The term “innovation” conjures up images of drones, virtual reality, state-of-the-art sensing technology and leading-edge building materials. These products, however, are only enablers—the real innovation is in the changes companies have to make to adopt them. Read more
Reliance on artificial intelligence for complex construction tasks is not as farfetched as one might think with all the talk of robots and job automation. But human workers aren’t going away anytime soon, so AI adoption spreads, as with most new technologies, with tools that help workers do their job better, faster and more efficiently. Read more
Statistics Canada has released the most recent numbers for apprenticeship, revealing registration has declined in every province and territory. The numbers have construction industry stakeholders concerned, reiterating the message that significant changes need to be made to fill the looming skills gap. Read more
Suffolk Construction Co., after hiring a chief data officer and a team of data scientists last year, said it is developing artificial intelligence tools that can analyze photos from jobsites to identify risks and prevent worker injuries, according to MIT Technology Review. Read more
Researchers at Britain’s Lancaster University are reporting that they’ve achieved even better results using less-expensive “nano platelets” derived from root vegetable fibers. Read more
There are plenty of tools to expedite the payment process, and contract language can be modified to make it clear when payment is due, but those solutions work only if everyone is willing and able to pay. In those cases where payment is not forthcoming due to reasons other than not being able to navigate the process, there are other steps contractors can take to recover their money. Read more
The Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) has introduced a new standard form contract for Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) – reflecting the current trend towards projects where design and construction are collaborative, with shared risk and opportunities for profit if things go right, and penalties and risk-limiting controls if they go wrong. Read more
Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, has announced a new step in ensuring that infrastructure investments take into account the impact of projects on the environment during the planning and design stages. Read more
“This trade war could cause significant delays with projects, escalating costs, all leading to high risk and lower productivity for the industry, and depriving these communities of their necessary infrastructure improvements,” CCA president Mary Van Buren said in an interview. Read more (Globe and Mail subscribed content)
Silicon Valley-based startup OpenSpace launched this week a product that it claims will dramatically cut the time it takes contractors to photograph a jobsite and share progress with key project stakeholders. Read more