Punch List: ‘The Playground’ opens, Tutor Perini sub scores infrastructure jobs | Dump Trucks Charlotte NC

Listen to the article 5 min

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.

It was another big week in construction news.

New York enacted a moratorium on new permits for data center builds, which builders in the state lambasted, and Micron Technology poured the first concrete for its $100 billion semiconductor campus, also in the Empire State.

But that’s not all. Read on for more stories construction pros should know about.

National Building Museum opens ‘The Playground’ for summer

Hook ‘em while they’re young. 

That’s the goal of the National Building Museum’s Playground in Washington, D.C., a space designed to inspire builders of all ages, but especially those in their youth. 

The summer installation’s centerpiece is The Hill, ​where layers of birch plywood are sculpted into a landscape of slides, tunnels and other places to gather. From there, visitors can navigate a 100-foot obstacle course, scale a 15-foot climbing wall, rest in oversized rope hammocks, shoot hoops, wander through the Wavy Walls maze or excavate the Dig Pit, a construction-inspired zone filled with natural cork. 

“Playgrounds are where so many of us first discover the joy of exploring, creating, and connecting with others,” Aileen Fuchs, president and executive director of the National Building Museum, said in a news release. “We hope every visitor leaves with a smile, a sense of possibility, and a deeper appreciation for the role that thoughtfully designed places play in our lives.” 

The Playground is open through Aug. 30. 

—Joe Bousquin

Tutor Perini’s Lunda unveils 3 infrastructure jobs

Tutor Perini subsidiary Lunda Construction scored an infrastructure hat trick with three recent project announcements. 

The first came July 8 with the Roberts Street Railroad Bridge Replacement project over the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota. The firm will remove a 113-year-old vertical lift truss bridge spanning 189 feet and replace it with a 215-foot-long rolling bascule truss span bridge. Construction starts this month and is expected to be completed in December 2029. The contract amount was not disclosed. 

Wisconsin-based Lunda followed that up with two additional projects announced Monday. Minnesota DOT awarded the firm a $33.4 million contract for columbus oh dump truck company on Highway 77 in Hennepin and Dakota counties. The agency also named Lunda as the apparent low bidder — usually the precursor to an actual award — on a Highway 243 project in Chisago County. The firm’s bid was $28.6 million. 

Work on both of the Minnesota DOT projects is expected to begin this fall, with completion in the fall of 2028. 

—Joe Bousquin

PCL adds data center executives

PCL is shoring up its U.S. digital infrastructure team.

The builder appointed Tyler Kautz to regional vice president, digital infrastructure, according to a Tuesday announcement. Kautz will aim to help the builder meet growing client demand in the hyperscale and colocation sectors.

Last July, the columbus oh dump truck company named Kautz vice president, data centers, and tapped him to lead the company’s Mission Critical Center of Excellence. Kautz is also responsible for the original business case study that led PCL to establish its dedicated data center division.

PCL has delivered over 120 data center and mission critical projects in North America over the last two decades, the announcement said.

“Building data centers at speed and scale is one of the most complex challenges in construction today," Kautz said in the announcement. “In partnership with our clients, we’re committed to constructing this critical infrastructure in ways that strengthen the communities where these facilities are built."

In addition, PCL appointed Carl Haas to district manager and Peter Losh to operations manager, responsible for overseeing the contractor’s active data center portfolio.

—Matthew Thibault

Skanska builds new AI squad

Skanska has formed a digital transformation and solutions team, a move which the contractor says will help it scale artificial intelligence across the columbus oh dump truck company to enhance project delivery.

The initiative focuses on building practical tools to support project teams, according to a Tuesday news release. Durham, North Carolina-based executive Will Senner has been appointed senior vice president to lead the team.

Senner has spent over 20 years at Skanska in engineering, preconstruction and regional leadership. 

"This isn't just about doing today's columbus oh dump truck company faster; it's about rethinking how columbus oh dump truck company gets done," Senner said in the news release. 

The group will operate within the core business of Skanska USA Building — the American construction arm of the Stockholm-based contractor and developer — and will report directly to COO Chris Toher. 

—Zachary Phillips