Collapsed N.O. Hotel Update: Demo Robots Being Used to Clear Path to Two Bodies Still Trapped Inside

August 6, 2020 Shane Hedmond

photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.0 — photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.0

After finally beginning the demolition of the partially collapsed Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana in May of this year, the remains of 2 of the 3 workers killed in the incident are still trapped within the building. After working for several weeks to clear a safe path to retrieve the bodies, a lawyer from the development team of the project provided an update recently.

OpenSpace Launches AI-Powered Production Tracking and Object Search from 360 Degree Photos

August 5, 2020 Shane Hedmond

A photo is worth a thousand words, they say, so a 360 degree photo with a powerful artificial intelligence system behind it must be worth, at least, 1 million words…I assume, the powers that be haven’t really decided on that number yet, Regardless, OpenSpace.ai is turning your thousand word pictures into millions of valuable data points to help better track your project’s progress.

San Francisco’s Sinking, Tilting Tower Will Finally Be Fixed 4 Years After Discovery

August 3, 2020 Shane Hedmond

In 2016, it was discovered that San Francisco’s Millennium Tower, a $350 million, 58-story luxury condo was sinking and tilting. From the most recent count, the tower had sunk 18 inches and leaned 4 inches – doesn’t sound like luxury to me. After several rounds of fix designs, lawsuits, and cracked windows, it is believed that the fixes will begin this fall.

New Smart PPE will Monitor Worker Body Temperature to Combat Heat Illness

July 31, 2020 Shane Hedmond

While there are many products on the market designed to keep you cool while working in the summer heat on the jobsite, none of those products actively measure your body temperature. A smart PPE manufacturer, named Kenzen, has recently released a patch to actively monitor the body temperatures of your team of workers.

You're Invited to Milwaukee Tool's 2020 New Product Release Event

July 30, 2020 Shane Hedmond

For over a decade, Milwaukee Tool has hosted an annual media event called the New Product Symposium (NPS), in which the company would show off hundreds of new tools that they planned to release over the next year. In the past, that had been an invite-only media event, but this year Milwaukee is opening its doors to ANYONE that registers.

Autodesk Releases 15 Updates for PlanGrid, BIM 360, and BuildingConnected

July 29, 2020 Shane Hedmond

After Autodesk’s acquisition of PlanGrid and BuildingConnected, the company has definitely not stifled either of their continuous improvement efforts. The two acquired companies, as well as Autodesk’s own BIM 360 continue to be updated on a regular basis throughout the year.

Hilti Announces New Wearable Exoskeleton for Tradespeople

July 28, 2020 Shane Hedmond

Heavy lifting, exhausting overhead work, and awkward positions are just some of the perks of working in construction, but they can also lead to chronic back and shoulder pain for many later in life. One technology that I’ve been following pretty closely in the past few years has been exoskeletons, which promise to alleviate at least some of those problems. At a recent press event, Hilti has thrown their hat into the ring with an exoskeleton announcement of their own.

Travelers Insurance Wants to Pay You to Use Procore

July 27, 2020 Shane Hedmond

For years, I’ve been saying that using a cloud-based project management software should be a no-brainer for any construction company. Having all relevant documents available at your fingertips is invaluable to running and properly documenting a project. Well, now at least one insurance company believes that, as well.

Procore Launches Free Construction Job Posting Website for Both Employers and Jobseekers

July 24, 2020 Shane Hedmond

With so many things still in flux in the construction industry due to the effects of the pandemics, it’s an extremely important time for employers to be able to get their open positions in front of the right candidates and for job seekers to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that are available. Construction management software company, Procore, has recently released a new job posting platform specifically tailored to the construction industry for free.

Autodesk Acquires AI Company, Pype, and Makes Investments into Two Others

July 23, 2020 Shane Hedmond

In 2018, Autodesk made a huge splash in the construction industry by acquiring PlanGrid, BuildingConnected, and Assemble. In 2019, the company combined all of those acquisitions and their native BIM 360 application in Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). Now, Autodesk is on the move again with a new acquisition and investments into a couple of other construction tech companies.