The diversity of colors, lines, angles, textures and people in the construction industry is reflected in the winning images of ENR’s “2015 Year in Construction” photo contest. Ranging from bright-blue steel girders and the bizarre geometric forms of spooling cables to the array of workers toiling underground and high in the air, the images unveil a world of wonder on global jobsites.

This year’s contest judges preferred photos that show construction in action, whether the workers are brightly lit by an acetylene torch or in the shadows. They snubbed most images that were overedited or intrusively retouched. The photos that follow share a theme: how jumbled jobsites produce permanent, often iconic, parts of the built environment. They tell the story of how, in a beautiful process, the construction sector creates order from chaos. As demonstrated here, this work depends on individuals— see, for example, the lone worker silhouette, ringed by tunnel-reflected lights—and on a great team effort, as suggested by the triumphant flag tied to the end of a crane boom. We hope you enjoy this year’s collection of photos and stories.