Four ways to leverage mixed reality for smarter infrastructure design

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When Microsoft released the HoloLens in 2015, most saw it as a flashy new gaming platform, a goggle set that projected 3D images into the physical world. It wasn’t virtual reality, it was a mixed reality of actual environments and virtual objects in which players could quasi-physically engage in laser-gun fights with alien arachnid robots. But some users recognized HoloLens’ potential to solve problems in the real world—including bridging gaps in the infrastructure process. Read more.

Education, communication key to reducing underground incidents

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Ian Wisdom, health and safety manager for Entera Utility Contractors, says there are seven words that make his blood run cold: “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

“The number one issue is overestimating capabilities and experience,” he said, adding workers need to understand the seriousness of a misstep especially when working on underground infrastructure.

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Waterloo build sets example for green design and construction

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The Cora Group has been awarded the first Zero Carbon Building — Design certification by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) for evolv1, a new commercial multi-tenant office building currently under construction in Waterloo, Ont.

The building is one of 16 projects across Canada to be selected by the CaGBC to participate in a two-year pilot of its new Zero Carbon Building Standard. Read more.

Mother Nature could be key to coping with climate change

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Kimberly Gray has spent much of her career dealing with environmental concerns.

She’s chair of the civil and environmental engineering department at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Ill.

Since completing her doctoral work 40 years ago much of her teaching and research has dealt one way or another with problems of sustainability. In the last few years, however, she has shifted her focus.

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NSCC Student Award – CANS Building Futures for Youth Award

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NSCC Student Award – CANS Building Futures for Youth award deadline is May 15. The Construction Association of Nova Scotia Building Futures for Youth Award has been established in support of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia’s 150th Anniversary Industry Campaign. This campaign was launched in recognition of the value of education and the role of the construction sector in the growth of Nova Scotia’s economy.

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University lab to test autonomous roofing drones

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Construction is one of the top three uses for commercial drone-based services, said Mike Danielak, of Portland, Ore.-based drone network service provider Skyward, citing Skylogic Research’s 2017 Drone Market Sector Report. Read more.

Eglinton LRT marijuana incident spurs industry action

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A recent incident in which three workers on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project in Toronto were allegedly seen smoking marijuana won’t be the last time it happens on a construction worksite, warns an industry stakeholder. Read more.

Exoskeletons and robots primed to take over dangerous construction site tasks

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The global market for full-body exoskeletons is expected to be valued at more than $507.3 million by 2025, according to Coherent News, and the North American market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 20.59% during the same period. While Coherent said the lion’s share of growth will be in the healthcare and military industries, construction is expected to make a showing as well. Read more.

Carpenter turned teacher hopes to spark interest in the trades

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Thanks to Toronto’s York University, carpenter M-C MacPhee has realized a long-held dream of teaching at the high school level. The Nova Scotia native landed a position teaching a Grade 9 course at Toronto’s Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute after receiving her Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in Technological Education degree from York. Read more.

Do you know the industry’s most popular contract? CCDC 2

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CCDC 2 -2008 Stipulated Price Contract is a standard prime contract between Owner and prime Contractor that establishes a single, pre-determined fixed price, or lump sum, regardless of the Contractor’s actual costs. Read more.