Every three years, the underground construction industry converges on Las Vegas for CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the largest construction equipment trade show in North America. With more than 2,000 exhibitors and thousands of machines and technologies on display, the event has become a preview of where the construction and utility installation industries are headed.For contractors specializing in vacuum excavation, horizontal directional drilling (HDD), trenching and other underground construction methods, the 2026 show floor last week highlighted several trends that are reshaping the way utilities are installed and maintained. From smarter drilling systems to new hydrovac trucks and advanced machine control technologies, the equipment
