Wearable technology, such as Google Glass, is causing quite a stir in the business world. Tech folks say Google Glass can be used to visualize a construction project when walking around a jobsite. The head-mounted display provides a virtual reality experience that may be able to locate component details and confirm installation locations. But…(Read More)
Most of the United States experienced a busy month of construction in January. A press release from the Associated General Contractors says that despite harsh winter weather, construction jobs increased in January, 2014, as compared with January, 2013. Kansas topped the list for job creation, with a 10.7 percent hike, or 5,900 new…(Read More)
People who stay at construction companies and other businesses for 20, 30, or 40 years are a dying breed. These days there are no gold pens and dinner sendoffs for long-term workers because the average person stays at a job for 4.6 years. That’s according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor…(Read More)
Engineers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Canada’s Memorial University, and Qatar University are preparing to develop a wireless sensory network that will detect the onset of deterioration in bridges, stadiums, and other structures. A post on Globalconreview.com explains the sensor will help structures ‘feel’ their own vibrations, sagging, and stresses. It…(Read More)
2014 could be a banner year for industrial office space demand. Net demand for industrial space in the U.S. could reach 250 million square feet this year, surpassing the near-record level of 233 million square feet in 2013. That’s according to a report from the NAIOP Research Foundation. “Demand for all types…(Read More)
According to OSHA, only nine percent of people working in construction in the U.S. are women. This includes managerial, professional, and administrative positions. Has anyone parsed the data to determine the number of women who are deemed “bossy?” The ‘Ban Bossy’ campaign initiated by Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg looks to prevent stereotypes of women…(Read More)
Officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are assessing feedback from businesses and associations about its plan to make injury records public. OSHA says its rule change is needed so employers can compare track records with their peers. But not everyone agrees. For the past four years, many have voiced opposition to the recommended…(Read More)
“Our biggest challenge today is finding an adequate work force,” explains Al Landes, the newly sworn-in president of the Associated General Contractors of America. “We’ve lost a lot of vocational training. We need all the trades. We’ve got to reintroduce them.” The organization, which leads efforts in setting professional standards for the…(Read More)
March is Women’s History Month, but according to several new studies, gender biases in the workplace still exist. “The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show how an unconscious bias in ‘hiring managers’ can influence them to choose men over women, even when women perform equally well or better…(Read More)
Want to eliminate paperwork and streamline workflows? There’s a construction app for that, and the associate editor of ConstructionBusinessOwner.com has compiled a list of some good ones. Amelia Messamore provides details on apps such as HeavyJob, Payroll Time Entry, and OnSite Punchlist. One of the free apps, the Bosch Toolbox, features a measurement…(Read More)
