Lake Zug East: Switzerland's Longest Construction Site Completed

July 30, 2021 | 206 views

ntil recently, the infrastructure measures at Lake Zug East were the longest construction site in Switzerland. The 15-kilometer-long project has since been successfully completed after 20 months of construction. Not only has the full closure – which was necessary for economic and environmental protection reasons – been lifted, but one of the important access routes to the Gotthard Tunnel has also been completed. The fact that this could be done without any problems and delivered on schedule despite Coronavirus is due to the work of Emch+Berger WSB AG. The engineering firm was commissioned by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) to undertake the planning, overall project management, and construction management. The planning was based on a BIM model in Allplan Engineering.

Spotlight

Precis Engineering

Precis Engineering, Inc. was founded in 2005 by partners Larry Gadbois, PE, and Robert Dick, PE. The two were committed to providing strategically sensitive and technically complex engineering services with an emphasis on project leadership.

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ENGINEERING TECH

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

Article | August 4, 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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ENGINEERING TECH

Service Tech Mobile Unveiled at AHR

Article | July 13, 2022

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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ENGINEERING TECH

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

Article | August 17, 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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Spotlight

Precis Engineering

Precis Engineering, Inc. was founded in 2005 by partners Larry Gadbois, PE, and Robert Dick, PE. The two were committed to providing strategically sensitive and technically complex engineering services with an emphasis on project leadership.

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CONSTRUCTION

STACK Construction Technologies Leads the Industry in Security

STACK Construction Technologies | March 20, 2023

STACK Construction Technologies is leading the pack when it comes to implementing robust security protocols. As measured by SecurityScorecard, STACK's ranking of 97/100 delivers an A grade to its state-of-the-art network security, DNS health, IP reputation, social engineering, and more. In comparison to competitors and other Construction Tech leaders, like Autodesk (81/100) and Procore (94/100), respectively, STACK is proud to be raising the bar and setting a new standard. "At STACK, we strive to nurture a culture of security awareness, ensuring that every employee understands their role and the importance of safeguarding our systems and customer data," said Robert Vazquez, STACK's Chief Information and Security Officer. "We believe that independent and transparent evaluation is crucial to maintaining the highest standards of security and building trust with our customers. That's why we regularly engage independent third parties to conduct thorough evaluations of our security practices and provide valuable insights to help us continuously improve our security posture." This remarkable dedication to data security comes at a time when the average cost of a data breach for small business is estimated at $2.98 million, and 65,000 vulnerabilities were discovered in small businesses in 2022, up 21% from the previous year. As an industry that's been slow to adopt newer technologies, construction can be a prime target. That's why STACK is leading the way and has established a comprehensive system of robust data security protocols to mitigate risk. The company has expanded its SOC 2 compliance from construction to preconstruction solutions, ensuring security through a rigorous auditing process. STACK also implements Auth0 single sign-on (SSO), user management, and identity analytics, further protecting user data. Its best-in-class engineering teams, HR, workforce enablement, and leadership are the backbone to its data security success. STACK also provides ongoing training and education to its employees to ensure they are aware of the latest threats and best practices for data security. About STACK Construction Technologies From project evaluation to completion, contractors use STACK's cloud-based software to help run their business and maximize their profits. Our preconstruction solutions enable fast and accurate takeoff and estimating, as well as providing a centralized hub where plans, specs, and other construction documents can be stored, evaluated, measured, and shared. Our construction solutions power real-time field and project collaboration by allowing teams to quickly and easily review, annotate, compare, and share plans, anywhere, from any device. STACK's superior collaboration tools ultimately improve project outcomes and profitability for contractors.

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ENGINEERING TECH, CONSTRUCTION

Graphisoft's Archicad Collaborate makes leading BIM technology more accessible through new subscription offering

Graphisoft | March 21, 2023

Graphisoft, the leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solutions developer for architecture and engineering, today introduced Archicad Collaborate. This subscription-based offer combines award-winning Archicad for architectural design with BIMcloud SaaS for fast, efficient, secure access to shared projects in real-time — all at an affordable price point. Unlike other BIM software providers that charge additional fees for cloud services, Archicad Collaborate lowers the barrier to entry by offering award-winning BIMcloud SaaS as part of the Archicad subscription price in the user-friendly online Graphisoft Store. "Customers demand powerful solutions that are easy to acquire, learn, and use," said Márton Kiss, Vice President of Product Success at Graphisoft. "Archicad Collaborate allows practices to acquire both Archicad and BIMcloud SaaS at a price even smaller firms can afford." Archicad Collaborate includes: Archicad— a robust design solution with a world-renowned user-friendly interface that makes it the most efficient and intuitive BIM software on the market. BIMcloud Software as a Service — users access their data via a secure cloud solution for fast, flexible, secure access to shared projects in real time. Exclusive data and collaboration services that maximize the value of the subscription, including access to Graphisoft Learn courses and training materials; emergency licenses and technical support; Redshift by Maxon, a high-end rendering tool; PARAM-O, a parametric object design tool; the Library Part Maker add-on for creating detailed Library objects; and Python API for customized and automated Archicad workflows. When asked about the benefits of using Archicad with BIMcloud SaaS, Peter Snellman, Partner and Design Director at Tillberg Design said, "Working on the same Archicad model from different countries, we have fewer problems." "With Archicad Collaborate, you can start your project on BIMcloud SaaS, a secure cloud platform built for sharing and collaborating with your team — without additional hardware investments or IT experience," Márton Kiss added. "Using Archicad's powerful and proven tools, you can design great buildings with your team and share them with customers and clients — anywhere in the world!" About Graphisoft Graphisoft® empowers teams to design great buildings through award-winning software solutions, learning programs, and professional services for the AEC industry. Our award-winning products and solutions support OPEN BIM for workflow transparency, longevity, and data accessibility for built assets. Archicad®, the architects' BIM software of choice, offers a complete end-to-end design and documentation workflow for architectural and integrated architectural and engineering practices of any size. BIMx®, the most popular mobile and web BIM app, extends the BIM experience to include all stakeholders in the building design, delivery, and operations lifecycle. BIMcloud®, the AEC industry's first and most advanced cloud-based team collaboration solution, makes real-time collaboration possible across the globe regardless of the size of the project and the speed or quality of the team members' network connection. DDScad solutions support users with intelligent Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) design tools, integrated calculations, and comprehensive documentation of all building system disciplines. DDScad Architect & Construction is developed for architects, building contractors, and industrialized timber frame housing manufacturers in Scandinavian markets. Graphisoft is part of the Nemetschek Group. About Archicad Design projects of any size with Archicad's powerful built-in tools and user-friendly interface that make it the most efficient and intuitive BIM software on the market. Graphisoft's award-winning software solution supports OPEN BIM for workflow transparency, longevity, and data accessibility for built assets. Featuring out-of-the-box design documentation, one-click publishing, photo-realistic rendering, and best-in-class analysis, Archicad lets architects focus on what they do best: design great buildings. Discover Archicad. About BIMcloud SaaS BIMcloud Software as a Service enables real-time, secure teamwork between architects and other professionals in the cloud. With a BIMcloud SaaS subscription, users can access their dedicated BIMcloud hosted and managed by Graphisoft. No IT setup is required – simply launch the service to share Teamwork projects in the cloud.

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ENGINEERING TECH, CONSTRUCTION

Hilti and Construction Robotics Company Canvas Announce Strategic Partnership

Canvas | March 17, 2023

Hilti announces a strategic partnership with Canvas, a construction robotics company that has developed a robotic drywalling solution aiming to empower people to build in bold new ways. The partnership marks the beginning of a significant new step in robotics innovation after Hilti had launched the Jaibot, the world’s first semi-autonomous ceiling drilling robot in 2020. This collaboration brings together leaders in intelligent jobsite robotics who share a common vision: that robotic tools will unlock vastly untapped potential and drive a new era of productivity and safety for skilled trade workers. Canvas, headquartered in San Francisco and founded in 2017 by veterans of Boston Dynamics, MIT and Stanford, leverages advances in collaborative robotics and machine learning to build a new class of tools for skilled tradespeople that harness the power of AI and machine learning. To date, Canvas has focused on drywall finishing which, studies have shown, has among the highest prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorder cases, with as many as one in four workers experiencing such effects. Canvas’ robot can apply both level 5 and level 4 drywall finishes in a fraction of the time, and at a higher level of safety and reliability, compared to similar traditional methods. In contrast to manual application, the robot applies a single consistent layer of joint compound over wet tape and telescopes to 15.5 feet to do the vast majority of the work at height. It reduces repetitive motion injuries and captures 99.9% of the dust produced by sanding. As part of the partnership, Hilti will assume the manufacturing responsibilities for future Canvas systems based on the proven Jaibot platform, giving Canvas a reliable and scalable global supply to meet the huge demand for its finishing robots. “At Hilti, our purpose is making construction better. We do this by focusing our resources on innovative hardware, software and services that help to increase contractor productivity, worker health & safety, and sustainability,” said Thomas Hillbrand, Member of Hilti’s Executive Board. “Our shared values bring Hilti and Canvas together—and we’re excited to support Canvas in reimagining better ways of working through the power of robotics and AI.” “It’s extremely validating that the demand for our drywall finishing robot quickly outstretched our capacity to produce this year,” says Canvas’ CEO, Kevin Albert. “Contractors continue to struggle with rising costs and labor shortages. The demand we see is testament to the critical need for new tools in the industry to address these challenges and empower our skilled workforce. We’re excited to announce this partnership which continues to push the boundary of what is possible and positions Canvas to meet current and future demand for our machines globally.” The Canvas-Hilti partnership positions the construction robotics company to scale globally in an industry that is ripe for change. The partnership will enable Canvas to help the drywall industry solve its chronic and growing labor problem, while also making the job site cleaner, safer and less strenuous for the people doing the work. About Canvas Canvas is a construction robotics company whose mission is to enable people to build in bold new ways. The Canvas system provides a flexible approach to drywall finishing, combining the skills and expertise of trained workers with technology that, together, enable drywall finishing work to be done better, faster, safer, and more consistently. Canvas has been recognized by Forbes and Fortune on their top AI and start-up lists, respectively, and recently won the Pro Tools Innovation Award for Technology/Robotics. About Hilti Group The Hilti Group supplies the worldwide construction and energy industries with technologically leading products, systems, software and services. With about 32,000 team members in over 120 countries, the company stands for direct customer relationships, quality and innovation. Hilti generated annual sales of more than CHF 6.3 billion in 2022. The headquarters of the Hilti Group have been located in Schaan, Liechtenstein, since its founding in 1941. The company is privately owned by the Martin Hilti Family Trust, which ensures its long-term continuity. The Hilti Group’s strategic orientation is based on a caring and performance-oriented culture and the goals of creating enthusiastic customers and building a better future.

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CONSTRUCTION

STACK Construction Technologies Leads the Industry in Security

STACK Construction Technologies | March 20, 2023

STACK Construction Technologies is leading the pack when it comes to implementing robust security protocols. As measured by SecurityScorecard, STACK's ranking of 97/100 delivers an A grade to its state-of-the-art network security, DNS health, IP reputation, social engineering, and more. In comparison to competitors and other Construction Tech leaders, like Autodesk (81/100) and Procore (94/100), respectively, STACK is proud to be raising the bar and setting a new standard. "At STACK, we strive to nurture a culture of security awareness, ensuring that every employee understands their role and the importance of safeguarding our systems and customer data," said Robert Vazquez, STACK's Chief Information and Security Officer. "We believe that independent and transparent evaluation is crucial to maintaining the highest standards of security and building trust with our customers. That's why we regularly engage independent third parties to conduct thorough evaluations of our security practices and provide valuable insights to help us continuously improve our security posture." This remarkable dedication to data security comes at a time when the average cost of a data breach for small business is estimated at $2.98 million, and 65,000 vulnerabilities were discovered in small businesses in 2022, up 21% from the previous year. As an industry that's been slow to adopt newer technologies, construction can be a prime target. That's why STACK is leading the way and has established a comprehensive system of robust data security protocols to mitigate risk. The company has expanded its SOC 2 compliance from construction to preconstruction solutions, ensuring security through a rigorous auditing process. STACK also implements Auth0 single sign-on (SSO), user management, and identity analytics, further protecting user data. Its best-in-class engineering teams, HR, workforce enablement, and leadership are the backbone to its data security success. STACK also provides ongoing training and education to its employees to ensure they are aware of the latest threats and best practices for data security. About STACK Construction Technologies From project evaluation to completion, contractors use STACK's cloud-based software to help run their business and maximize their profits. Our preconstruction solutions enable fast and accurate takeoff and estimating, as well as providing a centralized hub where plans, specs, and other construction documents can be stored, evaluated, measured, and shared. Our construction solutions power real-time field and project collaboration by allowing teams to quickly and easily review, annotate, compare, and share plans, anywhere, from any device. STACK's superior collaboration tools ultimately improve project outcomes and profitability for contractors.

Read More

ENGINEERING TECH, CONSTRUCTION

Graphisoft's Archicad Collaborate makes leading BIM technology more accessible through new subscription offering

Graphisoft | March 21, 2023

Graphisoft, the leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solutions developer for architecture and engineering, today introduced Archicad Collaborate. This subscription-based offer combines award-winning Archicad for architectural design with BIMcloud SaaS for fast, efficient, secure access to shared projects in real-time — all at an affordable price point. Unlike other BIM software providers that charge additional fees for cloud services, Archicad Collaborate lowers the barrier to entry by offering award-winning BIMcloud SaaS as part of the Archicad subscription price in the user-friendly online Graphisoft Store. "Customers demand powerful solutions that are easy to acquire, learn, and use," said Márton Kiss, Vice President of Product Success at Graphisoft. "Archicad Collaborate allows practices to acquire both Archicad and BIMcloud SaaS at a price even smaller firms can afford." Archicad Collaborate includes: Archicad— a robust design solution with a world-renowned user-friendly interface that makes it the most efficient and intuitive BIM software on the market. BIMcloud Software as a Service — users access their data via a secure cloud solution for fast, flexible, secure access to shared projects in real time. Exclusive data and collaboration services that maximize the value of the subscription, including access to Graphisoft Learn courses and training materials; emergency licenses and technical support; Redshift by Maxon, a high-end rendering tool; PARAM-O, a parametric object design tool; the Library Part Maker add-on for creating detailed Library objects; and Python API for customized and automated Archicad workflows. When asked about the benefits of using Archicad with BIMcloud SaaS, Peter Snellman, Partner and Design Director at Tillberg Design said, "Working on the same Archicad model from different countries, we have fewer problems." "With Archicad Collaborate, you can start your project on BIMcloud SaaS, a secure cloud platform built for sharing and collaborating with your team — without additional hardware investments or IT experience," Márton Kiss added. "Using Archicad's powerful and proven tools, you can design great buildings with your team and share them with customers and clients — anywhere in the world!" About Graphisoft Graphisoft® empowers teams to design great buildings through award-winning software solutions, learning programs, and professional services for the AEC industry. Our award-winning products and solutions support OPEN BIM for workflow transparency, longevity, and data accessibility for built assets. Archicad®, the architects' BIM software of choice, offers a complete end-to-end design and documentation workflow for architectural and integrated architectural and engineering practices of any size. BIMx®, the most popular mobile and web BIM app, extends the BIM experience to include all stakeholders in the building design, delivery, and operations lifecycle. BIMcloud®, the AEC industry's first and most advanced cloud-based team collaboration solution, makes real-time collaboration possible across the globe regardless of the size of the project and the speed or quality of the team members' network connection. DDScad solutions support users with intelligent Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) design tools, integrated calculations, and comprehensive documentation of all building system disciplines. DDScad Architect & Construction is developed for architects, building contractors, and industrialized timber frame housing manufacturers in Scandinavian markets. Graphisoft is part of the Nemetschek Group. About Archicad Design projects of any size with Archicad's powerful built-in tools and user-friendly interface that make it the most efficient and intuitive BIM software on the market. Graphisoft's award-winning software solution supports OPEN BIM for workflow transparency, longevity, and data accessibility for built assets. Featuring out-of-the-box design documentation, one-click publishing, photo-realistic rendering, and best-in-class analysis, Archicad lets architects focus on what they do best: design great buildings. Discover Archicad. About BIMcloud SaaS BIMcloud Software as a Service enables real-time, secure teamwork between architects and other professionals in the cloud. With a BIMcloud SaaS subscription, users can access their dedicated BIMcloud hosted and managed by Graphisoft. No IT setup is required – simply launch the service to share Teamwork projects in the cloud.

Read More

ENGINEERING TECH, CONSTRUCTION

Hilti and Construction Robotics Company Canvas Announce Strategic Partnership

Canvas | March 17, 2023

Hilti announces a strategic partnership with Canvas, a construction robotics company that has developed a robotic drywalling solution aiming to empower people to build in bold new ways. The partnership marks the beginning of a significant new step in robotics innovation after Hilti had launched the Jaibot, the world’s first semi-autonomous ceiling drilling robot in 2020. This collaboration brings together leaders in intelligent jobsite robotics who share a common vision: that robotic tools will unlock vastly untapped potential and drive a new era of productivity and safety for skilled trade workers. Canvas, headquartered in San Francisco and founded in 2017 by veterans of Boston Dynamics, MIT and Stanford, leverages advances in collaborative robotics and machine learning to build a new class of tools for skilled tradespeople that harness the power of AI and machine learning. To date, Canvas has focused on drywall finishing which, studies have shown, has among the highest prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorder cases, with as many as one in four workers experiencing such effects. Canvas’ robot can apply both level 5 and level 4 drywall finishes in a fraction of the time, and at a higher level of safety and reliability, compared to similar traditional methods. In contrast to manual application, the robot applies a single consistent layer of joint compound over wet tape and telescopes to 15.5 feet to do the vast majority of the work at height. It reduces repetitive motion injuries and captures 99.9% of the dust produced by sanding. As part of the partnership, Hilti will assume the manufacturing responsibilities for future Canvas systems based on the proven Jaibot platform, giving Canvas a reliable and scalable global supply to meet the huge demand for its finishing robots. “At Hilti, our purpose is making construction better. We do this by focusing our resources on innovative hardware, software and services that help to increase contractor productivity, worker health & safety, and sustainability,” said Thomas Hillbrand, Member of Hilti’s Executive Board. “Our shared values bring Hilti and Canvas together—and we’re excited to support Canvas in reimagining better ways of working through the power of robotics and AI.” “It’s extremely validating that the demand for our drywall finishing robot quickly outstretched our capacity to produce this year,” says Canvas’ CEO, Kevin Albert. “Contractors continue to struggle with rising costs and labor shortages. The demand we see is testament to the critical need for new tools in the industry to address these challenges and empower our skilled workforce. We’re excited to announce this partnership which continues to push the boundary of what is possible and positions Canvas to meet current and future demand for our machines globally.” The Canvas-Hilti partnership positions the construction robotics company to scale globally in an industry that is ripe for change. The partnership will enable Canvas to help the drywall industry solve its chronic and growing labor problem, while also making the job site cleaner, safer and less strenuous for the people doing the work. About Canvas Canvas is a construction robotics company whose mission is to enable people to build in bold new ways. The Canvas system provides a flexible approach to drywall finishing, combining the skills and expertise of trained workers with technology that, together, enable drywall finishing work to be done better, faster, safer, and more consistently. Canvas has been recognized by Forbes and Fortune on their top AI and start-up lists, respectively, and recently won the Pro Tools Innovation Award for Technology/Robotics. About Hilti Group The Hilti Group supplies the worldwide construction and energy industries with technologically leading products, systems, software and services. With about 32,000 team members in over 120 countries, the company stands for direct customer relationships, quality and innovation. Hilti generated annual sales of more than CHF 6.3 billion in 2022. The headquarters of the Hilti Group have been located in Schaan, Liechtenstein, since its founding in 1941. The company is privately owned by the Martin Hilti Family Trust, which ensures its long-term continuity. The Hilti Group’s strategic orientation is based on a caring and performance-oriented culture and the goals of creating enthusiastic customers and building a better future.

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