Infrastructure Policy Watch: impact of Covid-19 behaviour change and Australian Budget boost

CHRIS RICHARDS | May 18, 2021 | 157 views

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has published a new assessment of how behaviour change brought by Covid-19 will impact infrastructure networks as part of its prep work ahead of the second National Infrastructure Assessment.

The NIC’s findings are that it's too early to assume that Covid-19 behaviour change will lead to completely different patterns of infrastructure use, even if these changes remain in place. The commission recommends using realistic scenarios and planning responses to the range of possibilities these scenarios present to manage uncertainty. They also suggest a more ‘adaptive’ approach to longer-term project commitments and using data to understand how changes are unfolding.

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CONSTRUCTION

EDM set to lead skills development in new £10 million digital engineering centre

Article | May 19, 2021

UWE Bristol will play a central role in a new £10 million digital engineering centre for the region. The Centre for Digital Engineering Technology & Innovation is a research, innovation and skills initiative created to develop and accelerate digital engineering across multiple industry sectors, to ultimately benefit future generations of engineers and engineering products, and to help tackle global challenges.

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CONSTRUCTION

Service Tech Mobile Unveiled at AHR

Article | May 17, 2021

The recent AHR Expo 2020 was a showcase of the very latest - and coolest - technologies for service contractors. From cutting-edge air and water purification systems to virtual reality headsets to advanced sensors and alert systems to enhance safety, one thing is clear: service contractors today have a lot more tools at their disposal than they have in years past.

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CONSTRUCTION

The Future of Construction from a Leader in SLAM-Based Laser Scanning

Article | May 15, 2021

Since the early days of the personal computer the construction industry has been slow to adopt digital technology. As a result, increases in construction productivity have lagged virtually every other major industry, such as automotive and aircraft manufacturing. It’s true that every construction project is different, unlike automobiles and planes, but we can do more to improve the future of construction.

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Financial Engineering: How To Make SAP Shareholders Happy

Article | February 10, 2020

SAP is tweaking and twisting everything it can to make everybody happy. The efforts of Mucic, Morgan and Klein are remarkable. The three musketeers strike again: SAP co-CEOs Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein as well as CFO Luka Mucic want to make everyone in the SAP community happy, and they want to make everyone happy all at once. To make that happen, they are moving large sums of money around – only through legal, albeit a little questionable, methods, primarily financial engineering.

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Engineering People Pty Ltd

Using a progressive “3D” recruiting method, our Engineering People team is dedicated to sourcing the highest quality candidates for industries including Engineering, Manufacturing , Power Generation, Water, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Mining, Automotive, Food and Telecommunications.

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CONSTRUCTION

Kleinfelder Completes Acquisition of Doucet & Associates, Inc., a Civil Engineering Firm With a Strong Presence in Growing Texas Market

Businesswire | June 05, 2023

The Kleinfelder Group, Inc. (“Kleinfelder”), a leading engineering, design, construction management, construction materials inspection and testing, and environmental professional services firm, announced today that it has acquired Doucet & Associates, Inc. (“Doucet”). The transaction, which closed on May 31, 2023, fortifies Kleinfelder’s commitment to strategic growth and strengthens an already robust client and service portfolio in the growing Texas market. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Doucet provides civil engineering, environmental permitting, surveying, and construction management services to clients throughout Texas. Doucet is focused on delivering these services to public and private sector clients in the land development, commercial, education, healthcare, industrial, municipal, transportation, and water resources markets. “The Doucet acquisition further establishes Kleinfelder’s presence in Texas,” stated Kleinfelder President and CEO Louis Armstrong. “Doucet’s strong client base, successful project delivery track record, and service capabilities will create near-term revenue synergy opportunities for Kleinfelder. The combination will also create numerous career opportunities for Doucet’s employees.” With the close of the transaction, the Doucet organizational structure will remain unchanged, operating under the direction of its existing operational leadership team led by John Doucet. The Doucet organization consists of over 110 professionals spread across six offices in Texas and will be incorporated into Kleinfelder’s Central Division business unit, which is led by Executive Vice President and Central Division Director Lisa Millet. “We are elated to find a perfectly aligned partner in Kleinfelder,” noted Doucet President Amy Doucet. “In addition to the complementary services, market strategies, and long-term client satisfaction, Kleinfelder’s culture and focus on people stood out and will allow our exceptional staff opportunities to grow together.” Kleinfelder’s Commitment to Strategic Growth Doucet represents Kleinfelder’s sixth acquisition over the last three years. Kleinfelder remains focused on driving a strategic plan centered on organic growth bolstered by acquisitive expansion, with the goal of acquiring firms with complementary employee-focused cultures and a trusted commitment to clients. Winston & Strawn LLP served as legal counsel and KPMG provided transaction advisory and tax services to Kleinfelder. Morrissey Goodale LLC served as sell-side financial advisors, MouerHuston, PC as sell-side legal advisors, and PKF O’Connor Davies for transaction advisory and tax services to Doucet. Kleinfelder. Bright People. Right Solutions. Founded in 1961, Kleinfelder is a leading engineering, design, construction management, construction materials inspection and testing, and environmental professional services firm. Kleinfelder now employs more than 3,100 professionals and operates from over 105 office locations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California. Poised for growth, Kleinfelder continues to provide high-quality solutions for our diverse client base.

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MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION

Construction Procurement Platform Kojo Expands into Mechanical

PRnewswire | June 07, 2023

Kojo, the construction industry's leading materials and inventory management platform, today announced it has expanded to serve mechanical contractors. "At Kojo, our mission has always been to simplify processes for our customers so that they can have more time back to do what's really important – build," said Maria Davidson, Kojo's founder and CEO. "Our mechanical Beta launch has been our most successful to date. We're thrilled that our mechanical customers are already seeing so much value with Kojo and we're excited to continue to onboard many more all over the country." Since the offering launched in Beta, mechanical contractors have sent over 6,000 field requests to the office and created 17,000 purchase orders worth $50 million in Kojo. "By our calculation that's almost 6,000 times the field and office didn't have to call and email back and forth to figure out what was being ordered," Davidson added. Alex Eldridge at Tharco, a leading mechanical contractor in Maryland, said, "Kojo has been really smart in the way they've customized this build for mechanical contractors. For example, there are many nicknames for parts out there and this can create confusion for communication between the field and office. Kojo has a preset catalog field users can order from that even supports slang terms for easy field-to-office part name translation. It's details like this that convinced us Kojo was for us." The mechanical contracting market in the U.S. is huge and rapidly growing. More than $123 billion of mechanical work is done in the U.S. annually. The sector employs nearly 400,000 workers and that number is expected to grow by 5% through 2031. Kojo's expansion into mechanical follows the launch of its Automated Invoice Matching product, which streamlines the accounting process for commercial trade contractors. This builds on Kojo's purchase order and delivery functionality, making Kojo a true all-in-one platform that allows customers to manage the full end-to-end materials procurement process. Automated Invoice Matching launched in Q2 of 2023 and to date has processed $9.2 million in invoices, catching mistakes on 27% of invoices processed. Kojo announced their Series C in September of 2022. Kojo has now powered more than 10,000 construction projects across 47 states, saving customers 75% of the manual entry they previously had to do and reducing materials waste on jobsites by up to 90%. About Kojo Kojo is the construction industry's leading materials and inventory management platform. Kojo enables trade and self-perform general contractors to streamline every step in the procurement and inventory management process from takeoff to closeout. By connecting field, office, warehouse, accounting, and vendors teams on one software platform, Kojo gives contractors visibility into real-time materials spending and usage, helps them source the best prices and availability across vendors, reduces material waste, and increases labor productivity. To learn more, visit www.usekojo.com.

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ENGINEERING TECH

UES Expands Geotechnical Expertise with Acquisition of Riner Engineering

PR Newswire | June 08, 2023

UES, a national leading engineering and consulting company, has acquired Riner Engineering, a geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing and inspection firm headquartered in Houston, TX. Founded in 2006, Riner Engineering includes an experienced team of more than 170 engineers, project managers, technicians, and support staff based in offices in the Houston headquarters, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. Riner maintains full-service soil and CMT laboratories accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The firm has successfully completed thousands of projects throughout the state of Texas and has serviced private and public clients across multiple industries. Noteworthy Riner projects include Daikin Industries' $410 million, 4+ million square foot distribution and manufacturing facility in Waller, Texas, the world's largest according to the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, and Houston Airport Systems' Mickey Leland International Terminal (MLIT), Federal Inspection Services (FIS) building, and Checked Baggage Inspection and Screening (CBIS) building at Bush Intercontinental Airport as part of the $1.36 billion ITRP program. Riner joins the Texas Region of UES, led by Brian Powell, P.E., President of the Texas Region. Riners' leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business. "Riner Engineering further expands the capabilities of our region and we are excited with the experience and people that Riner brings to our Texas team," said Brian Powell, P.E. "We're proud to announce the expansion of our presence and technical expertise in Texas," said UES CEO Dave Witsken. "Texas is a leading market for infrastructure development in the U.S., and we believe UES will be better able to serve the growing market and provide enhanced services, solutions, and support to our clients with the addition of the Riner Engineering team." Ken Riner, P.E., President of Riner Engineering, adds, "With this partnership, we at Riner can improve our ability to provide top-of-the line geotechnical engineering and materials testing services with access to more personnel, more equipment, and more capabilities. Working in UES and UES' Texas Region allows Riner to continue performing at the highest levels of our chosen engineering specialties, with top-quality people and a wider range of tools." With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country. Beginning in 2019, UES' acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, Faulkner Engineering Services, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, and now Riner Engineering, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide. About UES UES is a privately held, rapidly growing engineering and consulting firm with nearly six decades of experience in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting. With nearly 3,500 professionals across more than 85 branches in high growth markets in the U.S., UES consults on projects of all sizes for public and private clients across many industries including transportation, healthcare, commercial, education, industrial, and residential. UES was named 'Hot Firm of the Year' by Zweig Group for 2021, 2022, and 2023. About Riner Engineering Riner Engineering, Inc. (RINER) is a privately held Texas corporation specializing in geotechnical engineering (GEO) and construction materials testing and inspection (CMT). RINER has offices in Houston (corporate), Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. RINER owns and operates truck-, track-, and buggy-mounted drilling rigs and maintains full-service soil and CMT laboratories accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). RINER has a staff of 170+, including engineers, project managers, technicians, and support staff. Since 2006, we have successfully completed thousands of projects throughout the state of Texas and serviced private and public clients across multiple industries.

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CONSTRUCTION

Kleinfelder Completes Acquisition of Doucet & Associates, Inc., a Civil Engineering Firm With a Strong Presence in Growing Texas Market

Businesswire | June 05, 2023

The Kleinfelder Group, Inc. (“Kleinfelder”), a leading engineering, design, construction management, construction materials inspection and testing, and environmental professional services firm, announced today that it has acquired Doucet & Associates, Inc. (“Doucet”). The transaction, which closed on May 31, 2023, fortifies Kleinfelder’s commitment to strategic growth and strengthens an already robust client and service portfolio in the growing Texas market. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Doucet provides civil engineering, environmental permitting, surveying, and construction management services to clients throughout Texas. Doucet is focused on delivering these services to public and private sector clients in the land development, commercial, education, healthcare, industrial, municipal, transportation, and water resources markets. “The Doucet acquisition further establishes Kleinfelder’s presence in Texas,” stated Kleinfelder President and CEO Louis Armstrong. “Doucet’s strong client base, successful project delivery track record, and service capabilities will create near-term revenue synergy opportunities for Kleinfelder. The combination will also create numerous career opportunities for Doucet’s employees.” With the close of the transaction, the Doucet organizational structure will remain unchanged, operating under the direction of its existing operational leadership team led by John Doucet. The Doucet organization consists of over 110 professionals spread across six offices in Texas and will be incorporated into Kleinfelder’s Central Division business unit, which is led by Executive Vice President and Central Division Director Lisa Millet. “We are elated to find a perfectly aligned partner in Kleinfelder,” noted Doucet President Amy Doucet. “In addition to the complementary services, market strategies, and long-term client satisfaction, Kleinfelder’s culture and focus on people stood out and will allow our exceptional staff opportunities to grow together.” Kleinfelder’s Commitment to Strategic Growth Doucet represents Kleinfelder’s sixth acquisition over the last three years. Kleinfelder remains focused on driving a strategic plan centered on organic growth bolstered by acquisitive expansion, with the goal of acquiring firms with complementary employee-focused cultures and a trusted commitment to clients. Winston & Strawn LLP served as legal counsel and KPMG provided transaction advisory and tax services to Kleinfelder. Morrissey Goodale LLC served as sell-side financial advisors, MouerHuston, PC as sell-side legal advisors, and PKF O’Connor Davies for transaction advisory and tax services to Doucet. Kleinfelder. Bright People. Right Solutions. Founded in 1961, Kleinfelder is a leading engineering, design, construction management, construction materials inspection and testing, and environmental professional services firm. Kleinfelder now employs more than 3,100 professionals and operates from over 105 office locations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California. Poised for growth, Kleinfelder continues to provide high-quality solutions for our diverse client base.

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MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION

Construction Procurement Platform Kojo Expands into Mechanical

PRnewswire | June 07, 2023

Kojo, the construction industry's leading materials and inventory management platform, today announced it has expanded to serve mechanical contractors. "At Kojo, our mission has always been to simplify processes for our customers so that they can have more time back to do what's really important – build," said Maria Davidson, Kojo's founder and CEO. "Our mechanical Beta launch has been our most successful to date. We're thrilled that our mechanical customers are already seeing so much value with Kojo and we're excited to continue to onboard many more all over the country." Since the offering launched in Beta, mechanical contractors have sent over 6,000 field requests to the office and created 17,000 purchase orders worth $50 million in Kojo. "By our calculation that's almost 6,000 times the field and office didn't have to call and email back and forth to figure out what was being ordered," Davidson added. Alex Eldridge at Tharco, a leading mechanical contractor in Maryland, said, "Kojo has been really smart in the way they've customized this build for mechanical contractors. For example, there are many nicknames for parts out there and this can create confusion for communication between the field and office. Kojo has a preset catalog field users can order from that even supports slang terms for easy field-to-office part name translation. It's details like this that convinced us Kojo was for us." The mechanical contracting market in the U.S. is huge and rapidly growing. More than $123 billion of mechanical work is done in the U.S. annually. The sector employs nearly 400,000 workers and that number is expected to grow by 5% through 2031. Kojo's expansion into mechanical follows the launch of its Automated Invoice Matching product, which streamlines the accounting process for commercial trade contractors. This builds on Kojo's purchase order and delivery functionality, making Kojo a true all-in-one platform that allows customers to manage the full end-to-end materials procurement process. Automated Invoice Matching launched in Q2 of 2023 and to date has processed $9.2 million in invoices, catching mistakes on 27% of invoices processed. Kojo announced their Series C in September of 2022. Kojo has now powered more than 10,000 construction projects across 47 states, saving customers 75% of the manual entry they previously had to do and reducing materials waste on jobsites by up to 90%. About Kojo Kojo is the construction industry's leading materials and inventory management platform. Kojo enables trade and self-perform general contractors to streamline every step in the procurement and inventory management process from takeoff to closeout. By connecting field, office, warehouse, accounting, and vendors teams on one software platform, Kojo gives contractors visibility into real-time materials spending and usage, helps them source the best prices and availability across vendors, reduces material waste, and increases labor productivity. To learn more, visit www.usekojo.com.

Read More

ENGINEERING TECH

UES Expands Geotechnical Expertise with Acquisition of Riner Engineering

PR Newswire | June 08, 2023

UES, a national leading engineering and consulting company, has acquired Riner Engineering, a geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing and inspection firm headquartered in Houston, TX. Founded in 2006, Riner Engineering includes an experienced team of more than 170 engineers, project managers, technicians, and support staff based in offices in the Houston headquarters, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas. Riner maintains full-service soil and CMT laboratories accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The firm has successfully completed thousands of projects throughout the state of Texas and has serviced private and public clients across multiple industries. Noteworthy Riner projects include Daikin Industries' $410 million, 4+ million square foot distribution and manufacturing facility in Waller, Texas, the world's largest according to the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, and Houston Airport Systems' Mickey Leland International Terminal (MLIT), Federal Inspection Services (FIS) building, and Checked Baggage Inspection and Screening (CBIS) building at Bush Intercontinental Airport as part of the $1.36 billion ITRP program. Riner joins the Texas Region of UES, led by Brian Powell, P.E., President of the Texas Region. Riners' leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business. "Riner Engineering further expands the capabilities of our region and we are excited with the experience and people that Riner brings to our Texas team," said Brian Powell, P.E. "We're proud to announce the expansion of our presence and technical expertise in Texas," said UES CEO Dave Witsken. "Texas is a leading market for infrastructure development in the U.S., and we believe UES will be better able to serve the growing market and provide enhanced services, solutions, and support to our clients with the addition of the Riner Engineering team." Ken Riner, P.E., President of Riner Engineering, adds, "With this partnership, we at Riner can improve our ability to provide top-of-the line geotechnical engineering and materials testing services with access to more personnel, more equipment, and more capabilities. Working in UES and UES' Texas Region allows Riner to continue performing at the highest levels of our chosen engineering specialties, with top-quality people and a wider range of tools." With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country. Beginning in 2019, UES' acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, Faulkner Engineering Services, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, and now Riner Engineering, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide. About UES UES is a privately held, rapidly growing engineering and consulting firm with nearly six decades of experience in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting. With nearly 3,500 professionals across more than 85 branches in high growth markets in the U.S., UES consults on projects of all sizes for public and private clients across many industries including transportation, healthcare, commercial, education, industrial, and residential. UES was named 'Hot Firm of the Year' by Zweig Group for 2021, 2022, and 2023. About Riner Engineering Riner Engineering, Inc. (RINER) is a privately held Texas corporation specializing in geotechnical engineering (GEO) and construction materials testing and inspection (CMT). RINER has offices in Houston (corporate), Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas. RINER owns and operates truck-, track-, and buggy-mounted drilling rigs and maintains full-service soil and CMT laboratories accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) and by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). RINER has a staff of 170+, including engineers, project managers, technicians, and support staff. Since 2006, we have successfully completed thousands of projects throughout the state of Texas and serviced private and public clients across multiple industries.

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