Several years ago, Microsoft released their introduction into the mixed reality headset market with the Microsoft HoloLens. The headset, which looks like a pair of bulky, futuristic sunglasses, was touted as a game changer to many different industries. After teaming up with Trimble to directly tackle the construction industry and developing a couple construction technologies for the headset, construction companies have still been extremely hesitant to try out the technology.
Read moreRaken App Releases Several Major Updates After Securing Additional Funding
Consistent documentation is one of the keys to running a successful and productive job site, but if you’re still using pen and paper, you’re falling behind. There are several web-based applications available to help you manage and organize your reports and photos in the cloud, including Raken, which has recently updated their web and mobile applications.
Read more[VIDEO] Man Driving Stolen Construction Machine Leads Police on a Slow Speed Chase
A lot of construction equipment is stolen from construction sites every year. Some are looking to sell it or a quick buck, but others are just looking to take it on a joy ride and cause mayhem in the streets. Earlier this year, a teen stole a bulldozer, ran over a police car, and lead officers on a 3 hour long chase in Illinois. Last year, a man in Florida stole a backhoe and also led police on a 3 hour long slow speed chase, dragging the hammer attachment and sending sparks flying over the road the entire time.
Just last week, another police chase ensued when a 29-year-old man stole a SkyTrak telehander, similar a Lull, in Central Texas. Travelling around 20 miles per hour, the man refused the stop when police officers attempted to pull him over.
After backup was called, officers were able to subdue him with a non-lethal projectile and pull him out of the machine. According to the Lorena Police Department, he was medically cleared, transported to the nearby county jail, and charged with two third degree felonies: theft of more than $30,000/under $150,000 and evading arrest while in a vehicle.
For contractors, the lesson is to secure your equipment, so you can save the police and yourself a lot of time.
The video below was shared by the Lorena Police Department on Facebook.
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Average Hourly Wage of Building Inspectors, By State
Construction superintendents may not like it when the building inspector comes on site and hands out red cards, but inspectors perform important tasks that make sure our buildings were constructed to code and are safe for the public.
At minimum, building inspectors typically require a high school diploma, but many states also require them to have additional certifications or licenses.
Read moreOSHA Battling Against Court Ruling that Invalidated the Multi-Employer Citation Policy
OSHA has long used the language in the OSH act to find and hold multiple employers accountable for the actions of another on construction job sites. For decades, OSHA would not only cite the employer whose employees were exposed to hazards, but would also cite the employer who was designated the “controlling employer” on-site, which is most often the general contractor.
Read moreReinventing The Guardrail: The Hilmerson Safety Rail System™
![[sponsored by Hilmerson Safety Services, Inc.]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54f4cf23e4b02841c1824db0/1510016459168-9O8IOWIUI0OTG7XLZPI6/Hilmerson+Safety+Services%2C+Inc.)
[sponsored by Hilmerson Safety Services, Inc.]
There is an opportunity to revolutionize the way we protect construction workers from fall hazards while dramatically reducing waste and inefficiency in the construction industry. The Hilmerson Safety Rail System™ was designed and engineered with feedback from industry experts with one goal in mind: Reinvent the guardrail to eliminate inefficiencies, cut costs, send zero waste to landfills, and improve workplace safety.
Read moreConstruction Worker Using Portable Toilet Injured After Steel Beam Falls on Him
It has not been a good few months to use portable toilets on a construction job site. In September, a 28 year old man was run over by a dump truck while using a portable toilet on his job site in Louisiana. A couple months later, another accident involving a portable toilet has happened.
Read more[VIDEO] Second Attempt at Pontiac Silverdome Implosion is Successful
On Sunday, demolition contractors tried to bring down the upper portion of the Pontiac Silverdome, former home to the Detroit Lions, but several of the explosives didn’t ignite and the structure was still upright after the smoke cleared. After videos of the failed demolition were posted online, the internet had a field day.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Construction Managers, By State
Construction managers typically plan, provide coordination, and oversee construction projects from a relatively "bird's eye view" of the project. Many construction firms require their construction managers to have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field, but many in the industry have worked themselves up through the ranks to become a construction manager.
Read moreAmerica’s ‘Largest’ Mass Timber Building is Under Construction in Oregon
Wood construction has typically been used for purely residential products in the past few decades and especially after fire protection standards became more stringent. Besides fire rating, concrete and metal has several other benefits over wood, including overall strength, resistance to insects, and resistance to rot. Wood, however, does have some advantages over concrete and steel, like its relative light weight and it’s much less harmful to the environment.
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While still new in the construction industries, robots are typically designed to perform a specific task in a highly precise and efficient way, like the rebar tying robot, Tybot or the brick-laying robot Hadrian X. More recently, though, robots are being imagined as platforms for 3rd party companies to develop hardware and accessories to attach to the base robot, like the Boston Dynamics robotic dog, Spot. I recently came across a new robot, called Baubot, which hopes to one day perform tasks using every tool on a typical jobsite.