Author: Peggy Smedley
Here at Constructech, Connected World, and The Peggy Smedley Show, I have been sounding the alarm for years about the dangers of distracted driving. Awareness is particularly important in the construction industry, where work zone safety is a top priority for many. The hard reality is that work zones are still not a safe place, according to recent numbers from the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America). In fact, the organization’s recent survey found nearly two-thirds of firms working on highway upgrades experienced vehicles crashing into work zones during the past year. What’s more, 24% of respondents report experiencing five…
The cloud and SaaS (software-as-a-service) are rising trends for many business and IT professionals—and it is something we saw play out last week at Microsoft Build, which took place May 21-23, 2024. I thought it might be worth looking at what came out of the event and the impact such technology is having on enterprises, especially considering this is happening alongside the rise of AI (artificial intelligence). Let’s consider the rising trends of cloud and SaaS first. In the earliest days of computing, large mainframe systems acted as the central processor and networked terminals as the clients. Cloud computing is…
Peggy Smedley takes a closer look at the sustainability and energy concerns that are currently driving the global smart building market. She shares her thoughts on where we have been, where we are today, and where we are headed with the smart building market. She also discusses: A historical look at the development of programmable logic controllers and the evolution of smart buildings. Predictions for the estimated market value of industrial smart building deployments in the future. Some of the challenges that still persist. peggysmedleyshow.com (5/28/24 – 873) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data,…
Peggy Smedley and Sanjeev Pannala, senior researcher, NREL, and adjunct faculty at Washington State University, talk about research and the rapid transformation that is happening in the electric distribution sector. He says he says been working on diverse topics and how technology factors in. They also discuss: Who will be the beneficiary of all this resilient and sustainable power. Operational forecasting of power and leveraging machine learning. How to derisk the critical energy infrastructure. school.eecs.wsu.edu/faculty/profile (5/28/24 – 873) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work,…
Peggy Smedley and Troy Teepe, vice president of safety, Charles Taylor, talk about why a safety-first culture is so important on the jobsite. He says we have more than 23,000 on the job injuries every single day in the United States and employers are paying $1 billion a week in workers compensation claims—and ultimately safety is good business. They also discuss: New emerging trends shaping worksite safety practices. How managers can create a safe environment. How to meet regulations. charlestaylor.com (5/28/24 – 873) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G,…
I recently came across a study that says nearly 90% of skilled tradespeople are satisfied with their careers—and that this number has actually grown since the pandemic. What’s more, more than 65% of pros believe AI (artificial intelligence) won’t replace their jobs, and half are even excited about its potential to help them better serve homeowners. Here’s my question: who did they interview? Because there is a lot of conflicting research out there. The Skills Shortage The reality of the situation is the skills today are seriously lacking. We know from the U.S. BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) numbers and…
Peggy examines the economic impact of investment on our infrastructure, families, business productivity, and overall GDP. She highlights numbers from a recent report that illustrate the ultimate impact. She also discusses: A scenario in the next 10-20 years where federal spending levels remain in place. A scenario in the next 10-20 years where federal infrastructure investment returns to pre-IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) levels. How industries such as manufacturing, finance, healthcare, utilities, agriculture, and more are all impacted by infrastructure deficiencies. peggysmedleyshow.com (5/21/24 – 872) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation,…
Peggy Smedley and Jason Zhang, associate professor of construction management technology, founder and director of Automation and Intelligent Construction Lab, Purdue University, talk about BIM (building information modeling) and interoperability. He says the objective should be to create an integrated model—one model to support information needs throughout the lifecycle of the project. They also discuss: Who owns the BIM model. How it relates to digital twin and construction automation with robotics automation. How to make use of large language models. purdue.edu (5/21/24 – 872) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, construction,…
Peggy Smedley and Sandra Benson, vice president – industry strategy, Procore, talk about the importance of predictability and how construction has evolved. She says her path wasn’t straight and explains her journey from engineer to a leader in construction. They also discuss: How to help the next generation understand that it is okay not to know. If we are focused on business outcomes as much as we should. Sandra’s 3-5 challenges in the construction industry. procore.com (5/21/24 – 872) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of…
Robotics have been around for decades, with a rich history in both business and consumer applications, which we will explore here on this blog. However, we are at an interesting precipice in time where we can now combine robotics with new intelligence that comes from gen AI (artificial intelligence). Let’s take some time to explore the wide world of robotics—yesterday, today, and tomorrow. A Robotics History Lesson A robot will often drum up an image of a helper—think Rosie from the Jetsons—or a machine rising-up—imagine Terminator. Stanford suggests the reality is the term robotics was first coined by Russian-born American…