Deepening Labor Struggle Driving Future of Construction

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The construction labor shortage continues to deepen nationally, evident by a historically low unemployment rate of 4.5 percent. There has been minimal growth in the workforce over the last nine months, with no sign of an increase. Because of this, industry professionals can expect project timelines to be extended, wages to increase at a faster rate and all eyes focused on construction technology to offset these challenges. Despite this, the industry continued to hit a mature stage of economic expansion in the third quarter, according to a new report from JLL that tracks national construction trends. Construction spending was up … Read more

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6 Trends on the Frontline of Construction

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By Todd Imming Construction has thrived on innovation and technological breakthroughs for millennia. Now is no different. Firms that embrace today’s cutting-edge technology and techniques can shorten project timelines, cut construction costs and promote a cleaner, more sustainable industry. The search for efficiency in terms of labor, materials and timelines has come with the territory in the construction industry from the moment someone first made a brick out of mud and then wondered if there was a better way. We’re way beyond that now, but the spirit remains the same. How can we speed up construction? What materials can we … Read more

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Enhanced BIM Features in Asta Powerproject Support Increased Demand for 4-D Planning

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Elecosoft has launched v14.0.03, a new version of its flagship construction project management solution, delivering new and enhanced features aimed at supporting the growing need for 4-D BIM for project planners. With the integrated BIM module in Asta Powerproject, users can combine 3-D BIM models with the project activity scheduling data in a seamless application to deliver a 4-D time sequence. New features allow users to add site objects to the model display; click and drag on model objects for manual splitting and display a moving dropline across the bar chart during timeline simulation. In addition, this version adds key … Read more

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New Paper Predicts Construction Site of 2050

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Balfour Beatty recently published its paper “Innovation 2050: A Digital Future for the Infrastructure Industry.” The construction site of 2050 will be in stark contrast to what we see today – it will be human-free with work moved offsite, remote control of machinery and new materials and techniques exploited to improve cost, safety and efficiency. While Balfour Beatty’s prediction for a human-free construction site may seem far-fetched, technology has already revolutionized contemporary life to such an extent that it’s not so hard to imagine radical changes for construction, not least the emergence of new roles and the requirement and evolution … Read more

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A Chat with Mike King, Senior Project Superintendent at Kitchell

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Strong leadership, communication keys to success By Chris Maday Schmidt Mike King, ASHE, CHC, senior project superintendent, has invested three decades of his professional life at Kitchell Contractors where he’s managed some of the Southwest’s most iconic projects, including many of Arizona’s most high-profile healthcare projects. From Tucson to Flagstaff and around Greater Phoenix, King’s footprint can be found at a patient tower for Phoenix Children’s Hospital and at an emergency department tower at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, as well as the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. In Southern California, King managed the University of California San Diego Jacobs … Read more

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