Last week, I spent some time out in Las Vegas to attend the World of Concrete 2020, which is an immersive experience for all things concrete and masonry related. While there, I was able to catch up with the team from Advanced Construction Robotics, the makers of TyBot, the autonomous rebar tying robot.
Read moreThe NAHB Has More Than a Dozen Free Video Toolbox Talks on their Website
Providing continuous safety training is a key aspect of building a proper safety culture at the jobsite, and a common way that a lot of contractors handle that is through daily or weekly toolbox talks. Fresh new content for safety topics can be hard to find at times, but the NAHB, in conjunction with the Job-Site Safety Institute and National Housing Endowment, has recently released over a dozen free video toolbox talks on their website.
Read more[VIDEOS] China Built 2 Coronavirus Hospitals in Under 2 Weeks, Here’s How
via China News Service／中国新闻网 , CC BY-3.0
As of Wednesday, February 6, 2020, over 600 people in China have been killed by the corona virus and thousands more cases are being diagnosed by the day, according to the NY Times. With the outbreak so widespread, China had to take drastic measures to help combat against it, including building two large hospital facilities in under two weeks.
Read moreAutodesk Announces 8 Updates for BIM 360 and PlanGrid
At Autodesk University in late 2019, the company announced dozens of updates for PlanGrid, BIM 360, Assemble, and BuildingConnected. They have continued that effort in 2020 with the announcement of 8 additional updates to BIM 360 and PlanGrid.
BIM 360
The BIM 360 updates include the addition of Meeting Minutes, Pay Applications, Submittals to the Field, and usability upgrades to Submittals.
Meeting Minutes allows users to create agendas, add invitees, assign individuals to action items, and easily store the minutes for future reference. More information about the addition in BIM 360’s tweet below.
⏰ No more hunting for lost meeting minutes, questioning accountability, or running the risk of unanswerable claims. Introducing #BIM360 Meeting Minutes! https://t.co/jgzWA23cs2 @ADSK_Construct pic.twitter.com/eQfj85Y6hi
— Autodesk BIM 360 (@BIM360) January 30, 2020
Pay Applications aims to allow better management of contracts through automation and forecasting
Submittals to the Field gives instant access to approved submittals and submittals in progress. iOS users can search and filter.
The usability upgrades to Submittals includes contractual date tracking, the ability to re-open/edit closed submittal packages, export submittal data, enhanced submittal items & list view, and improved filter options.
For more information and videos about these updates, check out BIM 360’s blog post here.
PlanGrid
PlanGrid users will see upgrades to Submittals on mobile, additional custom form templates, additional custom form questions, and root cause for tasks.
Like BIM 360’s updates above, Submittals on PlanGrid mobile will be easier to access within their new list view.
Field Reports receives two updates, including additional custom form templates and additional custom form templates. Templates are now optimized for mobile, automatically adjusting the reports to fit any sized screen. Form questions can also now be marked as required before a form can be submitted to reduce missing information.
Finally, Tasks receives the addition of a box to document the Root Cause of the issue. Determining root cause is perhaps the most important step in any incident investigation, because it helps keep the same problem from happening again, assuming action is taken. Now, tasks can be filtered by root cause and reports can be generated to get a better understanding of your project.
For more information about these updates, check out PlanGrid’s blog post here.
Procore & Milwaukee Tool Team Up for Tool Tracking and Reporting
When Milwaukee Tool first released ONE-KEY, their Bluetooth-based tool tracking and reporting system, in 2015, they hoped to not only help reduce lost and stolen tools, but also increased visibility into maintenance needs. For the past few years, the company has continued to add more ONE-KEY enabled tools and software enhancements. Now, Procore has jumped on board and ONE-KEY has been integrated into their platform.
Read moreTech Startup Announces Development of Smart Contact Lens for Augmented Reality
via Mojo Vision
Tech companies have been looking for the perfect recipe to make wearable augmented reality a more easily adoptable technology in construction for years. Most notably, Microsoft has teamed up with Trimble in recent years to make its Hololens more jobsite friendly. Now, a new technology from Mojo Vision could solve one of the wearable headset’s biggest drawbacks.
via Mojo Vision
The Mojo Lens promises to be the world’s first true smart contact lens, which will allow for a true head-up display of information without a bulky headset to block peripheral vision. The company has been developing the technology “in stealth” for about 10 years and is currently in the research and development phase.
Before anyone gets too excited, the lenses are cannot be purchased yet and Mojo Vision plans to use their technology to “help people struggling with low vision through enhanced image displays,” according to the press release. Rollout to businesses for productivity applications will come after the vision assisting release, which is likely several years away.
Mojo claims its Lens has the “smallest and densest dynamic display ever made, the world’s most power-efficient image sensor optimized for computer vision, a custom wireless radio, and motion sensors for eye-tracking and image stabilization.”
The next step will be working with the FDA to allow the contacts to be worn in the eye. There’s no word on how disposable these lenses will be.
Tell me what you think about this! Would this be a better option than wearable face and eye shields?
For more information on the Mojo Lens, CNET released a video with some snippets of a hands-on trial they were able to take part in and you can watch it below:
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Don’t Forget to Electronically File Your OSHA Form 300A by March 2
image via OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application web page
Even though OSHA recently eliminated the need for employers to electronically submit OSHA Forms 300 and 301, citing privacy concerns, companies are still responsible for submitting OSHA Form 300A – and the deadline is less than a month away.
Read moreWA State Lawmakers Pushing for More Crane Regulation after Deadly 2019 Collapse
via the Seattle Fire Department
In April 2019, a tower crane disassembly turned deadly when it suddenly toppled into a Seattle, WA street below, killing two ironworkers and 2 others that were crushed by the falling crane while sitting in their cars. With the hopes of a tragedy like this never happening again, state lawmakers have proposed new legislation for crane procedures.
Read moreProcore Releases New Product for Prequalifying Contractors
via Procore
Having a healthy preconstruction process sets your project up for success. Without proper bid management, your company will have a hard time consistently winning bids. Without prequalifying your contractors before the project, you could be dramatically increasing your risk later in the project.
Read more“Old Construction Road” is the Country-Rap Song You Didn’t Know You Needed
Music is used to sell products and experiences all of the time, but how often it used to sell a construction company to a potential workforce? St. Louis based construction company, The UP Companies (UPCO), has done just that with a recently released parody of the hit song “Old Town Road.”
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Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.