Few industries can be as quickly impacted by rapid changes as the construction development sector. New technology can make the state-of-the-art climate control system in a building under construction seem obsolete overnight, new regulations can send a planned development back to the drawing board and an uptick in gas prices can send ripple effects through the supply chain adding unforeseen costs to a project. For those who are involved in construction development —commercial building developers, architects and others— having access to timely news or trends that affects their industry is critical to taking advantage of the positives, and minimizing the impact of the negatives.
Consider just a few of the stories that have recently crossed the wire and their potential to affect construction projects that are underway, being planned or currently being evaluated.
Las Vegas Goes Green
While the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) stole much of the attention, host city Las Vegas and its recent green building projects were also in the spotlight. For example, the CityCenter project (which includes the MGM Mirage hotel) is a 17 million square foot development that’s noted for being one of the world’s biggest sustainable developments. With contributions from over 60 LEED-accredited professionals who spent five years in the design and construction of the mega project, CityCenter became the world’s largest mixed-use development to achieve LEED certification. With CES attendees and media making note of the advanced hotel and convention center, attention focused on the design, technology and construction methods used to accomplish this impressive feat. And that means that other projects far away from Vegas will be under pressure to incorporate techniques used in the building of CityCenter.
Mobile Asset Management and Time Tracking Technology Gains Acceptance
The construction industry has always had challenges around productivity and keeping track of valuable assets —from power tools to heavy equipment. The problem in both cases is that many companies will be involved with projects in multiple sites at any given time. There is such a quantity of equipment to inventory and so many employees to keep track of, that managing it all using traditional methods is a nightmare. However, mobile devices such as smartphones are changing all that. Embed a chip on a piece of equipment, load up the right app on a mobile device, and the location of that piece of equipment can be accurately tracked in real time. Equip workers with a smart phone and time tracking app and they can virtually punch in and out, while managers can track their whereabouts and contact them on demand. Data can be synchronized with payroll systems to further increase productivity.
Thin Film Drastically Reduces Weight of Solar Installations
Solar power is hot, with many building projects expected to incorporate power generating panels to up their green cred while reducing energy costs. DuPont has been working on new thin film solar cells that are 100 times thinner than current glass panels and 200 times lighter, while incorporating high efficiency. These thin film panels offer builders greatly reduced shipping and transportation costs (less weight means less fuel and smaller trucks required along with less risk of damage than fragile glass panels). For architects and designers, the technology offers many opportunities for incorporation into building design without the same structural modifications that heavy, easily shattered glass panels might require.
Professionals who catch up on the latest developments in the construction industry by reading monthly or quarterly journals, or attending yearly trade shows, are missing out on many opportunities to improve their projects, cut their costs, explore new markets and bid on upcoming jobs. By delivering news through a website that’s dedicated to the construction development sector, those who would benefit most from this information have access to it at any time.
Websites also have the advantage of being able to deliver multimedia content. Anyone who has spent any time building buildings knows that having an expert explain a concept or demonstrate a product is often the most effective way of understanding it. That’s why trade shows are so popular. The web allows construction focused news sites to post video clips where experts review issues or trends, demonstrate new products and technology and even conduct tours of construction sites. The days of remaining competitive without being on top of trends and the latest information are over, but dedicated construction news websites ensure that developers, architects and anyone else in the field have the info they need, when they need it.
About the Author:
Jack Lennon has been involved in commercial building development for decades. A regular contributor to industry publications, he has written about promising trends from building kits to green building technology. Jack’s current focus has been on websites that deliver construction industry news as it develops, eliminating the lag associated with printed publications.