Entries by CANS

Experts see mix of soft skills and new tech as future for industry

A panel of industry experts sees the future of construction as a mix of new technology and new values. A discussion panel titled Let’s Talk About Technology, held at Vancouver’s Terminal City Club and presented by construction software firm Procore Technologies gathered together several different firms who have moved to adopt technological innovation to, as […]

GIS and BIM integration will transform infrastructure design and construction

An unfortunate fact of the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) industry is that, between every stage of the process—from planning and design to construction and operations—critical data is lost. The reality is, when you move data between phases of, say, the usable lifecycle of a bridge, you end up shuttling that data back and forth […]

Can mushrooms help turn demolished buildings into new ones?

It’s not as weird as it sounds—mushrooms might very well be the building blocks of the future. We’ve seen how mycelium, the root-like filaments of mushrooms, has been used in experimental pavilions and Ikea packaging. Now, it could be used to rebuild crumbling housing stock in cities. Read more.

Alberta researcher developing earthquake-resistant concrete

One of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history took place early on a January morning in 1994, when a 6.7 magnitude earthquake occurred 20 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Fifty-seven people were killed, and almost 9,000 others injured. Property damage was estimated at up to $50 billion. The Northridge earthquake, as it came […]

Volvo CE, Lego & kids design autonomous concept wheel loader

Bringing together engineers from a heavy equipment manufacturer and the creative team from a toy company to design a conceptual wheel loader might seem like an odd idea. Bring in a focus group comprised of children to provide feedback and the idea is just bonkers. In reality, the collaboration resulted in a high-tech concept that […]

Resources for Nova Scotia Stakeholders Impacted by Steel/Aluminum Trade Action

Nova Scotia’s Department of Intergovernmental Affairs is working to update and share information with stakeholders impacted by recent trade actions initiated by the United States. On June 1, 2018, the U.S. imposed tariffs on certain products of steel and aluminum from Canada. The Government of Canada continues to work for the full and permanent removal […]

NS non-residential construction investment Q2, 2018

Nova Scotia’s non-residential building construction investment (seasonally adjusted) was $173.1 million in the second quarter of 2018. This was 2.6 per cent higher than the previous quarter owing to an increase, in the largest component, commercial (+10.7%) and declines in industrial (-1.2%) and institutional and governmental (-28.3%). Read more.