🎙️ StaalX Construction & Steel Podcast | Episode #10
Welcome to Episode 10 of the StaalX Construction & Steel Podcast.
In this episode, we break down a major market disconnect:
while construction spending has slipped in several nonresidential categories, construction starts have surged — driven almost entirely by massive data-center and manufacturing megaprojects.
We explore how this divergence is reshaping demand for steel, especially long products like rebar, and why the industry’s recent strength is increasingly concentrated in specialized, high-value projects rather than broad-based construction activity.
We also look at how unprecedented data-center momentum is colliding with new domestic rebar capacity, creating a complicated outlook for pricing heading into 2026.
💡 Key Insights
🏗️ Nonresidential construction spending dipped, with only healthcare showing a slight increase.
💻 Data-center megaprojects surged, driving a 21% jump in total construction starts in October.
📉 Many traditional construction sectors remain soft or contracting.
🔩 Long-steel demand remains unusually strong despite the typical seasonal slowdown.
⚙️ New rebar capacity may cap future price increases, even as near-term demand stays hot.
📌 Topics Covered
• Why construction spending and starts are moving in opposite directions
• The dominance of data-center and manufacturing megaprojects
• How current trends are affecting steel demand and pricing
• Why traditional construction categories remain weak
• What contractors, distributors, and suppliers should expect heading into 2026
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