Type I/II Cement Is Coming Back. Did Concrete Learn Anything?
What was in this mix? Type I/II cement is making a comeback.At least that is what the market is asking for.Contractors want it.Ready-mix producers want it.Owners want concrete to act like concrete again.After years of frustr…
The Hidden Cost of Low-Carbon Concrete: Someone Has to Replace the En…
The energy didn't disappear. It moved. | OpenAIIf you listened to EP #159, you heard the news: a large swath of cement manufacturers including ones in are making Type I/II cement available again.The market spoke.Contractors complained.R…
10 Reasons Virginia Power Bills Are Going Up, and Data Centers Are Ju…
I was driving home from work the other day and was almost to the entrance of my neighborhood. The right lane was coned off, and there were four or five Dominion trucks lined up.Crews were setting new power poles.Nothing dramatic. No pres…
The Concrete Market Is Still Strong. So Why Are Margins Getting Squee…
Close your eyes and swing? | OpenAI“Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing.” — Warren SpahnTrying to figure out where the concrete market is headed feels a little like standing in the batter’s box. You do not…
Low-Carbon Concrete Still Has to Survive the Jobsite
Fortera ReCarb Plant | forteraglobal.com “What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” – John Lubbock The concrete industry has heard enough slogans.Low-carbon cement. Green concrete. Carbon captur…
Is Rebar Expensive, or Is the Market Protected?
Protect those margins...oh, we meant jobs. | OpenAI“Liars are not believed even when they speak the truth.” - AesopRebar is one of those things people love to ignore until it becomes a problem.Then it becomes everyone&rsqu…
A Concrete Contractor’s Read on Hyperscaler Earnings: The AI Buildout…
No end in sight. | OpenAI The latest earnings reports from Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet were released on April 29, 2026, and they tell a pretty simple story for the concrete industry.The AI data center buildout is not slowing down…
Data Centers Are Abusing Concrete
Imagine building this without concrete. | Getty Images "Those who talk should do and only those who do should talk." - Nassim Nicholas TalebData center owners have a concrete problem.Most of them just do not see it yet.Conc…
Before You Build on an Old Coal Site, You Better Know What GOB Is
What a load of GOB | Credit Cardinal News"The economy is a derivative of energy."- Doomberg I am part of the 7x24 Central Virginia Exchange Education Committee. It's a committee that is part of 7x24, a networking group for…
The Real Drivers of Cement Prices
“The real price of every thing, what every thing really costs to the man who wants to acquire it, is the toil and trouble of acquiring it.”– Adam SmithIf you’re in the construction industry, you’re buying cement…
Counting Ships: Australia’s Energy Tradeoffs Get Real
"Wind extinguishes a candle and energizes fire. Likewise with randomness, uncertainty, chaos: you want to use them, not hide from them."- Nassim Nicholas Taleb If you live in the U.S., Australia looks like the place that should have t…
They Said the Internet Would Kill Jobs Too. Here We Go Again with AI.
“We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.”— Roy AmaraLast week I saw a post making the rounds about an Anthropic study. The takeaway was familiar. Archi…
Smart Concrete Companies Are Quietly Making This Move Right Now
"One resists the invasion of armies; one does not resist the invasion of ideas." – Victor Hugo The Iran war isn’t just another geopolitical headline.It’s an energy reset.And if you’re in concrete, you&…
Tariffs, Tankers, and the Cost of Moving Energy
“Whether one is a conservative or a radical, a protectionist or a free trader, a cosmopolitan or a nationalist, a churchman or a heathen, it is useful to know the causes and consequences of economic phenomena.”— George J. Stigler…
Why Contractors Should Be Careful Chasing the Next Wave of Constructi…
“Good intentions tell you nothing about the actual consequences.” — Thomas Sowell Layoffs are recession behavior. Period.I do not care what economists call it. If demand slows and a company does not need as ma…
Winning the Game, Losing the Player
“𝗧𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.” — Robert Louis Stevenson I was watching a youth basketball game recently.One team couldn’t miss. Full-court press. Tr…
Data Center Power in Virginia: The Questions HB 897 Doesn’t Answer
“Explanations exist; they have existed for all time; there is always a well-known solution to every human problem—neat, plausible, and wrong.”- H. L. MenckenVirginia keeps pouring concrete for data centers like the pace is normal…
The EPA Finally Rolled It Back. So Now What Happens to Concrete and C…
“Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws.”– King Canute Back in August we published a post called:…
When Everyone Agrees, Slow Down.
“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.” — Charles Mackay A guy wrote that in 1841. 1841.&nb…
Why Guyana’s Oil Matters More Than Venezuela’s Reserves
Keep your eye on the prize. (Adobe)You’ve probably seen the dumb version of this story already.“Trump wants cheap oil.” “Exxon won’t touch Venezuela.” “Guyana hit the jackpot.” “Russia and Ch…
Europe’s Energy Reality Check Is Coming for Materials
When the lights get expensive, everything else follows.For the last few years, Europe has been trying to run an industrial economy on wishful thinking.It looked fine in speeches. It looked even better in press releases.Then the bill showed up.…
Ohio’s Data Center Power Rule Is What Other States Won’t Say Out Loud
Buckeyes for the win! (Adobe) Data centers are the new “economic development win” that shows up in a press release before anyone asks the obvious question.Where’s the power coming from?And who’s paying to build t…
The Hidden Reasons Concrete Feels More Expensive Than It Should
Concrete didn’t become the default building material because it was fashionable. It won because it made sense. It was durable. It was local. And for a long time, it was the economical choice when you looked at the whole building—not just…
How to be Successful in Concrete in 2026 & Beyond
Making it look easy. Adobe For a long time, success in the concrete industry was simple.Know the spec.Hit strength.Keep the schedule moving.If something went wrong, you pointed to the drawings, the mix design, or the standard and moved …