Author: Constructech Editors
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a two-year long strain on the medical facilities we depend on for treatment. Hospitals across the world have been finding that they were unprepared for the sudden influx of patients with an often severe and sometimes fatal illness requiring isolation and quarantine. Now that the number of hospital admissions is down, boards of directors and executives of medical groups are looking to remedy some of the weaknesses that were found. Skanska USA, a global construction and development firm, has been selected to provide renovation and expansion services for Bon Secours – St. Francis Medical Center,…
The rooftop unit is expensive and critical to the building’s performance. Getting data to and from that unit would make control much easier. Trane, a well-known brand in the climate-control market, is working on it. Trane, Trane Technologies, is seeking to deliver greater energy efficiency with Air-Fi Wireless Sensors for Trane/Mitsubishi Electric CITY MULTI VRF (variable refrigerant flow) and updates to the IntelliPak 1 HVAC Rooftop Unit. The enhancements provide building owners with equipment, data, and controls to help stay ahead of efficiency standards, meet their decarbonization goals, and make retrofits easier and more cost-effective. Building owners using VRF systems can now…
Construction is amid interesting times, with big industry growth in some sectors, the IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs) act, supply-chain disruptions, and the rise of digital, just to name a few. One of the biggest challenges—or opportunities, depending on how you want to look at it—is labor attraction, retention, and productivity. McKinsey suggests today’s labor mismatches are likely to persist because of structural shifts in the labor market, meaning the relationship between job openings and unemployment has departed from historical trends. In January 2022—two years from the start of the pandemic—the U.S. unemployment rate was at 4%, close to its…
In 1941, the classic film How Green Was My Valley hit the silver screen. In 2022, the classic in the residential market seems to be How Green Is My Home? And how soon? Green houses are smart houses, and smart houses better be green. The combination of technologies for monitoring and controlling the systems that constitute a smart house can also improve the environmental aspects of that building. In response to COVID-19, smart houses—especially new construction—should also be healthy houses. Innovations are showing a strong influence of the pandemic on smart home technology. The “new normal” way of living focuses…
Being a mountainous state, Colorado has somewhat unique issues with its airports. The “Mile High” city of Denver (5280-ft above sea level) has Denver International Airport (Code: DEN) which is more than a mile high at 5,434-ft. elevation. Denver is rated the third-busiest airport in the world and United States. DEN also has one of the most efficient runway layouts in the United States, with six, non-intersecting runways, five of which measure 12,000-ft. in length. The sixth (16R/34L) is 16,000-ft. long, the longest in the U.S. While the Denver area is noted more for its winters and low temperatures (as…
The capital lifecycle must go digital With $1.2 trillion in funding now funneled into capital construction projects under the IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), the industry must focus on efficiency and effectiveness in order to optimize this investment. Historically, American infrastructure projects and delivery have been pictures of inefficiency and ineffectiveness. In 2021, American infrastructure received a C- grade due to the number of water main breaks, wear on roads, and other capital maintenance problems. This is a historic moment in the world of American infrastructure, and it’s important that we get it right. Much has changed in the…
What value do construction jobsite cameras provide for construction? Vinnie Quinn, cofounder and director of Evercam Construction Cameras shares thoughts with Constructech editorial director Peggy Smedley on the importance of project management cameras in construction and what will drive the use of the technology in the future. Constructech (CT): What is the importance of project management cameras in construction today? Vinnie Quinn: Cameras on construction sites are valuable for so much more than just security. Images and pictures can be used for a much more productive, proactive, communicative purpose. The role of visual communication in construction management is an ever-growing…
Construction sites are dynamic environments with unique and often hazardous working conditions that can change daily, even hourly, as well as throughout the life of a project. On the job, what you wear can make the difference between safety and serious injury. More and more, safety gear, and even common clothing articles, are becoming connected devices that can be considered safety apparel. When used on worksites, wearable devices are often connected to a wireless mesh infrastructure via an IoT (Internet of Things) network. This network is the backbone of the system and allows for integration of the physical world into…
Jobsite energy needs fluctuate from hour-to-hour and day-to-day. Daytime use is generally much greater than nighttime use when crews are not on site. Security and surveillance at night needs constant power but not much. The power tools and equipment running during the workday are often energy hogs. Short term rental of power supply equipment like generators are an answer if planned properly. United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment rental company, now offers zero-emission power systems with the introduction of POWRBANK battery systems in its rental fleet. The company’s partnership with manufacturer, POWR2 Energy Solutions, represents a significant investment in sustainable…
Inflation hits everyone but not equally. Those who depend on personal automobiles for work are complaining about the rise in gasoline prices eating away any salary benefits they may have gotten recently. Manufacturers worry about costs of parts for assembly and contractors about raw material costs. They all have reason to see inflation as a challenge. Annual inflation rate in the U.S. accelerated to 7.9% in February of 2022, the highest since January of 1982. Energy remained the biggest contributor, with gasoline prices surging 38%. Government agencies are acting, too slowly some say, to rein in the escalation and the…