Many modern robots function within highly controlled surroundings, like the factory or even the home (think Roombas). But how would automatons fare and function in the complex environment of a construction site? What traits would they need to operate in a place where workers, vehicles and materials are constantly moving, where the landscape itself is changing as structures rise and grow?These are the questions we’re exploring at the University at Buffalo.With a team of architecture and engineering experts, we’re prototyping a series of On-Site Construction Robots (OSCR). The research is led by Karthik Dantu and Nils Napp, two computer science
Oculus Rift As head of Boston-based Suffolk Construction's 18-month-old national R&D group, Jason Seaburg leads a team searching for new technologies that may become standard tools on company jobsites. His excitement is infectious, says Corren Collura, chief information officer. "Colleagues really buy into it and want to partner with him," she says.Recent explorations include drones, thermal imaging cameras, Google Glass, and still and video cameras on extenders to examine hard-to-reach locations.The 12-member R&D group investigates and recommends the most promising proposals for testing during biweekly conference calls. It works to keep costs within an R&D budget set at the start
Related Links: BIM Masonry The masonry trades risk contributing to their own obsolescence by failing to get into step with building information modeling (BIM) — the 3D modeling and information laden process for building design and construction planning that is sweeping the industry. BIM, a process for designing and building that saves time and cost, improves estimation accuracy, reduces waste and avoids conflicts in the field, is not new to the construction industry. Yet the masonry trades lag well behind most others — including concrete placement and steel —in developing tools specifically designed to improve trade-specific planning and execution through BIM.
Images Courtesy Gafcon Charting what it takes to go from data to correct decisions. For many municipalities and government agencies, construction projects programs and projects are hitting a fever pitch. Deadlines are looming and time is of the essence. All the while, these initiatives are under the increasingly watchful eye of the public, elected and appointed officials looking to make sure that those in charge stay on budget, account for every penny and still achieve the intended outcomes on time.Managing it all and meeting expectations can be daunting, which is why program managers are implementing program control software platforms at a
Related Links: International Strategic Development Solutions NoteVault In Afghanistan's Bamyan Province, a New Zealand-funded development project is now bringing 24-hour electricity to 2,490 homes and businesses in scattered hamlets with an off-the-grid, 1.05-MW network of solar arrays, batteries, backup generators and transmission lines.The $14.2-million project includes five arrays, mostly perched on rough hillsides about 10 km apart at an elevation of 8,500 ft. It now is in the hands of the Afghan national electricity utility for a 24-month, post-construction run-in maintenance period.The developer is the Bamyan Renewable Energy Programme Partnership. Program manager is International Strategic Development Solutions, a New Zealand
Photo Courtesy of Icarus Aerial In Minutes Trevor Duke, of Icarus Aerial LLC, an early enrollee in Workmode, says he can walk up to a job trailer, explain his services and be airborne in minutes. Map products processed and delivered by Workmode can bring valuable data to contractors. Photo Courtesy of Icarus Aerial Related Links: SkyCatch signup Icarus Aerials The commercial drone industry is rising like mushrooms after a rain, following recent moves by the Federal Aviation Administration that remove uncertainty about how it is likely to regulate drone flights once the laborious federal rule-making process runs its course. Pent-up
Dozens of software companies sell collaboration software that connects project stakeholders. But the software’s usefulness can be limited because people only share information with those they know and trust. Think about it. A construction project is like an arranged marriage. You throw people together who have never met, put them in the pressure cooker we call a project, where the stakes are high, the pressure is tremendous, and the resources are limited. And then we expect them to be collaborative and communicative and share everything openly! British Petroleum learned this difficult lesson about technology and collaboration. BP spent millions of dollars
Related Links: FAA summary of proposed drone rule Commercial Drone Flight Condoned, For Some (enr.com 12/15/2014) Survey Technology Firms Deploy Their Own Drones (ENR 9/8/2014 issue) [subscription] Some Firms Are Not Waiting For Regulations On Commercial Drone Operations (ENR 9/8/2014 issue) [subscription] The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a regulation that would place limits on commercial use of airborne drones, a technology that has sparked interest from surveying firms and construction contractors.FAA last December had granted a handful of firms exemptions to use drones for aerial surveying and monitoring construction sites.But FAA's eagerly awaited proposal, announced on Feb. 15, would
Many construction companies are looking to improve their operations by taking advantage of mobile technologies. Some of the industry’s biggest productivity gains are coming from mobile innovations, but there are a lot of options to pick through.First, what does "Mobile" really mean? "Mobile" comes in two forms, web based or app based (Android or iOS). Web-based systems need an Internet connection and rely on external software. App-based tools work with locally installed software, and some only work on specific devices. Also, most mobile systems are designed to work one way on your desktop and another, more specific—and sometimes more limited
Courtesy Carnegie Mellon University A person's gait, weight and health are contributors to the specific vibration pattern they make as they walk. Related Links: Hae Young Noh assistant professor, Carnegie Mellon University explains her building sensor technology. A new structural-vibration sensor system inspired by scorpions’ predatory habits detects building occupants by their walking patterns. Walking vibrations produce a unique signature pinned to individual occupants.“It helps with building-energy management and to control the HVAC systems, based on occupancy,” says Hae Young Noh, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. The practical application of Noh and her team’s
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