Construction SMEs prove resilient in the face of Covid-19

PBC Today | August 11, 2020

Construction SMEs are leading the recovery in the industry, as they prove to be more resilient than their larger counterparts, according to analysis from Hudson Contract. Construction SMEs have proven to be more resilient during the economic downturn than their larger counterparts. New analysis from Hudson Contract suggests that large firms have cut 30% of subcontractors since the week before lockdown. SMEs appear to have recovered more strongly and are using 21% fewer subcontractors. Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “Our figures show how SMEs are leading the recovery in the construction industry. “Smaller companies are proving more resilient, agile and adaptive to the new circumstances and are investing in skilled subcontractors to retain productive labour and finish jobs.

Spotlight

Spotlight

Related News

IOT, ENGINEERING TECH

TDengine and Casne Engineering Partner to Drive Innovation in Industrial IoT

Globenewswire | April 06, 2023

TDengine™, the popular open-source time-series data platform, and Casne Engineering, industrial engineering and technology services provider, announced today a strategic partnership aimed at advancing innovation in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market. Through this partnership, Casne Engineering will integrate TDengine's time-series database technology into its existing IIoT solutions, creating a comprehensive IIoT platform for industrial customers. The collaboration seeks to help customers improve operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). “Joining forces with TDengine will help to expand the range of possibilities in delivering cutting-edge IIoT solutions to our customers,” said Nick Wiley, executive vice president of Casne Engineering. “We chose TDengine because of its flexibility and performance for ingesting time-series data in the cloud. There’s no question about the platform’s ability to scale with us.” Using the TDengine platform and TDengine PI Connector, Casne will be better able to marshal large quantities of sensor data into the cloud, centralize data from disparate on-premise systems and geographical locations, share select data elements with partners and vendors, and perform real-time analytics using modern cloud tech stacks. "Collaborating with Casne Engineering will allow TDengine to accelerate innovation in the IIoT space,” said Jeff Tao, CEO of TDengine. “Our partnership will enable customers to extract more value from their data, optimizing their operations for increased productivity and profitability." About Casne Engineering Casne Engineering is an independent engineering, integration, and technology services firm with a rich history of over 40 years and a team of 120 professionals. The company provides comprehensive services from conceptualization to design, development, integration, and ongoing maintenance support. With expertise across multiple industries, the company delivers high-quality engineered systems to both the public and private sectors, from small startups to Fortune 50 companies, worldwide. About TDengine TDengine™ is the popular, open-source data platform purpose-built for time-series data. With over 20,000 stars on GitHub and hundreds of new installations daily, TDengine is used in over 50 countries worldwide. The company is headquartered in Los Gatos, CA, and has raised $70M in venture capital.

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.

Read More

ENGINEERING TECH

North Carolina Department of Transportation Awards NV5 $10 Million Survey and Engineering Contract

Globenewswire | April 18, 2023

NV5 Global, Inc. (the “Company” or “NV5”) (Nasdaq: NVEE), a provider of technology, conformity assessment, and consulting solutions, announced today that it has been selected by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for a $10 million contract award to obtain and deliver survey data to support the design and maintenance of NCDOT highways, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure throughout the state. Under the scope of this two-year agreement, NV5 will deliver traditional surveying and location services including GPS, high density laser scanning, route location surveys, and subsurface utility engineering services. NV5 will also act as a general engineering services consultant to the NCDOT Location and Surveys Unit. “For over 20 years, NV5 has worked as an embedded partner of the North Carolina Department of Transportation through engineering design, surveying, planning, testing, and inspection solutions,” said Dickerson Wright, PE, Chairman and CEO of NV5. “We are pleased to have been selected for this award, and we look forward to continuing to support the NCDOT’s mission of connecting people, products, and places safely and efficiently.” About NV5 NV5 Global, Inc. is a provider of technology, conformity assessment, and consulting solutions for public and private sector clients supporting utility, infrastructure, and building assets and systems. The Company primarily focuses on six business verticals: utility services, infrastructure engineering, testing, inspection & consulting, buildings & program management, environmental health sciences, and geospatial technology services. NV5 operates out of more than 100 offices nationwide and abroad. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.NV5.com.

Read More