Digitalization and Remote Construction for Structural Change in Our Habits as Architects

Architects don’t make buildings. Architects make drawings of buildings. But of course, someone has to make the building. The construction industry is one of the largest economic sectors and we all interact with the built environment on a daily basis, but the actual work of getting a building from drawing to structure has barely evolved over the decades. While the rest of the world has moved into Industry 4.0, the construction sector has not kept pace. Architecture has begun to embrace some digitalization. After all, not many of us work with mylar on drafting tables anymore. So with the architecture industry’s everlasting link to the construction industry, will the latter pick up some new technological tricks by association? And when it does, how will that change the role of the architect?

Large construction projects can often take 20 percent more time than scheduled and when they are finished, as many as 80 percent end up over-budget. Construction is one of the lowest profit-margin industries in today’s economy. In the past 75 years, productivity has increased by up to 1,500 percent in the manufacturing, retail, and agriculture fields. Over that same time period, productivity in construction remained almost the same. The emerging field of Construction Technology, or ConTech, aims to change that and bring construction into the 21st century.

Spotlight

Spotlight

Related News

Construction

GC Powerhouse PCL Construction Chooses Industry-Leading STACK Construction Technologies as Its New Preconstruction Partner

Newswire | September 28, 2023

STACK Construction Technologies, a pioneering cloud-based construction platform, announced today a strategic partnership with PCL Construction, a globally renowned 8 billion-dollar in work per year General Contractor, to optimize PCL’s preconstruction process. PCL supports projects from small renovations to major sports complexes, and their team recognized a more powerful preconstruction solution was needed to support their continued growth and profitability. “As we broaden our capabilities and move further into the GC space, this partnership validates that STACK is a serious player in construction technology,” said Phil Ogilby, CEO and Co-Founder of STACK. “STACK is one of the most intuitive and collaborative preconstruction platforms in existence today. We’re thrilled to be able to offer STACK’s open API to help streamline the PCL workflow in a way that no other solutions on the market can.” The partnership is underscored by PCL and STACK’s commitment to innovation in the construction industry. After a rigorous evaluation of the market and multiple competitor software solutions, PCL chose STACK based on the platform’s data availability, cloud collaboration, data security, and integration capabilities. They are streamlining their preconstruction processes with STACK’s innovative and hyper-accurate takeoff feature to enhance their estimating capabilities. “As part of a modernization of our estimating solutions, experts within the PCL estimating team did a broad market scan for quantity takeoff solutions,” said Brad Ens, Preconstruction Manager for PCL Construction in Calgary, Alberta. “Our hands-on approach of evaluating several competing products included functional verification that ultimately led us to select STACK as our tool of choice for quantity takeoff.” By leveraging STACK's open API, PCL is able to seamlessly integrate their existing workflow to produce better estimating data. Through the cloud-based platform, PCL will have unparalleled flexibility and accessible data, increasing the precision of estimates, minimizing manual processes, and supporting better-informed decision-making. With over 30 offices across the US, Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean, STACK will also further empower PCL’s team collaboration. “A key decision criterion for PCL was based on the fact that STACK is built on a modern cloud technology platform which enables improved collaboration during the quantity takeoff process,” said Kevin Sundquist, Senior Relationship Manager, Business Technology at PCL Construction. “Equally important, STACK comes with a modern integration layer that allows us to realize efficiencies for our estimators by integrating takeoff into the rest of our estimating solution suite. This cloud-first approach aligns with our overall technology strategy, driving both technology and business efficiencies.” PCL is a powerhouse, consistently in Engineering News-Record’s Top 15 List and boasting a range of projects from San Diego Airport’s International Arrivals Terminal to Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles-based BMO stadium. The partnership between PCL and STACK marks the beginning of an exciting chapter for two of the most innovative companies in construction, where data-driven decision-making and digital solutions are poised to revolutionize preconstruction processes. As industry leaders, both organizations are committed to delivering outstanding results, setting new standards for advancement, and accelerating growth. “PCL has not only recognized us for our comprehensive, hyper-accurate takeoff solution, they’ve also recognized how we partner with them throughout the entire process,” said Raymond DeZenzo, CFO of STACK. “STACK is a true partner. We are dedicated to understanding the unique needs and challenges of each project undertaken by PCL and then tailoring development, training, and support to ensure that our solution seamlessly integrates into PCL's existing business process.” 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. About PCL Construction PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $8 billion, making PCL the largest contracting organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.

Read More

Markets

Construction Partners, Inc. Completes South Carolina Acquisition.

PR Newswire | October 03, 2023

Construction Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROAD) ("CPI" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated civil infrastructure company specializing in the construction and maintenance of roadways across six southeastern states, today announced that it has acquired Hubbard Paving & Grading, Inc., headquartered in Walhalla, South Carolina. The acquisition adds one hot-mix asphalt plant and related construction operations to CPI's South Carolina platform company, King Asphalt, Inc., and will expand its service market in the Upstate region. Fred J. (Jule) Smith, III, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "The Upstate area of South Carolina continues to be one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing areas in the United States. We welcome the skilled team of professionals from Hubbard and look forward to serving the infrastructure needs of the greater Greenville metro area as a combined organization." About Construction Partners, Inc. Construction Partners, Inc. is a vertically integrated civil infrastructure company operating across six southeastern states. Supported by its hot-mix asphalt plants, aggregate facilities and liquid asphalt terminal, the company focuses on the construction, repair and maintenance of surface infrastructure. Publicly funded projects make up the majority of its business and include local and state roadways, interstate highways, airport runways and bridges. The company also performs private sector projects that include paving and sitework for office and industrial parks, shopping centers, local businesses and residential developments.

Read More

Engineering Tech

Bowman Acquires South Carolina Firm Dennis Corporation

Business Wire | October 17, 2023

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd., a national engineering services firm delivering infrastructure solutions to customers who own, develop and maintain the built environment, today announced the acquisition of Dennis Corporation (“Dennis”), a civil engineering, surveying and construction management firm headquartered in Columbia, SC. Supporting public and private sector clients, Dennis specializes in delivering general civil infrastructure planning and design; program and construction management and oversight; environmental and geotechnical services for traffic and transportation; intelligent transportation systems (ITS), aviation, water resources and public sector facilities. With a rich history of client-focused services, sustainable engineering practices and forward-thinking solutions, the firm has a proven reputation of success. Established in 2005 by current CEO Dan Dennis, the firm has grown to become one the largest locally owned engineering, surveying and construction management firms in South Carolina. All 40 technical and administrative professionals will become Bowman employees in connection with the acquisition. “Dennis Corporation embodies a culture of commitment to unparalleled client service, which aligns perfectly with our cultural values, making them a great fit for Bowman,” said Gary Bowman, chairman and CEO of Bowman. “Their focus on transportation, construction management and surveying complement recent acquisitions we’ve made, and their geographic footprint introduces us to an attractive growth market in a familiar region. We’re looking forward to getting Dan and his team onboard and integrated into our platform so we can start sharing work and growing our collective base of business through revenue synergies.” “Becoming a Bowman company begins an exciting new chapter in our proud story,” said Dan Dennis, CEO of Dennis Corporation. “Our employees are looking forward to the suite of professional development platforms available at Bowman. We’re anxious to contribute to Bowman’s work-sharing mindset and we’re excited about the opportunities we will have to expand our service offerings and increase our exposure to clients and markets.” Financed with a combination of cash, seller notes and equity, the acquisition falls within previously discussed target multiple and operating metric ranges and is expected to be immediately accretive. The Company anticipates the acquisition will initially operate at an annualized net service billing run rate of approximately $4.5 million. More detailed information on M&A activities, pipeline and guidance updates are provided in connection with scheduled quarterly and annual communications. About Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Bowman is a national engineering services firm delivering infrastructure solutions to customers who own, develop and maintain the built environment. With over 2,000 employees and more than 80 offices throughout the United States, Bowman provides a variety of planning, engineering, geospatial, construction management, commissioning, environmental consulting, land procurement and other technical services to customers operating in a diverse set of regulated end markets. Bowman trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol BWMN. About Dennis Corporation Since 2005, Dennis Corporation has operated as an engineering, survey and construction management firm committed to innovative designs, sustainable solutions and high-quality services for clients in South Carolina. The firm employs highly trained and experienced personnel who utilize the latest equipment and software for design and construction management. The construction services division has all the necessary DOT, environmental, OSF and OSE certifications and equipment required to perform field inspections and testing. Managing projects throughout the state of South Carolina, the Dennis team understands the importance of completing projects within budget and ahead of schedule. For more information on Dennis Corporation, their projects and their services, visit www.denniscorporation.com.

Read More