Tag: constructions
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How a $1,400 Humanoid Hints at Construction’s Robotic Future
Chinese startup Noetix launched Bumi, a bipedal robot that challenges mobile robots at a much heftier price. Is this just a whim or a breakthrough that could make robots a viable tool for even small construction companies? The Noetix Bumi robot is a humanoid robot designed primarily for educational and family use. It stands 94…
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As a trainee cost manager, I’m shocked by construction’s complacency
Although construction has the tools and frameworks to make the industry more collaborative and safer, collective willingness to change is still missing, argues Sabrina Abdullaahi. Image: Kalman89 | Dreamstime.com As a trainee cost manager, I’ve spent the last year exploring how construction projects are shaped by budgets, deadlines and the constant push to deliver more…
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Building performance verification is construction’s next competitive battleground
Ahead of World Sustainability Day on 29 October, Willmott Dixon’s Doug Drewniak says it’s time to time to address the industry’s broken green promises on building performance. Image: Dreamstime Despite decades of innovation in sustainable design and net-zero commitments, the uncomfortable truth is that new buildings routinely consume more energy than promised. This performance gap…
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Construction’s Tech Revolution: Why the Industry Can’t Afford to Ignore Digital Tools
The construction industry isn’t known for embracing technology. In fact, it ranks as one of the least technologically advanced industries. But this perception doesn’t have to define its future. After 35 years working with contractors, I’ve seen how firms navigate shifting markets firsthand. What’s clear today is that technology is no longer optional. Cloud platforms,…
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CIOB report addresses construction’s ‘volatility’
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has published new research on the construction industry’s capacity to meet key targets, including the delivery of 1.5 million new homes by 2029. The report, Capacity Constraints in Construction: Rethinking the Business Environment, looks at some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including recruitment, training and retention. The research also considers…
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Apprenticeships are the backbone of construction’s future workforce
Apprenticeships have long been the cornerstone of skills development in construction. Despite evolving funding models and shifting perceptions, their role in securing the industry’s future remains as important as ever. The recent government changes to the apprenticeship levy have reignited conversations about the value of apprenticeships across the construction sector. For us at Bagnalls, a…
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Mark Farmer: AI ‘blind spot’ threatens construction’s professional services
Industry veteran Mark Farmer has urged construction leaders to face the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence (AI) on the sector’s white-collar workforce, warning that the industry is “missing a trick” by focusing too narrowly on trade skills shortages. Delivering this year’s CIOB Sir James Wates lecture in central London on Wednesday evening (24 September), the…
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‘There is a limit’: Rising materials costs test construction’s breaking point
Listen to the article 4 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief: Construction input prices increased 0.2% in August due to jumps in iron and steel costs, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. The uptick…
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Why Paper Time Tracking Fuels Construction’s $177B Productivity Gap
In commercial construction, every hour affects the bottom line. Yet many supervisors and managers still spend 14 hours each week chasing down timesheets, correcting handwriting, and resolving hours that don’t match the work performed. These are not minor inefficiencies. Industry-wide, these tasks contribute to over $177 billion in annual lost productivity. Despite the rise of…
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Construction’s language disconnect creates safety risk
Listen to the article 7 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. When Jaime Garcia was working on construction jobsites, he saw multiple Spanish speaking tradesworkers on the jobsite who did not receive the proper safety training in their native language. “The amount of people that took the training…