ConstructConnect Blog

Artificial intelligence is all the rage these days. We use it daily in everything from voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, Facebook’s image recognition software, Google’s search engines, and getting recommendations on what to buy from Amazon and what to watch on Netflix.

The amount of technology available geared specifically toward the construction industry is mind-boggling. There’s drones, robots, smart hard hats, wearables, ruggedized smartphones and tablets, and 3D printers. Soon we’ll have autonomous (self-driving) heavy equipment hitting construction sites. Not to mention the hundreds of software and mobile applications available for nearly every aspect of running a construction business from the office to the field.

Building product manufacturers are faced with several challenges that big data and predictive analytics are ideally suited to solve. The key to unlocking the power of all this information is finding ways to structure and analyze the data collected data to make actionable decisions to improve their bottom line.

The construction industry has gotten a bad rap for being notoriously slow at adopting new technology. Despite the proliferation of new tech that has hit the market in the last decade, many construction firms continue to underinvest in technology. Being unwilling to embrace the industry’s current tech revolution is no longer a sustainable business model for construction firms.

After five consecutive years of increases in the number of construction worker deaths, construction industry fatalities in private industry fell 2% from 2016 to 2017, according to the 2017 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released yesterday.

In the next 20 years, it’s possible that all the backhoes, excavators, dozers, graders, and other heavy equipment we use on construction sites will move away from diesel engines to all-electric. For years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been enacting stricter emissions standards for nonroad diesel engines like those used in construction.

As we roll into a new year and say goodbye to 2018, it’s time to reveal ConstructConnect’s list of “Top 5 Coolest Buildings” of the year. Criteria for inclusion on the list is simple. The building has to have been completed, topped out, or opened within the calendar year and has to have some aspect that makes the building cool. This could be the architecture, sustainability elements, unique construction methods, technology, building materials used, cultural impact, or some combination of these elements.

“I can pull up by the curb. I can make it on the road. Goin' mobile. I can stop in any street and talk with people that we meet. Goin' mobile. Keep me movin'.” – The Who

Early last week, cybersecurity firm Trend Micro released a report based on a two-year research project exploiting vulnerabilities they found in radio frequency (RF) remote controllers used to operate construction equipment like cranes and excavators.

Technology is rapidly changing how we design and construct the built environment. It's allowed us to build stronger, taller, and more energy efficient structures. Technology has made construction sites safer and workers more efficient. It has allowed us to increase productivity, improve collaboration, and tackle more complex projects.