February, 2017

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Get the Right Tech for Your Business

Construction Business Owner

In 2004, I wrote an article for one of the first editions of Construction Business Owner magazine titled “Is Your Goal to Retire Before You Learn the Computer?” At that time, many owners didn’t want to add technology to their operations, and they were hoping computerization would not be required to do business. Boy, were they wrong. Now, cutting-edge technology is required to communicate with customers and subcontractors, obtain and read plans, schedule jobs and people, and manage business and f

Schedule 250
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Plastic Formworks for Concrete – Applications and Advantages in Construction

The Constructor

Use of plastic formworks for concrete construction has many advantages such as durability, cost and flexibility compared to other materials for.

Concrete 266
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Is there Lead in the Water of your Green Building?

Green Building Law Update

The subject of lead leaching from pipes and faucets into drinking water within buildings is not new. But the broad growth of green buildings, including green schools, that include water conservation strategies has the potential to negatively impact the quality of drinking water in those green building plumbing systems. To reduce indoor water consumption, LEED v4 New Construction offers points for further reducing by 25% and up to 50% “fixture and fitting water use from the calculated baseline in

Green 184
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Commercial Construction Project Management: Managing What You Don’t Control

HardHatChat

I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a control freak, but as a national general contractor, it’s part of the job description to be the one calling the shots and telling everyone what to do on a complex commercial construction project. However, from time to time, we have to manage things that are out of our direct control – particularly when a project specifies owner furnished items (OFIs) or an owner vendor.

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Optimize Operational Processes With an Industry-Specific ERP

As the use of Enterprise Resource Planning systems in the construction industry is critical to optimizing operations, it's critical that decision makers conduct a thorough software evaluation to find the one that best aligns to their needs.

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What Will Construction Look Like In The Future?

Construction Marketing

The construction industry is undergoing a period of radical change. For both mature and growing economies, the construction industry provides important links with other sectors to boost economic growth. In the future, the industry is expected to help solve current climate challenges, shape a city’s outlook, and address energy-related issues. Another challenge that technology is set to change is the issue of safety.

More Trending

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The Potential of Digitalization in Construction

Construction Business Owner

The emergence of construction technology has sparked an overdue, industrywide revolution. As technology companies attempt to capitalize on the unspoiled market, the industry is becoming infiltrated with a slew of enticing new options. Innovative project management and scheduling software, building information modeling (BIM), lean tools, value stream mapping (VSM) and 3-D printing are flooding the market.

BIM 244
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Why is Bitumen Used in Road Construction? Properties and Advantage of Bitumen for Pavements

The Constructor

Bitumen is used in road construction due to various properties and advantages it has over other pavement construction materials. Advantages of.

Roads 247
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Facilities Management – 2017 Best Practices

Job Order Contracting

Facilities Management – 2017 Best Practices. Facilities management, practiced properly, is process-centered. People and processes should support core organizational strategies and goals. Far too often, focus is upon technology. Technology is an enabler, but should not drive decisions. The following white paper additional insight. TO BIM OR NOT TO BIM – The Wrong Question.

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‘Forest cities’ could help solve China’s air pollution problem

BD+C

Not long ago, Stefano Boeri Architetti announced their plans to create the first ‘vertical forest’ in China. The building would be covered in over 3,000 plants and absorb 25 tons of CO2 per year and produce 60 kilograms of oxygen per day. The goal of the project was to help rectify one of China’s biggest problems: air pollution.

Plans 97
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The Ultimate Procurement Software Buyer’s Guide

Choosing the right procurement software is a crucial step in ensuring third-party risk management, process governance, and bidding efficiency. With so many procurement solutions to choose from, it can be overwhelming without a frame of reference and a solid starting point. This free buyer’s guide will cover: Benefits of Procurement Software –– Why do you need it?

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Upcoming ‘Blogging Best Practices’ Webcast

Construction Marketing

On Thursday March 16, 2017 at 1 PM CST, the Construction Marketing Association (CMA) will offer a free webcast – Blogging Best Practices – with a focus on the A/E/C industry (architectural, engineering, and construction). “Content marketing is the hottest topic in marketing, and blogging can be the engine behind content marketing,” states CMA Chairman Neil M.

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10 Reasons Construction Companies Go Out Of Business – Infographic

Lets Build

10 Reasons Construction Companies Go Out of Business. Starting a company within the construction industry is certainly a huge challenge. There will always be a number of obstacles and issues to overcome. In some cases you can do this successfully, while in others this won’t be possible. Unfortunately, countless construction companies went eventually out of business due to numerous mistakes and/or bad estimates.

Cash Flow 132
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Virtual & Augmented Reality in the AEC Industry

Construction Business Owner

Twenty-five years ago, I was first turned on to the idea of virtual reality (VR) as the holy grail of design visualization in architecture while thumbing through inspirational musings and essays published in Cadence’s “Special Summer Reading Issue.” Indeed, VR took hold of many an imagination, as popular media glimpsed into bleeding-edge work by research labs like Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Media Lab and the Human Interface Technology Lab (HIT Lab) at the University of Washing

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Ventilation in Tunnels -Types of Ventilation Systems in Tunnel Construction

The Constructor

There are various types of ventilation systems in tunnel construction provided to remove dust and poisonous gas during its construction and.

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Stop Making These Mistakes and Start Scaling Your Specialty Contractor Business

Anything that is built on a poor foundation will soon crumble from the ground up. This is literally the case in the construction stage of projects and it applies just the same during the pre-construction stage. This free eBook is your ultimate guide to scaling your business with customizable software as early as during the bidding stage.

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State of the Year: Texas

Business Facilities

The Lone Star State reaffirms its dominance as the most dynamic state economy in the U.S., an energy and exports powerhouse with a seemingly boundless potential for growth. Read State of the Year: Texas on Business Facilities - Area Economic Development, Site Selection & Workforce Solutions.

Texas 85
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What makes a supertall tower super?

BD+C

According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), 2016 was a record-shattering year: 128 buildings of 200 meters in height or greater were completed around the world, and of those, 10 are super tall towers of 300 meters or greater. These numbers are predicted to grow steadily into 2017 and beyond.

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Mini-splits: residential takeover

Contractor Magazine

Your customers are requesting the most-efficient technology available that will allow them to save on utility bills. You need to find a solution to retain and grow your business. read more.

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Weather Alert Systems in Construction

Lets Build

Weather conditions can tremendously affect the progress of a construction project. For that reason, weather alerts are vital for the industry both in terms of budgeting and safety. However, many construction managers or contractors are still considering weather alert systems as a luxury. We wanted to get a more complete picture about their true value in construction, so we decided to interview our computer science expert Kacper Kawecki.

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The Specialty Contractor's Guide to Job Cost Accounting

Supply chain challenges and rising material costs are forcing specialty contractors to pay more for what they need to complete each job. Following a simple set of principles, this easy-to-follow guide can help you manage job costs, ease the pains of accounting, and run a more profitable businesses. If you are a Specialty Contractor or Self-performing GC, you do not want to miss out on this essential guide!

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The Search for Innovation in Construction

Construction Business Owner

“For more than 70 years, the Skunk Works has existed to create revolutionary aircraft and technologies that push the boundaries of what is possible (Lockheed Martin).” Area 51 has long been thought to be one of the most secretive places on the planet. Whether there was an actual, extraterrestrial event remains a mystery, but one true aspect of this secluded part of Edwards Air Force Base in Nevada is the existence of Skunk Works.

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Grading of Bitumen- Different Methods of Bitumen Grading

The Constructor

There are different methods of grading of bitumen such as chewing, penetration grading, viscosity grading and superpave performance grading of.

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Gaines Group Harrisonburg: A serious contender for 2017’s Best Construction Blog

Construction Marketing Ideas

The Gaines Group Harrisonburg (harrisonburgarchitects.org) blog is a serious contender for the 2017 Best Construction Blog. It received three nominations — and at present leads in the popular vote with more than 26 per cent of voters selecting it. The popular vote doesn’t determine the winner as independent judges evaluate the entries — but the judges generally […].

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The future of hotel design: Human-centered

BD+C

Benjamin Franklin once said there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. Well, I’d like to add a third one: change. Change is inevitable and it impacts on everything, not least on the way we design. Over the past 60 years, we have seen a rise in consumer culture, individualism and globalisation. As a result, modern societies are becoming more complex and trickier to understand.

Design 87
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Report: Optimism for Construction Growth in the Next Year Remains High

Research reveals 96% of respondents are very or fairly optimistic about their organization’s growth prospects for the next year. The InEight Global Capital Projects Outlook also finds over half see digital technology as the greatest growth opportunity. But these are only some of the findings. Don't be kept in the dark when it comes to the future. Read the report today!

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Vortex Crane Simulator To Help Train NYC Operators

Construction Equipment

CM Labs Simulations, developer of Vortex training simulators, today announced that New York-based IUOE Local 14, the organization responsible for all crane operations in New York City, has selected a Vortex simulator, along with crawler crane and rough terrain crane training modules, for its training center. Organizations that use Vortex simulators enjoy a number of training benefits, ranging from cost savings, to training flexibility, to safety.

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Advertising in Construction For Free – eBook

Lets Build

We’ve spent nearly 40+ hours collecting the best advice from many different construction companies and contractors to bring you an incredible guide to getting free advertising in the construction industry. Our 30 page guide is consisted of 5 chapters and many useful tips that can help you boost your online and offline presence. Building new opportunities online for your construction company can sometimes be a huge pain.

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Are You a Cyber Target?

Construction Business Owner

Awide range of construction and design firms are involved in public and private projects, including government-sponsored infrastructure projects, making them attractive cyber targets, which imposes additional cybersecurity requirements. In addition to seeking personal information on customers and employees to use or sell, attackers may also seek to leverage a company’s access to its business partners’ confidential business information, intellectual property or plans and specifications.

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Types of Bitumen Mixes for Pavement Construction and their Applications

The Constructor

There are various types of bitumen mixes with aggregates for pavement construction. Applications of these bitumen mixes for pavements is discussed in.

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Discover 7 Ways to Cut Construction Inefficiencies

Construction sites are often just-barely-controlled chaos. Without clear coordination, you risk everything from clashes to delays, cancellations, and missed deadlines. Get the free eBook & learn how to solve the biggest challenges in construction!

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Best Blogging Practices: A free webinar focusing on AEC blogging

Construction Marketing Ideas

It isn’t too often that I encourage readers here to take a look at something that may be seen as competitive, but I think there would be merit for you to attend the Construction Marketing Association‘s (CMA) free webcast on Best Blogging Practices (focusing on architectural, engineering and construction). The program starts Thursday, March 16 […].

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Why do metal roofs allow significant energy savings?

BD+C

As the demand for energy-efficient building products increases, metal roofs are being praised for their long-term cost-cutting potential. Although solar-reflective coatings for roofs have been instrumental in reducing energy costs, a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and conducted by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory highlights another reason why metal roofs promote energy efficiency.

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Update: Oroville Dam Spillway Expected to Fail

Construction Equipment

“This is NOT a drill.” That is the emergency alert about 188,000 residents from Butte County and areas to the south along the Feather River near Oroville, Calif., received when they were ordered to evacuate Sunday night. A hole in the main spillway measuring 250 feet long by 170 feet wide and 50 feet deep emerged last week. At that time officials said the spillway was secure but around 3 p.m.