Thursday, May 2, 2024 
Thursday, May 2, 2024
July 9, 2023
A look at the world of Construction Technology – by Arnie Gess, publisher of Construction Links Network
Editorial submission deadline is every Friday a noon. Ideal for news releases, blogs, podcasts, upcoming webinars and videos. Always free for members – see media kit.
Technology is transforming every aspect of the construction industry, from design and planning to project management and execution. As new tools and techniques continue to emerge, it’s more important than ever for professionals in the field to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations. This blog series offers in-depth coverage of the most important developments in construction technology. Whether you’re interested in the latest software platforms, the newest building materials, or the cutting-edge research shaping the future of the industry, you’ll find it all here.
Spreadsheets and other basic software tools used to be good enough for heavy construction estimating. Now estimators relying on them find themselves at a disadvantage. Competitors with specialized software are winning more jobs at better margins because they are able to bid faster, more accurately and with more strategic insight and historical data at their fingertips. This recorded webcast explores the top-line financial benefits of making the switch. Mark Hooks from B2W Software covers advantages including time savings, safeguards against cost and calculation errors, better change order management, and instant access to data and reporting for more profitable, competitive bids.
Complete site documentation can be a challenge for builders, especially as projects grow, evolve, and change. Where should you focus your construction cameras? How can you ensure that you’re capturing the most important angles? What about sites with awkward or risky areas? By employing drone services, managers no longer have to worry about the logistics and potential hazards of manually capturing problem areas. Read this blog courtesy of TrueLook Construction Cameras and learn more.
The construction industry is short tens of thousands of workers, and experts say a coming wave of retirements could make the problem worse even as Canada is millions of homes behind what’s needed to reach housing affordability this decade. This was echoed by a recent industry survey by construction management software company Procore, where almost 30 per cent of respondents said they have been unable to take on more projects in the past three to six months due to labour shortages.
Technology has played an integral role in helping the construction industry overcome recent challenges and adapt to new ways of working. Contractors must embrace these technological advances and digitally transform their businesses now if they want sustainable growth in the future. Many contractors understand that a digital transformation is necessary but with so many competing demands it’s easy to push it off for later. While it is a big undertaking, proper planning can help streamline the process. Learn about the five steps to help your business launch a successful digital transformation – a blog by SoftwareOne Canada.
As it stands Canada needs to build 5.8 million new homes by 2030 to tackle a rapidly growing affordable housing crisis. The supply gap and affordability crisis is most pronounced in the City of Toronto where the city council has been rapidly approving new home construction to meet the demand. In a single day the council approved 24,000 new homes and has built an Action Plan that includes a $27 Billion capital spending target. Given the rapidly growing demand in the city and greater Toronto area, it’s no surprise that Offsight customers ANC Modular,Flex Modular and Z Modular are seeing rapid growth and experiencing strong urgency to scale their production. As such, they turned to Offsight to help manage factory operations, production, quality control and mandatory reporting for Canadian and third party inspection providers.
Engineers at Princeton University are deploying lasers to precisely evaluate a major drawback of 3D-printed cement — the material’s resistance to fracture. The researchers hope that progress in this area could lead to a wider use of additive manufacturing in cement-based structures. The long-term goal is to develop better materials using additive techniques that lead to innovative designs and functions.
The Plan Tracker suite, designed to be seamlessly integrated into existing management processes, comprises two new tools: ‘Workplan’ and ‘Targets’, both of which are driven by real-world site progress data and advanced AI algorithms. ‘Workplan’ allows project managers to break down project plans into smaller tasks, set realistic due dates for each, share the plan with the respective trades, compare actual progress against plans, and use the system-provided feedback to continuously improve performance.
The ADCMS program is one aspect of FHWA’s multifaceted Technology and Innovation Deployment Program (TIDP) and provides funding as an incentive for state departments of transportation. It promotes access to more meaningful, accurate, and easy-to-use data by construction professionals with enhanced software modeling tools and features. Better and more consistent modeling allows the seamless sharing of design and construction plans.
FARO, a global leader of 3D measurement, imaging and realization solutions for the 3D Metrology, AEC and Public Safety Analytics markets, recently announced the appointment of Peter Lau as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, effective July 24th, 2023. Peter Lau recently served as Chief Executive Officer and a board member of Catalyst Nutraceuticals. Previously, Mr. Lau held several senior executive positions including President and CEO of divisions within Hubbell, Honeywell and General Electric. Mr. Lau holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University.
Using old insurance fire maps, researchers have enabled a machine-learning system to recreate 3D models of neighborhoods that no longer exist. Not only could the technique lead to VR tours of the ‘hoods, but it could help study the economic impact of urbanization. Working with this digital archive, a doctoral student in geography at The Ohio State University named Yue Lin carried out a study in which he created machine learning tools allowing a computer to comb through the records to extract data such as their footprints, the materials they were built from, and what they were used for.
3Lines Venture Capital recently announced that its Orbit Fund’s most recent investment in MiCoB brings it to a total investment of more than $1M USD. MiCoB, a disruptor in the construction industry that provides 3D Concrete Printing Solutions to military, residential, commercial, infrastructure and architectural market segments in India had raised its first institutional capital from the Rocket Fund of 3Lines Venture Capital.
FCC Consulting Services is revolutionizing the construction industry by offering a comprehensive suite of project monitoring solutions to help general contractors, construction managers, and client owners stay in control. From state-of-the-art Drone Surveys for aerial data collection and Site Monitoring & Security Services to capture up-close details on location—right down to providing Project Video Documentation tools with fully supported dashboard streaming—all designed to bring cost-effective peace of mind for civil engineering projects.
