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

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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 panel moderator and Brantwood Consulting managing partner Helen Goodland said, “the last pre-industrial sector.”

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GIS and BIM integration will transform infrastructure design and construction

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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 between software systems that recognize only their own data sets. The minute you translate that data, you reduce its richness and value. When a project stakeholder needs data from an earlier phase of the process, planners, designers, and engineers often have to manually re-create that information, resulting in unnecessary rework. 

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Can mushrooms help turn demolished buildings into new ones?

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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

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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 to be known, gained worldwide attention because of the extensive damage it caused to the region’s freeway network.

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Volvo CE, Lego & kids design autonomous concept wheel loader

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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 might change the future of construction equipment design. Read more.

Winnipeg testing new concrete road repair material on streets

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Researchers at the University of Manitoba have developed a cementitious material that combines two important features, strength and quick hardening, that can be used for the partial depth repair of concrete pavements. Read more.

Have tariffs hit your company? Help CCA get feedback by July 31.

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The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) would like to hear from you on the impact the tariffs and counter-tariffs have had, or could have, on your business. Please take a few moments to answer seven brief questions. Begin survey.

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

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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 of these tariffs. A series of countermeasures was implemented by Finance Canada on July 1. In addition to applying reciprocal tariffs on imports of steel, aluminum and some other products from the U.S., programs and initiatives are in place that may mitigate impacts for stakeholders.

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NS non-residential construction investment Q2, 2018

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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.

Using drones for inventory and job flyover on heavy civil construction sites

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Now that drones are so readily available, how can drones be used in construction? Specifically, how are they applicable in the heavy civil construction space? They have many value add applications that address key challenges and there are three major areas that drones can be used by heavy civil contractors. Read more