Industry Updates
U.S. Home Construction Exceeds Expectations in July
iStock.com/Feverpitched Earlier this week, the construction industry received bad news when it was reported that total starts dropped by 7% in July due to a pull back in the non-building segment. But when it comes to the residential sector, it’s a completely different story. Instead, ABC News reports that construction of new homes grew 22.6% […]
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How to Practice Project Flexibility in Uncertain Times
iStock.com/Drazen Zigic The coronavirus pandemic has turned plans for 2020 on their heads. In the construction industry, the pandemic led — and is still leading to — all sorts of delays. In some states, construction is considered non-essential, and companies had to shut down operations when state governments mandated lockdowns. In other regions, contracts are […]
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Four Keys to Finding Certainty in a Volatile Planning and Forecasting Environment
Having an elevated level of end-to-end transparency, data intelligence and connectedness up and down the supply chain enables a company to conduct continuous, dynamic planning. (iStock.com/ipopba) When the Danish window manufacturer VELUX began using a new integrated resource planning platform company-wide in late 2019, little did it know how quickly and how profoundly the system […]
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Nonresidential Construction Spending Suffers a Small Drop in June
(Photo credit: iStock.com/claffra) On the heels of the news that construction employment took a tumble in June, national nonresidential construction spending has taken a hit as well. The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) reports that it declined by 0.2% last month, based on ABC’s analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Although private nonresidential […]
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Climate Change is Impacting Project Designs
(Photo credit: iStock.com/Chinnapong) There’s an old saying that goes, “They don’t make them like they used to.” In the case of construction, that is quite true, since builders have had to change the way they construct their projects to avoid negative impacts on the environment. But they also have had to be designed differently, as […]
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Proximity Trace Helps Builders Stay Safe on Healthcare Projects
It is one thing to maintain safety on a construction site during the COVID-19 pandemic. But it is something else entirely to do it in a healthcare facility, where builders may run a greater risk of infection. But Norwalk, Conn.-based Triax Technologies believes it has a solution. The company, which specializes in IoT technologies, recently […]
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How a Military Mindset Can Save Lives in Construction
(Photo credit: iStock.com/Leandro_Maldonado) The elite military program, Top Gun, is known for training the best and most talented Navy pilots. This program was born after a 1968 study that concluded pilots needed better flight and fight training. Too many skilled pilots were being killed during war. Making the right decision in high pressure, dangerous situations […]
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‘Troubling’ Times: AGC Reports Decrease in Construction Employment
(Photo credit: iStock.com/interstid) The construction sector can be a tumultuous one, as recent news from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) shows. This week, the AGC reported that construction employment dropped in 225 out of 358 metro areas between June 2019 and June 2020, even though the industry saw increases between May and June. […]
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Cambria and Gensler Team Up on a ‘First-of-its-Kind’ Quartz Collection
Natural quartz surface producer Cambria and integrated architecture, planning and consulting firm Gensler recently introduced The Coordinates Collection, which consists of 14 quartz designs for commercial and residential applications. All were created around the Natural Colour System, which enables cross-industrial color communication for designers, manufacturers, retailers and clients. “We are thrilled to work with the […]
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Overcome the Top Challenges of Digital Construction Workflows
(Photo credit: iStock.com/Chaay_Tee) Technology has completely redefined how workers in the construction industry tackle projects and connect with one another. New tools such as scanning, 3-D modeling, digital design mark-up and drones have drastically improved productivity and workflows for construction projects, making it easier than ever for construction companies to be digital businesses. New software […]
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