Report: 7.7% of America’s Bridges are “Structurally Deficient” in 2019, Down Slightly YOY

Each year, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) puts out their annual Bridge Report, which highlights the general state of America’s bridges. Their recently released 2019 report shows that we’re making progress on the structurally deficient bridges across the country, but the association is not satisfied with the speed of repairs.

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In-Depth Look at The CAT S48c Rugged Smartphone | Tool Junkie

Late last year, CAT Phones released their first ever smartphone on a US carrier network, the S48c.  The phone is currently available on both the Sprint and Verizon Networks and I was recently able to test out the phone to get some better insight into how it operates. Overall, it offers the toughness to hold up to a jobsite at a reasonable price, but continue reading to hear about all of the details.

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[VIDEO] 8 Injured After Crane Collapses During Renovations of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship

There are a lot of different specialty construction contracting sectors within the industry and cruise ships are definitely one of them.  There are plenty of unique challenges when dealing with a moving ship versus a static building.  A recent accident highlighted the challenges when a crane collapsed on a cruise ship under renovations, injuring 8 people.

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[VIDEO] Here’s a Weird, Creepy Robot Dog That Will Inspect Your Construction Site

Tracking progress on any construction progress is an extremely vital step.  Artificial intelligence is gaining popularity in the industry, as it can make sense of thousands of images or videos and place them into context. Before the AI can work its magic, though, all of those pictures and videos must be collected.  That’s where robotics masters Boston Dynamics thinks they can step in with a robot they’ve been developing for years.

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How to Have Better Safety Conversations on the Construction Jobsite

The vast majority of safety related “conversations” that I’ve overheard, or have been a part of, in my career has been mostly a supervisor telling a worker to “knock it off” or something to that effect.  The typical reaction from the worker is to stop doing the unsafe behavior, wait a few minutes when the supervisor has left the area, and then go right back to the way they were doing it originally.

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3 Ladder Manufacturers Reinventing the Step Ladder | Tool Junkie

It seems weird to be talking about new step ladder designs.  Other than moving from wood to aluminum to fiberglass, the form and function of a stepladder hasn’t really ever changed.  One of the biggest opportunities has always been the gap between how step ladders were designed to be used as opposed to how people actually use them. 3 major manufacturers now have a solution to at least some of those problems.

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2019 Winners of World of Concrete’s Most Innovative Products Announced

The World of Concrete is a massive industry event hosted annually at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  For those who have never been, it’s an endless sea of exhibitor booths, training sessions, and even a bricklaying competition.  Every Year, Concrete Construction Magazine organizes a Most Innovative Product competition for many of the new products that are highlighted at the show.

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[VIDEO] This Material Lift Makes Objects up to 135 Pounds Virtually Weightless

Fatigue on the jobsite is real, so much so that many technology companies have developed products to reduce fatigue and also sense when a worker is experiencing fatigue. There are other wearable devices, like exoskeletons, that can enhance a workers strength and stamina, but when you need to add more than a little punch, Construction Robotic’s MULE 135 may do the trick.

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OSHA Video Explains How to Properly Classify Soil for Trench Safety

In 2018, OSHA announced that reducing trenching an excavation hazards on construction sites would be their priority goal. Since that time, the agency has releases a variety of different materials to help build outreach to contractors across the country, including updating their National Emphasis Program (NEP) on trench safety. On a recent newsletter, OSHA highlighted a video about soil classification in trenches and excavations, meant as an introduction to those who want to know more about the process.

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