Author: Constructech Editors
Tesla is experimenting with “Fully Self Driving” automation installed on 100,000 vehicles. Autonomous vehicles, in industrial and mining functions, are becoming more common. For example, Cyngn a developer of autonomous driving software for industrial and commercial applications, finds that after two decades of research, development, and beta testing, autonomous industrial vehicles have grown beyond their startup phase and have risen to become an industry necessity. Industries ranging from manufacturing to mining, construction, agriculture, and dairy are using autonomous vehicles to change the way they operate. The implementation of autonomy yields key benefits with immediate results, such as increasing profitability, scalability,…
September is the month that traditionally ends summer and begins autumn. Labor Day is considered the changeover point, schools start, warm/hot weather slowly ends, leaves change colors and fall from the trees, cool breezes bring thoughts of winter celebrations. Unfortunately, the change also brings thoughts of “ending it all.” The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) recognizes that and has designated September as Suicide Prevention Month. The unofficial slogan for the month is, “You are not alone.” Depression, loneliness, a sense of isolation from friends, family, society in general, are leading symptoms of a potential suicide. And while suicide…
Railroads are one of the major ways to move people and cargo in Europe. Each nation has a goal for its rail system, and they want to connect their lines to those of other countries, making an EU (and non-EU) system. Even smaller countries are rapidly moving towards rapid rail traffic. For example, the 870 kilometers of Rail Baltica run across each of the three Baltic countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. An ongoing electric rail infrastructure project in the region, Rail Baltica’s purpose is to provide sustainable passenger and freight service between participating countries and improve rail connections between central…
Two well-known construction groups have looked at President Biden’s recently reported urging of government agencies to enact PLAs—Project Labor Agreements—for federal projects over $35 million and came to opposite positions. NECA (National Electrical Contractors Assn.) is for them while the AGC Associated General Contractors of America) is against them. The PLAs would cover work contracted by the DOD (Dept. of Defense, GSA (General Services Administration), and NASA. The NECA is the voice of the $202 billion electrical contracting industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across the U.S. NECA collectively represents over 4,000 electrical contractor members served…
Forms have fields. Enter data into a field and the form’s database recognizes it, interprets it, and places it into the proper position. But databases are programs and as such are limited to recognizing what the programmer tells it to recognize. If the form is looking for alpha characters and you enter a number, it will reject it. Worse, when multiple forms from multiple programs and programmers are merged, any deviation between fields will be rejected or cause internal problems. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, passing paper among people was a concern. Hand washing, disinfectants, masks all…
Yes, the old joke was, “The scariest words you can hear are, ‘I’m from the Government and here to help.’” But there are government agencies that are not only ready, willing, and able to help contractors, they are constantly looking for ways to do it. One way, becoming more popular, is online with information on what contracts have been let. The U.S. Dept. of Labor’s OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) launched a new online platform, referred to as the NCAP (Notification of Construction Contract Award Portal), to modernize how the agency receives required notices about construction contract and…
Electric vehicles—trucks, cars, buses, and even scooters—are getting a lot of publicity lately. The recent laws, state and federal, aimed at mitigating the country’s emissions problems all focus on getting more EVs (electric vehicles) on the road, replacing internal combustion and diesel engine vehicles. Many construction firms are publishing both medium-term and long-term targets to reduce their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, outlining their commitment to support international efforts to mitigate global climate change. The IEA (Intl. Energy Agency) estimates that the construction industry is responsible for approximately 20% of global emissions when the production of building materials (cement, steel,…
By some estimates, the U.S. construction industry market size is over $1.3 trillion, made up of over 3 million small and medium-sized businesses. Unfortunately, the industry has a reputation for lagging behind others in technology adoption and has often been neglected by traditional financial institutions. Some companies are trying to change that situation. San Francisco-based BlueTape, for example, blends affordable financing options with easy-to-use accounts receivable and invoice management tools. Construction pros can use BlueTape credit to buy building materials at any supplier and pay back over time. BlueTape has also forged a community of construction industry dealers and suppliers that…
Smart homes can start from the planning stage of a new build or they can be renovations of existing homes. Add a few controls, use a voice app, and Bingo, you have a basic Smart Home. But true integration and interoperability of IoT (Internet of Things) components requires more thought and planning than many realize. The key component is the bridge that spans the IoT devices and the controls. Olibra is one company that focuses on that bridge—with its Bond Bridge Pro. Bond Bridge Pro is a WiFi to RF (radio frequency) bridge connecting motorized shades, ceiling fans, and fireplaces…
Every jobsite has them, every tool crib, every DIY (do-it-yourself) garage has them. Power tools are the basic tools in the 21st century. Whether electric, battery, pneumatic or hybrid, power tools are the worker’s friend. How valuable are they? FMI (Future Market Insights) puts the number for the global power tools market size at $33.36 Billion in 2021 with sales of cordless power tools driving growth by 5.1% CAGR between 2021 and 2031. According to the FMI study, the power tools market had registered growth of just 3.7% between 2016 and 2020. Power tools applications in construction include cutting, grinding, sanding, drilling,…