Author: Constructech Editors
Engineers, architects, and contractors know the acronym CAD to mean computer-aided design. But there are other terms that fit CAD and not all of them are positive. In California, there is an ongoing battle between environmentalists and the local and state agencies responsible for hazardous waste removal and disposal and it revolves around another meaning for CAD. The issue is disposal of contaminated sludge into the center of Newport Harbor, creating a potential environmental hazard for residents and visitors. Newport Beach proposes to dig what critics call “a giant hole the size of five football fields.” The Challenge From the…
There was a catchy World War II saying, attributed to a submarine captain, that went, “Ship sighted, sank same.” In 2022, many construction company executives have a target in sight, meeting emissions goals, that could sink their company if they fail to meet them. Yes, major construction firms are publishing both medium-term and long-term targets to reduce their contribution to GHG (greenhouse gas emissions), outlining their commitment to support international efforts to mitigate global climate change. Small-sized to medium-sized companies are following suit, to keep up and to met local and national mandates. Though the CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions from…
Not “Big C” as in cancer but as in carbon. More specifically, CO2 (carbon dioxide), considered to be one of the most prevalent greenhouse gases involved with climate change. As global decarbonization accelerates through widening adoption of renewable energy and other green technologies, a new survey-driven report by Black & Veatch and Canary Media highlights the progress of clean energy despite 2022’s unusual volatility in the power sector. Energy Transition Snapshot 2022 is based on a survey of nearly 200 climate and cleantech professionals. It offers critical data on the state of clean energy against the backdrop of such recent…
Boasting sunshine on more than 300 days of the year, Las Vegas draws millions of people to its desert climate. It also draws developers, builders, and owners interested in taking advantage of the weather, the ambiance, and the liberties that Las Vegas is known for throughout the world. The result: the City of Las Vegas averages close to 20,000 permits a year. Big numbers with big problems behind them. The city was faced with inefficiencies using paper-based plan reviews where plans could only be reviewed one department at a time, taking a week or more each, across a minimum of…
Building codes are often based on “old technology” and are slow to respond to changes in materials and processes in construction. Cities and local areas might be quicker to adopt new methods than states are but that could be changing. One of the technologies being expanded to meet environmental and affordability challenges is 3D printing of walls and whole buildings. The problem comes from those pesky building codes that don’t keep up. European nations are leading the way in some cases, but companies that take advantage of 3D printing are pushing hard for other areas to adapt. Perhaps the first…
Your employees are your most valuable assets and should be protected as such. State, local, federal, international, union, and many other groups and agencies issue regulations, laws, and “suggestions” about how companies take care of their employees. The wider your work area, the more states, counties, and cities where your company bids and works, the more complex your HR (human resources) department’s job. Governing work hours, benefits, compensation, time off, and other areas of employment laws at federal, state, and local levels demand in-depth knowledge of changes that affect these laws. When small differences in laws change from year to…
No matter how quickly governments and companies move to a fossil fuel free future, here will continue to be a demand for carbon-based energy. The challenge, then, is to find ways to make drilling for liquid energy, primarily oil, less of an environmental danger. Preparing the drilling site, and the drills themselves, in an environmentally sound and safe way is a start. While the oil and gas industry has introduced many digital innovations, TRS (tubular running services), the making up of the drill casing tubes, is an area which has historically lagged. However, companies that service the wellhead are driving…
Bentley Systems has become the go-to company for those interested in developing applications for digital twin production. Focused on infrastructure applications, Bentley’s iTwin platform provides the foundation for accelerated application development to solve data integration, visualization, change tracking, security, and other challenges. Recently, two companies have achieved success with the iTwin platform in closely related subject areas. Akular released AKULAR TWIN, a lightweight app built on the Bentley iTwin platform that enables users to upload a BIM (building information modeling) model during construction or have a BIM model created from the layout of an existing building. Phocaz released Traffic Design…
A series of events, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Eastern Europe, have created extreme volatility in the oil and gas markets, which is driving demand for alternatives. Energy consumption is rising as consumers use more devices, work from home, and try to stay comfortable during hotter summers and colder winters. The DR (demand-response) programs and time-of-use pricing are becoming more common, which can benefit the consumer but make home energy management more complicated. Energy product manufacturers, builders, and utilities have an opportunity and a challenge to help consumers handle these issues. More effort and education are needed…
What is a jobsite? Obviously, it is a workplace where a project takes shape. In construction, it could be outdoors, indoors, underground, or a combination. The main components are people, materials, equipment, and tools. That combination leads to an interaction of all, and the results can be dangerous. Safety is one of the most important aspects of a jobsite. If the workers cannot work safely, if the materials and equipment aren’t safe to use, the project, the building itself, will be much less important, especially to the workers. As we enter a period of growing infrastructure work, safety takes on…