In the construction world, 3D printing technology has traditionally focused on buildings and other static structures, like this 3D printed bridge in Madrid, Spain. Not anymore, though, as the world’s first 3D printed excavator was officially unveiled to the attendees at last week’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 in Las Vegas.
With the American Water Works Association predicting the failure of over 1 million miles of pipe in the next 30 years, HiBot has plenty of pipe to travel as it uses predictive analytics to determine which pipes are highest priority for replacement. The AWA has reported that the cost of pipe replacement over the next 25 years will top $1 trillion and will be funded primarily through service rate increases. Read more.
Dubai-based construction technologies firm, Cazza, has announced plans to build the world’s first 3D printed skyscraper. The firm will be able to 3D print high rises using a new construction technique called ‘crane printing’. Read more.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration is planning the world’s first full-scale ship tunnel to allow vessels to travel through a mountain rather than navigate the treacherous waters of the Stadhavet Sea. Read more.
It’s been almost a year since the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) formed a joint government-industry working group to facilitate prompt payment discussions on federal construction projects. Since then the group has embarked on several initiatives, which were highlighted recently in a CCA progress report. Read more.
Construction clients and communities will benefit from the long overdue transformation of the industry. Read more
That’s where you’ll find Mohawk College’s Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation, a rare example of a net-zero energy institutional building that is currently under construction for a 2018 opening. Boasting a 500-kilowatt solar array, 24 geothermal wells and numerous efficiency features, the project will serve as a living laboratory for students to learn about sustainability, with live data from the building systems easily accessible to support hands-on education. Read more
The commercial real estate developer Rodrigo Niño has a problem with commercial real estate development. The immense amount of wealth it generates, he argues, falls into the hands of too few people. Read more
A new study by the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute pinpoints the need for public policy initiatives to increase the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) as an essential tool in the sustainable design of buildings. Read more
Binishells are flowing, domed concrete buildings that utilize air as their formwork. Once the slab-on-grade foundation is laid, an air filled bubble, called a pneumoform, is inflated and rebar is placed around it accordingly. Concrete is then sprayed on the form and rebar to create the exterior shell. When hardened, the form is deflated and ready to use on the next project. Read more