Author: Laura Black
Here in the United States, we must continue to focus on rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. There is much work to be done and many opportunities, but we also must remember to keep an eye on evolving technologies as we build fast and furious. If you attended World of Concrete earlier this year, then you know cement and concrete were large topics of conversation—specifically how to decarbonize and lower emissions. Earlier this month, Peggy Smedley covered this in a blog, looking at how cement remains one of the largest industrial emitters of carbon emissions. What is needed is alternatives and innovative…
Buildings are entities that evolve, and we are seeing new types of buildings emerge, creating cities and communities of the future. Let’s consider a few ways buildings are continuing to change. Healthy Buildings In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were a lot of conversations about how to make buildings “healthier,” with a very big focus on the IAC (indoor air quality) in our homes and buildings. Much work has been done in the past five years—and much work is still being researched. Just last year, Stanford University conducted research that suggests seasonal respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, and…
Gen AI (artificial intelligence) is coming to construction in a big way. Let’s consider two case studies today. As we look at how other companies are leveraging technologies, we can then develop ideas for how to approach strategies at our own companies. Case Study: AI Does the Scheduling With more than a 100-year history and three generations of family leadership, Zachry Construction Corp., is a privately owned construction company in San Antonio, Texas. The company recognizes in order to deliver complex, heavy civil, transportation, utilities, and infrastructure projects, it must leverage technology to improve efficiency and project delivery. Enter AI.…
Candidly, if you thought 2024 was the year of gen AI (artificial intelligence), then you haven’t seen anything yet. Let’s take a look at what gen AI will ultimately mean for the construction industry in 2025 and beyond. But, first, let’s review some of the numbers. According to Statista, the generative AI market size has already increased rapidly by 554% in the past four years, reaching $36 billion value in 2024. Yet, AltIndex.com suggests the generative AI market is set to skyrocket tenfold and reach a $356 billion value by 2030. The bottomline is we can all expect continued growth…
The California wildfires have me thinking about how we build amid increasing natural disasters like wildfires, tornados, and hurricanes, just to name a few. Have we not learned anything since the supposed cow kicked over the lantern in Chicago in 1871, devasting the city and killing roughly 300 people? The Pacific Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles started on January 7, 2025, and raged on for days, killing dozens and causing devasting destruction in its path. Of course, this is only one example of recent wildfires. We saw flames in Gatlinburg, Tenn., in 2016, Superior and Louisville, Colo., in 2021, and…
What can we expect for the construction industry in the year ahead? Next week a new president will take office here in the United States. Will much stay the same? Will much change? If we are being honest, it is hard to predict what will come in 2025, although back in 2021 Pew Research took a stab at it. Let’s look back at its predictions from four years ago and see what has already come to fruition—and what has not helped identify where we are going. A Look Back In 2021, Pew Research penned an article that said the new…
Welcome 2025! There was much that happened in 2024 that shaped the construction industry—and there is much to expect in 2025 as it relates to technology. For today’s blog, let’s dig into some of the biggest trends to watch, and then we will also share some thoughts about how to approach 2025. Takeaway 1: Overall Market Conditions The construction market has been a wild ride in the past few years—but as Peggy Smedley always says, one thing we can always come to expect is the construction industry is cyclical in nature. We will always have ups and downs. The numbers…
The time has come for the construction industry to turn to digital transformation. Companies must remain agile and innovative in the face of challenging economic conditions, a labor shortage, supply-chain disruptions, a rise in natural events, and more. This is where digital transformation can help—but does it help in construction? A new report provides an interesting perspective into the reality surrounding digital transformation. Gartner recently polled more than 3,100 CIOs and technology executives, and more than 1,100 executive leaders outside of IT. The hard truth is only 48% of digital initiatives meet or exceed business outcome targets. This could be…
We are currently in the middle of a series of blogs, where we have looked at some of the common assumptions in the construction industry including if it is a technology laggard and if the digital twin is just for equipment, just to name a few. Today, let’s explore another common assumption: that construction workers are unhappy. Recent research does in fact debunk this myth, suggesting construction workers are some of the happiest. Now, to be clear, some workers may be unhappy, and some may be happy, but the numbers tell an interesting story. Let’s take a closer look at…
Is construction a technology laggard? Are digital twins only for equipment? Is the worker of tomorrow lazy? We are currently in the middle of a blog series looking at some of the most common assumptions in the construction industry today and we are identifying if they are fact or fiction—if they are truth or myth. Today’s assumption: Is technology adoption stagnant? We all know the economy has been a rollercoaster the past few months. It usually is during an election cycle. Geopolitical tensions, worker and material shortages, an uptick in natural weather events, and other factors have led to much…