Tech Toys: Autodesk, John Deere, DPR, NASA flex new tools

AutoCAD and Revit 2020 editions are live, and a John Deere simulator kit swaps controls between six machine types. DPR rolls out Skycatch across its projects while NASA offers its tech to the jobsite.

By Joe Beeton • April 17, 2019

UpCodes building code database draws ICC ire

The startup says its searchable platform gives users "free, unfettered access" to law. The International Code Council's copyright suit claims damages to its revenue model.

By Kathleen Brown • April 17, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Life Sciences, Labs and Medical Facilities

TKTKTKTK

By Construction Dive staff

Why contractors should nix 'casual use' of jobsite drones

As use of the technology expands, contractors, subs and other stakeholders should heed the safety and liability risks involved, an aviation attorney writes.

By By Mark A. Dombroff • April 10, 2019

Test lab for timber technology: college campus construction

With 34 mass timber college buildings completed or in the works across the country, the technology is seeing a lot of support despite challenges.

By Hallie Busta • April 10, 2019

The simple safety tweak to boost engagement, competition

AGC conference speakers showed how phones can be paired with interactive Q&A sessions to derive more value from typically blasé safety briefings.

By Kathleen Brown • April 8, 2019

Leaders are key to building a culture that motivates, innovates

Competitive advantage lies in an environment that frees employees to experiment and encounter tech's value at their own pace, according to a VDC director and an Autodesk strategist.

By Kathleen Brown • April 8, 2019

3D-printed precast concrete molds for redeveloped NYC landmark a first

The innovative approach to the 42-story tower in Brooklyn created a variety of exterior panels reminiscent of sugar crystals, a nod to the site's historic past as the Domino Sugar Factory.

By Amy Howell Hirt • April 3, 2019

AI, robotics safety a bigger concern to construction industry than job security

Construction workers worry less about the common conception that robots will steal jobs than they do about who's to blame for unsafe practices on the jobsite, according to a new survey.

By Kim Slowey • April 3, 2019

Shadow Ventures graduates first AEC tech startups from accelerator program

A BIM planning tool and cloud-based project management platform were among the promising products shaped through industry partners' advice.

By Kim Slowey • April 3, 2019

3 technologies behind Skiles Group's lean transformation

The COO touted the rewards of experimenting with ways to build better and more efficiently, sharing tools that help his firm save time and track KPIs.

By Kathleen Brown • April 3, 2019

Execs: To ignite innovation, empower tech champions

Contractors looking to drive improvements should tap the grassroots base of employees facing business challenges daily, leaders at three top firms said.

By Kathleen Brown • March 27, 2019

BIM and design-build pair well, but new habits are needed

BIM fills the space where traditional silos have been broken down, facilitating collaboration between designers and contractors and relaying real-time changes, but that's only when it's used properly.

By Kathleen Brown • March 27, 2019

ERP 101: Choosing the right solution for the business

Aging enterprise resource planning systems can fail to meet strategy demands, which has some organizations seeking change.

By Jen A. Miller • March 27, 2019

TrueLook, Autodesk integration gives users live play-by-play

The construction camera provider announced that Autodesk customers will now be able to add real-time footage to their BIM 360 dashboards.

By Kim Slowey • March 27, 2019

US colleges adopt PlanGrid for campus construction

Forty institutions — 15 of which have signed on so far this year — use the software to help increase the efficiency of both renovations and new work.

By Kim Slowey • March 20, 2019

Tech Toys: The latest revolutions in remote control

Gamelike controllers, robust wireless networks and technical software are speeding up the automation of construction vehicles, getting operators out of harm's way and improving precision on tough terrains.

By Joe Beeton • March 20, 2019

Study: Autonomous robots working together are industry's next big thing

Collaboration within groups of robots could address a critical need for safer, cheaper and more efficient construction, a report says.

By Kathleen Brown • March 20, 2019

Scan, plan, execute: 3D reality capture in construction

Digital twins created via laser scanning and photogrammetry offer value from pre-planning to well after completion, a proprietor of the emerging technology explains.

By Cale Collier • March 20, 2019

Cloud app creates drone deliverables in hours instead of days

Using a Microsoft Azure app, drone services provider Dudek is speeding up the process of stitching together aerial imagery for projects on the scale of the California bullet train.

By Kim Slowey • March 13, 2019

Matterport raises $48M to expand entry-level 3D imagery tool

As the reality capture firm hones its products to a lower price point, contractors like Mortenson are able to generate immersive virtual environments to overlay with BIM, among other uses.

By Kathleen Brown • March 13, 2019

3D-printed panels define Seattle high-rise's sloped facade

3Diligent's technology was chosen for the 59-story Rainier Square Tower because of the accuracy that would be required to achieve different angles on each sloping floor.​

By Kim Slowey • March 13, 2019

Top contractors partner with AI firm to prevent jobsite accidents before they happen

By sharing images and project data, Suffolk, JE Dunn, Clayco and more will boost the Smartvid.io AI engine's ability to spot risks, which can cost contractors as much as $36,000 per incident.

By Kathleen Brown • March 13, 2019

Productivity gets a boost in exoskeleton pilot program

A U.K.-based utility contractor said that lift assistance from the spring-loaded EksoVest reduced fatigue and strain to let workers accomplish more on the jobsite.

By Kathleen Brown • March 6, 2019

Will economic uncertainty leave construction tech in limbo?

Now's the time to tidy up outdated processes, experts say, so that nothing stands in the way of technology's value when the downturn rears its ugly head. 

By Kathleen Brown • March 6, 2019

Autodesk's record Q4, FY earnings driven by industry digitization, subscriptions

The tech company's $2.6 billion revenue for the year is its highest yet, as more AEC employers than ever seek to digitize workflows with its software.

By Kim Slowey • March 6, 2019