Roofing Alliance releases sustainability and resiliency study
The Roofing Alliance has released a study, Sustainability and Resiliency Efforts for the Roofing Industry, which provides a clear, data-driven look at how manufacturers, distributors and contractors understand and apply these practices and where the greatest opportunities for improvement exist.
Researchers began by evaluating 243 peer-reviewed articles, identifying 78 sustainability factors and 28 resiliency factors organized into LEED-aligned categories and core resiliency themes. Through surveys and interviews with manufacturers, distributors and contractors, the research revealed strong alignment across all groups.
Top sustainability priorities identified included recycling, long-lasting materials, and heating and cooling load considerations; resiliency priorities included longevity, rapid recovery and maintaining critical functions.
A significant outcome of the study is the development of a new sustainability course that debuted at Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., in fall 2025 and will be part of Clemson University’s forthcoming roofing minor.
The study is available for purchase at nrca.net/product. Roofing Alliance members can email roofingalliance@nrca.net for their complimentary copy.
Zurich partners with Arrowsight
Zurich North America and Zurich Resilience Solutions, leaders in construction insurance and risk engineering, recently announced a collaboration with Arrowsight, a safety technology company specializing in video-based behavioral modification and coaching analytics.
The agreement follows a three-year pilot program in New York deploying Arrowsight cameras and coaching on eight general building projects and one heavy civil project using fixed-point cameras and human-led video review to flag risky and exemplary safety behaviors. The Arrowsight system is designed with moveable, battery-powered and cell-enabled cameras that can operate without electricity or internet.
The results of the pilot reduced workers’ compensation claim frequency by more than 50% compared with non-Arrowsight projects.
“This pilot was made possible by leading contractors who were willing to invest in safety with us in an innovative, unprecedented way,” says Tobias Cushing, Zurich’s head of construction. “The results underscore the power of combining human insight with technology to drive measurable change. We saw a virtual elimination of serious injuries and deaths on projects with Arrowsight. We want to get workers home safe at night, and reducing claims is a reflection of that.”
Humanoid robots could be used in construction industry
A recent report from consulting firm McKinsey & Company points to the construction industry’s workforce shortage and stunted productivity gains and proposes humanoid robots could be a potential solution, according to Construction Dive. Although humanoid robots are not currently prevalent on job sites, the McKinsey & Company report says builders should prepare for the robots to be used in the future. With increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence, McKinsey & Company says humanoid robots can be a “potentially transformative solution” for the construction industry’s productivity crisis.
The report says contractors should start considering where humanoid robots could fill gaps and help their businesses—for example, by closing productivity gaps or reducing hazardous risks. Then, builders should determine how fast to move toward adoption.
The report says: “With the industry’s long-standing labor and productivity challenges likely to intensify, construction leaders would do well to begin considering potential uses for humanoids now. If humanoids do become a cost-effective solution, companies will want to move as fast as possible. Those who prepare now will be best positioned to seize the opportunities ahead.”
An Equipment & Robotics Benchmarking report from BuiltWorlds shows construction companies’ positive evaluations of robotics rose from 74% in 2024 to higher than 95% in 2025. However, the number of firms reporting active robotics use fell from 65% in 2024 to 46% in 2025.
