12 Times Animals Interacted with Construction Sites in 2016

January 10, 2017 Shane Hedmond

Photo by jans canon, CC BY-2.0. Original photo was cropped. — Photo by jans canon, CC BY-2.0. Original photo was cropped.

Many construction projects involve clearing heavily wooded and untouched areas, which can cause many complications, including interaction with unknown wildlife. It’s important for all companies to understand the impact their construction work can have on wildlife, not only to avoid costly issues with government regulations, but also be good stewards of the environment. Below are 12 stories from 2016 where construction projects interacted with wildlife and how each situation was handled.

The 16 Craziest Construction Videos of 2016

January 9, 2017 Shane Hedmond

Construction sites can be a difficult place to work, for more than one reason. There are plenty of job site hazards to avoid on a normal project, but those issues are compounded when your co-workers are acting recklessly. As smartphones have become commonplace on site and in public, job site videos have also become increasingly available. Many of these videos below can raise awareness for how not to act, especially when heavy equipment is involved.

The 13 Best Construction Timelapse Videos of 2016

January 6, 2017 Shane Hedmond

No matter how much your clients wish they could, construction projects take a considerable amount of time to complete. After working on a project for months, even years, sometimes it’s hard to look back and realize the magnitude of the work that’s been done. That’s one of the beauties of timelapse videos. Where a single picture tells the story of a particular moment, a timelapse video condenses thousands and thousands of man hours down to a few minutes or seconds. Not only does it help you appreciate the hard work that you and your co-workers put forward, but it can also be a great marketing tool for your company.

Throughout 2016, we’ve shared many newsworthy construction related timelapse videos and, with the new year upon us, it’s time to reflect on our favorite videos.

2016’s 12 Most Interesting Advances in Construction Technology

January 5, 2017 Shane Hedmond

For decades and decades, construction and technology didn’t mix. In recent years, companies have been flocking to the underutilized construction industry to try and offer the newest solutions. When we talk about technology, we’re not just talking about computer work, there are tons of new products out there that are challenging the way our industry thinks and acts.

Many of the items on our 2016 technology list are still very much conceptual and will undergo plenty of testing over the next few years, but that’s one of the beauties of technological advances: many are extremely forward thinking.

7 Green Building Products That Turned Heads in 2016

January 4, 2017 Shane Hedmond

Green building is no longer something that can be ignored. According to the USGBC, green building will account for ⅓ of all construction projects by the year 2018, which is now only 1 short year away. Construction is one of the leading industries in regards to the production of greenhouse gases, most notably due to the production of cement, which produces an estimated 5% of all carbon dioxide emissions alone. There are many companies throughout developing new techniques and building products to help reduce the industry’s impact, so here’s a list of 6 products that caught our eye in 2016.

The 11 Best Demolition Videos of 2016

January 3, 2017 Shane Hedmond

Whether you're feeling sad, mad, happy, or indifferent, there are few things more satisfying to watch than a good demolition video. It's destruction for a purpose and the result is a blank slate for the next construction project. There were plenty of good demolition videos in 2016, but we narrowed the list down to our 11 favorite and we hope you enjoy

UPDATE: Investigation Details on 2015 Mecca Crane Collapse That Killed 110

December 30, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Photo by Camera Eye, CC BY 2.0 — Photo by Camera Eye, CC BY 2.0

Last year, a devastating crane collapse killed more than 100 people and injured more than 200 others in Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia. Reports indicated that, at the time of the collapse, the boom was erected approximately 620 feet (190m).

You Can Climb a Jobsite Wall Spider-Man Style With Newly Developed Grip System

December 29, 2016 Shane Hedmond

There’s a small, but growing, fear in the construction industry that robots will soon make construction jobs obsolete, but, in all reality, the next logical step is for technology and robotics to first enhance the jobs of human construction workers. There is a lot of money being poured into the industry every day, looking for the next big piece of technology to take over jobsites by storm. A few recent examples are a bionic suit aimed at construction workers and an augmented reality smart hard hat. The next idea may make scaling walls at construction sites extremely easy.

[VIDEO] Watch Dozens of Construction Cranes Light Up the Seattle Skyline for Christmas

December 28, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Seattle is in the middle of a construction boom. With that, comes a series of challenges, such as the struggle to fill jobs, an enormous amount of noise that irritates residents, and even a skyline filled with the most out of any other city in the country. That’s right, you may not have guessed it, but Seattle’s 58 cranes lining the city’s skyline are the most in America currently, with the next closest being Los Angeles, California with 40. Amazingly, 58 cranes is also the number currently being used to build one single project oversees: the new Istanbul Airport, which is currently on track to be the world’s largest after completion.

Nike Makes a Construction Boot?

December 27, 2016 William Lucus

Until recently, I had no idea that Nike even made field boots, especially ones that could be used on a construction site. The men's Special Field boot is designed by Nike for first responders, military, rescue, and law enforcement, but if you ask me, it would be perfect for the jobsite. Some of the key features of this boot are its lightweight design, flexibility, and breathable materials.

Congratulations to our 2020 Best Construction Podcast Award Winner, Bridging the Gap!