Courtesy, OriginClear Inc. Jar (far left) contains original flow-back water from a fracking site in Bakersfield, Calif.; it is laced with oil and chemical particulates. Another jar (middle) contains treated water, or effluent, after going through OriginClear Inc.'s EWS treatment. The last jar (far right) contains the sludge that was removed. A company that makes systems for algae growth and harvesting has repurposed its machines to tackle flow-back water from the oil-and-gas industry. The water-separation technology, which recently completed successful testing in Bakersfield, Calif., uses electricity, instead of chemicals.“The energy cost is low, on the order of 0.14 cents per
Photo Courtesy of Mott MacDonald The corroding steel structure behind this century-old red granite facade is causing the granite to crack. The condition is treated by sending an electric current through the steel, stopping the corrosion. Engineers are using a newly developed carbon-fiber-reinforced geopolymer mortar as a conductor for cathodic protection (CP). The mortar helps to carry an electrical current through the steel frames of structures built before 1960, guarding against corrosion.“We just take the joints out, put the necessary wiring in, re-tuck the joints with the anode material and refit the joint with heritage mortar. It’s as simple as
Sami Masri, a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, uses the Microsoft Kinect to gather data on the condition of roads. The device’s infrared projector, infrared camera and RGB camera are mounted beneath a vehicle to create a 3D image of the road as the vehicle drives; this data along with GPS information is used to identify cracks and potholes and localize them.If devices like Masri’s prototype were installed in all 2016 Toyota Corollas, for example, live road health monitoring could be possible for Departments of Transportation (DOT’s) across the nation, similar
Photo cCourtesy of Zachary Podkaminer SAM the Semi-Automated Masonry machine uses a map of the wall it's building along with a laser to build alongside workers. Related Links: Robots on the Jobsite Advancing in Construction VIDEO: Watch SAM Work A robot that lays bricks is now out of beta testing and at work alongside masons and laborers at a school-building jobsite in Ft. Collins, Colo. The Semi-Autonomous Mason, more commonly known as SAM, is already booked for two additional jobs. Masons working with SAM say the robot may help alleviate workforce shortages foreseen in future generations in masonry trades."He does
Photo Courtesy DroneBase Drone surveying can be used to double-check grading, as is being done in this photo. Related Links: DroneBase As U.S. Drone Approvals Grow, So Does Need for Expertise FAA's Summary of Major Provisions of Proposed Part 107 A web service called DroneBase connects drone operators with construction owners nationwide and offers visual and surveying packages."It's hard for clients to know what to pay," says Dan Burton, CEO of DroneBase, Santa Monica, Calif. Compared to helicopter or airplane surveying, drones can deliver better output and fly more often for a cheaper price, he says, adding, "It's thousands [of
Related Links: Parsing Distributed Energy Resources NREL Report: Impact of High Solar Penetration in the Western Interconnection A growing challenge from the evolution of energy resources—especially from solar arrays that now are starting to be enhanced by backup battery storage—is causing electric utilities to rethink the projects they build and the technologies they use to design, construct and operate them.The incremental installations of distributed generation are starting to add up. Solar power, while still a small fraction of the nation's installed base, is the fastest-growing form of new power generation, and that's a trend with implications for the power industry.DODSON"The
Courtesy NASA NASA puts up $2.25 million in prizes for tinkerers who develop solutions to three challenges to building on Mars with on-site material. Related Links: Air Force Research Lab Invests in 3D Printing Technology Development Advancing 3D Printing Capabilities Excite Construction Leader The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is offering $2.25 million in prize money for three competitions, all aimed at dramatically advancing 3D printing in three areas: dwelling design, printing aggregate and printing mechanism.NASA's Centennial Challenges Program, in partnership with America Makes, allots $50,000 of the prize money for the design of a habitat for astronauts on Mars.
Construction mega projects are complex undertakings, prone to scope creep and schedule and cost overruns. Configuration Management (CM)—the detailed recording and updating of project information—can help organize a mega project and fend off cost overruns. CM establishes a project baseline, a clearer definition of project responsibilities and paper work flows, and a way to track and monitor project changes to prevent scope creep. New advances in data analytics can automatically identify construction project issues and problems in CM systems by mining text and numerical construction data for information and drawing conclusions from that data.As senior researcher at the Center for
Image courtesy of MultiVista MultiVista's photo-documentation captures interior and exterior progress and substantial construction details at predetermined intervals. Related Links: New Technology for Construction Jobsite Cams Become Common, Useful Tool With the proliferation of easy-to-use cameras in smartphones and other electronic devices, contractors can gather an almost unlimited number of project images.But more is not always better. If a problem arises during construction or after work is complete, how can a contractor be sure it has the right photographs to capture exactly what happened, and why? Photos can be lost or forgotten if not shared immediately or taken too late
A new feature from a construction communication software automatically produces a daily report at the same time every day, compiled from the field notes of superintendents, foremen and subcontractors.“To stay an extra hour at the end of the day to compile your observations that you might not accurately remember, is silly,” says Chad Falgout, a general superintendent Abbott Construction, Seattle, who has worked as a super for 20 years. Falgout uses the new daily-reports function from the FieldLens, New York, as he walks the job site. He says he makes 10 to 20 observations during his 8- to 10-hour days,