Starting Off:
Last Friday, the ConTechTrio aired episode 45 of the podcast in which James Benham (@jamesmbenham), Rob McKinney (@conappguru) and Josh Bone (@bim2thebone) discussed the latest construction tech news. Headliners last week include the release of the 2016 Construction Technology Report, PlanGrid for Windows, rise in machine telematics, 2016 Construction Dive Awards and much more! Special guest Allen Angle (@ILM_JLL), VDC-FM Integration Manager at JLL (@JLL) also joined to discuss the owner’s perspective on virtual design and construction workflows.
Listen to “ConTechTrio Episode 45 VDC for Owners w/ Allen Angle from @JLL_TS” on Spreaker.
Tech You Should Try:
Netatmo Environment Sensor – The Netatmo Environment Sensor is a smart indoor climate monitor that manages humidity, air quality, noise and temperature – perfect for your office or the job site!
Weekly ConTechTrio Twitter Poll:
Last Week’s Poll: Does your company use thermal imaging cameras on the construction job site?
This Week’s Poll: Do you see owner interest in using BIM/VDC technology and workflows on projects? Visit the ConTechTrio Twitter page and simply answer “Yes” or “No.”
ConTechTrio News:
2016 Construction Technology Report Now Live
The 5th Annual Construction Technology Report, published by JBKnowledge in partnership with MCAA, CFMA and Texas A&M University’s Construction Science Department, is now available for download. This year’s survey produced over 2,000 responses and incorporated BRAND NEW questions on Participant Demographics, BIM/VDC Workflows, IT Staff, Mobile Apps, Drones and more – providing more insight than ever before. Get your copy of the 2016 #ConTechReport and learn about the tech solutions and strategies builders are using and how your company compares! Download the Report.
Construction Tech News:
Industry Education, Insights & Trends
2016 Dive Awards for Construction Industry
From sustainability leaders to disruptive tech, Construction Dive is recognizing the top 10 companies, trends and people defining the AEC industry. Check out the 2016 winners!
High-Tech Equipment Tracking is Taking Over Job Sites
Machine telematics has evolved into one of the largest applications of the Internet of Things in the construction industry. Utilizing Controlled Area Network (CAN bus) microcontrollers, operators can access machine data, such as, geolocation, run/idle times, engine stress/strain, fuel/fluid consumption, operating hours and more!
Construction Junkie’s Construction Holiday Gift Guide
Check out Construction Junkie’s 2016 Construction Holiday Gift Guide, which includes stocking stuffers, apparel, tools and more!
Millennials are Willing to Pay More for Smart-Home Tech
According to a recent study by Wakefield Research and Schlage of 1,000 US renters in multifamily households, 86% of millenial renters are willing to pay more for a house with automated or remote-controlled devices, compared with 65% of baby boomers.
JLL Prediction: Construction Industry Headed for a Slowdown in 2017
According to JLL’s third-quarter report, the AEC industry is expected to slowdown by the end of 2017. Contributions to JLL’s 2017 forecast included growing material and labor costs, increasingly tight lending standards for construction loans and government spending uncertainty.
Unemployment Drops to 4.6%, Lowest Since 2007
Many people are shocked America has kept hiring amid the election outcome. The US economy added 178,000 jobs in November, and unemployment rate fell to 4.6%, the lowest rate since August 2007.
Autonomous Vehicles
Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot Update Coming Soon
Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot will debut before 2017, and will be bundled with version 8.1 of Tesla’s operating system. The updated Autopilot will allow drivers to match speed to traffic conditions, stay in or change lanes and self-park.
New Software
PlanGrid for Windows has Arrived – No More BETA!
PlanGrid announced the release of PlanGrid for Windows, aka the best way in their opinion to experience PlanGrid on Windows devices, and keep your entire team on the same page.
3D Printing
Cazza Construction Claims Capability of 3D Printing a House in 24 Hours
Cazza Construction, headquartered in San Francisco, claims it can use large-scale 3D printing to build entire 100 sqm houses in as littler as 24 hours! Cazza will, however, be keeping their secret 3D printer under wraps until December 2016.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Amazon’s Image Recognition AI can Identify a Dog’s Breed
Amazon recently launched “Amazon Rekognition” which aims to provide deep-learning services to developers. The tool is able to look at photos and recognize faces, identify emotions and label objects. When viewing a photo of a dog, the AI was able to identify it as an “animal,” “pet,” and actually specify it as a “Golden Retriever.”
Prefabrication & Modularization
What the Future Holds for Prefab in 10 Years
SBS Group, a leading manufacturer and supplier of prefabricated frames and engineered facades for the construction industry, predicts the future of prefabricated building products.
Can Prefab Construction Provide More Affordable Homes?
India is looking to develop 50 million homes by 2022 and there are more than 90 smart cities being planned. To achieve this massive construction in a short time, prefabrication and offsite construction will be utilized. This building technology is ideal for mass housing development, due to its fast, accurate, efficient and cost-effective process.
New Partnerships
NASA & Orbital ATK Partner to Build Tech for Space-Based Construction
Nasa has partnered with private space firm Orbital ATK to create new technologies for in-orbit development of large space structures. The project is named Commercial Infrastructure for Robotic Assembly and Services (CIRAS) and aims to create new robotic technologies (arms, telescopes, solar arrays, etc.) that can help build these large structures.
Bentley Systems & Topcon Partner to Develop “Constructioneering”
Bentley Systems announced that it has partnered with Topcon Positioning Group to connect cloud services for “constructioneering.” The new construction workflows created by the partnership are designed to increase efficiency and productivity with enhanced integration between their respective cloud services.
Emerging Technology
India Develops World’s Largest Solar Plant to Power 150,000 Homes
India recently unveiled the world’s largest solar power plant, which was built on a speedy timeline of just eight months, mainly self-maintaining, with solar-powered robots that can clean the solar panels, keeping efficiency levels high and requiring minimum human effort.
Oculus Showcases 50+ Launch Titles for its Touch Motion Controllers
Oculus is releasing some major hardware with its $199 Touch motion controllers. They also announced the lineup of 53 titles that will be available on December 6 alongside Touch.
Allen Angle, VDC-FMI Integration Manager at JLL, Discusses the Owners Perspective on VDC
In the second half of the podcast, Allen Angle, VDC-FM Integration Manager at JLL joined the ConTechTrio to discuss the owner’s perspective on VDC. Allen grew up in Virginia, later moving to Washington D.C. where he spent 16 years on the design/architectural side of construction. He eventually was exposed to VDC workflows on projects and transferred over to the building information management side of the business, joining JLL as VDC-FM Integration Manager. JLL helps construction companies enhance and deliver better VDC projects, BIM deliverables and data exchanges for the full building lifecycle. On the podcast Allen reviews the difference between an IWMS (Integrated Workplace Management System) and a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System), as well as his thoughts on COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange). Allen and the ConTechTrio wrapped up the interview by discussing the types of tech used on sites to manage quality control.
The ConTechTrio broadcasted live at the ConTechRoadshow in Atlanta, GA on December 6, check out the episode here! Tune into the ConTechTrio podcast again this Friday for Episode 46, featuring Julian Clayton, VP of Customer Success at FieldLens! Until then, you can catch up on past episodes of our construction technology podcast and even check out some bonus episodes via the links below!
Listen: Spreaker, SoundCloud , YouTube, iTunes
Follow On Twitter:
JBKnowledge: @JBKnowledge
ConTechTrio: @ConTechTrio
James Benham: @jamesmbenham
Rob McKinney: @conappguru
Josh Bone: @bim2thebone
