Tag: <span>Construction</span>

Tag: Construction

Examining the Labor Shortage and What Every Contractor Should be Doing to Change It

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By Karen L. Edwards, RT3 Think Tank.

It’s no secret that there is a labor shortage, not just in the roofing industry but in the trades in general. A recent article by NPR blames the 1970s and 1980s, decades where we pushed our kids to get bachelor degrees.  We frequently hear this as the reason why today’s youth don’t even consider a career in the trades.

John McManus, writing for Builder Online takes a slightly different angle in this article, reporting that there will be an estimated 3.5 million (2018-2019) high school graduates in the U.S. with 3.1 million expected to enroll in degree-granting post-high school institutions. Only 2.7 million will finish, earning associates or bachelor’s degrees.  Doing the math, that leaves nearly one million adults aged 18-22 who aren’t in college and could be recruited into the trades.

As McManus speculates in his article, the challenge is one of attraction and requires a new focus on marketing the trades to Generation Z – the kids currently in middle and high school, who will quickly outnumber the Millennials. While marketing to teens isn’t new at all, what’s different is that there are more companies doing it whose products are traditional teen products like video games or acne medicine. Charles Schwab is targeting this audience because in 10 years, these kids will have jobs and salaries and need investment services.

Just as these companies are making their products and services appealing for when Gen Z reaches post high-school age, the trades should be marketing their industries as a viable, long-lasting career opportunity to consider instead of the traditional four-year college degree.

National organizations and associations take action

The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) organized the first-ever  Roofing Day in D.C. for members of the roofing industry to meet with their representatives and senators to discuss issues affecting the industry and its livelihood. NRCA credits Roofing Day in D.C. with contributing to Congress’ approval of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Ace (H.R. 2353), which is expected to be signed into law any day by the President.

The bill reforms career and technical education under the Perkins Act, which had not been reauthorized by Congress since 2006. It will expand opportunities for work-based learning programs, strengthen incentives for development of industry-recognized credentials and provide new opportunities between employers and educational institutions to meet local labor needs.

WorkingNation was founded by venture capitalist Art Bilger, and exists to educate and communicate the hard truths about the looming unemployment crisis and bring the country together to create new jobs for a changing economy. The organization runs the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference and the SkillsUSA Championships in an effort to strengthen the talent pipeline to American industries by instilling valuable work-ready skills and leadership qualities within students.

There are also groups coming together to recruit and encourage minority populations to learn more about careers in construction and roofing. GirlsBuild is an organization that hosts summer camps in Oregon for girls 8 – 14 years of age to learn the basics of building, including carpentry, plumbing, electricity, concrete, sheet metal and more. The girls are taught by skilled female instructors. The program has received national attention from television host Mike Rowe through his show, “Returning the Favor.” There is such value in these programs that National Women in Roofing recently awarded scholarships to send two women from the Rutherford Housing Partnership in North Carolina to attend the camp and learn how they can replicate the model on the east coast.

What you can do in your community to help address the issue.

While these national efforts are great and will eventually make a difference, it will take time for things to shift and may take even longer for initiatives to reach your local community. It’s up to contractors to engage with their schools, service organizations and communities to try to create a shift on the local level. While that sounds like a great idea, many contractors are stumped with how to get started.

It can be as simple as reaching out to the principal at your local community schools or trade schools. See if they have career fair days for the students to learn about opportunities after they graduate. You could participate in that to share how rewarding a career in roofing can be for the student after high school.

Ask if there is a construction project that the school would like to have done where students could participate and learn what it could be like to work in the trades. Josey Parks, owner of J. Wales Enterprises, is teaming up with K-POST Roofing and Waterproofing to partner with a high school in an impoverished area of Fort Worth, Texas to work with students on constructing a fence to obscure a view the school has of a prison next door. He’s working through securing donations from suppliers to make the project happen and hopes to share his story soon.

Miron Construction Co. in Wisconsin hosted a ‘Build like a Girl’ event at their headquarters where dozens of female students gathered to work with a female carpenter to learn about framing walls, pouring concrete and operating boom lifts. The company hopes to increase the number of women interested in construction jobs.

Other community organization such as Scout troops would also most likely be willing and receptive to working together on construction projects or hosting a learning and project day for the Scouts to learn more about the industry and options for careers.

By reaching out to the schools and organizations in your community, you are helping to spread the word that it is possible to have a successful career in an industry that is elevating its professionalism, embracing technology and provides unlimited advancement opportunities.

What you should be doing within your own company.

Labor shortages are not only caused by a lack of new, young talent entering the workforce, but it can also be caused by existing workers leaving due to frustrations, lack of support and training or advancement opportunities.

Take a long look inside your company and evaluate your culture. Are you providing your team with opportunities to learn, to grow and to lead? Are you taking advantage of training and educational classes for your team that are offered by the industry associations? Are you allowing them to attend the industry conferences and expositions that will allow them to see and learn about the latest technologies, tools and methods?

It’s important to create a culture that promotes and supports your team. When you have a happy team, they will be a loyal team and will stay for the long-term. They will also become some of your best recruiters for finding the right workers to join your team. Instituting referral bonuses and hiring bonuses can also make a career with your company more appealing.

The bottom line is that it’s going to take all of us working together, on the national level, on the local level and within each of our individual companies to spread the word about the opportunities that a career in the trades and in particular, the roofing industry, has to offer.

Cloud Technology and the Construction Industry

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By Cotney Construction Law.

A critical component of the construction industry is the flow of information. On a daily basis, blueprints, daily reports, change reports, and punch lists are passed among contractors, architects, and subcontractors. That’s just a small list of the information that’s being dispersed. If that’s not enough, the construction environment is fast moving and not all parties are in the same location. In years pass, these details made communication slow and hitting project deadlines a matter of chance. Enter cloud technology.

The “cloud” refers to a remote server that stores data and software. From a technological standpoint, the cloud allows construction companies to keep massive amounts of information in a place that is accessible from anywhere that you can establish a wifi or cellular connection. In terms of day to day operation, the cloud is making an impact in a number of areas. That’s why 59 percent of construction companies surveyed by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage say that they are either using a cloud solution or planning to use one.

The cloud presents a number of benefits to construction companies. Here are a few:

Access to information anywhere. There was a time where plans had to be carried from job site to job site in big tubes. Construction sites are dirty places and items are easily lost. With the cloud, information can be accessed from anywhere with a mobile device. Oftentimes, information is housed in an office, while work is done in the field. Now, information is more easily attained and more accurate.

Real-time collaboration. Similarly, the parties that are involved in a construction project, developers, designers, contractors, and subcontractors are typically in different places. Sometimes different cities. Meeting in person takes time and effort. Phone calls alone leave gaps in information. A cloud solution allows all parties to see construction plans in real time, collaborate on them, and make decisions. It’s a more seamless way of reaching consensus and reduces the types of conflicts that would require the help of a construction law attorney to settle.

Secure data. It may seem counterintuitive that a platform that exists remotely can be more secure than saving files on your own desktop, but the advances in cloud technology make that the case. With many cloud solutions, data is backed up nightly. More importantly, many cloud solution providers use more sophisticated security and antivirus tools than the average user employs on their desktop. Additionally, computers can be stolen or compromised.

Cost-effective solution. Let’s face it, you are going to need a data storage solution at some point. If your company is even moderately successful, you will accumulate a great deal of data. Physical servers are one solution, but they are expensive to purchase and maintain. A cloud solution is much more affordable and is scalable. As your need for data storage grows, so too can your space in the cloud.

As our construction lawyers have noted in previous articles, the construction site is a fast-paced environment. Skilled tradesmen are busy working on various aspects of the project. Materials move back and forth on the job site. Subcontractors work to complete critical components of a structure. All of this is done under strict timelines. However, for the pace at which construction moves, a fundamental part of the process has always hampered it– paperwork. From contracts to change orders, paperwork is a major part of our industry. Collaboration has always been difficult because all parties have to be in the same place. Now with cloud technology, this is no longer the case.

Note: This first published as a two-part article on Cotney Construction Law’s website and can be viewed here.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.

BuiltWorlds Releases the Connected Job Site 50 List 2018

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The 2018 Connected Job Site 50 List is the easiest way to understand the companies that are changing the future of job sites through IOT-enabled data collecting products and systems.

Drones / Mapping

  1. DRONEBASE

DroneBase helps to track, map, survey, and manage job sites through providing a network of qualified drone pilots who are trained to fly for construction. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. DRONEDEPLOY

DroneDeploy is a cloud-based automated drone mapping software turning aerial imagery and video from any drone into actionable insights while stimulating collaboration across stakeholders from anywhere in the world.

  1. HANGAR TECHNOLOGIES

Hangar brings together data software, drone hardware, networks of certified pilots, and developers into one integrated platform. Its data acquisition platform extends insights beyond delivery and into operations and maintenance, ensuring projects stay on-time and on-budget.

  1. 3DR

3DR is a drone data platform specifically for the AEC industries. Their easy-to-use, fully automated software provides point clouds, 3D meshes, or contours to inform and connect those on site with stakeholders. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. SITEAWARE

SiteAware enhances job site monitoring with situation-aware drones bringing daily project progress updates and actionable 3D data to stakeholders.

  1. UNEARTH LABS

Unearth’s collaboration software connects people, places, and plans (blueprints, specifications, spatial measures, and more) in real-time, allowing both the office and field to collaborate at the same time. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. UPLIFT DATA PARTNERS

Uplift’s drone pilot network and turnkey data service helps industry leaders capture and analyze aerial data to prevent rework, reduce waste, increase safety, and improve margins.

Tools & Equipment / Machinery

  1. 5D ROBOTICS

5D enables the automation of industrial equipment. Their two tools, 5D Position Engine and Behavior Engine, can integrate into your existing fleet of vehicles and equipment, turning them into ‘smart’ robotics solutions.

  1. APIS COR

Apis Cor has developed the first mobile construction 3D printer, capable of printing entire buildings on site. Apis Cor claims to cut costs by 40% in comparison to traditional construction methods.

  1. CONSTRUCTION ROBOTICS

Construction Robotics is a robotic and automation equipment manufacturer. Its first machine, SAM100, is a robotic bricklayer for on-site masonry construction. Its second and most recent machine, MULE, is a lift assist device for safer handling and placing of materials weighing up to 135 lbs on construction sites.

  1. DEWALT TOOL CONNECT

DeWalt has created a three-part inventory management solution to connect and track your tools across multiple job sites and collect data from their mobile app automatically bringing you real-time information.

  1. FASTBRICKS

Fastbricks has created a dynamic stabilization machine that reacts to wind, vibration, and other factors instantly, enabling precise positioning of heavy objects on your job site.

  1. MILWAUKEE TOOL ONE-KEY

One-Key is the first digital platform for tools and equipment tracking, combining an inventory program with Milwaukee Tools’s innovative set of existing industry tools. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. MX3D

MX3D’s robotic 3D printing technology prints steel, metal or resin structures in virtually any size or shape for manufacturing purposes.

  1. SHAREMYTOOLBOX

ShareMyToolbox is a mobile application that connects employees to a company’s tool catalog to give users access to tools and assets available in the warehouse or field.

  1. TRUCK IT

Truck IT is a cloud-based application for the scheduling and payment of dump truck services. It allows users to access real-time information on dump truck availability in their market.

  1. BOSCH BLUEHOUND

Bosch Bluehound is a cloud-based tracking solution improving transparency between the warehouse and the job site. Their mobile-first platform allows you to track, manage and localize working assets at all times.

 

People / Collaboration

  1. ARVIZIO

Arvizio has created the industry’s first mixed reality server platform using its advanced spatial data engine to bring large scale 3D data to your 3D viewing devices in the field.

  1. ASTRALINK

Astralink is a Quality Assurance platform for the construction industry, using Augmented Reality (AR) technology to bridge the gap between BIM models and real-life construction field work.

  1. DAQRI

DAQRI produces AR technology to be used on the job site, including their Smart Glasses and Worksense software.

  1. GRIT VIRTUAL

Grit Virtual’s VR-based construction management software is re-imagining the way that project teams interact with their schedule. They are taking the 3D nature of virtual reality and advancing it into the fourth dimension with planning software. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. IMAJION

Imajion has created a mixed reality construction management platform revolutionizing communication on the job site by blending digital objects and information.

  1. IRISVR

IrisVR’s easy-to-use VR platform focuses on the architecture, construction, and engineering industries to stimulate collaboration in virtual space, no matter the physical location of each individual involved.

  1. REALWEAR

RealWear produces a voice-driven, hands-free, head-mounted solution to connect workers with PDF documents and maintenance and assembly manuals on the job and in the field.

  1. XOI TECHNOLOGIES

XOi has developed head-mounted, wearable computing technology that provides real-time visual and audible intelligence for the field service industries, as well as the back-end software that organizes and manages the data and content created. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

Materials

  1. BELLHAWK SYSTEMS

BellHawk software uses mobile data collection, barcode scanning, and printing technologies to provide real-time inventory, materials, and operations tracking for existing ERP, CRM, and other backend software.

  1. CONCRETE SENSORS

Concrete Sensors’ sensors are embedded in concrete prior to pouring and connect with mobile devices to report the concrete’s strength and drying time, preventing the need for removing material to test the concrete.

  1. INTELLIWAVE: SITESENSE

Intelliwave Technologies (SiteSense) produces mobile-based software solutions for RFID and GPS identification and tracking of construction materials speeding up the locating of materials in the field by 10X. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. JOVIX: ATLAS RFID SOLUTIONS

Jovix seeks to reduce fabrication delays and other material readiness issues by collecting, processing, and presenting actionable data in a graphical format; allowing laborers to focus on using their tools.

  1. TRACK ‘EM

Using barcode, RFID, and GPS technologies, Track’em offers material, quality, progress, and time control systems to track and optimize company resources.

  1. X-B-E

X-B-E coordinates the movement of materials by dump truck for the construction industry through their software platform bringing control of your materials to the palm of your hand.

Site Monitoring / Safety

  1. BUSYBUSY

busybusy allows users to track their team and equipment from a mobile device and eliminates paper time cards, improving job costing, and simplifying the payroll process. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. EYRUS

Eyrus invisibly registers, records, and reports tradespeople entering and exiting the jobsite, providing worker identity verification via high-security entry structures on job sites. The technology also sends stakeholders real-time trade deployment data. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. MSITE

MSite is a biometric access security system and construction gate monitor that ensures site adherence to safety and security policies and tracks labor time and attendance.

  1. PILLAR TECHNOLOGIES

Pillar’s sensors attach to studs, columns, or other structures on the job site to detect smoke, dust, and other air issues so that workers can pinpoint problem areas.

  1. RHUMBIX

Rhumbix uses crew telematics to capture real-time field data from workers’ smartphones in order to increase construction productivity and safety through a simple-to-use mobile interface. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. SENSERA

Sensera has created a variety of solar powered, wireless construction time-lapse cameras for the monitoring and security of construction sites. An additional benefit is real-time live site monitoring for all stakeholders.

  1. SMARTVID.IO

Smartvid automatically aggregates all of the digital data already being produced on a construction site into one platform to easily identify safety concerns with little added work.

  1. SOLOINSIGHT

Soloinsight provides IoT solutions via an identification platform of integrated software and sensors that helps customers manage security, personnel, assets, and visitors.

  1. TENNA

Tenna’s asset tracking software and physical tags integrate with GPS tracking solutions to provide physical asset planning, including location tracking, usage and service history, maintenance schedules, and documentation, all in the palm of your hand.

  1. TRIAX TECHNOLOGIES

Triax Technologies has created the Spot-r Clip and the Spot-r Equiptag, wearable devices that provides real-time visibility into the job site, resulting in faster response to injuries, improved safety performance, and increased productivity and efficiency of equipment and people.

  1. WEATHERBUILD

WeatherBuild leverages weather data, machine learning, and predictive analytics to enhance safety, and manage risk while optimizing uptime of crews and equipment, reducing the number of delays caused by weather problems. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

Scanners

  1. FARO

Faro brings 3D laser scanning to the AEC industry with detailed point clouds and highly accurate measurements of complex objects and buildings. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. HOLOBUILDER

HoloBuilder’s scanners offer construction professionals and real estate agents the opportunity to create and share 360° views of their buildings through 360° imagery and artificial intelligence.

  1. IMERSO

Imerso builds 3D scanning solutions for mobile devices, digitizing real-world spaces into 1:1 3D models in seconds via photo stitching technology.

  1. KAARTA

Kaarta has produced a hand-held scanner capable of real-time 3D modeling. Its portable systems sense and instantly transform the environment around them with no reliance on GPS. Come see them at the BuiltWorlds Projects LA Connected Job Site Expo

  1. MATTERPORT

Matterport provides cloud-based 3D and virtual reality solutions to the real estate and AEC industries that allow users to create, modify, navigate, and build on digital representations of real places.

  1. PARACOSM

Paracosm is a 3D mapping software company that develops mobile reality capture, progress monitoring, and visualization solutions. They also developed the first hand-held lidar scanning product, the PX-80.

  1. SKUR

SKUR provides cloud analytics and point-cloud software to verify as-built construction variations and catch issues with fabricated elements before they become a problem.

  1. STRUCTIONSITE

StructionSite’s construction documentation software integrates with 360° cameras providing searchable visual documentation to provide accountability and create communication efficiencies for work in-progress on the job site.

Source: BuiltWorlds.

Wrapping down Projects Chicago Conference

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By Jim Lichtenwalte, BuiltWorlds

Much to the fanfare of coffee-lovers everywhere, Starbucks will open a massive, 45,000 square-foot roastery in downtown Chicago next year. Formerly Crate & Barrel, it will be the largest Starbucks location in the world, and feature a staggering assortment of coffee, teas, and food.

And right around the corner from where that store is currently under construction, BuiltWorlds hosted its Chicago Projects Conference last month. In Loyola University’s Corboy Law Center, looking out at some of downtown Chicago’s most impressive structures, attendees learned how new construction technologies are changing job sites around the world, and revolutionizing the industry into something smarter, safer, and more interconnected.

Three of Chicago’s most exciting projects–the massive new Starbucks on Michigan Avenue, the renovation of the old Chicago Post Office, and the construction the 774,000 square-foot office space at 110 North Carpenter in the West Loop–were used as case studies illustrating just how far technology is pushing the built industry. The seven panels spanning the day-long conference covered, in great detail, the technology solutions currently in play in the AEC industry that are changing the way we build.

The conference opened with a keynote address by Sean Conlon, the president and co-founder of Conlon & Co. and the host of CNBC’s “The Deed Chicago.” A successful real estate developer and entrepreneur, Conlon walked the audience through his beginnings in Ireland, his journey to Chicago, and the successes and failures he’s had along the way. Conlon encouraged attendees to be bold and push forward.

“Pioneers often get shot in the back with arrows, not pilgrims,” he said.

Many innovative and technologically-driven practices are being used on large scale projects right here in Chicago. When designing the 110 North Carpenter office building (which now houses McDonald’s new corporate headquarters), Gensler utilized analytics and imaging software to create nearly 70 iterations of how to use the building site optimally and create a public space, before deciding on the design that was eventually chosen. The building is also now home to cutting-edge smart building technology in its lobby. Using a combination of key cards, turnstiles, and a 12-car elevator group, KONE created a more intelligent way to funnel people from the building’s entrance and to their offices.

“We wanted to see what we could do to help people get to their destination,” said Dan Brooks, KONE’s director of corporate sales.

In just about every office in America, a building’s occupants swipe their key cards to be admitted to the elevator bank, and then wait for their elevator along with a mishmash of other people destined for a variety of floors. The system KONE installed has the occupants of 110 North Carpenter equipped with smart key cards with data about their floor number. When swiping at the building’s turnstiles, users are assigned to an elevator with a group of people going to nearby floors. Brooks compared this change like moving from a bus to a taxi.

Similarly, ManufactOn and Skender are also two companies utilizing technology to change the industry. In their presentation, Tim Swanson, Skender’s chief design officer, Kevin Bredeson, Skender’s chief technology officer, and Raghi Iyengar, ManufactOn’s founder and chief executive officer, announced a formal, continuing partnership. ManufactOn is a platform that helps companies plan, track, and manage prefabricated projects. Moving forward, Skender will be using ManufactOn software to create modular construction projects. The three men see modular projects as a smarter way to build cities that is safer and uses less resources.

“About half the world’s resources we pull out of the ground we for buildings, and half the energy we use goes into buildings,” Swanson said. “Maybe there is a different way to do it. Maybe there is an alternative future, one does that doesn’t necessarily have to look like ‘Ready Player One.’”

Other panels examined the way technology is making construction sites safer places to work. Aiden Dalley, the product marketing manager of Viewpoint, David de Yarza, the CEO of Builderbox, Inc., and Daniel J. Klancnik, the director of project solutions Leopardo, detailed how interconnected technologies are making job sites safer and safer with each passing day. Using 360 cameras, job sites can be scanned and examined by superintendents for any safety issues.

“You now have the ability to make everybody on the jobsite with a cellphone a safety inspector,” De Yarza noted.

John Cahalan, the director of strategy at XOi, and Mark Schlander, vice president at GuardHat, Inc., discuss how their companies’ wearable products track workers’ locations, enable easier communications, and alert workers of dangerous conditions.

“Everyday 14 workers don’t come home from work,” Schlander said. “We make the invisible visible.”

The conference was capped off by the announcement of BuiltWorlds’ Project Technology Challenge winner, which was chosen by an experienced group of judges. Bobby Goodman, the co-founder of Truss announced Colas’ solar panel roadway as the winner of the competition. The project will line the existing surface area of roads with thin solar panels to produce more sustainable energy.

Moving forward, there is a lot to be excited about in the construction industry. If leaders keep pushing forward and striving for innovation as Conlon encouraged in the keynote, the built industry will certainly continue to become a safer, smarter place and yield amazing results.

Note: This first appeared on BuiltWorld’s website and can be viewed here.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) Exploring the Future of Roofing

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The question that keeps presenting itself in every corner of the roofing industry is how are we going to hire and retain the labor we need to keep our industry strong? It is a question that is explored in every roofing association, roofing company, manufacturer and distributor. How are we going to attract talent?

A group of industry thought-leaders came together in the spring of 2017 to try and find solutions for this critical issue with a focus on how technology could make the difference. The Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) was started to focus on research and dissemination of technology information that could make a difference not only with attracting and retaining talent but also improving the professional reputation of the roofing industry.

“RT3 is a consortium of thought leaders exploring emerging technology solutions for the roofing industry,” says Heidi J. Ellsworth, one of the founders and current directors of RT3 and a partner with RoofersCoffeeShop.com. “As a group we believe we can develop the atmosphere to inspire learning and networking that will bring important technology into our industry. We are striving to provide critical information about innovative technology and solutions for roofing contractors by bringing together progressive and disruptive expert solutions that can help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry.”

RT3 is committed to finding innovative technology solutions to be used within the roofing industry by enabling ongoing thought leadership and insights from progressive leaders both inside and outside the roofing industry, along with identifying practical resources for implementing potential solutions successfully. The organization is encouraging and enabling roofing contractors to embrace technology as they seek to grow their businesses. With a commitment to disseminating technology advancement information, RT3 believes that technology is one of the top solutions for the labor crisis.

“The next generation is looking to use their technical skills in new ways and the roof is a prime area for innovation,” stated Tom Whitaker, CEO of Harness and a director on the RT3 Board. “Most of our U.S. workforce already use an iPhone and/or tablet daily for their personal life, why would they not want to use them in their work life? We have the opportunity for our labor force to utilize the power of mobile devices on the roof for documentation and education. We need to make it a part of all rooftop systems.”

“The move to robotics on the rooftop is happening,” said Steve Little, Head Coach at KPost Roofing & Waterproofing in Dallas, Texas and an RT3 Director. “At KPOST, we are already incorporating machines on the roof that are more robotic then ever before. Our work crews are learning how to maintain the machinery on the roof while giving even more attention to the details. It is part of the evolution of the roof and incredibly important.”

RT3 was formed to act as a conduit for curating knowledge on technologies that can help roofing contractors and the roofing industry overall. The group has grown from twenty founding members to over sixty. With a board of six directors, both directors and members work to successfully accomplish the objective of supporting the advancement of the adoption of technology within the roofing industry. According to its mission statement, “Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), is a consortium of thought leaders exploring emerging technology solutions for the roofing industry, striving to inform contractors by bringing together progressive and disruptive solutions that help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry,”

The think tank meets six times a year, four virtually and two live. Past live meetings included tours of Georgia Tech, BuiltWorlds and the U.S. Capitol. Future meetings will continue to be held at innovative locations that will help enlighten the group on progressive technologies that can make a difference in the roofing industry. “The live meetings have been instrumental to our learning curve,” said Ken Kelly of Kelly Roofing, Naples Florida and an RT3 Director. “The opportunity to see what other trades and the construction industry as a whole are doing is key to us curating information and not wasting time recreating the wheel.”

“It is about education and the initiative to understand and then disseminate innovative technologies into the roofing industry,” continued Ellsworth. “The dissemination portion is just as important as learning about modern technologies. If we cannot adequately share the information, then we will miss a key part of our mission as a think tank.”

To that end, RT3 partnered early on with BuiltWorlds, SmartBrief and RoofersCoffeeShop.com to share information from the think tank and its members. “We need to share the information that we are bringing in and our partnerships have been critical,” stated Trent Cotney, CEO of Cotney Construction Law and a RT3 Board Member. “As part of our incorporation, we looked to other groups who use technology effectively and have proven digital audiences that we could tap into. It has been very effective so far.”

As part of the RT3 mission, the next prime initiative is to launch an online solution directory on the RT3 website. “The solution directory is a place for all technology services or providers to share their technology,” continued Whitaker who developed the directory and website. “We want the industry to visit the site and provide reviews on the technologies. It is the only way we will truly get industry-specific feedback.”

Future meetings will continue to be held at innovative locations that will help enlighten the group on progressive technologies that can make a difference in the roofing industry. The goal is to learn, understand and then disseminate new technologies into the roofing industry. One of the ways to attract the new generation and a diversified labor force is to incorporate the use of technology including robotics, software, cloud solutions and cutting-edge technologies that we are not even aware of yet.

Josey Parks, RT3’s Workforce Development Task Team Chair, recently announced a new millennial toolkit. “We want to help contractors attract millennials, but it is about understanding what they are looking for in a career,” stated Josey Parks, CEO of Metal Roofs of Texas. “Technology is key, but it is also about culture. The two go together and what the next generation is looking for is commitment to its employees. This group of thought leaders that are a part of RT3 are bringing so much more than just information about technology, we are exploring how technology can create a culture of success for us as a trade.”

“The next generation of millennials will demand the use of technology, if we want to compete for talent as an industry, we will need to create an appealing workplace,” confirmed Karen Inman, COO of Antis Roofing out of Orange County, CA. “With a dwindling workforce, we need to be on the front end of recent technologies that will automate the rooftop. Labor is just one of the urgent business problems that can be addressed with these types of progressive ideas.”

“We are encouraging everyone to visit our website at www.rt3thinktank.test, sign up for the RT3 SmartBrief e-newsletter, follow the blogs, review the companies in the solution directory and if interested, apply to join,” confirmed Karen Edwards, communications and engagement leader for RT3 and owner of Casimir Group. “This is the type of organization that brings on change and we want to invite the industry to be involved.”

Photo by Eddie Kopp on Unsplash

Study Finds Construction Industry Can Benefit From Artificial Intelligence Adoption

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A McKinsey & Co. study on artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the construction industry reports a combined use of machines and digital technology can enhance quality control, project scheduling, data analysis, and project cost savings, according to www.constructiondive.com.

The construction industry currently is the second-least digitized economic sector in the world, and the industry needs to lay the groundwork before AI can be widely adopted. The study identifies investment in data collection and processing tools like cloud infrastructure and advanced analytics as the first step.

There has been increased interest in sensors, cloud-based data sharing and mobile connectivity within the construction industry. Some employers already are using wearable sensory devices to monitor workers’ location and equipment at worksites. Data collected from the devices is transmitted to a cloud-based platform accessible from any compatible mobile device. AI algorithms advance the process one step further by deploying real-time solutions based on data analysis, helping employers ensure their workers stay safe on the job.

Industry employers may look to other industries that have successfully used AI to optimize processes, including the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. The study notes an AI algorithm is used by the pharmaceutical industry to predict medical trial outcomes; a similar algorithm may be used by the construction industry to forecast project risks and constructability. And image recognition algorithms used by the healthcare industry to support diagnoses may enable drones to assess construction site images for signs of defects or structural failures.

Note: This article first published on the NRCA website and can be viewed here.

The Future of Construction Site Surveillance: Part 2

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By Cotney Construction Law.

There are many benefits to self-navigating rovers and drones that provide workplace surveillance. In this second part of our two-part series, we will outline some of the main reasons why, if functional, this technology should be embraced by the construction industry.

The Problem with Construction Interiors

When drone technology became highly sophisticated, the devices were seamlessly integrated into the construction industry process capturing data for exteriors. Of course, drones were enhanced with new advancements over the years. With that being said, the interiors of construction sites were never as easy to navigate for autonomous devices until this recent technology circumvented many of these problems. In the near future, rovers could be implemented much to the same effect as drones.

Conquering This Problem

Inspecting construction work that is in progress and in an interior can be very difficult for the inspector. Inspectors can make misjudgments or overlook a problem. These mistakes or oversights can lead to both small and catastrophic accidents.

The precision of a Doxel rover allows construction professionals to confirm that the building process is being performed precisely with all of the components aligned correctly. If the metric data analyzed by the “deep learning” process shows that the progress is off kilter, the contractor can be notified via smartphone of the necessary steps to alleviate this issue. This technology at the contractor’s fingertips is invaluable.

Productive Technology

The deep learning process of this technology doesn’t just stop with the inspection process. An up-to-the-minute metrical analysis allows construction projects to save time instead of going back weeks to fix an unexpected issue. This, of course, results in significant reductions to the budget when certain issues are corrected in a timely fashion. Having an inspection process in real time that evaluates a project, highlights areas that need correction, and keeps an entire scale of a project recorded in measurable data is vital to construction project management. From budgeting to schedule coordination to keeping records on the quality of the project, this technology can find problems before they escalate and keep everybody on the project “in the know” on all of the important data.

Technology That Streamlines the Building Process

As we discussed in the first part of this two-part series, Doxel has created autonomous devices called rovers that can self-navigate around the entire perimeter of the workplace scanning for important measurable data that relates to a construction project. As we discussed in the second section, this intel is then uploaded to a cloud-based system that allows it to be algorithmically measured and processed. In the third section, we educated you on how this “deep learning” data can be sent to a construction manager’s smartphone, so they can review it and be aware of any areas of the work that need to be addressed.

Case Study of LiDAR Technology

Although this rover scanning technology is only in the embryo stage, it has shown promising signs of improving the construction process. In San Diego, CA, Doxel implemented its rover technology into a project where a multistory medical building was being erected. The rover was able to scan the infrastructure in approximately four to five hours each day and productivity reportedly improved nearly 40 percent on the project and the work was completed well under the estimated budget.

Monthly Subscription Fee

Although Doxel’s advanced technology has just been unveiled, the plan is to implement the services via a monthly subscription fee like most cloud-based services. One day in the near future, this technology may be implemented into all large-scale projects. Being able to digitally transfer all the measurable data of a project is an indispensable resource in itself. Any innovation that promotes the production of quality work in a timely fashion should be embraced by the construction industry.

Note: This article first published on Cotney Construction Law’s website and can be viewed here.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.

The Future of Construction Site Surveillance: Part 1

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By Cotney Construction Law.

There’s an unfortunate stereotype about the work being done on construction sites. Well, perhaps we should say the work not being done. The cliché is that a construction site is a place where workers are standing around doing nothing. Although anyone in the construction industry knows that this is simply untrue, the fact remains that the vast majority of projects end up running past their deadline and over budget. Construction companies are always open to looking for ways to avoid this dilemma.

The Penalties That Stem from a Delay

When deadlines are missed, this can result in financial penalties for contractors. Delays can also compromise a contract, affect the bidding process on other jobs, and, in extreme cases, ruin a professional’s reputation.

This two-part article discusses the future of construction site surveillance and how technology may speed up and finely tune the building process. If new processes can lessen delays by closely monitoring the work being performed at construction sites, everyone in the construction industry will prosper.

Groundbreaking Invention

Future projects within the construction sector may be supervised by robotic devices like drones and rovers. As you probably already know, most construction sites already use various types of drones for aerial shots. This footage can provide valuable intel for the exterior of construction projects; however, the interior area of construction sites have lacked advanced autonomous technology that can record, analyze, or inspect the building process of a site. That is until emerging tech company Doxel unveiled its newest, groundbreaking invention.

LiDAR-Equipped Technology

After recently receiving $4.5 million in funding, Doxel’s artificial intelligent rovers can provide construction sites with measured data that is much more precise than your standard inspector with a tape measure. Although the rover looks like an adorable and more sophisticated version of the robotic vacuums homeowners invest in to aimlessly move around their living space, these Doxel rovers are capable of a much more advanced level of technology and can roam pre-coordinated paths that encompass an entire construction site.

These LiDAR-equipped robots can be let loose at the end of a workday and scan entire sites and determine the progress of the whole project.

Digitizing the Industry

The term LiDAR may not be a household name yet, but it will be in the next decade. LiDAR technology is the integral force behind autonomous vehicles’ vision. As digitaltrends.com explains it, LiDAR technology is a “laser-based surveying method” that creates a “depth-based image of the world by shining out laser lights and then measuring how long it takes for the reflected pulse to be bounced back to the sensor.” In non-techy talk, this means that the Doxel rovers possess a LiDAR scanner that allows them to digitize all of a construction site by scanning it. This initiates the process of sending this data to cloud technology and allows the information to be immediately analyzed.

The Deep-Learning Process

The surveying rover is the medium used on the construction site to collect the data via the high-tech laser scanning process known as LiDAR technology. However, once this information is collected it’s immediately uploaded to a deep-learning process that analyzes the measurable results that the surveying rover collected. Utilizing advanced 3D technology, the cloud system algorithmically analyzes the data and determines the overall quality and progress of the work being performed on location. This highly accurate information verifies that the construction work was completed correctly and remained on schedule.

Note: This article first published on Cotney Construction Law’s website and can be viewed here.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.

Four Key Tech Trends Revolutionizing Architectural Design and Construction

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By Peter Diamantis

From self-healing materials to 4D printing to artificial intelligent-driven design to robots, the construction and building industry is being drastically changed by technology.

If you could design any structure, free of all constraints, what would you envision? Put aside today’s architectural limits. What home would you dream up? Exponential technologies are converging and revolutionizing the way we design, build and inhabit everything. The global construction industry is projected to surpass $10 trillion in 2020, and the total U.S. housing stock alone grew to $31.8 trillion last year.

Both industries are ripe for massive disruption.

In this blog, I’ll be covering four key tech trends that are revolutionizing what is possible in architectural design and construction:

  1. Autonomous robot builders
  2. 3D and 4D printing
  3. New materials from unexpected sources
  4. Designs that adapt as you build

Let’s dive in.

New Materials Enter Construction

For thousands of years, we’ve been constrained by the construction materials of nature. We built bricks from naturally abundant clay and shale, used tree limbs as our rooftops and beams, and mastered incredible structures in ancient Rome with the use of cement. But construction materials are about to get a HUGE upgrade.

Here are the top three materials disrupting the future of construction:

  1. Upcycled Materials: Imagine if you could turn the world’s greatest waste products into their most essential building blocks.

Thanks to UCLA researchers at CO2NCRETE, we can already do this with carbon emissions.Today, concrete produces about 5% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But what if concrete could instead conserve greenhouse emissions? CO2NCRETE engineers capture carbon from smokestacks and combine it with lime to create a new type of cement. The lab’s 3D printers then shape the upcycled concrete to build entirely new structures. Once conquered at scale, upcycled concrete will turn a former polluter into a future conserver.

Want to print houses from dirt? No problem. The Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) can now turn any soil into a building material with three times the tensile strength of industrial clay. A massive breakthrough for developing regions, IAAC’s new 3D printed native soil can build houses on-site for as little as $1,000.

  1. Nanomaterials: Nano- and micro-materials are ushering in a new era of smart, super-strong and self-charging buildings.

While carbon nanotubes dramatically increase the strength-to-weight ratio of skyscrapers, revolutionizing their structural flexibility, nanomaterials don’t stop here. Several research teams are pioneering silicon nanoparticles to capture everyday light flowing through our windows. Little solar cells at the edges of windows then harvest this energy for ready use. (Thermochromic smart windows change color when exposed to sunlight.)

Researchers at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab have developed similar smart windows. Turning into solar panels when bathed in sunlight, these thermochromic windows will power our buildings, changing color as they do.

  1. Self-Healing Infrastructure: The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates a $542.6 billion backlog needed for U.S. infrastructure repairsalone. And as I’ve often said, the world’s most expensive problems are the world’s most profitable opportunities.

Enter self-healing concrete. Engineers at Delft University have developed bio-concrete that can repair its own cracks. As head researcher Henk Jonkers explains, “What makes these limestone-producing bacteria so special is that they are able to survive in concrete for more than 200 years and come into play when the concrete is damaged. […] If cracks appear as a result of pressure on the concrete, the concrete will heal these cracks itself.”

But bio-concrete is only the beginning of self-healing technologies. As futurist architecture firms start printing plastic and carbon-fiber houses like the stunner seen below (using Branch Technologies’ 3D printing technology), engineers are tackling self-healing plastic.

WATG Designs 3D-Printed Freeform House with Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Plastic

Plastic not only holds promise in real estate on Earth, it will also serve as a handy material in space. NASA engineers have pioneered a self-healing plastic that may prove vital in space missions, preventing habitat and ship ruptures in record speed.

The implications of self-healing materials are staggering, offering us resilient structures both on earth and in space.

Enhanced Design & Architecture

While incredible new materials transform what we build, AI and VR are revolutionizing how we design.

  1. AI-Driven Design: In the past, if you wanted to build a high-rise, you needed a static, precise blueprint. Moving parts were not an option.

Now, real-time, AI-aided Building Information Model (BIM) will enable blueprints to learn and adapt to changing ground conditions, weather, equipment and even new design ideas.

In the future, AI will help design our blueprints, optimizing construction methods, breakthrough materials, and design features. It may even recommend IoT components for our high-rises depending on their purpose and landscape.

  1. Virtual Reality Shaping Real Estate: In one of my previous blogs, I discussed how VR will reshape our real estate shopping experience. Forget real estate agents and physical house hunting. Why not visit a house in a different city from the comfort of your living room at 3 a.m. and see how it looks with blue walls and your own home furniture?

VR is about to transform the real estate design process too. Imagine the possibilities: you design your company’s dream office using a Building Information Model and allow your managers to walk around the (virtually) finished product before it’s ever built.

Build with Robots and 3D Printing

Designs and machinery won’t build us finished products on their own… or will they? Welcome to the new frontier of autonomous robot builders and skyscraper printers.

  1. Autonomous Robotics and Robot Swarm Construction: While robots have already started permeating the construction industry, what if they could construct buildings entirely autonomously?

Many are already tackling this challenge, using everything from flying robots to termite-like swarm constructors.

RoboticsX aims to send autonomous robot builders to Mars that can adapt to shifting ground conditions. CEO Peter Boras spoke of plans to scale up 3,000 collaborating robots in the hopes of building structures almost entirely unaided. The company’s X-1 Smart Industrial Robot can already collaborate with its colleagues, adapt tasks in real time, share its capabilities with other machines and perform predictive maintenance.

A team at Switzerland’s NCCR Digital Fabrication has also built a fabricator robot. Pre-programmed with design model data, the robot can build any steel-reinforced framework autonomously on-site.

Inspired by autonomously collaborative termites, Harvard robotics researchers developed swarm construction robots that can collaboratively build a programmed design, block-by-block, without centralized control.

Imagine the implications. Eliminating human safety concerns and unlocking any environment, autonomous builder robots could collaboratively build massive structures in space, or deep underwater habitats.

  1. 3D and 4D Printing: In one of the developments I’m most excited about, we will soon be printing tomorrow’s structures. 3D and 4D printing are redefining the way our buildings look, feel and even move.

You may have heard of the Chinese company WinSun Design Engineering Co., which printed 10 houses from recycled materials in 24 hours at a cost of about $4,800 each.

Or Dutch studio DUS Architects, who used sustainable bioplastic to 3D print a full-sized canal house in Amsterdam.

But architectural printing is only getting started.

While companies like INNOprint can print an emergency shelter in only half an hour, others are finding ways to print unprecedented designs, like this never-ending looped house, buildable with one massive robotic 3D printer.

Janjaap Ruijssenaars 3D prints prototype of house with no beginning or end

And now for the real kicker: Remember those magical moving staircases in the Harry Potter films? Turns out these may no longer be exclusive to the wizarding world.

4D printing will one day make such structures a reality. Born out of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, 4D printing involves 3D printed objects that can reshape and even self-assemble over time.

These structures involve 3D printing rigid and expandable materials alongside one another. When the expandable materials encounter certain conditions, like water or heat, they reshape and reposition other rigid parts of the structure.

As a result, 4D printed structures have moving joints that can reshape the entire component, whether into different shapes or stairwell directions.

Final Thoughts

With the convergence of autonomous builder robots, 3D and 4D printing, AI-guided design and unprecedented smart materials, we are about to witness the mass disruption of construction and real estate.

What new architectural frontiers will you unlock? How will your company design and print the future? What homes and space colonies will we inhabit?

Join Me

  1. A360 Executive Mastermind: This is the sort of conversation I explore at my Executive Mastermind group called Abundance 360. The program is highly selective, for 360 abundance and exponentially minded CEOs (running $10M to $10B companies). If you’d like to be considered, apply here.

Share this with your friends, especially if they are interested in any of the areas outlined above.

  1. Abundance-Digital Online Community: I’ve also created a Digital/Online community of bold, abundance-minded entrepreneurs called Abundance-Digital.

Abundance-Digital is my ‘on-ramp’ for exponential entrepreneurs – those who want to get involved and play at a higher level. Click here to learn more.

Note: This article was first received via email from Peter Diamantis.