Table of Contents

Cover Story

Moving Forward

Whether it’s by plane, by train, or by automobile, people will always need sufficient ways to commute. Perhaps that is why, even though other sectors of the construction market continue to lag, transportation remains one of the few to show some promising potential.

 

Feature

Innovation in Water/Wastewater Markets

The U.S. water and wastewater system is under great pressure: dilapidated infrastructure is polluting waterways and wasting clean water; municipal funds have run dry; federal contributions have stalled; tight regulations are stifling small utilities; and water use is escalating with a burgeoning population and boom in alternative energy. But even as the drinking water and water treatment programs navigate dire straits, technological leaps and innovative alliances are driving changes that will herald new opportunities for design and construction firms open to alternate methods of financing, design, and project delivery. (more)

Firsts and Seconds

Should You Get an iPad?

One of the perks of working for a publishing company that specializes in reporting on technology is that we get to try out the cool gadgets when they hit the market. So when editorial director Peggy Smedley brought in an iPad for us to try out at the office I was more than thrilled—and felt a bit empowered by the fact that I didn’t have to stand in line for hours at the Apple store to get my hands on one of these devices like some other people I know. (more)


August 2010 - Residential

Volume 13 Number 08

For residential builders today, one thing seems to be ringing clear—every step you take, every dollar you spend, all needs to result in saving the company either time or money.


May 2010 - Commercial

Volume 13 Number 05

The construction industry is in a conundrum, of sorts, these days because as more and more companies lose employees, they are not only losing the manpower—but their expertise and experience too.


March 2010 - Commercial

Volume 13 Number 03

In just about eight years, Webcor Builders, www.webcor.com, San Mateo, Calif., has put together an entire sustainability program, and the results are significant. In 2008, its LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) work was 85% of its construction volume. In 2009, it anticipates it was more than 95%. And in 2010, it plans to have all of its projects LEED certified.


February 2010 - Residential

Volume 13 Number 02

Throughout the construction industry, 2009 was a watershed, a year in which the housing collapse of 2007-2008 started to turnaround. Not enough, of course, to make it a good year; certainly not early enough to make a difference in some regions. But as the year ended, housing starts were up, the market was starting to move in a positive direction, and many company executives were starting to breathe again—shallow breathing perhaps, but signs of respiration none the less.


January 2010 - Commercial

Volume 13 Number 01

Looking back at 2009, one could consider it to be a year of change—or more accurately, a year in which some key societal, political, and environmental factors were put in place that will drive a significant amount of change in the years to come.


November 2009 - Commercial

Volume 12 Number 11

These days it’s hard not to get buried beneath the details on a construction job. Whether it’s a scenario of not having access to the right information at the right time or the complete opposite circumstance of becoming bogged down by all the diminutive data that circulates throughout a typical job, companies are struggling with an inability to manage content.


October 2009 - Residential

Volume 12 Number 10

Lennar Homes, www.lennar.com, Miami, Fla., typically tweets between five to 20 times a day, providing nearly 50,000 followers with information about its communities, housing news, and contests, as well as other topics that relate to its prospective clients and existing homeowners.


September 2009 - Commercial

Volume 12 Number 09

The moment one of your technology providers notifies you via email that they will no longer be supporting your product is the moment you realize this is a much different business environment than you have ever experienced.


August 2009 - Commercial

Volume 12 Number 08

Putting RFID (radio frequency identification) tags and readers into concrete, piping, tools, or vehicles to track where the item is in the construction process may seem a bit advanced, but the truth is the construction industry is using these “smart chips” for practical purposes.


May 2009 - Commercial

Volume 12 Number 05

What is it about a recession that makes collaboration look so appealing? That’s not to say that collaboration is looked at negatively during strong market conditions; it’s just the fact that when the economy is strong and jobs are moving forward, it’s difficult for many AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) professionals to make certain technological transitions that are necessary to streamline the collaborative process.


April 2009 - Residential

Volume 12 Number 4

If you were to spend one day observing all of your current business processes and practices, what would you expect to find?


March 2009 - Commercial

Volume 12 Number 3

For the first time in nearly a decade the construction industry has a unique opportunity to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, when it comes to technology.



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