Tag: Infrastructure

Nucor expects steel mill shipments to grow closer to the upper end of its 5-10% range in 2026, President and COO Steve Laxton said on the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday. He cited demand from infrastructure, reshoring, digital infrastructure, and energy investment as demand drivers. A presentation released with the company’s Q3’26 earnings report said manufacturing construction spending remained near $170 billion annually, with activity broadening beyond chip plants to include power equipment, aerospace and defense, pharmaceuticals, and automotive. Data center construction spending doubled from 2024 to 2026, with a 20% compound annual growth rate projected through 2031.

Reliance Inc. posted a third-quarter profit more than double that of a year ago on record quarterly sales. The stellar result came thanks to higher steel prices and a jump in tons sold. A government contract for the US border wall with Mexico drove a significant portion of those gains, the company said. And the Phoenix-based service center chain, North America’s largest, predicted that profits would continue to surge in the fourth quarter despite concerns about steel availability and geopolitical instability.

Nucor Corp. announced a $60 million investment to expand its Towers & Structures facility in Trinity, Ala., to increase production of steel poles and other structures for utility infrastructure. The Towers & Structures manufacturing facility, which began operating in September 2025, is adjacent to the Nucor Steel Decatur flat-rolled mill. The expansion will add production capacity, laydown space, and a dedicated galvanizing inspection area, the company said. "Utilities across the country are making significant investments to strengthen and modernize the nation's power grid," remarked Nucor Chair and CEO Leon Topalian. "By expanding our Trinity facility adjacent to our Decatur sheet mill, we can combine American-made steel with highly efficient manufacturing to better serve our utility customers and support their long-term infrastructure needs. “

Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will join SMU for a Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. ET. What will we talk about? On the one hand, a steel-intensive data center boom continues to outstrip even the most bullish steel-demand forecasts. On the other hand, some more traditional construction markets are struggling. What happens if the data boom falters?

Nucor plans to invest $105 million to expand production at its utility towers and structures plant in Crawfordsville, Ind.

CRU: Global finished steel prices have diverged in August, with longs softening while sheet and plate firmed in most regions. Weak construction demand persisted across most longs markets, with the US the notable exception. Higher sheet prices were driven by tightening supply in the US and reduced import attractiveness in Europe, even as APAC sheet prices declined. Plate prices were mostly firmer across APAC, stable to down in Europe, and continued climbing in the US.

Spot market absorbs price hikes amidst booming plate demand 

Some hot-rolled coil market participants said they're optimistic that the market will remain strong throughout the rest of the year. 

Aluminum prices have spent the past month pricing in a calmer Middle East, while developments in the Strait of Hormuz have suggested anything but.

Mexico’s federal government is moving to implement its new steel-industry promotion pact. Officials held a high-level plenary session to align public procurement plans with domestic steel capacity.

Atlas Tube, a Zekelman company, said on Friday it has agreed to form a joint venture with Maruichi USA.

Steel trade groups have come out in support of the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America's 250th Act (BUILD America 250 Act)

The construction market is seeing activity from data centers and the energy infrastructure to support them. But other factors are dragging the sector down: The Iran war is spiking inflation; tariffs are driving up material costs; and immigration crackdowns are hurting labor.

Ken Simonson, chief economist for The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will join SMU for a Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, April 15, at 11 a.m. ET.

Canada's Algoma Steel and Roshel Inc. have partnered to form Roshel Algoma Defence (RADS), a sovereign ballistic steel solutions joint venture.

Ken Simonson, chief economist for The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), will join SMU for a Community Chat webinar on Wednesday, April 15, at 11 a.m. ET.

Crude-oil and natural-gas prices spiked, metals opened higher and some fertilizer benchmarks climbed after the US and Israel launched a “pre-emptive” strike on Iran, killing the supreme leader and plunging the region into chaos.

Total construction starts edged up 0.7% in January to an annualized rate of $1.24 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network.

The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) fell 6.2% in January to 272.7, retreating from December’s downwardly revised reading of 291.0, according to the latest data released by Dodge Construction Network.

Rising global capital and power costs, driven by China's production cap and higher-cost expansion in Indonesia, are resetting aluminum's incentive price, making higher LME levels necessary to unlock new primary capacity outside China.

Architecture firms across the US continued to face weak business conditions through the end of 2025, as economic conditions added to the uncertainty, said AIA.

AZZ Inc. posted record sales in its fiscal third quarter, driven by strong hot-dip galvanizing and coil coating demand tied to infrastructure, energy transition, and data center construction.

Architecture firms reported a modest improvement in billings in October, though business conditions remained soft, according to the latest ABI report.

With infrastructure demand shifting toward digital capacity, Nucor Corp. is positioning itself as the go-to steel supplier for the data center boom.

AZZ Inc. delivered steady results in its fiscal second quarter. While infrastructure-heavy work buoyed its Metal Coatings segment, its Precoat Metals business navigated softer building markets and tariff-driven uncertainty.

This week’s announcement represents $300 million of the $11 billion commitment Nippon made for the government's approval to buy USS.

While US construction markets are far from uniform, recent indicators from June and July paint an unusually fragmented picture.

AZZ Inc. posted record earnings for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year on the back of strong infrastructure-related demand and improved operating performance.

Prysmian’s groundbreaking for a 650,000-square-foot, medium-voltage cable facility on Encore Wire’s Texas campus marks a big development in the aluminum wire and cable sector.

Northwest Pipe changes name to NWPX Infrastructure.