It's Wednesday Wrap-Up time and just in case you missed it, here is your recap of some of the most popular stories from our site over the past week:

New Mixture Could Strengthen Concrete Up To 15 Percent

Students at MIT have found a way to create stronger and more environmentally-friendly concrete. These students found that substituting just 1.5 percent of concrete with the irradiated plastic can significantly strengthen the material. Concrete is one of the largest producers of carbon dioxide and the team wanted to find a way to strengthen concrete without emitting more greenhouse gases.

CEO Finds Robotic Solution To Industry Labor Shortage

CEO and chairman of the Brayman Construction Corporation, Steven Muck, has joined forces with Jeremy Searock, the former technical program manager of Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center, to find a robotics based solution for the labor shortage problem. The pair created a rebar-tying robot named Tybot. Tybot was recently used in a bridge-building project in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Puerto Rico Utility Moves To Scrap $300M Whitefish Contract

On Oct. 29, the head of Puerto Rico's power company said they are cancelling $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings. The current work by the Whitefish team will not be affected by the cancellation and that work will be completed sometime this November. Roughly 70 percent of the island is without power after Maria hit land on Sept. 20 as a category 4 storm.

Case, Michigan Dealers Donate Equipment To Team Rubicon, Habitat For Humanity

Case Construction Equipment, RPM Machinery, Southeastern Equipment, Habitat For Humanity and Team Rubicon teamed up for heavy equipment operator training named Operation Fearless Mary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. RPM and Southeastern Equipment donated the use of several different machines and Team Rubicon brought 72 volunteers and 20 new members.

FHWA Reopen Tolling Pilot Program To Support Interstate Improvements

The FHWA is offering states additional options by reopening the program that allows tolling on existing interstates to fund improvements and upgrades. The FHWA will consider applications for three slots for the program. The program was originally established in 1998 under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.

When Artificial Intelligence Meets The Construction Industry

Artificial Intelligence seems to becoming reality and it is no longer a far-fetched concept. The advantages of AI are limitless across the board. The launch of self driving cars means faster mode of transportation and less accidents. The construction industry is starting to use AI to increase efficiency, safety, and quality of construction projects.

State Looks Into Hyperloop To Stem Traffic

Colorado transportation is looking into the possibility of a Rocky Mountain hyperloop to reduce traffic. The hyperloop would be centered at Denver International Airport and stretch about 100 north to Cheyenne, Wyoming, 125 miles south to Pueblo, Colorado, and about 100 miles west to Vail, Colorado. The price tag on this project would be about $24 billion.

Those are just a few things we've been talking about over the past week. For more news and updates, check out Construction Equipment Guide's Industry News Page and our Industry Blog Page.

Today's top stories

Des Moines Airport Works With Weitz/Turner On Expansion

ROMCO Equipment Co., SMT Acquire Bee Equipment Sales

San Francisco County Transportation Authority Bridges Retrofit Addresses Seismic Safety

Year in Review: Bobcat's Major Moments of 2024

MassDOT to Use Drones for Infrastructure Projects; Amherst Exploring New Downtown Designs

Iowa DOT's I-35 Project Includes New Bridges

JM Wood Holds December Auction in Montgomery, Alabama

DEVELON Set to Exhibit at ARA Show 2025