The top 40 most-read stories of 2023 (21-40)

Image: bannafarsai via AdobeStock - stock.adobe.com

Another eventful year is drawing to a close and large parts of the global construction industry are preparing themselves for a well-deserved break.

But before the festivities begin in earnest, the Construction Briefing has compiled a list of the top 40 stories from 2023, taken from our daily email, as well as from sister publications International Construction and Construction Europe.

We have split that list into two parts with the most-read stories, starting today with positions 40 to 21, before we reveal the top 20 tomorrow.

Here are our most-read stories of the year in ascending order from 40 to 21:

40) The engineering challenges of Grand Paris Express, Europe’s largest transport infrastructure project

Lucy Barnard spoke to Société du Grand Paris boss, Bernard Cathelain about the engineering challenges behind the massive US$45 billion Grand Paris Express project, which involves 200km of passages under the French capital.

Vinci is working on the Grand Paris Express project in France (Image: AdobeStock - stock.adobe.com)

39) How construction equipment dealerships are evolving

The days when a construction machinery dealership would simply sell a piece of equipment and then perhaps parts and repair services are disappearing. The Construction Briefing found out what the future means for dealerships.

38) Liebherr: 4 hurdles to overcome before hydrogen combustion engines go mainstream

Stefanie Gerhardt, Liebherr’s managing director of its combustion energy unit, what needs to happen before hydrogen combustion engines in construction equipment go from concept to mainstream adoption.

37) Video: Behind the scenes of Fehmarnbelt – the world’s longest immersed tube tunnel

The first of two articles in our list about the world’s longest immersed tube tunnel, Neil Gerrard visited the site of Fehmarnbelt to witness the huge factory operation that produces the tunnel segments.

Graphic showing tunnel elements being positioned in Fehmarnbelt tunnel. (Photo: CGM)

36) Why are compact track loaders eating into skid steers’ market share?

Skid steer loaders are a quintessentially American product but in recent years their market share has fallen amid the rising popularity of track loaders. Off-Highway Research’s Chris Sleight explained why.

35) ConExpo/Con/Agg draws record visitors

Visitor numbers to the ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE shows in Las Vegas in March drew record numbers of visitors.

34) How the hierarchy of the top 10 construction OEMs in Asia has changed in the past decade

The Construction Briefing crunched the numbers on 10 years’ worth of Yellow Table figures to illustrate how the hierarchy of the top construction equipment OEMs in Asia has changed over time.

33) ConExpo 2023: Everything you need to know

KHL Group’s useful guide to all things ConExpo 2023 garnered thousands of page views in the weeks running up to the world’s biggest construction show in Las Vegas in March this year.

32) JCB’s hydrogen engine: ‘We weren’t sure whether it was possible’

JCB’s chief innovation and growth officer Tim Burnhope told International Construction’s sister publications Diesel Progress and New Power Progress about how the team behind the OEM’s hydrogen combustion engine weren’t initially sure if the technology behind would work, after a string of earlier research projects failed in their objectives.

The JCB hydrogen engine on display at ConExpo.

31) Father of BIM: ‘AI will one day be able to design a building for you’

In an exclusive interview with the man who has become known as the ‘Father of BIM’, Jonathan Ingram explained why he thinks artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) could revolutionise the way construction professionals design and build buildings.

30) 6 ways tunnel boring machines are evolving

Tunnel boring machines (TBMs) have a reputation for being lumbering and expensive. But innovations in the sector are increasing the speed at which they can operate, automating processes, and enhancing their ability to monitor complex geotechnical conditions.

29) Who is building small modular reactors and how long will it take?

As nuclear power promises to make a comeback amid the drive to deliver net zero, we looked at who is building a new generation of small modular nuclear reactors and how long it could take.

28) How is Turkey planning to rebuild after a devastating earthquake

Following a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria that cost tens of thousands of lives, we spoke to construction experts in the country about how its government and construction company are planning to rebuild.

Houses damaged by the earthquake in Elazig Turkey (by Mehmet via Adobe Stock)

27) Mace to complete Birmingham City FC’s stadium redevelopment

Mace took on the role of construction manager to complete the revelopment of Birmingham City FC’s stadium in the UK following the collapse of contractor Buckingham Group.

26) Is the impending death of the diesel engine exaggerated?

The range of electrically powered construction machines has increased drastically over the past few years but they still account for only a very small proportion of global sales. So has the death of the diesel engine been exaggerated?

25) Why European construction could be set for a downturn in 2024

Analysis released by Dutch bank ING showed why construction could be set for a downturn in Europe in 2024.

24) Develon debuts with driverless excavator

Hyundai Doosan Infracore officially debuted its new Develon brand at a live event in March this year. At the same time, it displayed the latest driverless machines to be added to its technology-based Concept-X2 equipment range.

Develon DX225 Concept X2 excavator (Photo: Develon)

23) Fehmarnbelt: the technology behind the world’s longest immersed tube tunnel

In the second of two Fehmarnbelt articles to feature in the list, Lucy Barnard looked at the cutting edge technology being used to build the world’s longest IMT.

22) 9 of the biggest semiconductor factory construction projects

2023 has been a boom year for industrial construction around the world and particularly in the US, as the CHIPS Act sparked a glut of semiconductor factory construction projects. We examined some of the biggest.

Aerial view of Taiwan semiconductors’ mega factory under construction in North Phoenix, Arizona. (Image: Noah Hairston/Wirestock Creators via AdobeStock)

21) Why construction cost of F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix has risen to $400m

Ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November, the Construction Briefing considered why costs for the project had risen so significantly on the original budget.