Category: Features
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How to Ensure Construction Business Growth in Staff Shortages
Demand for construction is growing steadily, regardless of seasonal variations. At the same time, construction companies can’t hire enough skilled workforce. How does this discrepancy impact companies’ ability to grow and bid on new projects? The US construction industry is short half a million workers 41 percent of the construction workforce from before 2020 is…
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Construction’s Mission Impossible? – AEC Business
“Good morning, Construction. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to lead the construction industry in a high-stakes race against time. The challenge: double the industry’s growth by 2040.” That is the gist of McKinsey’s August 2024 article, “Delivering on construction productivity is no longer optional.” The article paints a picture of an…
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What Can We Learn from a Leading BIM Country?
Finland has been a global pioneer in systematically using Building Information Modeling. A study by the LAB University of Applied Sciences aimed to determine the current state of BIM and competence needs in building construction. What can international construction professionals learn from Finland’s experiences to better strategize their approach to increasing BIM adoption? The 2021…
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BETK Streamlines Prefab Supply Chains with Data
The construction industry is notorious for its complex supply chains and inefficiencies. But what if there was a way to make the entire process more transparent, efficient, and error-free? Enter BETK, a trailblazing Finnish project that aims to digitize the concrete element delivery chain. I talked with Teemu Alaluusua, the BETK project manager, who explained…
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Takt Planning Software: The Quest for a Breakthrough
I recently discussed construction scheduling software for Takt production with the CIO of a general contractor. Construction planning is one of the areas where many relatively new apps are available. Still, none of the latest alternatives has made an apparent breakthrough in Takt. The Rise of Takt Planning Takt is a lean construction method that…
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From ‘Cuckoo’s Egg’ to Today’s Cyber Threat Landscape
In 1990, I read an exciting book titled The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage. The author, astronomer Clifford Stoll, managed computers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in California. He was tasked with resolving an accounting error of 75 cents in the computer usage accounts. The tedious process eventually led him…
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ACTOR: Pioneering Automation in Construction Management
The ACTOR project aimed to empower supervisors and construction workers with automated and visual management. Its goal was to improve a construction project’s performance and considerably reduce its carbon footprint. The project has now released its final report, which paints an exciting picture of the future of construction management. Imagine a day on the jobsite…
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Making Renovation Less Risky – AEC Business
Dutch bank ING’s research found that the overall EU construction market’s share of renovation and maintenance grew from 48% in 2008 to more than 54% in 2022. Despite its prevalence, renovation remains a conscious risk-taking for developers and builders. Due to various surprises, the costs of these projects can increase unpredictably, and builders may even…
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When More Technology Leads to Lower Productivity – And What to Do About It
Imagine a construction site where every tool and piece of machinery is state-of-the-art, designed to make tasks faster and easier. Yet, the workers spend more time figuring out how to use the tools and searching for information than building. Welcome to the paradox of digitalization: the promise of efficiency turned into the reality of Gray…
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Building a Metro Line with BIM
Magne Ganz, BIM Specialist at Multiconsult, gave a fantastic presentation at BILT Europe 2024 in Riga on May 9. He explained what it took to realize the client’s BIM strategy on Oslo’s Fornebubanen project. The Fornebu Line is the latest addition to Oslo’s metro network. When completed in 2029, it will be a 7.7-kilometer-long underground…