Construction isn’t all building, it also includes demolition when a new structure replaces an old one. Between constructing and deconstructing, a lot of waste product is generated. In fact, the EPA estimated that 600 million tons of C&D (construction and demolition) debris were generated in the United States in 2018, the last year complete figures are available, which is more than twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste. EPA also produced estimates for the 2018 mass quantities of C&D debris material intended for next use or sent to landfills. “Next use” designates ..read more

The paper and pencil approach to everyday business function is going the way of…well, of paper and pencils. Software, on computers or in the cloud, is taking over those chores and with the near ubiquitous connectivity present today, keeping multiple levels of the organization aware of each and every transaction is common. As an example of how software providers are working together to make more management functions easier, Motili, a property and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)  technology company, is partnering with Yardi,a developer of investment and property management ..read more

As more software companies move to SaaS (software-as-a-service) utilizing a cloud platform, construction companies are seeking ways to use those services to their best advantage. That’s not only true in the U.S., but across the globe and aggressive companies see opportunities in foreign markets. One such company is Texas-based ECI Software Solutions. In October this past year, it purchased Merchant Systems Group Limited, the U.K.-based developer of the eCommonSense platform, an eCommerce and product data management solution specifically designed for lumber and building materials, hardware/home ..read more

Making progress, North America is rapidly gaining ground on Europe to become a region to watch in terms of corporate sustainability leadership. This insight and more are found in the fifth annual edition of the Business Sustainability Risk & Performance Index, by business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis. While Europe is home to nearly half of the world’s most sustainable publicly listed companies, North American organizations are reducing the performance gap at an increasingly rapid pace – establishing an EcoVadis sustainability rating score of 46.5, a new high for the ..read more

Today, infrastructure construction and operations account for approximately 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions—in some cases more, depending on how you define infrastructure. The bottomline is we have now less than 10 years to transform our world and achieve the sustainable development goals we set to accomplish by 2030. At YII (Year in Infrastructure), which was held December 1-2, Greg Bentley, CEO and chairperson, Bentley Systems, and Matthias Rebellius, CEO, Siemens Building Technologies, discussed some of the challenges regarding future proofing existing infrastructure. Bentley pointe ..read more

Welcome to 2022. Despite inflation concerns and ongoing production bottlenecks, at the end of last year builder confidence edged higher for the fourth consecutive month on strong consumer demand and limited existing inventory, according to the NAHB (National Assn. of Home Builders). We ended 2021 on a strong note. Let’s take that energy and carry it through to the New Year. The month of January is typically one for resolutions and goal setting. In the next few weeks, we will highlight key areas—resolutions, if you will—specifically for the construction industry. Some of these resolutions inclu ..read more

We hear a lot about removing CO2 from cement and concrete to mitigate the impact that those products have on the environment and climate change. But there is more sustainability potential in cement than has been recognized. In fact, smart building contractors who profess sustainable, “net-zero” energy consumption, have a new approach to champion. From devices to home appliances and even entire cities, everything around us is getting smarter and more connected. The concept of a smart city, which involves energy-efficient ecosystems that can reduce carbon emissions, save energy, and provide bet ..read more

While the U.S. Congress debates the need for new approaches to solving the problems that confront us in mitigating the climate crisis, Europe has defined the issue in more detail. Its approach, the Green Deal, establishes goals and, to realize these goals and reduce CO2 emissions, approximately €600 billion has been reserved in the EU’s Green Deal funds.   Decarbonization is a huge challenge for governments across Europe, and any spending must be used effectively and efficiently. With heating and cooling of homes accounting for 21% of the EU’s energy consumption, existing European housing ..read more

In many countries, land use is becoming more restrictive as agricultural lands are being set aside to maintain food supplies and buildable land is being exhausted. Cities are growing up instead of out, but high-rise living isn’t for everybody. The height of buildings is tightly regulated in most areas due to the conditions of the ground or fear of natural elements such as earthquake and hurricane. Coastal cities are on the frontlines of climate-related risks. Flooding is destroying billions of dollars of infrastructure and forcing millions of climate refugees to leave their homes. Indeed, the ..read more

Science and science fiction often compete for the minds of the general population. The term “robot,” for example, can conjure up many different images, depending on the experience and movie going history of the listener. Engineers might imagine a machine doing repetitive work that bores humans while labor union leaders would see the same image as taking away jobs. Robotic designers have been seeking ways to make robots less threatening and more productive for generations, going so far as adding human features and voice to what amounts to a guided vehicle delivering food to patients in a hospit ..read more