[VIDEO] Demolished Water Tower Falls As Awkwardly as an Imperial Walker Does

Rowlett, Texas was hit hard by a tornado in 2015 and the city is still dealing with the effects of it.  In the horrible storm, 13 people were killed and over 400 buildings were damaged or destroyed, according to CBS DFW. In a story we covered last year, one Rowlett woman also had her house mistakenly knocked down by a demolition company when addresses got mixed up after the tornado.   

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A Comprehensive List of Construction Events, Conferences, & Trade Shows in 2017

With a lot of changes coming so fast, it’s vital for everyone involved in construction and the allied industries to stay up to date with the latest news. Whether you are trying to improve your brand’s image, build a stronger construction network, introduce a product with a cutting edge or just avoid getting crushed by your competition, construction events are definitely a great way to learn about your industry and get on top of cutting edge trends. These events are the perfect opportunity to meet face to face with influential leaders, to share with your colleagues the experiences and problems you’ve been facing but also to get noticed by clients

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Same Day Deliveries to Pros Coming to a Home Depot Near You

An acquisition of Interline, a home repair and maintenance products firm, and a 2 year trial run of delivery services has positioned The Home Depot (THD) to begin offering same day deliveries for professionals.  

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Excavator Operator Survives After Being Trapped with Just Nose Above Water For 2 Hours

In an incredible fight for his life, excavator operator Daniel Miller, of Australia, spent 2 long hours trapped by his excavator with only his nose and forehead above water. Amazingly, the man survived and his wife says it was due to his sheer mental strength and will to survive.

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Contractor “Blacklisting” Rule Close to Being Repealed

In July of 2016, the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order was signed into effect and has been a hotbed of controversy, especially within the construction industry, ever since. The act would have given the federal government the ability to disqualify contractors if they violated any of the 14 labor laws, which can be found here, over the past 3 years on any project totaling $500,000 or more.

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Crane Collapses onto Busy Dubai Road

Cranes are a staple of many construction sites throughout the world, but they’re susceptible to damage caused by sudden bursts of high wind.  Winds were blamed for the collapse of the New York City crane collapse that killed one man and injured 3 others in 2016 and again for the devastating crane collapse in Mecca, which killed over 100.

Much like the stories above, a crane collapsed last week in Dubai, UAE, after sudden heavy winds burst through town.

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UPDATE: Sinking San Francisco Tower “Safe to Occupy,” Per Building Inspector

The saga continues in one of the biggest construction stories of 2016, the sinking and tilting Millennium Tower of San Francisco.  When we last updated readers in December, satellite images from the European Space Agency had not only confirmed that the tower has sunken considerably, but that it also hasn’t stopped sinking yet.  Meanwhile, residents living in the tower are worried about their safety and the value of their homes.

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Smart Hard Hat Maker, Daqri, Releases New Lighter Weight Smart Glasses

Daqri, an augmented reality technology company, made waves throughout the industry when they released the heir apparent to the trusty hard hat last year.  The Daqri Smart Helmet is part head protection, part computer and is littered with sensors and gadgets that can make a construction job site completely interactive.  The helmet puts 3d models, plans, and even a thermal imaging camera on your head and overlays that information onto your real life project. At 3.3 pounds, the helmet is a pretty hefty object, so that’s one of the reasons the company decided to create a lighter, more mobile version of their technology in the form of Smart Glasses.

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Watch a 310 Foot Tall, $100 Million Bucket Wheel Excavator Rip Through 240K Tons of Dirt a Day

You might be operating some big machines on your construction site, but, chances are, none of them can come close to the Bagger 288 bucket wheel excavator. There’s probably an excavator on your job site right now, but imagine the work you could get done if you have a machine with 18 buckets, each with a capacity of 6 tons.  That’s the capacity of the massive 30 story tall ThyssenKrupp Bagger 288 bucket wheel excavator.

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