Author: Constructech Editors

Whatever flies is subject to the vagaries of weather, some more than others. Aircraft can fly through hurricanes if the planes are built for that purpose. Don’t try that with a Cessna or Piper general aviation plane. Or a hot air balloon! Design is critically important in aviation and so is construction. Stress can cause metal failure in an aircraft as well as mental failure in a pilot. Either one can cause a catastrophe. While we haven’t reached the Jetson’s level of personal flying cars, the air taxi industry is on the verge of taking flight as major companies like…

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With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, one of the largest and most significant investments in rebuilding our roads and bridges since President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System, attention has been paid to updating the maps that will show where construction and long-term investments are most needed. To provide this data, the U.S. Geological Survey is tasked with acquiring topographic QL1 (Quality Level 1) LiDAR (light detection and ranging) data in support of the 3DEP (3D Elevation Program) and The National Map. The 3DEP data produces the nation’s first baseline of seamless, high-resolution topographic elevation data, which is then incorporated…

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Rings have been around for a long time. The earliest existing rings were found in the tombs of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians primarily used signet rings with an engraved seal for the wearer to authenticate documents. In the early centuries of the Roman Republic, most rings were of iron; the wearing of gold rings was restricted to certain classes, such as those who had held high office. The Romans are also thought to have originated the custom of betrothal rings, or engagement rings, symbolizing a promise of marriage. By the 19th century, the traditional distinctions between ring types had mostly broken down.…

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The word “hospitality” has a nice ring to it. Everyone would like to meet people who are hospitable, welcoming, and pleasant. Millions of employees in the hospitality industry would like to be thought of that way, certainly. Within the ranks of those workers are millions of people who are rarely seen by those they benefit, those who work in the backroom, behind-the-scenes, “below the stairs” as the British might say. Hospitality as an industry applies to nearly any company that deals with customer satisfaction and is focused on meeting leisurely needs rather than basic ones. The lodging industry segment includes hotels,…

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Nobel winning economist Paul Krugman recently posted, “There’s substantial evidence that people don’t feel that they personally are doing badly.” The Federal Reserve conducts an annual survey of the economic well-being of households. At the end of 2022, 73% of households said they were ‘at least doing OK financially,’ down from the previous year (presumably because of the end of many pandemic aid programs) but not significantly below the number in 2019. This behavior spills over to other issues besides economic status. Take housing for example, or more precisely, affordable housing. The U.S. had an estimated housing shortfall of 3.8 million units as of…

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The song claimed “Everything is coming up roses…” but in the real world, everything is coming up…electric. Climate concerns worldwide are making electric vehicles, for example, a high priority. States are mandating the phase-out of fossil fueled vehicles with target dates in less than a decade in many cases. The infrastructure for electric vehicles—charging stations at public and private locations, in cities and rural areas, along highways and even in off-road areas—is gaining in importance as thousands of new e-vehicles are manufactured. And it’s not just cars and trucks that are going “e” in the U.S. As an example, in…

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“Net zero nets benefits” is a catchy slogan but where does the term net zero come from and what does it mean? The Paris Agreement limiting global warming was negotiated by 196 parties at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference near Paris, France. As of February 2023, 195 members of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) are parties to the agreement. Of the three UNFCCC member states which have not ratified the agreement, the only major emitter is Iran. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2020 under President Trump but rejoined in 2021 under…

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In the complex and changing world of construction, staying ahead of the competition isn’t just about the tools and materials you use. It’s about embracing technology that can transform the way you manage your projects and streamline your operations. One transformative technology is cloud-based construction ERP (enterprise-resource planning) software. In this article, we’ll explore why cloud computing is better for business-critical systems, why it’s particularly advantageous for construction companies, the benefits of an ERP system, and why construction-specific ERP systems are ideal. Why Cloud Computing Is Essential for Business-Critical Systems What Is cloud computing?Before we examine the benefits, let’s define…

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According to the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America), the construction industry added 11,000 jobs in September as unemployment rates for the sector remained at historically low levels. This, in turn, prompted contractors to raise pay faster than for other jobs. Association officials noted the number of people working on nonresidential construction projects declined for the month as firms struggle to find enough workers to hire amid tight labor conditions, and now the concerns of global unrest. Construction firms have plenty of projects, it seems, but a dip in nonresidential employment shows how hard it has been to find enough…

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Many people think of “infrastructure” as the roads and bridges they drive on daily or the train, subway, or airplane they take. Other infrastructure elements—the power grid, water and other utilities, broadband—are just there, unassuming and consistent. When construction, repair, or maintenance disrupts the planned movement of those people, it tends to upset them more than a power outage might. Unfortunately, some react in aggressive ways to those interruptions. According to the  AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) and HCSS, a heavy construction software company, 55% of highway contractors report motor vehicles had crashed into their construction work zones during…

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