Canadian Steel Conference Sept. 19 – 21, 2018

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The CISC’s Canadian Steel Conference is the Canadian steel industry’s one and only business development and executive networking event and the largest gathering of senior level leaders and decision makers in the industry. The Canadian Steel Conference offers a comprehensive program that is packed with multiple business development, educational, networking and social events including multi-day, multi-track education sessions, and a trade show exhibit showcasing the latest products & services in the steel industry.

Location: Marriott Harbourfront Hotel, Halifax N.S.

Date: Sept. 19 – 21, 2018

More information: https://canadiansteelconference.ca/

Be the first to check out the new Respectful and inclusive workplace tools

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BuildForce Canada has been building a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Tool Kit that includes a self-assessment tool to benchmark your organization’s progress toward a respectful workplace, a policy framework and implementation guide, and an online respectful workplace course for workers and supervisors. Before launching the tools in late fall, BuildForce would like to pilot test them to ensure they will be easy to use and impactful.

If your organization is interested, please contact Rosemary Sparks atsparks@buildforce.ca or 905-852-9186.

Construction innovation: Shedding the old paradigms

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The term “innovation” conjures up images of drones, virtual reality, state-of-the-art sensing technology and leading-edge building materials. These products, however, are only enablers—the real innovation is in the changes companies have to make to adopt them. Read more

AI tool promises 15% reduction in construction time, costs

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Reliance on artificial intelligence for complex construction tasks is not as farfetched as one might think with all the talk of robots and job automation. But human workers aren’t going away anytime soon, so AI adoption spreads, as with most new technologies, with tools that help workers do their job better, faster and more efficiently. Read more

Apprenticeship registration down across Canada: StatsCan

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Statistics Canada has released the most recent numbers for apprenticeship, revealing registration has declined in every province and territory. The numbers have construction industry stakeholders concerned, reiterating the message that significant changes need to be made to fill the looming skills gap. Read more

Suffolk: Algorithms prevent accidents and delays, up productivity by 20%

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Suffolk Construction Co., after hiring a chief data officer and a team of data scientists last year, said it is developing artificial intelligence tools that can analyze photos from jobsites to identify risks and prevent worker injuries, according to MIT Technology Review. Read more

Carrots and beets used to strengthen concrete

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Researchers at Britain’s Lancaster University are reporting that they’ve achieved even better results using less-expensive “nano platelets” derived from root vegetable fibers. Read more

U.S.report: Slow pay adds $40B a year to construction industry costs

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There are plenty of tools to expedite the payment process, and contract language can be modified to make it clear when payment is due, but those solutions work only if everyone is willing and able to pay. In those cases where payment is not forthcoming due to reasons other than not being able to navigate the process, there are other steps contractors can take to recover their money. Read more

CCDC-30: The new integrated project delivery contract takes design and construction collaboration and risk sharing to a new level

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The Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) has introduced a new standard form contract for Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) – reflecting the current trend towards projects where design and construction are collaborative, with shared risk and opportunities for profit if things go right, and penalties and risk-limiting controls if they go wrong. Read more

Government of Canada announces climate lens for infrastructure

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Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, has announced a new step in ensuring that infrastructure investments take into account the impact of projects on the environment during the planning and design stages. Read more