The California Air Resources Board is developing regulations that ensure every new passenger car and truck sold in the state is electric or otherwise “zero-emissions” by 2035.  The British government has announced plans to outright ban the sale of all gasoline and diesel-powered passenger cars—even hybrids—by 2035. Several European countries have committed to phase out

During the decades since World War II and the “prefab” movement, the idea of off-site construction of major sections of a building that are then assembled onsite has been considered somewhat a fringe concept, primarily for use in lower-cost residential developments. However, today modular construction is anything, but restricted to residential or low-cost. Multi-story, multi-family

If you have been following our blog series for the past few weeks, then you know, we are been exploring how to inspire, motivate, and connect with our workers and how our business processes will need to evolve. This week, let’s look at the growing reliance on emerging technologies. While there are many technologies to

We are no doubt going to see the rise of screens to educate our youth—and our youth is going to come to expect it. Gen Z—or Screeners as I like to call them—is currently in school and has come of age during a shelter-in-place crisis. Today, they are spending an inordinate amount of hours on

In Finland, where forests are literally everywhere, using wood for buildings makes sense. Research there showed that materials like concrete and steel had a larger “environmental footprint” than wood. This fact hasn’t been overlooked by the organization that represent the concrete and cement segment. The (PCA) Portland Cement Assn., representing cement manufacturers in the United

Millions of people have been working from home during the recent lockdowns and shelter-in-place restrictions caused by COVID-19. Offices have closed, computer applications have opened, and Zoom has become a household word. Companies across the spectrum have found a new challenge in an old problem: keeping the bad guys out of the network. Cybersecurity, once

Specialty software developers can often expand their market share by acquiring other, similarly focused companies. The acquisition route is beneficial when the acquired company’s product line fits neatly into the other’s portfolio. CoConstruct, a Va.-based SaaS (Software-as-a-Servce)-provider of project, financial, and client management software for independent home builders and remodelers, has acquired CBUSA, an organization

The 2020 Constructech Vision Awards The world of construction, like everything else, changed dramatically in 2020. In March and April, many businesses closed to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. However, even though construction, like healthcare and the food supply, was considered an essential activity, the impact on companies and individuals in the industry

Would you believe how much wood can save in environmental damaging emissions? A Finnish research report claims buildings around us create one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions –about ten times more than air traffic worldwide. In Europe alone, about 190 million-sq.meters of housing space are built each year, mainly in the cities, and the amount

Climate change, environmental impacts, energy efficiency, zero-emissions. No longer buzzwords and theories, these are becoming the driving issues for the near as well as long-term future. The global power industry is in a state of transformation and needs to accelerate its journey to net zero as many companies, communities and stakeholders forge ahead with commitments

Think about all that has changed in heavy construction operations since March when the COVID-19 pandemic first plagued the industry. Almost overnight, companies in the construction industry had to figure out how to overcome new challenges that the virus presented. Those who work in the field had to figure out how to conduct business while

The year is almost over, thankfully, but the COVID-9 pandemic is raging even harder than last March when things started to be shut down in response. Every industry was hit hard by the economic impact of lockdowns, remoting working mandates, and the effects of a deadly disease. Construction, although given essential business status, found its

We are in the middle of a short series on five big trends that are coming in 2021 and beyond. Last week, we looked at inspiring, motivating, and connecting with our workers. If we want to continue the conversation of people, process, and technology, then next we must take a closer look at how our

Here in the states, many of us are looking at another round of lockdowns, which means construction companies might once again need to keep many workers remote. Did it work last time? Here is the scary reality: 66% of remote workers have encountered an IT issue during the lockdown. Of that, 57.5% did not share

As companies grow, their products mature and become well-known in their industries. Since 1989, Maestro Technologies of Canada has been a leading supplier of ERP (enterprise resource planning) software to the construction segment. Maestro’s technology solutions help contractors to optimize their project management and finance processes and provide the specialized accounting, job cost, estimating and

Modular buildings, to paraphrase, “are not your grandfather’s mobile home.” Well, some are, in fact, mobile, but the majority of modular construction projects are permanent, fixed, and profitable buildings. Modular, as a construction concept, dates back more than 150 years—according to the Modular Building Institute, perhaps as far back as the 1600s. The first wide

Master Yoda said, “Do or do not. There is no try.” AllianceTexas says, “Don’t have think tanks, have do tanks.” AllianceTexas’ Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ), in north Fort Worth, was launched last year as a “do tank” in collaboration with Deloitte, with the intention of leading in smart infrastructure deployment and to create a digital and

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused worldwide changes in the way companies do business, internally and externally. With shutdowns, lockdowns and remote workers, companies have found they are more and more dependent on their IT infrastructure than ever before. Digital connections are often the only connections with suppliers, employees, customers and jobsite. According to Gartner, IT

Apparently, “sheltered-in-place” has made people rethink their housing options. In a strong signal that housing is leading the economic recovery, builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes increased five points to hit an all-time high of 83 in September 2020, according to the latest NAHB (National Assn. of Home Builders) Wells Fargo HMI

We have roughly six weeks left in 2020. Too many people I have come in contact with in the past eight months have echoed something of the same sentiment: I can’t wait until 2020 is over. I understand what they are trying to say, but the reality is just because the ball drops (probably) on

For those of you who attended Autodesk University Virtual last week, you already know it was a bevy of big announcements for the construction industry. For those who didn’t have an opportunity to attend, let’s dig into some of the releases now. If I could sum up the announcements in one sentence, it would be

The cloud is getting puffier as companies and individuals fill it with data of all types, applications that can be accessed from anywhere, and millions of bytes of cute cat pictures. Stay-at-home orders and remote working has given more clout to the cloud. The COVID-19 pandemic has largely proven to be an accelerator of cloud

Personal, customer, and company information, stored on office computers, field laptops and tablets, and in the cloud is extremely valuable. But all too often, it isn’t treated that way by the holder, just by those who want to steal it. When a company suffers a computer breach—a cyber-attack due to unauthorized access—not only can it

The stay-at-home, remote working era has made the computer more important than ever. Everybody does everything online and a company that minimizes their online presence is avoiding the obvious—the present and the future are digital. Today’s homebuyer expects prompt responses to questions as well as easy access to information and they search online for their

Contact: Laura Black Editor-At-Largelblack@specialtypub.com Naperville, Ill. — November 20, 2020 — The construction industry has adopted new methods and leveraged technology to forge ahead in a new working world. Constructech announced the 2020 Vision Awards winners, which have recognized a challenge that exists in the industry and solved it using innovative solutions, at a virtual

The “smart home” saves energy and lessens the impact on the environment. Most smart homes are focused on providing comfort and convenience features that are enhanced by electricity through such IoT (Internet of Things) capabilities as regulating temperature, turning on and off lights  by voice actuation remotely, and ordering food replenishment as needed, automatically. The next

Contact: Laura Black Editor-At-Largelblack@specialtypub.com Naperville, Ill. — November 19, 2020 — Last Thursday, November 12, Constructech awarded the recipients of its sixth annual Women in Construction awards, sponsored by Compass Datacenters. What a night to celebrate the growth of women in the industry—from a stagnant 9% to 10.3% in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau

Contact: Laura Black Editor-At-Largelblack@specialtypub.com Naperville, Ill. — November 20, 2020 — The construction industry has adopted new methods and leveraged technology to forge ahead in a new working world. Constructech announced the 2020 Vision Awards winners, which have recognized a challenge that exists in the industry and solved it using innovative solutions, at a virtual

In what may go down in history as the “COVID Era,” construction has been designated as an essential business in most of the United States. Repair, remodeling, new construction, completion of started projects, residential, commercial, and infrastructure all have been impacted by the pandemic and its business and economic fallout. Infrastructure projects, especially, have often

Energy is all around us, but not always managed properly. In physics, energy is the capacity for doing work and can be classified as potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, mechanical, and various other forms. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, and it exists regardless of its environment. What can happen to energy is transformation,

A common expression in marketing has been “a company that eats its own dog food.” Basically, a company that uses its own product so it knows more about what is needed to improve it. In the construction space, companies that provide materials and products often install them in their own buildings so they can monitor

“Never let a good crisis go to waste.” The words were first spoken by Sir Winston Churchill during World War II and were relayed to me again in a recent conversation with Bob Mankowski, senior vice president of digital cities, Bentley Systems. The thought here is that even during hard times—such as a pandemic—there is

Many software and solutions companies invest in technology to further their product’s development. For example, Bentley Systems, a developer that focuses on infrastructure engineering, has established Bentley iTwin Ventures to invest in promising technology companies that address opportunities for infrastructure digital-twin solutions aimed at roadways, railways, waterways, bridges, utilities, industrial facilities, and other infrastructure assets.

The increasing IoT (Internet of Things) capabilities and the proliferation of ideas for saving time, money, and energy by using the internet as a platform for various services has led to some unusual concepts. Construction firms should note that even lighting has come to the attention of service vendors. According to the Lighting Controls Assn.,

In 1937, the German Zeppelin LZ 129, the Hindenburg, crashed and burned in Lakehurst, NJ. At the time, it was the most publicized aerial event after the landing of Charles Lindbergh in Paris in 1927. Although everything from the original design and construction to the testimony of the crew is known, there are still engineering

In June, we noted the NEXT Coalition’s Construction Safety Challenge and explained how an industry group focused on infrastructure and construction was challenging the industry to come up with new and innovative ideas for meeting the COVID-19’s impact on jobsites across the country. The original companies forming the NEXT Coalition were Black & Veatch, DPR

The commercial and industrial market for solar and renewable energy has been difficult to crack. The market is fragmented, smaller local and individual projects can be priced out of the market, and local regulations can have a negative impact. Developers and construction managers seeking a way to enter the market are often put off by

Back in December 2018, Peggy Smedley saw it coming and conducted interviews with industry experts to determine what’s lurking beyond 2019. Back then you might remember the economic outlook for construction was the strongest it had been in years—but she so aptly asked: How long will we ride the current economic wave? Now, many of