Starting Off:
Last Friday, the ConTechTrio aired episode 46 of the podcast in which James Benham (@jamesmbenham), Rob McKinney (@conappguru) and Josh Bone (@bim2thebone) discussed the latest construction tech news. Headliners last week included the release of the 2016 Construction Technology Report, OSHA’s new safety guide, affordable mixed reality and much more! Special guest Julian Clayton (@JulianEClayton), VP of Customer Success at FieldLens (@Fieldlens) also joined to discuss managing tasks through technology.
Listen to “ConTechTrio 46 Julian Clayton @JulianEClayton from @FieldLens” on Spreaker.
Tech You Should Try:
HTC VIVE – HTC VIVE is praised for its fully immersive game play experience. Paired with SteamVR™ Tracking, this headset provides 360 degree gameplay like no other. HTC VIVE even features a front-facing camera to allow users to easily get a glimpse of the real world if need be.
Weekly ConTechTrio Twitter Poll:
Last Week’s Poll: Do you see owner interest in using BIM/VDC technology and workflows on projects?
This Week’s Poll: Does your company utilize a mobile app to receive updates on construction projects from the field in realtime? Visit the ConTechTrio Twitter page and simply answer “Yes” or “No.”
ConTechTrio & JBKnowledge 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
Construction Dive Breaks Down the 2016 Construction Technology Report
Construction Dive provides a brief overview, as well as, in-depth insight on the 5th Annual JBKnowledge Construction Technology Report. Check out their analysis!
Sage Eyes (Potential) Sale Of US Payments Assets
Sage, a payroll and accounting company, may say farewell to its North American payments operations. Recent reports acknowledge Sage is considering a selloff of its US payments business.
OSHA Releases Free Construction Safety Guide
OSHA recently released “Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in Construction,” which will help small and medium sized construction companies develop a proactive approach to job site safety. The 40 page report covers many topics, including worker participation, hazard prevention, education training and more!
BIM/VDC Workflows
BIM Driving too Much Design too Early at Expense of Innovation
The ‘rise of BIM’ is having unintentional consequences for how building engineers approach design, according to Patrick Bellew, principal of Atelier Ten. Bellew remarked that BIM has been prompting design teams to begin work on designs too early in the process, which reduces innovation and creative brainstorming on projects. Is the industry modeling too much too soon?
Augmented & Virtual Reality
ZapBox: “Mixed Reality” for Only $30
ZapBox provides an affordable way to experience Mixed Reality using a smartphone. All a user has to do is insert their smartphone into the ZapBox headset, turn on the ZapBox app, and they will enter a whole new interactive world.
Prefabrication & Modularization
$10k Tiny House can be Built with Prefab in Less Than a Day
China’s People’s Architecture’s Office recently built an entire house with the highly affordable price of $10,000, using prefabrication. The “Plugin House” is made up of a series of prefab panels that were assembled on-site in just a few hours using a hex key.
Emerging Technology
Magic Leap is Actually Really Behind Schedule
Magic Leap’s “revolutionary augmented reality technology” may actually be years away from completion according to a report from The Information. The report incorporates an interview with Magic Leap’s CEO, Rony Abovitz, which discloses that the firm posted a deceptive product demo showcasing its tech.
Office Light of the Future Able to Run for 22 Years
Created by Dyson, this fluorescent replacement can provide mood or work lighting, as well as, run for 200,000 hours!
A Spray-On Polymer Allows Objects to Survive a 148-Foot Fall
One coating of Lixe-X, a protective super strength polymer, allows objects to survive a fall of a 148-foot tower, reaching speeds of 62mph, without breaking! See for yourself how protective this polymer really is…
Single-Use Powrtabs Phone Chargers are Recyclable & Fit in Your Pocket
These powertabs are small, emergency battery top-ups that provide your phone up to four hours of extra battery life. The tabs are available for both iPhone and Android at the price of $5.
Board the USS Enterprise…in New York
Until 2260, you can visit the Starship Enterprise in a former supermarket, located in Ticonderoga, New York. A 50-year-old Elvis impersonator, James Cawley, has constructed a precise replica of the original starship set used for Star Trek: The Original Series!
Julian Clayton, VP of Customer Success at FieldLens, Discusses Managing Tasks Through Technology
In the second half of the podcast, Julian Clayton, VP of Customer Success at FieldLens joined the ConTechTrio to discuss managing tasks through technology. Julian is from England, however, moved to North Carolina when he was seven (his accent is one-of-a-kind). He grew up in the construction industry, working on mainly grocery and big box retail buildings until 2001, when he stared his own commissioning company. In 2008, Julian lost half of his business in one day but still had to cover the same geographic area with half of the business and half of the people. He ended up utilizing iPad’s and iPhone’s to do a lot more with a lot less, and became amazed by the tech’s capabilities, leading him to transition towards construction technology and joining FieldLens. On the podcast Julian reviews the top ROI component that solutions like FieldLens deliver to the construction industry. Julian and the ConTechTrio wrapped up the interview by discussing the types of technology Julian utilizes within his role and how he envisions the future of mobile solutions connecting the office and job site.
Tune into the ConTechTrio podcast again this Friday for Episode 47, featuring Elizabeth Bigler, Project Engineer at McCarthy Building Companies, Inc! 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
