Author: Constructech Editors
People are not laboratory mice. But people often are happy to experiment with new technology, new surroundings, new approaches to life in general that can be considered laboratory projects. With the backing of major corporations, such experiments can lead to the future in the present. At a site in Higashi-Fuji, Japan, in a prototype town of the future where people live, work, play, and participate in a living laboratory called Woven City, the future of transportation is being developed. It will be a smart city that allows researchers, engineers, and scientists the opportunity to freely test technology such as autonomy,…
Estimating is a risky business, especially with the supply-chain issues that are common today. But before the estimator gets to the costs and availability part of the equation, the type, quality, and quantity have to be determined. From CAD (computer-aided design) drawings to BIM (building information modeling) models, the data is there, getting it out and into a usable form is the challenge. One of the more time consuming and high-risk tasks for an estimator is the takeoff process. Technology has been used at various points to ease the operation and limit the error rate but today’s estimators have been…
Virtual reality (VR) has been a growing trend in many areas, starting with gaming and entertainment and progressing to architecture and building. One benefit of VR is being found in the HR (human resources) departments where it can be used for training and vetting of skills in workers. States are also finding use for VR in training and recruiting workers for employers within the state as is the case in Arkansas. The AOSD (Arkansas Office of Skills Development), a division of the Arkansas Dept. of Commerce responsible for aligning the state’s career and technical education programs with the needs of…
As the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be winding down in much of the world, companies are recognizing a new threat. The war in Ukraine has potential for massive cyber attacks in retaliation for sanctions and companies are expected to be targeted along with governments and critical infrastructure. Combined with stricter compliance requirements by governments to help secure cyber assets, the market for MSS (managed security services) is growing stronger. More and more companies are falling victim to data theft, espionage, or asset sabotage. Hackers are becoming increasingly aggressive in their approach, deliberately exploiting vulnerabilities to gain access to systems. Many…
No, not “ET Call Home.” EV—electric vehicle—charging at home has become as common as EVs themselves. Charging stations may pop up along highways and byways but at home charging is often the most convenient. In fact, a study from Juniper Research found that spending on EV charging at home will exceed $16 billion globally in 2026; up from $3.4 billion in 2021. This rapid growth, more than 390% during the next five years, is being driven by the lower cost and convenience of home charging for EVs, rather than using costly and frequently inconvenient public charging networks. The research recommends that home…
Automatic transmissions for heavy-duty equipment have been rare, most being considered too fragile for harsh environments and better suited to on-road use. That challenge has been met by Allison Transmissions. Allison Transmission is a designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles, the largest global manufacturer of medium-duty and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, and a leader in electrified propulsion systems that, according to the company’s slogan, “Improve the Way the World Works.” Its products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks such as construction, fire, and emergency vehicles, school and coach buses, motorhomes,…
Bridges are found in every nation. Some span a creek while others, like the Øresund Bridge that connects Demark to Sweden, carry traffic over the sea. The Øresund Bridge is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe, running nearly 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the Swedish coast to the artificial island Peberholm in the middle of the Øresund Strait where it meets the 4 Km (2.5 mile) Drogden Tunnel to Denmark. Another giant of the bridge building world was recently opened to traffic in Turkey. While the Øresund Bridge is named for the straits it spans, the Turkish 1915Çanakkale…
Smart homes are becoming both popular and flexible. Buyers can choose from a long menu of options to be installed in a new construction, a remodeling project, or just added at random. The market presents options for every area of the home and buyers are warmly adapting to these choices. A new whitepaper, Value Beyond Home Security: Expanding Product Ecosystems, from Parks Associates, a woman-owned and led international market research and consulting company, finds “peace of mind” is a key driver for smart home adoption, with 31% of recent buyers citing this factor as a top benefit influencing their purchase. The…
In 1970, Congress did something that, today, would seem impossible. Democrats and Republicans, with overwhelming public support, came together to pass a sweeping legislative agenda around environmental protection. The result was Earth Day, and it is honored every April 22 throughout the country and, under other names, can be found in 141 nations concerned with environmental deterioration. Like many other businesses, construction contributes its share to environmental damage. Construction of buildings uses an average of 41% of the world’s energy, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. Not only the actual construction process but the preparation of sites and the maintenance…
Throughout the last two years, the construction industry has done whatever it takes to deliver projects despite huge challenges. However, the uncertainties faced by engineering and construction firms will worsen as governments begin to boost their post-COVID spending on infrastructure and inflationary pressures begin to bite. Technology can play an important part in changing how the industry designs and constructs projects, and how it reskills the workforce. Digital tools and processes can help to kick-start big improvements in project performance, and other industries have shown that companies that are quick to embrace emerging technologies will gain a strong competitive advantage.…