2019 Construction Technology Trends & Predications

Across the construction industry, technology has shifted from a future ideal to a present necessity. Firms are under mounting pressure to deliver qualityprojects under tight budgets and timelines. This has led many firms torealize they must leverage technology as a means of survival in a fast-paced, competitive market. Becoming a technology- and data-driven organization, however, takes much more than simply having a desire and willingness to spend on innovation; Shifting to a tech-enabled organization requires unwavering commitment, core cultural shifts and overhauls in processes, training and resources. Read more.

Corporate Social Responsibility Guide. Download this practical guide to CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility Guide. Download this practical guide to CSR that includes information checklists and examples on how to start. Read more.

Nova Scotia Building Permits, November 2018

The value of building permits issued in Nova Scotia increased 13.4 per cent in November, following a (revised) increase of 12.5 per cent in October. Residential permits increased 20.9 per cent while non-residential building permits declined 6.3 per cent. Monthly results for building permits are highly volatile; the six-month moving average of residential permits trended modestly upwards through 2017 and then declined in early 2018. Residential permits have since re-established an upward trend. The non-residential permits’ six-month moving average has remained relatively flat since mid-2017. Read more.

New collaboration to better protect Canadians from the impacts of pyrrhotite in concrete

A collaborative effort was launched between the National Research Councilof Canada (NRC), the Government of Quebec and Université Laval to find a solution to the problems stemming from the presence of pyrrhotite in concrete. Read more.

What makes tradespeople the happiest workers in the country?

A recent report says tradespeople are among the happiest workers in the country. About one-thousand skilled trade workers took part in the survey. More than 60 per cent them said they believe they have “really accomplished something worthwhile” through their work — and their work gives them a “sense of success and achievement.” Jon Callegher is the report’s director. He says the findings are important, given the amount of time we spend at our jobs and our individual desire for meaning in life. Here he is in conversation with Up North’s Wendy Bird.

Listen here.

Canadian constructors lagging on data use: professor.

Canada’s construction sector is seriously lagging in exploiting social media analytics and mining other data sources to improve projects, a Buildings Show workshop audience was told recently. Read more.

Construction industry embraces unlikely source of growth: shifting work off the job site

With high-capacity gantry cranes overhead, 65,000 sq. ft. of well-lit floor space and products at various stages of completion strung out along a tidy assembly line, PCL Constructors Inc.’s Agile operation in the Toronto suburbs looks more like it’s run by a manufacturer than by one of the country’s largest construction contractors. Read more.

2018 a year of disruption and evolution for construction

Disruption? Evolution? Either of these two words could describe the changes in the construction industry landscape in 2018. Which word it actually is likely depends where one stakes their claim within the industry itself. Read more.

 

Targeted relief on aluminum and steel: Stability is still needed

The Canadian construction industry is encouraged by the Canadian government’s decision to provide relief on specific aluminum and steel products.

“Our industry has been hit hard over the last few months, and this relief will bring some much needed good news as we are working hard at building the infrastructure that Canadians need,” said Mary Van Buren, Canadian Construction Association (CCA) president.

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Liberals hope infrastructure funding change solves construction delays, cost concerns.

Canada’s infrastructure minister says an overhaul of how the government approves funding for projects should solve concerns about construction delays and escalating costs. Read more.