Building‑materials giant CRH Plc. is on the verge of a deal that would eclipse all its past acquisitions, as it moves to buy rival Arcosa Inc. Sources familiar with the negotiations tell the Financial Times an agreement could be signed as early as next week. The bid follows a year of aggressive expansion. The transaction would seal CRH’s push to dominate the North American market.

Arcosa carries a market capitalisation near $7 billion, but when its debt is added the enterprise value climbs above $8 billion. Such leverage raises concerns about debt service. A purchase at that scale would consolidate two of the sector’s largest producers of cement, aggregates and roofing materials, tightening supply chains and potentially lifting pricing power. Analysts flag the move as a test of CRH’s balance‑sheet flexibility.

If the deal closes, it becomes CRH’s biggest ever acquisition, pushing the combined entity’s annual revenue past $15 billion and reshaping competitive dynamics in North America and Europe. Customers anticipate broader product portfolios. Shareholders will watch for integration costs and any regulatory scrutiny, while rivals may accelerate their own consolidation strategies. The transaction sets a new benchmark for scale in the fragmented building‑materials market.