Green building is big business these days and it’s expected to account for 1/3 of all construction projects in the United States by the year 2018. LEED, being the poster child for green construction and the world’s most widely used green building rating system, is expected to directly contribute to 386,000 jobs by 2018, as well. Though green building is a concept used significantly throughout the world, as seen in projects like the world’s first zero energy hotel, the United States absolutely dominates the industry with respect to LEED.
Read moreTampa Bay Luxury High Rise Condos May Be Sinking, Drawing Parallels to Sinking San Fran Tower
Tampa Bay Skyline by Alexey Vinokurov, CC BY 2.0
2016 has been a tough year for people that live in ocean-near luxury high rise condos. The Millennium Tower in San Francisco, California, which is home to many of the city’s rich and famous residents, has found itself in the middle of several lawsuits after it was determined to have sunk around 16 inches since its opening in 2008. Now, it appears that it’s not the only luxury tower in America with foundation issues.
Read moreLast Minute Construction Holiday Gift Guide 2016
You did it again...you waited too long to start Christmas shopping. Have no fear, Construction Junkie's got you covered with more great gift ideas for the hard working person in your life. Better yet, if you're in the construction industry yourself, here's some gear you could use no matter what time of year!
Read more[VIDEO] How Giant Earthmoving Tires are Repaired
via Youtube
If the tire on your car gets punctured, you might be stuck waiting at the maintenance shop for around an hour for the hole to be patched. But, if one of your $30,000 heavy duty earthmoving tires develops a hole, you’re going to be waiting much longer.
Read morePlanGrid Releases Full Windows Version Along With Several Other Enhancements
PlanGrid for Windows
Construction document control is the hot item right now with regards to industry technology. With several leading tech companies working tirelessly to convert all contractors from hard copy drawings to digital, the race is on to see who will emerge victorious. Not only are technology companies seeing opportunity in plan management, their also seeing opportunity with the new Windows platform. The Surface Pro tablets and Surface Book laptops have given Apple products a run for their money recently for jobsite use, after jumping 20% in use in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to a new construction technology survey.
Read more2016 Construction Technology Survey Reveals Top Trends and Apps
via JBKnowledge's 2016 COnstruction Technology Report
As far as technology goes, the construction industry is behind. We’ve done our best throughout the past couple of decades to resist all incoming technological advancements, because who needs some fancy, new-fangled computer machine when you’ve got hands made of steel and a work ethic that could shame an Alaskan sled dog? Well, these times, they are a changin’, and construction companies throughout the world are starting to realize the benefits of using better technology in both the office and in the field.
JBKnowledge, a construction technology company responsible for software such as SmartBid, SmartReality, and SmartCompliance, has recently released their 5th Annual Construction Technology Report, after successfully receiving over 2,600 participant entries.
Read moreStudy: Cement Absorbs Percentage of Greenhouse Gases It Creates
Cement factory in China. Photo by Jonathan Kos-Read, CC BY-ND 2.0
Concrete is one of the world’s favorite building materials; it’s strong, simple to mix, and generally widely available. Its dirty little secret has always been centered around one of its main ingredients: cement. To make cement, crushed rock and other ingredients are fed into a kiln that heats the components at temperatures reaching 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit. Those extreme temperatures cause large amounts of carbon dioxide to be released into the air and, combined with the carbon dioxide that’s produced just to burn the fossil fuels to heat the kiln, it makes cement one of the largest producers of greenhouse gases in the world, 5% in total.
Read moreChina is Building a Full-Scale Replica of the Titanic
The Titanic, photo by F.G.O. Stuart
One of the most famous ships in history, the Titanic, is getting re-born in the form of a full size replica, which will serve as a tourist attraction for residents and visitors of China. The original ship, which hit an iceberg in 1912, causing it to sink, was the subject of the record breaking film, also named the Titanic, in 1997. According to NPR, a replica about 90% of the size of the original was built for the movie, but later sunk after filming was completed.
Read moreGame Company Raised $100K to Dig a Hole for No Reason
via Youtube
Holes are dug every day on construction sites throughout the world, but they have a purpose, whether they’re for foundations, utility lines, or ponds. The hole is typically not the end game, it’s usually the beginning. That’s not true for game company The Cards Against Humanity, though, as they recently dug a hole for 2 days for absolutely no reason and got paid a bunch of money to do it.
Read moreOSHA Releases Free Construction Safety Guide for Small, Medium Sized Contractors
via OSHA
A large focus of the construction industry, especially in recent years, is jobsite safety. Many large companies have significant resources set aside specifically for safety, but, unfortunately, that may be impossible for many small and medium sized construction companies to handle. As of the first quarter of 2016, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there are over 768,000 construction companies currently operating in the private industry and over 6.7 million construction workers between them. That’s a lot of companies and workers to keep safe throughout the year.
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