PCL, CopperTree partner to build smart from the ground up

The contractor will embed energy analytics services during construction to meet owners' demand for less costly, simplified building management.

By Kathleen Brown • April 24, 2019

Laser scans could be key in Notre Dame Cathedral reconstruction

A point cloud of the 12th-century Paris landmark captured in 2015 could serve as a digital blueprint for the wooden spire and roof destroyed in last week's fire.

By Kathleen Brown • April 24, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

Construction Technology

As construction technology continues to evolve, here’s what savvy contractors need to know.

By Construction Dive staff

US intelligence wants to develop tools to detect construction projects around the world

The new SMART program will analyze satellite and other images to determine where large construction projects are underway.

By Kim Slowey • April 24, 2019

PlanGrid BIM brings 3D Revit data to field management

PlanGrid users across approximately 1.5 million projects globally will be able to access Autodesk's BIM data on their mobile devices.

By Kim Slowey • April 24, 2019

Autonomous construction equipment key to improving site safety, efficiency

While jobsites are tougher to navigate than the average roadway, two emerging sensor types used in combination could offer the industry the robust detection it needs, writes an expert in the technology.

By Andrew Boushie • April 17, 2019

Dodge: Almost three-quarters of contractors turn to IoT for risk management

Wearables and artificial intelligence auditing of jobsite images were named as the top emerging technologies curbing construction defects, safety hazards and more in a Dodge Data & Analytics study.

By Kathleen Brown • April 17, 2019

Tech Toys: Autodesk, John Deere, DPR, NASA flex new tools

AutoCAD and Revit 2020 editions are live, and a John Deere simulator kit swaps controls between six machine types. DPR rolls out Skycatch across its projects while NASA offers its tech to the jobsite.

By Joe Beeton • April 17, 2019

UpCodes building code database draws ICC ire

The startup says its searchable platform gives users "free, unfettered access" to law. The International Code Council's copyright suit claims damages to its revenue model.

By Kathleen Brown • April 17, 2019

Why contractors should nix 'casual use' of jobsite drones

As use of the technology expands, contractors, subs and other stakeholders should heed the safety and liability risks involved, an aviation attorney writes.

By By Mark A. Dombroff • April 10, 2019

Test lab for timber technology: college campus construction

With 34 mass timber college buildings completed or in the works across the country, the technology is seeing a lot of support despite challenges.

By Hallie Busta • April 10, 2019

The simple safety tweak to boost engagement, competition

AGC conference speakers showed how phones can be paired with interactive Q&A sessions to derive more value from typically blasé safety briefings.

By Kathleen Brown • April 8, 2019

Leaders are key to building a culture that motivates, innovates

Competitive advantage lies in an environment that frees employees to experiment and encounter tech's value at their own pace, according to a VDC director and an Autodesk strategist.

By Kathleen Brown • April 8, 2019

3D-printed precast concrete molds for redeveloped NYC landmark a first

The innovative approach to the 42-story tower in Brooklyn created a variety of exterior panels reminiscent of sugar crystals, a nod to the site's historic past as the Domino Sugar Factory.

By Amy Howell Hirt • April 3, 2019

AI, robotics safety a bigger concern to construction industry than job security

Construction workers worry less about the common conception that robots will steal jobs than they do about who's to blame for unsafe practices on the jobsite, according to a new survey.

By Kim Slowey • April 3, 2019

Shadow Ventures graduates first AEC tech startups from accelerator program

A BIM planning tool and cloud-based project management platform were among the promising products shaped through industry partners' advice.

By Kim Slowey • April 3, 2019

3 technologies behind Skiles Group's lean transformation

The COO touted the rewards of experimenting with ways to build better and more efficiently, sharing tools that help his firm save time and track KPIs.

By Kathleen Brown • April 3, 2019

Execs: To ignite innovation, empower tech champions

Contractors looking to drive improvements should tap the grassroots base of employees facing business challenges daily, leaders at three top firms said.

By Kathleen Brown • March 27, 2019

BIM and design-build pair well, but new habits are needed

BIM fills the space where traditional silos have been broken down, facilitating collaboration between designers and contractors and relaying real-time changes, but that's only when it's used properly.

By Kathleen Brown • March 27, 2019

ERP 101: Choosing the right solution for the business

Aging enterprise resource planning systems can fail to meet strategy demands, which has some organizations seeking change.

By Jen A. Miller • March 27, 2019

TrueLook, Autodesk integration gives users live play-by-play

The construction camera provider announced that Autodesk customers will now be able to add real-time footage to their BIM 360 dashboards.

By Kim Slowey • March 27, 2019

US colleges adopt PlanGrid for campus construction

Forty institutions — 15 of which have signed on so far this year — use the software to help increase the efficiency of both renovations and new work.

By Kim Slowey • March 20, 2019

Tech Toys: The latest revolutions in remote control

Gamelike controllers, robust wireless networks and technical software are speeding up the automation of construction vehicles, getting operators out of harm's way and improving precision on tough terrains.

By Joe Beeton • March 20, 2019

Study: Autonomous robots working together are industry's next big thing

Collaboration within groups of robots could address a critical need for safer, cheaper and more efficient construction, a report says.

By Kathleen Brown • March 20, 2019

Scan, plan, execute: 3D reality capture in construction

Digital twins created via laser scanning and photogrammetry offer value from pre-planning to well after completion, a proprietor of the emerging technology explains.

By Cale Collier • March 20, 2019

Cloud app creates drone deliverables in hours instead of days

Using a Microsoft Azure app, drone services provider Dudek is speeding up the process of stitching together aerial imagery for projects on the scale of the California bullet train.

By Kim Slowey • March 13, 2019