Topic
Software / Hardware
Construction innovation: Shedding the old paradigms
June 11, 2018 Jacob StollerThe 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. Unlike manufacturers, contractors don’t…
Augmented Reality Brings BIM to the Jobsite
May 4, 2018 Jacob StollerBy marrying the virtual world of Building Information Modeling (BIM) with the real world of the job site, augmented reality (AR) is already having an impact on how construction work gets done. The question is, how far will the trend go?
Trimble rounds-out construction technology offering with acquisition
April 24, 2018 by Jillian MorganTrimble has agreed to acquire Portland, Ore.-based Viewpoint for US$1.2 billion. The purchase aims to extend Trimble’s construction management software offering, and is complementary to its recent acquisition of Florida-based software company e-Builder, which it purchased for $500 million in…
Construction robots weld, bolt, lift to beat worker shortage
April 24, 2018 Yuri Kageyama, The Associated PressTOKYO—Robots that can weld, lift and bolt are being developed to help bridge labour shortages at Japanese construction sites, though their use will be limited to night shifts when no human workers will be nearby due to safety and regulatory…
PCL teams up with Microsoft on smart building technology
April 20, 2018 by David KennedyEdmonton—PCL Construction has joined forces with tech giant Microsoft to develop a series next-generation smart building methods. The contractor announced the partnership April 18, saying the collaborative effort will marry PCL’s engineering and work site expertise with technical and research…
PwC names PCL award finalist for cloud-based technology adoption
April 16, 2018 by Jillian MorganPCL Construction has been recognized by PwC Canada as a 2018 Vision to Reality (V2R) Awards finalist in the reinventor category. The company is recognized for its adoption of digital technology in construction. PCL eliminated an entire on-premise data centre…
Location, location
March 12, 2018 Jacob StollerOne of the most palpable signs of the digital area is the growing frequency of requests to “rate your experience” at venues you happened to pass. The availability of information indicating where you are, or, to be precise, where your…
How safe is your data?
December 15, 2017 Jacob StollerIn late October, just in time for Halloween, a Finnish security company, F-Secure, released a study involving the CEOs of 200 of the world’s largest corporations. Results show that 30 per cent have had their log-in credentials exposed, and 81…
Bauma selects Canada as official partner country for 2019 show
November 21, 2017 by Corinne LyndsBauma, the world’s largest trade show for the international construction machinery, mining equipment, and building material machinery sectors, has named Canada as its official partner country for the April 2019 show. According to organizers Canada was chosen to “reflect the…
Construction industry ‘particularly vulnerable to cybercrime,’ Northbridge warns
November 1, 2017 Canadian UnderwriterAccording to Canadian Underwriter, large and small construction contractors are vulnerable to cyber crime, with “smart” building devices and lucrative engineering drawings in particular presenting vulnerabilities, Northbridge Insurance warns. “Major advancements in digital connectivity have left the construction industry particularly vulnerable to…
HDD training simulator boosts jobsite confidence, safety
October 31, 2017 On-SiteThe Ditch Witch virtual reality simulator familiarizes HDD operators with machine controls while helping to reduce the possible safety implications of putting them directly on a jobsite. The innovative experience provides an opportunity to simulate a real HDD jobsite via…
2017 CanBIM Award recipients recognized at annual gala
October 10, 2017 by Corinne LyndsThe 3rd Annual CanBIM Awards took place in Toronto on September 28th at the Beanfield Centre. These awards recognizes companies and or individuals that demonstrate leadership and innovation through the implementation of technology. The CanBIM Awards are intended to spotlight the…
Can construction be automated?
September 7, 2017 Jacob StollerAdvances in information systems have been cited as a catalyst for higher productivity in many sectors.
Viewpoint acquisition of Dexter + Chaney heralds major advance in digital future for construction
July 17, 2017 ViewpointAs a part of a comprehensive strategy to transform the construction industry through improved digital process in all phases of the project lifecycle, Viewpoint today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Dexter + Chaney, a market leader…
Construction finds its place in the cloud
July 10, 2017 ViewpointThe next wave of momentum moving construction business management forward with technology is the initiative to shift resources out of internally managed IT departments and into externally hosted environments in the cloud. Cloud computing brings convenient, affordable access to construction…
EllisDon invests in subcontractor pre-qualification software
July 4, 2017 EllisDonMississauga, ON — EllisDon has invested in a new technology that will better manage its subcontractor engagement. COMPASS is a web-based software as a service (SAAS) that will gather, organize and analyze subcontractor data from multiple sources. It produces an…
Top construction firms embrace technology, finally
June 20, 2017 Jacob StollerThe construction industry has
a reputation for being slow to
adopt innovative technology. Many
contractors believe this is about
to change.
Drones provide new perspective on job sites
April 19, 2017 Jacob StollerWhen PCL Construction needed to assess the condition of an Edmonton rooftop in mid-winter, they chose an alternative approach. “Instead of sending somebody up there to walk on the roof in icy conditions, we flew a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)…
eCompliance disrupts EHS software industry by acquiring Field iD
April 7, 2017 On-Site MagazineTORONTO – eCompliance, a global leader in cloud safety software, announced today the acquisition of Field iD, a leading provider of equipment inspection software. With the acquisition, eCompliance expands its EHS management platform; combining mobile inspections, interactive analytics, learning management,…
Garbage in, garbage out – Making sense of your data
March 16, 2017 Jacob StollerOne of the most important IT trends happening in construction right now is that of data analytics. The practice of analyzing stored company data to help make business decisions, is gaining ground in companies of all sizes. Even a contractor…