Jobsite progress is monitored with time-lapse video and drone management platforms. A mobile mapping system maps a building in 3-D. Equipment operators will like the new excavator software and VR simulator training. A report from FMI discusses the impact of technology on today’s E&C labor practices.?

Products

Capture Project Progress with Brinno's Time Lapse Camera

Brinno’s BCC200 Pro HDR Time-Lapse Video Construction Camera produces ready to watch time-lapse video. Installing the BCC200 requires no tools or wires and features weather-resistant housing and long-term battery life. The industrial-grade professional construction camera can illustrate an entire project in just minutes using HDR time-lapse video.

Software and In the Cloud

B2W Software Introduces New Scheduling and Dispatching Solution for Heavy Construction

B2W Software, provider of heavy civil construction management software, introduced B2W Schedule that provides customized daily or longer-term views of resources. Scheduling – including submission and fulfillment of resource requests – can be completed in real time, with role-specific access and visibility across the enterprise via mobile tablet or desktop devices. The system intuitively identifies resource needs and conflicts and presents solution options. A Map View incorporates GPS and telematics data to assist with scheduling and logistics. As an addition to the company’s unified ONE Platform for estimating, operations and business intelligence,B2W Schedule enables contractors to manage resources by centralizing the scheduling and dispatching process and connecting it with field management and maintenance workflows.

GeoSLAM Offers Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Solution

With GeoSLAM’s ZEB-REVO mobile indoor mapping system and add-on option ZEB-CAM, users can 3-D map an enclosure or building without a GPS signal. The system includes a 3-D laser scanner so imagery can be captured simultaneously alongside scan data. The difficult manual processes of scanning and surveying are eliminated using Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), as the operator holds the ZEB-REVO device in hand and does a steady walk through any structure to create a map from point cloud data. An intelligent algorithm does the “thinking,” and the output is highly usable and detailed centimeter-grade measurements.

Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform Integrates 3-D Aftermarket Excavator Automatics

Trimble® Earthworks for Excavators and Dozers is the industry’s first integrated 3-D aftermarket excavator grade control that allows operators to create smooth, flat or sloped surfaces more easily. The Trimble Earthworks grade control application is built on the Android operating system and runs on a 10-inch Trimble TD520 touch-screen display. Colorful graphics, natural interactions and gestures and self-discovery features make the software intuitive and easy to learn. Earthworks allows data files to be transferred to or from the office wirelessly and automatically so the operator is always using the latest design. Using the Android operating system, users can download other applications that provide the operator with additional useful tools inside the cab.

Acquisitions & Partnerships

Verizon acquires Skyward to simplify drone operations

Verizon’s purchase of Skyward brings drone operations management to the Verizon IoT portfolio, simplifying drone operations and management for organizations of any size. With Skyward’s technology, Verizon will streamline the management of drone operations through one platform designed to handle end-to-end activities such as mission planning, complex workflow, FAA compliance support, supplying information about restricted airspace and pilot credentialing, drone registration and provisioning rate plans for drones on Verizon’s network. Skyward just released an e-book on drones, Drones in Construction: A Guide to Launching Your Program.

Applied Software Expands its Solutions Portfolio with Xinaps

Applied Software®, systems integrator in the AEC and manufacturing industries, has partnered with Xinaps, developer of a suite of plug-ins that ensures data quality validation and compliance with local building regulations within Autodesk Revit®. Design professionals can use Xinaps to validate as they work, minimizing errors, mitigating risks and improving collaboration among project members. In addition to streamlining the process of complying with local building regulations, Xinaps also provides analysis and 3-D visualizations that help designers understand the impact of their work and make better-informed decisions.

Video & Cool Stuff

Immersive technologies' Construction Equipment Operator Training Uses VR

Immersive Technologies uses leading edge technology to bring simulation-based operator training with its new virtual reality tool, WorksiteVR™ Simulator. WorksiteVR™ Simulator can be used for pre-employment testing, skills development and benchmarking. Completing training modules during downtime to earn recognition, bonuses or incentives can improve performance in the field and help identify motivated employees. Mangers can access a database of the skill levels of multiple operators to assemble the right team for the job.

Cultivating the Next Generation of E&C Technical Talent

The December 2016 FMI Quarterly offers a look at BIM and VDC tools and how they drive the need for specialists that can effectively apply these systems. In “Cultivating the Next Generation of E&C Technical Talent,” FMI Compensation practice leader Priya Kapila explores the impact of technological influences on today’s E&C labor practices, discusses what new skills and competencies will be required in the near term and provide recommendations on how to develop a workforce of the future.