Category: Features
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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…
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Building Optimization with TestFit’s New Generative Design
In the 1980s, I was a young architect assigned to a laboratory project with a more senior professional. At the outset, the client wanted us to present alternatives. We developed three solutions. If TestFit’s new generative design tool had been available back then, the number would have been around twenty-five thousand. Why did we settle…
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RAVA3Pro and Solibri Collaborate Toward a Digital Building Permitting Process in Finland
Finland’s building permit process is set to revolutionize with the new construction act, making it BIM model-based. This transition is made possible by the model specifications and inspection rules of the RAVA3Pro project, with Solibri as the lead executor. While design in the construction sector has been digitalized and BIM, Building Information Modeling, is gaining…
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Powering Construction Projects with AI – The Latest Opportunities
AI’s potential in construction is vast, from predictive equipment maintenance to ensuring compliance with regulations. Many construction companies are already testing the waters of AI. However, they are still concerned about data security and the best ways to use AI productively. In this post, I examine some notable examples of AI in construction and report how Quickbase,…