Author: Peggy Smedley
We say it all the time: Today’s homeowner is more tech-savvy than those of the past. And we have the numbers to prove it. Roughly 37% of U.S. internet households own a smart-home device, with each owning an average of eight devices. Such devices include smart video doorbells, smart light bulbs, smart thermostats, smart smoke/CO detectors, smart door locks, smart plugs, smart garage door openers, and more. This is all according to a recent survey by Parks Associates, which studies home habits. One interesting part of the survey answers the question: What does move-in ready mean for a homebuyer? The…
The car of the future will be far different from the cars of the past. Certainly, the next generation of cars will be electric and smart, collecting and disseminating data to create a more comfortable and convenient ride for drivers—but also the car of the future will be manufactured in a way that is more efficient, resilient, and sustainable. And it’s pretty cool for the environment, too! Let’s go for a manufacturing ride. Perhaps one of the most recent examples of this came from an announcement last week between Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft Corp. With the new MO360 Data Platform—which is…
Last week, as you might recall, I took a deep dive on where we are today with the IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), uncovering how the funds are rolling out and some of the big challenges the construction industry faces with these large, complex projects, amid a worker shortage and supply-chain struggles. Today, in this column, the focus will be geared to the future—and more specifically—at new solutions coming down the pipeline. Perhaps, with material scarcity still drastically stingy some parts of the country, especially with recent events like Hurricane Ian, one of the places we should look for…
It’s a 5G evolution that will certainly impact business and it has been a journey in the making. Many of you reading this column might very well remember when I encouraged the industry to prepare for the sunset of 2G. In fact, I noted the dawn of 4G LTE connectivity brings with it new possibilities for connectivity and the introduction of any disruptive technology inherently displaces previous technologies. The widespread demand for 4G ushered in the decline of 2G and 3G connectivity. 4G mobile communication technology first launched in late 2009—and some U.S. cities had 4G capacity in full swing…
In November 2021, President Biden’s administration passed the IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act). The hope was the funding would lead to more jobs, more projects, and ultimately safer infrastructure for all. At that time, I asked the hard questions: Can we make drastic change happen quickly? Do we have enough workers to build all these projects? Will the construction industry in fact leverage technology to be more efficient and work smarter? Almost a year later, it seems the answers to all these questions are yes—and no. First, let’s recap. The five-year $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act aims…
From airplanes to mail carriers to buses, EVs (electric vehicles) are coming to all aspects of our cities. Today let’s narrow in on one specific area and take a closer look at the benefits of clean school buses in our towns. Some of the advantages of clean electric school buses include quiet and clean operation; reduced GHG (greenhouse gas emissions) when compared to diesel school buses; and zero tailpipe pollution—which is key when students, drivers, and members of the community are exposed to harmful diesel emissions. Other potential benefits include reduced maintenance costs including less brake wear due to regenerative…
Buildings represent almost 40% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, and if you add in other activities that can be associated with buildings, such as transportation, that number rises even further. This is bad news for the climate. Digging in a bit deeper, the Global Alliance of Buildings and Construction released the 2021 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction near the end of last year and found that while emissions from building operations fell in 2020, due primarily due the COVID-19 shutdowns, if we want to achieve the Paris Agreement, the global buildings and construction sector must almost completely…
Think global and act local. That’s a motto you have heard me say on my radio show and have read in my column many times before. But what you may not know, it originated with Patrick Geddes, a Scottish urban planner in the early 20th century. Thinking globally means to take the more than 7 billion people who live on the planet Earth into consideration. And, thus, acting locally means we all need to become more active participants in what is being done. Simply, we need global action to be guided by local demands. Too often, businesses and individuals focus…
Here at Constructech, we have long talked about how market trends sometimes dictate technology trends. Construction is cyclical in nature—and I have covered many ups and downs. When the economy tightens, it is a good opportunity for construction professionals to either implement new technology or to leverage old technology in new ways to create greater efficiencies to better prepare for the downturn. It seems this is exactly where we are once again in the residential construction industry today. I wrote about this a few weeks back when new data came out about the heavy civil construction market. The big takeaway…
The metaverse is coming for many verticals—and in some cases it is already here. Today in this column I want to look specifically at one example: mobility, which is projected to grow from $1.9 billion in 2022 to $16.5 billion by 2030, representing a growth rate of 31.4%. This is according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets, which suggests there is a growing inclination of automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to leverage technologies like digital twin factories and virtual showrooms in the metaverse space. The tech companies are delivering too. I recently had an opportunity to discuss this very topic…