News you can grind through…
From crazy design details in the new Apple Park, to a look into the future of 3D building, we've got the latest scoop on construction from around the country. So what are you waiting for? Grind away!
Report: Majority of Professionals Consider Leaving their Current Role
According to a recent report from Hays US, over 80% of people within the workforce think about leaving their current job and 65% of people would even take a pay cut for their ideal job. So, are you happy with your current job or is it time to start looking?
Building Bigger and Better with Wood
Using wood in single family homes (85 feet and below) has been status quo for years. But now in Portland, a developing firm is pushing to broaden the trend to taller and larger mixed use properties. Anticipated to be 12 stories high, this new project in Oregon has many wondering just how safe it will all be.
Some Concrete Science
A new finding from the University of British Columbia has found a way to make concrete stronger and more resilient. How? By putting rubber to the road! Through using recycled tires, researchers believe they can make the roads a more safe and longer lasting.
Over 40 States See Construction Employment Lower in September
After all of the hurricanes, fires, and storms most of the country is now in rebuilding season. This time of maintenance is putting construction builders back to work and in turn, is lowering the rate of construction unemployment nationally.
Six Design Details on the New Apple Park
From a newly designed pizza box (with a patent on it) to intelligent hydrodynamic technology, these six design details are certainly a little "out there" but more than anything, they're a little brilliant.
Construction Firm 3H Group Inc. to Build New Orlando Marriott Hotel
Estimated at $100 million, the new Marriott TownePlace Suites in Orlando is expected to be completed over the course of 18 months. The hotel will have over 160 hotel rooms in a seven story building.
California Begins Massive Rebuild Post Fire Season
"Our phones are ringing off the hook" says one California based construction company. Now that most of the fires in California are controlled, it's time for the state to rebuild and that means most construction firms will be beyond busy.
FAA Approves Instant Authorization For Low Altitude Drone Use
The Federal Aviation Administration has just approved a measure that instantly authorizes commercial use of drones (under a certain altitude). This new rule is expected to greatly affect the industry and is predicted to make things run smoother when using drones in construction.
A Look at Ventilation Variety in Multi-Family Homes
Check out this guide on the various forms of ventilation recommended for multi-family housing. When thinking about all the things you need to consider when selecting your building's "pair of lungs" this guide will certainly come in handy!
The Future of 3D Building
The rise of prefabrication, offsite construction, and 3D building are making construction better and more efficient. Why? Well, when you think about 3D building added into the prefabrication process, the possibilities for new construction practices are endless!
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Today’s sprawling office buildings involve multiple complex systems, from lighting to plumbing to HVAC to electrical. To keep these buildings operating efficiently requires a host of ongoing maintenance tasks, but having on-site staff responsible for fixing the problems that arise is expensive and inefficient. Modern technology enables remote monitoring of these high-tech building systems, and makes monitoring and even fixing problems possible around the clock and often without the need for a physical presence.
Modern technology enables remote monitoring of these high-tech building systems, and makes monitoring and even fixing problems possible.
The heart of this technology is telemetry. Telemetry uses systems of sensors which continuously measure physical or electrical conditions like pressure, temperature, precipitation or voltage. The data collected by the sensors is fed to a remote receiver, where it can be observed by a human monitor. The monitor then draws conclusions based on the data to decide which systems are operating properly and which need maintenance (or might need it soon.) This kind of insight lets building managers keep on top of preventative maintenance issues before they become serious, resulting in big savings on the cost of labor and improving the lifespan of key building systems.
These operators don’t necessarily have to be full-time staff members. Many companies offer remote monitoring of such telemetry systems as a service, much like an alarm company, which provide around-the-clock monitoring of a building’s systems. When alerts are triggered or something doesn’t look right, they can act in accordance with the building manager’s directives on prioritization or who to contact or dispatch in the event of a problem.
Advanced computer systems can organize collected data and compare it to previous data sets, over time becoming better able to predict system faults.
There’s also a machine learning component to remote monitoring. Advanced computer systems can organize collected data and compare it to previous data sets, over time becoming better able to predict system faults. A Milan, Italy-based software firm, CGnal, recently pored over a full year of HVAC data from an Italian hospital using sensors measuring things like temperature, humidity and electricity use. Their goal was to see if a trained machine learning algorithm could accurately detect problems before they arose. According to New Scientist, the algorithm predicted 76 out of 124 faults, including 41 of 44 where a monitored system’s temperature went beyond an acceptable range.
Getting a sense of what adjustments are needed for a building’s climate control system is another area telemetry, machine learning and remote monitoring can result in ongoing cost savings in building operation. Finnish company Leanheat installed wireless environmental sensors into apartment buildings to remotely operate climate and track systems’ performance. Their system is now installed in nearly 400 apartment blocks.
“Once we had these sensors in place, very quickly there was evidence that buildings were not controlled optimally,” Leanheat CEO Jukka Aho told New Scientist.
Remote monitoring sensors placed throughout the system keeps constant and vigilant watch over these systems, saving time on simple visual checks to ensure proper functionality.
Some building systems, like plumbing or elevators, contain sections that are difficult to reach without shutting them down or sending workers into the bowels of a large building. Remote monitoring sensors placed throughout the system keeps constant and vigilant watch over these systems, saving time on simple visual checks to ensure proper functionality. Older buildings can equip existing elevator systems with after-market sensors to gain that insight at a fraction of the cost of replacing an elevator. Water pipes can be outfitted with automatic shut-off features along with active temperature monitoring to ensure optimal flow and warn building managers or monitors well in advance of a fluctuation that could result in a burst pipe. Once again, the cost of a monitoring system is a small percentage of what it would cost to fix the water damage.
As sensors get smaller and cheaper, commercial and residential buildings alike have a wide assortment of remote monitoring devices available. It’s a small up-front investment that could easily pay for itself over time in reduced labor and repair costs. The ability to keep a watchful eye over critical building systems from afar offers big peace of mind for site managers, homeowners and landlords, who no longer have to wait until something goes wrong to realize there’s a problem.
If you liked this article, here are a few eBooks, webinars, and case studies you may enjoy:
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