Maintaining Construction Labor Productivity During a Crisis - Constructible

Trimble CrewSight Labor Tracking System

(1:42) Video by - Trimble MEP

Even during the best of times, productivity is a concern in construction. But during a crisis, that concern can reach new, critical levels. As we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis can create major challenges to construction productivity. Many are experiencing problems like:

• Fewer workers being allowed on the jobsite or having to meet new requirements before they’re authorized to enter
• Available workers having to cover more projects than usual, or projects becoming indefinitely delayed
• New worksite safety guidelines or mandates being put in place that slow down typical project workflows
• Fewer managers and field supervisors onsite, resulting in lowered visibility into daily attendance, productivity, and project progress

A crisis often reveals our vulnerabilities. For general contractors, the COVID crisis may have magnified any problems they previously faced with having . . . read more

Spot Robot Maps "Digital Twin" of Project - Construction Equipment

How Spot the Robot Dog Got a Job in Construction with Boston Dynamics and Trimble | The dirt #17

(59:30) Video by - EquipmentWorld

An architecture project in London has been using Boston Dynamics’ four-legged robot, Spot, to gather data from a construction site and map out a digital twin of its office space. The project—the Battersea Roof Gardens development in London—had been utilized as a testbed for the four-legged robot, which can be controlled by a human from a distance or follow a predefined route.

The collaboration involved the architecture company’s Applied Research and Development group working alongside a team from Boston Dynamics. At the Battersea project, a map and associated “missions” were created for the robot to follow so it could scan specific areas and collate data. It came back to the site at weekly intervals in order to run its missions.

Martha Tsigkari, a partner at the architecture firm, described the robot’s ability to repeatedly complete routine scans in “an ever-changing environment” as “invaluable not only in terms of the consistency but also the large amount of high-quality data collected.” . . . read more

Bridging the Gap Between 2D Drawings and 3D Models - Construction Dive

Trimble's ProjectSight - The Next Generation Contractor Solution

(1:53) Video by - Trimble's ProjectSight

While most would agree that 3D models are the future of construction planning, the vast majority of today’s construction projects are still based on 2D drawings. Traditional drawings remain the most accessible choice for most professionals, and construction firms are looking for technology tools that provide useful features in a familiar format.

While most would agree that 3D models are the future of construction planning, the vast majority of today’s construction projects are still based on 2D drawings. Traditional drawings remain the most accessible choice for most professionals, and construction firms are looking for technology tools that provide useful features in a familiar format. . . read more

When It's Time to Get More ROI from 3D Models, Bring Them to the Field - Constructible

Trimble RPT600 Intro

(:39) Video by - BuildingPoint Mid-America

A survey of nearly 600 construction leaders about how teams spend their time on construction sites found that significant time and money goes toward non-optimal activities. Fixing mistakes, looking for project data, managing conflict resolution, and more — these avoidable issues account for $177.5 billion in labor costs per year in the US alone.

So, while BIM is adding new efficiencies in the office, its value for improving productivity and accuracy isn’t making its way to the field. Experiencing the true value of BIM is realized when 3D models are leveraged throughout the construction workflow — offering accessible data, project visualization, actionable insights, and quality assurance to everyone on the project.

As the affects of COVID continue to affect the industry resulting in . . . read more

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Construction Data Report Reveals Trends for 2021 - Construction Equipment

Manage the Field in Real-Time with ProjectSight

(22:38) Video by - Trimble ProjectSight

According to the report, 66 percent of owners are still using paper and spreadsheets for field data collection, and 53 percent of owners use three or more apps to collect field data. Human entered data is full of inaccuracies and incompatible data that doesn’t allow easy comparison or management.

About 49 percent of all managers wait a week or longer to see labor hours actuals. This delay does not allow managers to control their workforce, limiting the effectiveness of labor budgets and productivity.

Only nine percent of firms with 5,000-10,000 employees have access to live labor. 49 percent of all contractors wait a week or longer to see actuals by cost code.

Nearly 66 percent of safety managers don’t receive instant safety reports. Safety managers are not able to effectively track employee health screenings . . . read more

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Spot on: Alliance to Combine Robots and GNSS Tech for Construction - GPS World

How Boston Dynamics' Spot Robot Works!

(19:52) Video by - Skanska UK

Trimble and Boston Dynamics plan to integrate a variety of data-collection technologies with the Spot (robot dog) platform for construction and other site applications.

The jointly developed solution will combine the Spot robot’s autonomous mobility with Trimble’s data-collection sensors and field control software to enable automation of repetitive tasks such as site scans, surveying and progress monitoring, while taking advantage of the robot’s unique capabilities to navigate dynamic and potentially unsafe environments.

The relationship gives Trimble exclusive rights to sell and support the Spot robot . . . read more

Product Review: Trimble SketchUp Studio 2020 - Architosh

SketchUp Pro 2020 Quick Tour

(0:50) Video by - CADELIT Sverige AB

It has been since August of 2014 that we last published a review of SketchUp and in that version (SketchUp 2014) the big news was the support of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) file format in the world’s most popular 3D modeler. Since that time a lot has taken place in the world of SketchUp. For starters, while IFC export was new in SketchUp 2014 when we reviewed it that year, somewhere along the way IFC import was also supported. (We’ll mention more notes on BIM and SketchUp toward the ends of the review).

Also new since our last review six years ago, Trimble acquired Sefaira, the popular energy analysis software that works with BIM tools and SketchUp models. These tools are now included... Read More

Learn More About SketchUp Pro

Camera Technology Elevates Security, Safety, and Jobsite Performance - Construction Executive

XL Construction Case Study

(1:26) Video - Sensera Systems

Construction sites are often the target of theft and vandalism. This is why camera technology initially found its way onto the jobsite. Modern camera-based technology can help you secure even the most remote site, providing real-time intelligence.

“Motion-detected event notification alerts can be pushed to your email or mobile device (via SMS/text),” says Wendi Burke, vice president of marketing, Sensera Systems. “These notifications can include a video clip or images for rapid review and response. In addition, capturing visual documentation of daily site activity, incidents and near misses enables managers to assess compliance with safety requirements and monitor where workers, equipment and materials are in transit to identify potential safety issues. You can receive alerts for entry of restricted access zones and track the entry and exit of people on the jobsite.”

Every contractor is going to have its own set of requirements... Read More

Our Cameras

How BIM Helps General Contractors Win More Business - Engineering News Record

Benefits of BIM in Construction -

(1:43) Video by - Skanska UK

No industry in the world remains untouched by digital technology. For the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, this holds especially true. Technology is making vast improvements in the way general contractors plan and build projects, paving the way for a reimagined future. One technology in particular—Building Information Modeling (BIM)—is leading the way.

BIM is an intelligent, 3D model-based process that helps general contractors become more accurate and efficient. Over the years, BIM technology has grown in its breadth of capabilities, becoming a standard in the AEC industry. It’s not surprising that a study by McKinsey found that 75% of companies that have adopted BIM reported positive returns on their investments.

Thanks to the recent emergence of cloud-based BIM solutions, GCs, designers and owners can now work together to identify and resolve errors in real time, avoiding costly mistakes and reducing rework. With the rapid rise of project delivery methods like design-build and integrated project delivery (IPD), this enhanced ability to collaborate has become more critical than ever.

BIM technology is key to winning . . .

Learn More About BIM