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

Canadian industries warn tariff battle will raise costs, hit supply chains

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“This trade war could cause significant delays with projects, escalating costs, all leading to high risk and lower productivity for the industry, and depriving these communities of their necessary infrastructure improvements,” CCA president Mary Van Buren said in an interview. Read more (Globe and Mail subscribed content)

Photo software creates virtual record of project progress

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Silicon Valley-based startup OpenSpace launched this week a product that it claims will dramatically cut the time it takes contractors to photograph a jobsite and share progress with key project stakeholders. Read more

After a tunnel construction triumph in Japan, all eyes are on CIM (not BIM)

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What’s CIM? For the unfamiliar, Construction Information Modeling/Management is a localized term used in Japan’s construction industry in place of BIM (Building Information Modeling). The Mikusa Tunnel project on Japan’s Kinki Highway Kisei Line was the first of many projects to use it for the entire building process. The Obayashi Corporation comprehensively used 3D models to build the tunnel, another first in Japan, earning it the country’s first AEC Excellence Award in 2017. Read more

Brickschain co-founders discuss the value of blockchain for construction

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Bassem Hamdy and Ron Goldshmidt explain how blockchain can create a comprehensive record of construction and building activity and streamline O&M handover. Read more

Report recommends targeting infrastructure dollars on bottlenecks

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The report is a follow-up to Grinding to a Halt, Evaluating Canada’s Worst Bottlenecks, released in 2017, which showed Canada’s worst bottlenecks increase commute times by as much as 50 per cent and cost hundreds of millions of dollars in wasted time and productivity as well as burn an extra 287 million litres of fuel per year. Read more

The future of trades is looking more female than ever

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The role of women in the workforce has changed significantly in the last several decades, but while it’s now commonplace to work alongside female doctors and lawyers, one field still lags: the trades. But there are many skilled women out there working to change that. Read more