insurance are critical, a construction attorney writes.

    Jason Kosek • June 17, 2025
  • Aerial view of flooded homes following Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New ASCE codes aim to provide vital flood protection

    The updated standards mark a major shift in approach for design and construction in flood hazard areas, according to a floodplain manager.

    Tom Little • June 13, 2025
  • a group of construction workers on break
    Image attribution tooltip
    Ivan Pantic via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Strive for more than work-life balance

    A construction career can be deeply rewarding, not an experience to be dreaded, writes consultant Chad Prinkey.

    Chad Prinkey • June 12, 2025
  • A seasoned professional gives advice to an early career worker.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Skender Construction
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why construction needs to lean into better mentorships

    Teaching early-career professionals should go beyond technical know-how to give future leaders critical thinking and problem-solving skills, writes a senior project manager.

    Nelson Frech • June 6, 2025
  • President Donald Trump addresses the press at the White House on Jan. 21, 2025.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How should construction companies handle DEI under Trump?

    Given the president’s order targeting “illegal” equity programs, firms need to prepare for challenges from both the government and workers, writes an employment attorney.

    Neil C. Schur • June 5, 2025
  • A wide shot of a solar panel production line with robot arms in a factory.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SweetBunFactory via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    IRA tax credits spur construction, manufacturing in red and blue states

    Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act could slow our ability to build more power generation and increase the risk of rolling blackouts and higher energy costs.

    Emmanuel Martin-Lauzer • May 30, 2025
  • In an aerial view, shipping containers are stacked on a dock at the Port of Oakland on December 09, 2024 in Oakland, California.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    It’s not too late to offset tariffs on existing jobs

    Though increased costs seem inevitable, there are steps owners can take to mitigate potential impacts, even on current projects, write two attorneys.

    Stacy Bercun Bohm and Trav Clark • May 28, 2025
  • A construction worker in a hard hat uses steel rebar during the building of a condo tower.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Navigating the impact of new Buy America requirements on FHWA projects

    With the Manufactured Products General Waiver gone, contractors must prepare for potential cost, schedule and quality control issues, legal experts say.

    Michael Peloso & Dan McCrave-Bessette • May 27, 2025
  • Two construction workers wear respirators on a jobsite.
    Image attribution tooltip
    coffeekai via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Worker safety is in jeopardy if we don’t protect NIOSH

    The agency that has been gutted by recent federal cuts provides the construction industry with vital support, writes a community health professor.

    Sandra J. Domeracki • May 21, 2025
  • accounting
    Image attribution tooltip
    atiatiati via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Cash isn’t king. Cash flow is.

    Smart contractors know how long it takes for money to transform from an outgoing expense to an incoming payment, writes data scientist Bruce Orr.

    Bruce Orr • May 14, 2025
  • A man stands in a board room, looking out on the horizon
    Image attribution tooltip
    brightstars via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How new construction execs can set themselves up to succeed

    Emerging leaders must be flexible in the face of change while also speaking up for what they need, writes consultant Matt Verderamo.

    Matt Verderamo • May 14, 2025
  • Aerial shot of TSMC's $40 billion construction project in Phoenix, Arizona
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by TSMC
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why Trump’s tariffs alone aren’t enough

    Manufacturing projects are complex. Levies aimed at bringing these builds back to the U.S. need to be paired with broader initiatives, writes one construction executive. 

    Brian Gallagher • May 9, 2025
  • Aerial view of construction site with excavators on a sunny day.
    Image attribution tooltip
    gorodenkoff via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What NEPA changes mean for projects, permitting timelines

    The framework for environmental reviews is shifting as federal agencies revise or develop their own implementing regulations, according to attorney Alexaida Collet.

    Alexaida Collet • May 6, 2025
  • Construction workers help build a condo tower using steel rebar on Feb. 10, 2025, in Miami, Fla.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Your contract can mitigate tariff impacts, if you know where to look

    Two construction lawyers detail how cost-plus, guaranteed maximum price and lump sum agreements work in light of higher import duties.

    Mason Hester and Austin Moorman • April 21, 2025
  • an older worker trains a new worker on a construction site
    Image attribution tooltip
    Akacin Phonsawat via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why do we set up new hires to fail?

    The construction industry must move away from "sink-or-swim" training and instead provide early career workers with the coaching they need, writes consultant Fulton Cure.

    Fulton Cure • April 15, 2025
  • A construction site with two cranes.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Gerville via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The AI infrastructure race hits a political reality check

    The AI-driven data center boom has created demand for land, electricity and water, a dynamic that has spawned growing opposition from communities, utility grid operators and regulators.

    Joe Brettell and Jeff Berkowitz • April 14, 2025
  • An engineer looks at a table while overseeing a construction site.
    Image attribution tooltip
    sculpies/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How to use tech to fill construction’s skills gap

    While new technology can be daunting for workers and managers alike, a venture chief says starting small and educating onsite personnel can help firms stay ahead of the curve.

    Gonzalo Galindo • April 9, 2025
  • steel rods sit on the back of a truck
    Image attribution tooltip
    Nordroden via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Tariffs will change the way projects are financed, delivered

    Rising material costs from President Donald Trump’s trade war are altering how deals are structured and jobs are executed, writes a construction executive.

    Brian Gallagher • April 8, 2025
  • A blue clipboard with a white paper that says "OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration," and protective gear lying above it.
    Image attribution tooltip
    designer491 for iStock via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Protecting OSHA protects workers. Slashing its budget is a dangerous mistake.

    Now is the time to invest more — not less — in the agency, writes a safety leader.

    Cam Mackey • April 4, 2025
  • two men shake hands on a construction site
    Image attribution tooltip
    shotbydave via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Design-build fosters collaboration, flexibility

    The fastest-growing project delivery method in the U.S. can help contractors control costs, streamline schedules and encourage innovation.

    Lisa Washington • March 27, 2025
  • workers rehabilitate a bridge roadway as the sun rises in the distance
    Image attribution tooltip
    John Moore via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    11 predictions for public contractors under Trump 2.0

    In this volatile environment, adapting quickly and understanding what is important to officials will be critical to government contracting success, writes consultant Mary Scott Nabers.

    Mary Scott Nabers • March 25, 2025
  • A group of people in a modern office chat over a presentation.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    You’re not losing on price — you’re losing on process

    Successful construction industry salespeople must hone this core set of competencies in order to win more projects, says consultant Chad Prinkey.

    Chad Prinkey • March 12, 2025
  • a father holds a baby in the hospital while the mother looks on
    Image attribution tooltip
    AscentXMedia via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Helping women succeed at work starts with better leave

    Supporting parents begins with stronger leave policies, writes a construction executive who gained a new perspective after starting her own family.

    Rebecca Ozols Goss • March 5, 2025
  • A single rider waits on a train platform at a Washington Metro rail station.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Alternative delivery methods can help speed, simplify civil projects

    What’s behind acronyms like CMAR, DB, PDB and P3s? A transportation construction expert explains.

    Sami Soufi • Feb. 19, 2025