Author: Peggy Smedley
If you know me, then you know I have a passion for saving lives on our roadways and building strong, resilient infrastructure that can serve the needs of all citizens, which is why my interest was piqued when I heard about Bicyclist & Pedestrian Counts, which is part of a larger program, right here in my hometown of Columbia, S.C. To start, let me share with you a little bit of background about this program. The city of Columbia had an objective to study and plan for the movement of bicyclists and pedestrians as part of the Walk Bike Columbia…
Digital twins offer many benefits to construction companies: data-driven decisions, more streamlined project delivery, money and time saved, better quality, and the list goes on and on. But as any die-hard construction professional knows this also comes with challenges. “The problem is one of the obstacles to model-based digital delivery from the creation of a construction digital twin for bidding through execution is the way the civil design models come in aren’t often complete,” says Rich Humphrey, vice president of product management, Bentley Systems. “Sometimes they get completed through CAD. Sometimes you have to integrate the models together.” Civil construction…
Cyberattacks are on the rise, as threat actors become more creative, geopolitical conflicts rise, and supply-chain disruptions continue to surge. At the same time, security teams are tasked with siphoning through a massive amount of raw data to uncover true threats. As the challenges continue to mount, this is causing general fatigue among security teams, as they continue to face all the cybersecurity and ransomware attacks thrown at them. This is where a third party can cut through all that noise and find the true threats quickly. I recently had an opportunity to sit down with Ryan Throop, executive consultant…
South Carolina is becoming an automotive state and manufacturing hub, bringing jobs for the next generation. As someone who has written about the importance of American-made manufacturing, it is so encouraging to see many companies bring production back to the United States, and I am particularly excited to see it happening here in what is now my own home state. I am not typically one to hand out accolades in the political world (this is not about politics), but in this case I can say I am proud of the efforts of Governor Henry McMaster and his mission to build…
I have been touting that we need to reach Millennials and Gen Z if we want a vibrant workforce in construction right now. Those who are already in the workforce can help fill in the gaps we are missing. As I have said, we need to show them what is possible and inspire them to do something innovative with technology. If we do, the rewards will be big for all involved—the individual workers and the company. That is the urgent need facing our workforce today—but we also need to be prepared for what is coming next. What is coming next…
Developing innovative, life-changing solutions comes with hurdles—such as getting U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Admin.) clearance for medical devices. Let’s look at one example of the process to bring such a device to market. Steven LeBoeuf, president and cofounder, Valencell Inc., began his career at General Electric, where he pioneered innovations in solid state materials, multiwavelength optoelectronic devices, high-power electronics, nanostructured materials and devices, and biochemical sensor systems. In 2006, he founded Valencell and is now the inventor of more than 100 granted patents in the field of wearable biomedical sensing. In a recent conversation, I sat down with him…
Opportunities for sustainability exist everywhere—in our homes, in our communities, and even in our modes of transportation. Today, let’s examine if automated services—including automated vehicle technology used in cars, transit, and automated parking—could lead to greater sustainability for all. But before you drive away, keep an open mind. A February article from npj Urban Sustainability digs into this topic. As the primary source of road traffic pollution, vehicle emissions degrade air quality and endanger human health. The ICCT (Intl. Council on Clean Transportation) estimated global carbon dioxide emissions related to transportation will increase significantly in the future, growing more than…
The worker shortage statistics are rather bleak. Last year, the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) indicated 91% of construction firms are having a hard time finding workers to hire, which is driving up costs and project delays. This challenge seems to be stagnant—or potentially even getting worse. The 2021 numbers suggest 89% of contractors had a hard time finding workers. So, it seems we are trending in the wrong direction. The reality is this is a problem that is impacting nearly every construction company in nearly every niche, as research shows nearly identical results were reported by contractors that…
The manufacturing industry is ripe for innovation, as it continues to embrace the IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (artificial intelligence). In fact, McKinsey suggests 50% of organizations’ revenue will come from new business models and products by 2026. And the way some manufacturing companies are talking this just might happen. What’s more, this is exactly the conversation I was having recently with Melissa Durbin, sales director, digital and application innovation, Microsoft, as we discussed digital platforms for manufacturers. She explains in just the last six months the company has been having more conversations with chief innovation and chief digital…
March is Women’s History Month and tomorrow—March 8—is International Women’s Day. It is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women and raise awareness about discrimination. Perhaps this goes without saying, but we need more women in construction, engineering, and infrastructure. As we all know, the statistics show women make up only 10% of the construction workforce. If we want more people in construction, we need to look at one portion of the population that has historically been underrepresented in this industry. I have a unique perspective as we move into a new era of work. We need to incentivize…