‘Didge’ AI Platform Provides Cost-Efficient Tool for Project Management, Safety Monitoring + Progress Tracking

Gilbane Building Company and Nextera Robotics have entered into a joint-venture partnership to develop a transformational artificial intelligence platform that utilizes a fleet of autonomous mobile robots to track construction progress and provide safety monitoring at jobsites. The new robotics platform dubbed “Didge” provides autonomous “eyes-on-site” 24/7 by obtaining detailed visual data at construction sites, creating a bridge to the field between design models, digital twins and plans, while also boosting transparency, monitoring safety and expediting progress tracking. The platform is designed to be customizable and multi-functional to include capabilities such as 360 degree video capture and daily laser scanning … Read more

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Partnership Helps Skilled Trades Job Seekers

In recent years, a skilled talent shortage has plagued the construction industry. Some organizations suggest the deficit has become a crisis, especially given the coming infusion of federal infrastructure funds and the growing need for workers. To help individuals of all backgrounds benefit from these opportunities and prepare the industry to meet increased demands, the SkillPointe Foundation and Building Talent Foundation have partnered to help develop, place and support skilled construction industry workers. Under this new partnership, BTF will provide career coaching and job placement services at no cost to SkillPointe Scholarship recipients seeking residential construction industry jobs, and SkillPointe … Read more

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Two-Thirds of Metro Areas Add Construction Jobs from October 2020 to October 2021

Nearly two out of three U.S. metro areas added construction jobs between October 2020 and October 2021, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data. Association officials noted that the job gains would likely have been larger and more widespread if firms weren’t dealing with the twin challenges of supply chain problems and labor shortages. “While it is heartening that construction is recovering from the lows of 2020 in much of the country, the pandemic is still causing major supply-chain problems and is keeping some workers from seeking employment,” said Ken Simonson, the … Read more

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ACI Announces Winners of Annual Excellence In Concrete Construction Awards

The seventh annual ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards showcased dozens of innovative concrete projects from around the world. The “Overall Excellence” award was presented to Aldilonda promenade around Bastia fortress, located in Corse-du-Sud, France. The winning concrete project also received first place in the flatwork category at the ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards during the ACI Virtual Concrete Convention in October. Constructed at the foot of the Bastia fortress on the island of Corsica, the Aldilonda promenade is a sinuous path set into rock, giving pedestrians, disabled people and cyclists access to 1,480 feet of coastline. The pathway … Read more

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ABC Announces 2022 National Chair, Executive Committee

Associated Builders and Contractors’ board of directors has elected Stephanie Schmidt, president of Poole Anderson Construction, State College, Pennsylvania, as the 2022 ABC national chair of the board of directors during a meeting at the association’s annual Leadership Institute in Aventura, Florida. “As the fourth woman to serve the association in this role, I am honored to lead ABC to deliver value to our members, prioritize safety and total human health and elevate inclusion, diversity and equity, all to prioritize fair and open competition and to invest in and develop our most valuable asset — our people,” said Schmidt. “ABC’s … Read more

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