Author: Constructech Editors

The Swedish furniture company IKEA made its fame by offering “assembly required” kits of parts so people could provide the labor of furniture building for themselves. The concept was that labor costs were a major part of any manufacturing operation and buyers could provide that, saving money. Carrying that idea a bit further, Project Frog, with nearly two decades of institutional knowledge in designing, developing, and managing prefab Kits-of-Parts for the modular building industry, has launched KitConnect, a SaaS DMS (Design Management Solution) for the AEC industry that enables building productization workflows in BIM, effectively a digital kit-of-parts approach. Design…

The Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman has said the U.S. government, “…is basically an insurance company with an army.” So much of the government’s work involves insuring its citizens—think Social Security—that much of its funding does go to those programs—and the military, of course. However, the Federal government is also a major, if not the largest, property owner and landlord. Our national government occupies 2.8 billion-sq.ft. of building space in the U.S. and U.S. territories, of which 2.5 billion-sq.ft. are owned and otherwise managed and 286 million square feet are leased. And, according to government agencies, there are many…

Building technology has come a long way in a short period of time. In the decades after World War II, mass housing was the driver, finding ways to provide for the returning veterans and their families. In some cases, short cuts were taken that showed up later as major problems. As the industry finds problems, however, companies find answers. As an example, no building engineer today would consider erecting a commercial building without a continuous, full air barrier system. This was not the situation prior to the 1980s. The need to eliminate or control air infiltration/exfiltration through wall assemblies to…

The infrastructure bills that were proposed by the president and passed by the current Congress have caused a stir as companies gear up to bid and build the roads, airports, bridges, ports, and other necessary structures around the country. Some of these projects will be the largest a given company has ever attempted and many are turning to technology, specifically construction management applications, to help with the build and improve their profits. In 2020, the construction industry was severely impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 across various countries, which, in turn, adversely impacted the demand for construction materials. However, with…

Real estate developers often create long-range plans to improve a subdivision in phases, starting with a core section and, upon completion, considering the market for an extension or second phase. If the market warrants it, the second phase will build on the success of the first, perhaps adding amenities the buyers in the first phase requested. Whole town can be built this way, rising from a prairie or meadow. The phasing process can be rapid or long-term. Usually, several years pass between first and second phases, allowing the developer to review the market and buyer’s interests. If a special factor…

Standards are proposed for every technical segment of the market. The idea is to foster interoperability of technologies that come from a variety of new and old companies, making the combination of products work seamlessly. Without standards, every new product could be a stand-alone success and a failure when it can’t be integrated with existing technology. Gather hundreds of technology companies under an umbrella organization devoted to developing commonality through standards, and the potential for success is enormous. Such is the case with the Connectivity Standards Alliance, formerly the Zigbee Alliance, an international community of more than 550 technology companies…

Many companies are pledging to meet environmental, energy, and emissions goals established by the Paris Accord. Others are setting their own pace, based on their exposure to public and governmental scrutiny. Factories and office complexes are a natural target for environmental changes and the progressive companies are working their R&D departments to make necessary changes to the product line alongside making changes to the company itself. Komatsu, a major construction equipment manufacturer, has put forth a long-term goal for 2050 of achieving carbon neutrality, or virtually zero carbon emissions, along with a commitment for 2030 to half CO2 emissions from…

Factory built homes are not a new idea. As far back as the end of World War II, families were buying and living in homes that were moved onto lots in pre-assembled fashion. Usually called “mobile homes,” their mobility was questionable once they were placed on a site, in a development of similar homes euphemistically called a Park, or on a rural lot. The only mobile part is the transport to the setup location. As the concept grew, concrete foundations were laid, making the mobility factor moot. Manufactured housing was, in the beginning, a Wild West environment with minimal rules…

How much technology needs to be included in a new house to make it a smart home? Is automation akin to robotics? Can you make a house a smart-home retroactively? Are smart homes necessary in this age? American contractors—whether residential, commercial, infrastructure or a combination—have been on an economic rollercoaster ride since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Declared an essential function, construction continued, usually in a confined way, with massive safety protocols in place. Even so, employment fell as workers became sick or decided to forego work for health reasons. Remote work for office staff was familiar but you…

One of the earliest methods of powering manufacturing was steam generation. Boilers converting water to steam power were common, not just on railroads but throughout industrial America. However, the heat to generate the steam was often created using coal, oil, or natural gas, all causing carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas and the focus of climate-change initiatives. In Europe, EUROAPI, a pharmaceutical company, is taking a different approach. The company is investing €24 million (about $23,913,000) for the construction of a state-of-the-art biomass boiler at its site in Saint-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf, France. This investment should enable EUROAPI to support the site’s vitamin…