GroundBreakers - ForConstructionPros: Recent Episodes
ForConstructionPros
GroundBreakers highlights the innovative equipment, technology, companies, and individuals that are breaking new ground in the construction industry.
Kenton Williams, U.S. project lead for Honda’s Autonomous Work Vehicle, and Tyler Parker, business optimization manager at construction engineering company Black & Veatch, discuss the development and application of this unique vehicle prototype, including the lessons learned from the field trials in which Black & Veatch is participating. They also look at what lies ahead for the technology and its potential for use on jobsites in future.
Sara Jensen, editor of OEM Off-Highway magazine, talks with Nick Block, Director, Global Marketing & Sales, John Deere Power Systems, about how electrification is continuing to advance in the heavy equipment industry, including how technology improvements are enabling electrification to become more common and helping to increase efficiency.
Eron Usow, Senior Director of Hardware Products at GPS Trackit, shares how asset tracking technology can help address the issue of equipment theft on today’s construction jobsites.
At the Caterpillar Year-end Press Event, Annette Kiesewetter, marketing strategist at SIMFORMOTION, a long-time Caterpillar partner in the development of simulator training technology, highlighted the latest advances, including how virtual reality is being used in tandem with simulators to provide a much more immersive training experience that can better equip operators to get behind the controls of real machines. She also shares how contractors are utilizing simulators in partnership with schools to build the next-generation workforce.
As a relatively young technology in the concrete construction industry, there’s an exciting future in store for the concrete sensor – a device with untapped potential. Editor Jonathan Kozlowski speaks with guests from Giatec, Hilti, and AOMS Technology about the history of the technology and the changes that made it what it is today.
Phil Ogilby, CEO, Stack Construction Technologies, shares how utilizing the company’s cloud-based estimating and takeoff platform is able to lift revenue among its contractor customers an average of 35% by making the process easier and more efficient, enabling more bids to be pushed into the market.
Ted Mort, chief innovation officer at ZELUS, highlights the advances made in building information modeling (BIM) and virtual reality adoption during the pandemic, its growing acceptance among smaller and mid-size construction firms and on smaller scale projects, as well as the opportunities the technology offers beyond building construction.
Mike Ernst, vice president of Insights & Innovation at Ryan Companies, shares how the company’s building division is using technologies such as StructionSite’s reality capture cameras to improve efficiencies and substantially reduce construction costs by enabling greater transparency into project progress and improving schedule performance.
CompanyCam can streamline the workflow in your construction applications by creating chronologically automated photo documentation of each project and sharing it with all stakeholders as the project progresses. Luke Hansen, the founder of CompanyCam, discusses how he developed the product to address issues faced by his family’s construction business and how the product can increase a contractor’s efficiency. To learn more about how CompanyCam can streamline your workflow, visit https://companycam.com
Saurabh Ladha, co-founder and CEO at Doxel, shares how AI-powered Project Controls can help monitor project progress and identify and mitigate potential problems before they happen – keeping projects of various sizes on time and on, or even below, budget.
Cameron Page, CEO at Extracker, highlights the challenges construction companies can face when onboarding new technology into their operations, and shares tips on how to ease the “pain” of technology adoption and ensure successful integration into your business.
Brian Henning highlights benefits of the 310 X Tier concept engineering machine that was demonstrated at Utility Expo in Louisville, KY. Advantages include operating inside of buildings or noise sensitive areas like hospitals. The design is intended to provide substantially lower daily operating costs, lower jobsite noise, enhanced machine reliability, and zero tailpipe emissions.
Joe Ursinii, vice president of operations at ModularDesign+, discusses how modular design and construction can reduce risks and costs on commercial building projects, as well as ways in which it can be integrated into, and help to innovate, the building process.
Digital twin technology, while new, is already improving communication and coordination in construction. Dave Burns, vice president of project delivery and emerging tech at McCarthy Building Companies, explains what digital twin technology is within the construction industry. He goes on to say digital twin technology can help with decision making, planning, monitoring accurate current conditions, reality capture, data collection, environmental monitoring, post-construction and more.
In this episode, Asphalt Contractor editor-in-chief Jessica Lombardo talks to Pam Fisher, Director of Economic Development for the Indiana DOT. Jessica & Pam discuss how the Indiana DOT is using connected vehicle data to both improve safety and future-proof their infrastructure investments. Using technology like Wejo, the Indiana DOT is able to advance their understanding of how connected vehicle data could make their roadways safer.
In this episode of Ground Breakers, Concrete Contractor editor Jonathan Kozlowski connects with Zach Mannheimer, founder and CEO of Alquist 3D – a Virginia-based 3D concrete printing contractor. They are part of a handful of 3D concrete printing companies here in the U.S. and recently broke ground on a new construction early June 2021. We spoke about the impact the technology can have on the construction industry, the potential benefits contractors can find with the technology, and even discussed a bit about how it works.
Carter Johnson, VDC engineer, describes how continuing discovery of uses for regular drone survey data progressed from supporting select tasks to becoming an integral tool in coordinating replacement of an international airport terminal
In this week’s episode of Ground Breakers, editor Sara Jensen speaks with Jared Aho, Director of Marketing, Transportation at NI, about the company’s new collaboration with Seagate which aims to improve testing and development of autonomous vehicles. NI’s high performance in-vehicle data logging systems will be brought together with Seagate’s data transfer and edge storage services to help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers efficiently leverage data to ensure the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles.
In this throwback episode of the GroundBreakers podcast from CONEXPO 2020, Fred Rio, Director Construction Digital Technologies at Caterpillar, talks about where the industry is on the pathway toward autonomous technology on the jobsite and what autonomy could mean for construction business owners and equipment operators. Caterpillar is bringing autonomy to the market with three fundamental blocks: making machines smarter, introducing remote control operation and a back office system that can monitor jobsite progress and dispatch to the machines.
In this episode, Fred Guitton, chief revenue officer, RedTeam Software, looks at the various aspects of risk management on construction jobsites and the ways in which construction management software can help you to mitigate those risks; better manage and understand project costs; save time through improved organization; and ultimately reduce stress on your jobsites.
The Guardian Angel Safety Light is a wearable safety light worn by professionals in several industries, including construction, where visibility is a top concern. Company CEO Chadwick Keller talks about how technology advancements in batteries, magnets, mounts and LED lighting are increasing safety in construction.
Listen to this throwback GroundBreakers podcast from CONEXPO 2020 to hear Brian Rauch and Jon Gilbeck discuss how telematics technology and connectivity is changing. Brian Rauch, Senior VP, Engineering John Deere Construction & Forestry, and Jon Gilbeck, Manager, Product Marketing & Planning John Deere Construction & Forestry, discuss John Deere's focus on telematics and connectivity and how the company is providing solutions to help construction customers enhance their data and productivity.
In this throwback GroundBreakers episode from CONEXPO 2020 Hyundai's Dell Salter talks about why construction equipment technology data can be used to make Hyundai machines better for customers.
In this episode, Karthik Venkatasubramanian, vice president of Data and Analytics at Oracle, discusses the migration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into the construction industry and the growing shift from proactive to predictive data intelligence and how that enables risk management and process optimization. In addition, he provides a glimpse of where this technology might lead the industry in future.
The federal infrastructure plan will likely result in a glut of construction projects across the country and to keep up, contractors will need to use technology to organize, plan and create true ROI. Bassam Hamdy, CEO and co-founder of Briq, discusses how his company helps contractors create accurate estimates and how technology can increase ROI. Hamdy also discusses what he sees happening in the future with construction technology.
Listen to this throwback GroundBreakers podcast from CONEXPO 2020 to hear Serious Labs' Jim Colvin explain how technologies such as virtual reality is a great opportunity to help train the next generation of the workforce.
Bibhrajit Halder, founder and CEO of SafeAI, discusses his company’s autonomous technology solution for heavy equipment and how such technology can save significant project time and costs as well as enhance safety on construction jobsites.
In this throwback GroundBreakers episode from CONEXPO 2020, ForConstructionPros.com conducted interviews with various manufacturers and experts while at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 to discuss the evolution and future of automation in construction.
According to the CDC, there are more than 750 deaths a year resulting from work zone crashes. New connected vehicle technology, like Wejo, can help project owners leverage the power of connected vehicle data to better prepare construction zones and ensure optimal safety. For example, connected vehicle data. In this episode, Asphalt Contractor Editor Jessica Lombardo talks with Stephanie Ayres, SVP Enterprise and Channel Partnerships at Wejo. Stephanie discusses how connected vehicle data can be leveraged to make work zones safer. Data can let asset owners know everything from vehicle speed to windshield wiper speed and can be used to better manage work zones.
Listen to this throwback GroundBreakers podcast from CONEXPO 2020 to hear how Perkins newest hybrid technology works and how it benefits contractors and OEMs.
Ben Harrison, vice president of product management at Preferred Strategies, discusses trends in the adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in the construction industry and the value that tools such as his company’s QuickLaunch platform can provide in helping contractors better utilize ERP data to its full potential.
In this throwback GroundBreakers podcast from CONEXPO 2020, Kevin Very and David Throne discuss John Deere's automation journey and the next evolution in the company's technology. Hear more about John Deere's 333 smart grade compact track loader and how the company plans to continue to incorporate automation into its machines.
Heidi Lehmann of Kenzen talks about how her company’s body monitoring devices and technology keep construction workers safe on the jobsite. Lehmann describes how Kenzen technology got its start on athletic fields, all the way up to the NFL level, and now monitors heat stress and other physiological factors in what she refers to as “industrial athletes” on construction jobsites.
Technology is now transforming the way construction is done – and the industry is seeing significant gains from real-time information. However, one of the largest gaps in construction is the challenge of last-mile delivery. While other industries have focused on putting the customer first, (watching as your pizza arrives down to the last minute, seeing your new couch get delivered on your porch), construction professionals have no visibility into where thousands of dollars of material are.
In this episode of GroundBreakers, Nate St. John, head of product, scheduling and risk at InEight, and Jeff Campbell, director of planning and schedule, Project Controls Cubed, an InEight customer, discuss the benefits, and power, behind the use of InEight Schedule’s artificial intelligence to help generate project schedules, manage scheduling risks and provide feedback on scheduling efficiency.
In this throwback GroundBreakers podcast from CONEXPO 2020, listen in as ForConstructionPros.com conducted interviews with various manufacturers and experts while at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 to discuss the emergence of technology and the smart construction site.
In this episode of GroundBreakers, MindForge founder and CEO Stokes McIntyre and vice president Shahin Aftabizadeh discuss how their jobsite communications platform works across smartphones and other devices to everyone involved with the construction project, even if they aren’t on your payroll.
Michael Zalle and Michelle Tinsley, co-founders of YellowBird, share how their Uber-like digital platform matches qualified environmental health and safety professionals seeking employment with construction companies seeking safety expertise for their jobsites – and only for however long they need them.
In this GroundBreakers Podcast episode, Editor Jonathan Kozlowski talks with John Kipp of Kipper Crete LLC. They discuss the development of his innovative tool to potentially give a concrete/flatwork contractor a 50% to 70% labor cost savings.
In this episode of GroundBreakers StructionSite CEO Matt Daly talks with technology writer Gigi Wood about how leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning and 360-degree video can quickly document progress on a construction site and protect companies against contract liens.
Skilled labor can be one of the largest challenges today’s contractors are dealing with. This GroundBreakers Podcast episode speaks with three concrete flatwork contractors about how they found a way to significantly decrease their labor costs.
In this throwback GroundBreakers podcast from CONEXPO 2020, ForConstructionPros.com conducted interviews with various manufacturers and experts while at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020 to discuss development of electric-powered alternatives to diesel.Meritor, Kato, Delta-Q and Green Machine all weighed in.
In this GroundBreakers podcast, Si Katara, president and co-founder of HeadLight Technologies, shares how his company’s photo-based inspection technology can be used on public infrastructure projects to quickly and efficiently capture project data, encourage greater collaboration between stakeholders, resolve problem areas – and ultimately ensure successful, on-time project completion.
Jorgen Pedersen, CEO, RE2 Robotics, describes his company’s autonomous equipment technology – an add-on system to convert existing machines – and how it’s currently being tested in military applications. He also highlights the opportunities and applications for the technology in construction, and how autonomous solutions will work in partnership with human operators to enhance safety and efficiency on the jobsite, while helping to address the operator skills gap.
Troy Dahlin, vice president of Heavy Construction for the US and Canada at Leica Geosystems, explores the concept of the “digital twin” and how it can be applied in the civil construction sector. He also looks at the broader benefits, including the cost savings it can bring to heavy construction projects.
Maria Khokhlova, one of the co-founders and chief product officer at Trace Air, shares insight on the company’s construction site development platform, as well as GradeIt, a new feature currently in development that is intended to provide strategies to help grading contractors increase grading efficiency, and reduce costs, by at least 10%. Learn more at www.traceair.net.
Purdue University engineers have developed sensors that could safely speed up a construction timeline by determining concrete strength directly onsite in real time. Purdue’s American Concrete Pavement Association Professor of Civil Engineering speaks with editor Jonathan Kozlowski on the recent research from the university. Her goal is to address problems in infrastructure using materials and sensors harnessing artificial intelligence. The Purdue team is working with F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. Inc. to test and compare the technology with traditional commercial sensors installed into a floor of what will be Purdue’s five-story Engineering and Polytechnic Gateway Complex. The complex will be one conjoined building housing Dudley Hall and Lambertus Hall. Lu and her research team also are testing the sensors in highways across Indiana as part of an effort to better determine when concrete is ready to take on heavy truck traffic.
Today’s dispatcher spends his or her time fielding calls for orders, finding haulers, and chasing down the status of deliveries. These operations have been managed using the same set of tools for generations: pen, paper, and phone calls. Much like the wave of technological advances that have revolutionized banking, manufacturing and retail, there is imminent change for how construction as an industry operates, and how dispatchers perform their jobs. This software-based revolution will empower dispatchers to be more effective, driving increased satisfaction among customers and haulers, and improved profitability for all members of the heavy construction value chain.
Tread, a mobile platform that makes the business of moving raw materials in the construction industry more profitable, more efficient, more productive and more connected.
In this episode of GroundBreakers, Yaron Dycian, chief product and strategy officer at WINT, shares how his company’s cloud-based water intelligence technology can help companies of all sizes mitigate water damage risks - and their potentially substantial costs – on construction projects, and maximize return on investment for both the contractors and their customers.
Paul McKeon talks about his company, B2W Software and how its One Platform helps contractors connect people, workflows and data to manage estimating, scheduling, dispatching and more. He also discusses the role of technology in construction and what that means for contractors on the job.
The appropriate ergonomic design in any tool is vital – especially with power tools. And is double important in the construction jobsite. In this episode of the Ground Breakers podcast, we speak with Terry Kobayashi of MAX USA about how the ergonomic design of your tools can impact productivity, efficiency, as well as worker health and safety.
In this episode of GroundBreakers, Tommy Linstroth, CEO of Green Badger, shares how his company’s cloud-based LEED documentation platform can save contractors time and cost by automating the documentation process, reducing the complexity of LEED project management and ensuring LEED requirements are actually met.
In this GroundBreakers podcast, Cameron Page, founder and CEO of Extracker, shares how cloud-based technology solutions such as his company’s change order communication platform can help construction companies better manage project costs, and set themselves up for success throughout what looks likely to be a very competitive 2021.
The further digitization of the construction jobsite can range from innovative tools to robotics you didn’t know you needed. In this episode of Ground Breakers, we speak with Ed Selz and Aidan Maguire of HILTI about how their latest announcements of the HILTI Jaibot and EXO-01 exoskeleton can impact productivity, efficiency, as well as worker health and safety.
Canyon Dell’Omo, founder and CEO of WorkerSense, shares insights on the development of this wearable solution and how it helps to not only modernize project management through real-time data capture, but also provides “data democracy” that enables construction workers to enhance their health and wellness.
Anne Hunt, director of data and analytics at Viewpoint, shares the features and benefits of cloud-based project management software for construction companies of all sizes, along with tips to help you effectively manage the data generated to ensure you get maximum ROI from these programs.
Cliff Fetner, founder and CEO of Soil Connect, discusses how the platform is solving problems on jobsites by helping to connect those who have dirt and other materials with those who need it. He also provides an update on the latest features being built into the digital platform, such as e-ticketing, that will further enhance project efficiency and help users save both time and costs.
Terry Simpson, a technical evangelist at Nintex, shares how Nintex automation is being used by companies like BNBuilders to manage risk during the COVID-19 crisis by developing – in just one day – a configurable solution to monitor exposure. He also shares opportunities to use the configurable automation technology to develop tailored solutions that enhance efficiencies in various aspects of construction operations during and post-pandemic.
In his role as vice president, Rosendin Electric’s Fred Meeske is responsible for the building information modeling (BIM) technology division. He shares how he brought gamers in to help marry their particular skills and 3D mind set with traditional building philosophies to augment and even reinvent processes on Rosendin projects. He also discusses the role this tech savvy generation of workers could have in shaping the future of the construction industry.
Nick Cherukuri, CEO and founder of ThirdEye, shares the outlook and opportunities for the application of mixed reality technology in construction, and how his company’s unique smart glasses technology can improve efficiency, productivity and worker safety on the jobsite.
Listen to this episode of GroundBreakers as Joe Boyle, CEO Truce Software, discusses how the company's products can help increase driver safety and reduce distracted workers.
Raja Ghawi, investment associate, Suffolk Technology, provides insights on his organization’s relationship with Trade Hounds, a platform designed specifically for those working in construction, and developed by co-founders David Bromhead, Peter Maglathlin and Jon Clark. Ghawi highlights how Suffolk collaborated with Trade Hounds to develop a new feature to address workforce shortages, plus other ways Suffolk is working to further technology innovation in construction.
Dr. Ray Gallant, vice president, product management & productivity, Volvo Construction Equipment, discusses the trends influencing construction’s move toward electrification, the strides Volvo CE is making in research and development in this area and the innovative equipment we will soon be seeing on construction jobsites.