Related Links: JBKnowledge 2014 Tech Survey Infographic Construction firms are squeezing out a little more cash on technology investments, but many still cling to the use of spreadsheets for project management, a new survey says.Technology consultancy JBKnowledge queried over 1,000 construction firms of all sizes about their technology investments for the 2014 survey, which it will release in full in early December. The respondents included engineers, estimators, C-level executives and project managers; 74% of all the respondents identified commercial construction as their main business, with every discipline, such as civil, federal and highway construction, also represented."We were really pleased to
The following projects all involve ideas that originally came from science-fiction tales. However, many of the projects remain within the realm of possibility and some are on their way to reality.
Geo-engineering, or climate engineering, is still in its embryonic stage of development. Some of the ideas experts are discussing, such as putting lunar glass or metallic reflecting disks into space to reduce the amount of incoming solar radiation, sound like the stuff of science fiction.
The projects we profile in this special section all stretch the limits of what is possible. At first glance, they may seem impossible to build. some of the projects are technically possible to build but may be economically unfeasible.
Keith Bentley, one of the founders of Bentley Software, summed up the state of design software's evolution from CAD to CADD and now BIM—and a lot more about the state of the industry—when he observed: Software for design and construction is facing a significant change order to keep pace with the evolution of the internet, cloud and powerful new hardware and form factors.
Photo by Jeff Rubenstone/ENR SketchUp product manager John Bacus demonstrates the 3D tool's new features at Trimble Dimensions. Related Links: Trimble Acquires Gehry Technologies, Forms Alliance With Frank Gehry Trimble Steps Into Facilities Management With Manhattan Software Acquisition The latest version of the '3D modeling for everyone' application SketchUp was demonstrated at the Trimble Dimensions conference held in Las Vegas November 3 to 5. In addition to a few notable improvements under the hood, the latest version of the popular 3D design tool is compatible with Trimble Connect, Trimble's cloud-based platform which can share design files across a range of
Related Links: Independent Project Analysis Profile of Ed Merrow Author Ed Merrow, founder and president of Independent Project Analysis Inc., which studies complex megaproject performance, offered cautionary advice to constructors to test project fundamentals before committing to a project, as failures often are preordained by flaws in "the sequencing of information early on."MERROW"Failure almost never starts in the field," Merrow said, in a keynote presentation at a Bentley users conference in London in early November. Errors and omissions in the planning process will generate surprises in construction and lead to project-management challenges. But those problems are only compounded by earlier
Photo by Jeff Rubenstone / ENR Trimble demonstrated its GPS and laser-based solutions for heavy-civil construction. Related Links: Trimble Acquires Gehry Technologies, Will Form Strategic Alliance With Frank Gehry Trimble Steps Into Facilities Management With Manhattan Software Acquisition Following several major acquisitions, Trimble unveiled a new cloud-based interoperability platform for its design, build and operation tools. The core of the new suite is Trimble Connect, an online collaborative platform based on the GTeam software developed by Gehry Technologies, which it acquired recently.The cloud-based Connect acts as a bridge between Trimble offerings, including SketchUp, Tekla, Prolog, Vico, Manhattan Atrium and Field
The Very Large Structure (VLS) is described as a 600-ft-tall "city on wheels" that would remain in almost constant motion as it rolled over the countryside.
Delhi-based architects are promoting plans to build vast bubble-like enclosures to create urban havens in environmentally challenging cities such as the Indian capital and Beijing, China.
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