Prysmian Group at Reuters’ Offshore Wind conference in Boston (11-12 July)
Garnica Expands North American Team, Bolstering Market Presence
Home101 Interior Decoration, Design & Construction Flagship Store is Now Open
Silicon Labs and Wirepas joint offering or smart buildings, smart tracking and smart metering
Company will showcase their high quality, sustainable plywood products and introduces new North American leadership
Cupix Adds CupixWorks to Bentley’s Powered by iTwin Program
Event realized for the Italian Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura 2023
WSB and Bentley Systems Offer New Digital Construction Management Service Based on SYNCHRO
Industry partners use ORNL software to trim carbon footprint of buildings
Europe’s first 3D printed office extension is now complete in Austria
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Cementos Progreso spearheads use of COBOD’s 3D construction printers in Latin America to solve the housing deficit
Latin and South America has been relatively slow to pick up the emerging 3D construction printing technology that elsewhere has gained a lot of momentum, but that is destined to change now. Cementos Progreso is leading the way for 3D concrete printing in Latin America with the installation of the first COBOD International 3D construction printer in Guatemala. For more than a century, Cementos Progreso has been committed to the production of cement, concrete and other building materials and solutions in Guatemala. The company has been recognized for its high-quality standards and innovative approach. In 2021, Cementos Progreso decided to move a step further into 3D concrete printing and became COBOD’s first Latin American partner. The collaboration is a milestone that paves the way for the application of new construction technology in the region. Plinio Estuardo Herrera, Head of Concrete at Cementos Progreso said: “COBOD is the world leader in 3D construction printing solutions. We are confident that it is the best technology on the market. We have watched with our own eyes the buildings printed with the technology. That gives us certainty that Cementos Progreso has chosen a globally leading ally in implementing the technology in our country.” Cementos Progreso’s R&D team has been working for more than three years to research, develop and implement a 3D printable cementitious material and is leading the way in the application of 3D construction printing in Guatemala to reduce the housing deficit in the country and region. This week, Cementos Progreso confirmed its firm commitment to the 3D construction printing technology with the official opening of the new Center for Innovation and Development aimed at contributing to the development of the construction printing industry in Latin America. Emanuel Ovalle, Industrial Designer at Cementos Progreso said: “I am excited to be working with this exceptional 3D concrete printer from COBOD International for our innovation and research project in the region. We are excited about the possibilities that additive manufacturing opens and with this technology we can build new things and transform the reality in which we live.” Cementos Progreso is currently working with 3D modeling for urban and habitable projects that they plan to manufacture with the 3D construction printer from COBOD International. Philip Lund-Nielsen, Co-Founder & Head of Americas at COBOD International said: “At COBOD International we are proud to have Cementos Progreso among our partners. It is an innovative company which is leading the 3D construction printing industry in Latin America. With our technology, we are excited to see Cementos Progreso enable faster execution of construction projects, as well as more efficient construction at a lower cost”.
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North America’s first 3D printed 2-story building erected by nidus 3d in ontario, canada
While the US and Canada have seen several 3D printed buildings in recent years, until now all of these have been single-story buildings. Now Canadian 3D construction printing company, nidus3D, is proving, that there is much more to 3D construction printing, than just smaller one-story houses. The completion of the printing of this 2-story building in Ontario, marks the building as the first multi-story 3D printed building in North America. Nidus3D used the BOD2 printer from COBOD, the world’s leading company in 3D construction printing solutions, whose technology has already been proved in several countries and used to 3D print the first 2- and 3-story buildings in Europe. As another advantage of the COBOD 3D construction printer, the BOD2 can print with real concrete with a particle size up 10mm and 99% based on locally found raw materials. COBOD developed this low cost solution, which is called D.Fab in cooperation with the cement giant Cemex. The 2-story house is the second structure nidus3D built, the first being earlier this summer 2022. The building will have a studio on the ground floor and a residence above, and the area of the building will be 2,300 square feet of mixed-use space. One of the new innovative methods nidus3D developed in the project was a 3D printed horizontal beam printed on site and lifted into place by a crane. With the COBOD International 3D construction printing technology, nidus3D has set out to address the current housing gap in Canada. COBOD and nidus3D both believe this new way of building will be a game changer for the housing crisis. "We have critical shortfall of skilled laborers, and a massive and growing demand for housing all across Canada," said Ian Arthur, one of the nidus3D founders and continued: "So, if we do not begin to look at new ways of building, we’re never going to catch up. It is part of our core values, to seek solutions to address the housing crisis and to help build affordable housing with the help of 3D printing”. One of the many advantages of 3D concrete printed houses is that they can be built quickly. The complete building took only 80 hours to print, down from the 200 hours of the first building and nidus3D is convinced that future buildings will be made even faster. Philip Lund-Nielsen, Co-Founder & Head of Americas at COBOD International said: “Our technology and 3D construction printers enables faster execution of construction projects, as well as more efficient construction at lower cost due to the lower labor requirements and usage of low-cost concrete. COBOD’s 3D construction printers have been used all over the world, and while this two-story building in real concrete is a first and a great success for us in North America, the world-wide success of our technology proves the wide scale applicability of our technology.”
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Expert: Roads need to be ‘smart.’ Here’s why.
Constant construction on your vacation route, jarring potholes during the winter and bridge collapses will continue until roads are “smart enough” to better prevent their own damage, says a Purdue University civil engineer. This wouldn’t mean making roads look like the flashy, computerized highways you see in science fiction movies depicting the future. In fact, roads might look exactly the same. But the materials the roads are made of would have the ability to digitally communicate through technology embedded beneath the surface or repair themselves. “Our roads won’t get safer if we continue fixing potholes or building infrastructure as we have been building it. We need to think about how to incorporate a digital transformation,” says Luna Lu, a professor in Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering, who is an expert in innovating concrete to improve roads. Lu directs the Center for Intelligent Infrastructure at Purdue. She gives three reasons why roads need a digital facelift: 1. Roads that “talk” might cut down on construction – and traffic. Lu has developed sensors that can more accurately “tell” engineers when freshly paved concrete is ready to take on heavy traffic, reducing the likelihood of the concrete developing cracks and needing to be repaired again. Fewer repairs throughout the year would mean fewer traffic slowdowns due to construction. “We don’t need to completely rebuild existing infrastructure to make it smarter. Implementing sensors is low-hanging fruit,” Lu says. 2. Smarter roads could be better for the environment. The process of producing one ton of cement can generate up to one ton of carbon dioxide. Less road repair would reduce cement production. Lu and her collaborators are working on materials that would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide generated in the production of cement. Lu’s lab also is developing a way that concrete could heal its own cracks. 3. We’ll be using roads differently in the future. Population growth patterns change over time, affecting the flow of traffic. Electric and autonomous vehicles would also change the layout of roads and how they are used. “Infrastructure shapes us, and we shape infrastructure,” Lu says. “When a lot of our roads were first built in the U.S., we didn’t have tools that could collect data and inform decisions. Now we do have those tools. We need policies and regulation that are more adaptive to human needs.”
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DSI Columns® Feature A New System to Provide Maximum Wind Resistance for Homes in Coastal and SPA
Digger Specialties Inc. (DSI), a leading manufacturer of building materials offers an in-depth selection of beautiful, durable, and functional columns that provide upscale curb appeal to the porch, front entry, or exterior of residential homes or commercial properties. DSI Columns® offer quality craftsmanship, impeccable design, and integrated architectural elements to deliver an elegant, low-maintenance, and long-lasting column. Effective immediately, DSI is now offering Uplift Kits for most of its column designs which provide protection during high wind situations by reducing vertical movement of the column. Columns installed with Uplift Kits have been tested to an industry best 5,000 pounds of wind uplift resistance. These kits are appropriate in any geographic area are but are particularly effective in coastal areas or any locations subject to high winds. DSI columns are available in aluminum, composite, and fiberglass materials and a variety of aesthetic designs can be selected which include round, raised and recessed panels, and square and fluted columns depending on the material selected. Aluminum columns are available in 12 standard colors. These structural and non-structural columns from DSI provide numerous options for homeowners and builders. One of the major benefits of DSI Columns® is a significant labor savings compared to site built columns. All DSI Columns® products are designed for ease of installation. DSI Columns® can also serve the function of providing a wrap over existing wood or other supports for a classic and more beautiful, weather resistant, and durable upgrade. Larry G. Boyts, VP of Sales and Marketing for Digger Specialties, Inc., stated “DSI Columns® offer significant aesthetic and installation benefits unmatched in the marketplace. The comprehensive group of materials, styles, and designs are offered to provide a wide array of solutions to the property owner and builder. Uplift Kits add durability and capability to our company’s column product line”. DSI Columns® come with a lifetime limited warranty from DSI, a leading manufacturer of building products. For more information about DSI Columns® and their new optional Uplift Kits, visit http://dsicolumns.com/ DSI is an industry leading manufacturer of aluminum and vinyl railing, aluminum and vinyl fencing, gates, composite, aluminum, and fiberglass architectural columns and outdoor lighting. For information about DSI’s entire group of products visit diggerspecialties.com
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DSI’s Westbury Aluminum Railing is a Superior Choice for Decks and Porches
Digger Specialties Inc. (DSI) manufactures a variety of building products highlighted by its Westbury® brand of Aluminum Railing. DSI was founded in 1983 and has focused on the development of innovative building products. DSI’s entry into the aluminum railing business began in 2008. Today, the Westbury Aluminum Railing brand is the North American industry leader in the aluminum railing product category. Westbury® Aluminum Railing is the perfect railing system to enhance any deck or porch where wood, composite or PVC deck boards are used. Westbury® railing offers important advantages over other railing materials including durability, low maintenance and ease of installation and distinctive appearance. DSI’s proprietary 10 step powder coating process provides a long-lasting finish that is highly resistant to the elements. The Westbury® Aluminum Railing product line is the most extensive in the industry. Westbury VertiCable®, vertical cable railing and Veranda glass railing systems are designed to offer unobstructed views. Tuscany, Riviera, and Montego railing designs provide distinctive profiles for classic to contemporary elegance. For those who wish to have the benefits of aluminum railing but want screened in spaces, Screenrail presents another option. Westbury® railing systems are available in an industry leading 12 standard colors with the option to obtain custom colors through special order. Both smooth and textured surfaces are available. Westbury® Aluminum Railing is available at many lumberyards and home centers throughout the U.S. All Westbury railing systems are covered by DSI’s Aluminum Lifetime Limited Warranty. For more information about the wide array of designs and styles of Westbury® Aluminum Railing please visit westburyrailing.com
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Avvir Announces Enhanced Product Capabilities to Improve Construction Project Management and Analysis
Avvir, a reality analysis company providing a system of record for buildings to the construction industry, today announced the availability of enhanced product features to its Progress Quantification and Automatic Inspection offerings. In conjunction with these improvements, Avvir continues to create efficiencies for construction professionals as evidenced by the recent launch of its Onsite 3D scanning and photo capture services. Avvir Onsite provides enhanced findings that drive efficiency and reduce the risk of inaccuracies on construction sites through the free-flow of information. Through its new feature updates, Avvir’s Progress Quantification offering allows for the ability to use a project’s existing Work Breakdown Structure or Schedule of Values, providing the first-ever coherent and transparent link between finance and construction teams. Now, project managers can leverage the company’s enhanced offering to quantify construction progress or verify trades’ self-reported status on a line-by-line item basis. The company’s custom Work Breakdown Structures or Schedule of Values add to Avvir’s existing support for Uniformat and Masterformat. In addition, improvements to Avvir’s Automatic Inspection make it easier to find what installation errors require immediate action and act on them. “Avvir provides the richest breadth and depth of data, but knowing what to do with those insights is the key to preventing re-work, avoiding mistakes and protecting project schedules,” said Raffi Holzer, CEO and Co-founder of Avvir. “These improvements to Avvir’s offerings are ultimately driven by our desire to equip construction executives with the tools to extract data, and subsequently embolden them to make swift, confident decisions on where and how to act.” In January, the company introduced its Avvir Onsite service, which provides end-to-end reality capture and allows for the real-time extraction of data from the field for immediate analysis. Its capabilities are wide-reaching, from traditional stationary 3D LiDAR scanning, to 360-degree photo capture, to drone photography. By seamlessly integrating these real-time findings with a project’s building information model (BIM), Avvir can effectively identify any downstream effects from potential installation mistakes and better quantify construction progress and reporting. Beyond collecting project data, Avvir continues to bolster its contextual capabilities, which act as the bridge between the digital and physical worksites. The company has made improvements to its BIM interaction tools, allowing for larger model sizes while simultaneously offering more detailed viewing options, including minimaps and dynamic panels. When coupled holistically with Avvir’s suite of solutions, these updates provide contractors and managers the ability to toggle information and better orient themselves in the context of their own BIM in order to get an intimate and detailed view of the project at hand. Throughout 2022, Avvir will continue introducing much-needed tools to accelerate the development of new analyses and customizable features. A demonstrated focus on machine learning will increase prediction accuracy and decrease turnaround time to receive results. From an operational scope, the company is developing self-managed subcontractor permissions and a Do Not Track feature that will allow for added control of progress and cost tracking. In addition, Avvir is working to improve communications capabilities within its software in an effort to streamline remote coordination, assess imagery and data, and better collaborate on contextual analysis. For more information, please visit www.avvir.io
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Avvir Launches Onsite, Turn-Key Reality Capture Services for the Construction Industry
Avvir, a reality analysis company providing a system of record for buildings to the construction industry, today announced the launch of its newest service, Avvir Onsite. The offering provides end-to-end reality capture services for construction site managers across the country, and allows for the real-time extraction of data from the field for immediate analysis. Avvir’s new Onsite service offers construction managers a one-stop shop for reality capture needs, from traditional stationary 3D Lidar scanning, to 360° photo capture, to drone photography. Additionally, Avvir is one of the only providers of 3D mobile scanning services using the high accuracy NavVis VLX. Mobile lidar scans allow for quick capture of large areas of construction projects and provide significant cost savings and benefits for the project team. Currently, Avvir Onsite’s mobile scanning service is available in the northeast region of the U.S., with plans to expand nationwide later this year. “Avvir provides value to its customers by removing unnecessary barriers in the construction buildout process, and we do that by leveraging technology in a holistic and accessible way,” said Raffi Holzer, CEO and Co-founder of Avvir. “During our conversations with construction teams, we regularly heard that they would love to effectively harness 3D data and AI capabilities, but they didn’t have the means to scan their projects in the field. We realized this was a huge obstacle to fostering more intelligent, data-driven construction sites, so we set out to create a solution for it.” Avvir Onsite’s 3D scanning and photo capture services provide enhanced findings both as a standalone product and in conjunction with Avvir’s existing offerings. This free-flow of information drives efficiency and reduces the risk of inaccuracies on construction sites because of both the high quality and sheer volume of data made available. Construction teams understand the benefits of engaging with services like building information models (BIM) and database projects, though there is still an impediment when it comes to extracting and analyzing the data. Avvir’s suite of solutions integrates seamlessly with existing models and dashboards to get an intimate and complete view of the project at-hand and its nuances, acting as the bridge between the digital and physical worksites. For more information please visit avvir.io
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EarthCam 4D Brings Construction Digital Twins to Life
EarthCam, the leading provider of webcam technology and services, today introduced EarthCam 4D, empowering virtual design and construction (VDC) teams to overlay and synch live imagery with their digital twins. An intuitive time-line allows users to scroll backward and forward in time to view live imagery in relation to their 4D models. Built on the Bentley iTwin platform, EarthCam 4D augments Bentley Systems’ SYNCHRO 4D models with high-resolution photos from multiple cameras throughout the jobsite, overlaid in precise alignment. Viewers can zoom in and out, and the associated live images remain synched. Unique transparency/opacity and model color adjustments enable new and powerful ways to compare and contrast models with reality over time. “EarthCam 4D is a great and quick tool to help communicate project schedule with our customer, trade partners and public,” said Michal D Wojtak, Mortenson’s Integrated Construction Director for sports and entertainment. “The ability to easily compare current and future states of work is valuable to project leadership teams.” “We are delighted to collaborate with EarthCam, and their EarthCam 4D application, which allows for construction teams to monitor planned construction against actual progress. In addition, EarthCam’s solution integrates time-lapse imaging with interactive 3D models that are tied to the construction schedule data, adding tremendous value to clients,” said Sheena Gaynes, Director, Business Development, iTwin platform, at Bentley Systems. “In doing so, EarthCam joins the growing innovation ecosystem building digital twin applications on the Bentley iTwin platform.” “Digital twins are radically increasing productivity in construction,” said Brian Cury, CEO and Founder of EarthCam. “Thanks to Bentley iTwin, we’re able to merge the highest resolution imagery from our cameras to SYNCHRO 4D models, and build valuable applications to increase our clients ROI.” “The partnership between EarthCam and Bentley is bringing construction digital twins to life by simplifying the visual communication of project status to all stakeholders. Now anyone can compare what is happening on the jobsite to what was planned virtually within a simple web viewer powered by Bentley’s iTwin technology. By mixing 4D models from SYNCHRO with EarthCam’s reality models, all stakeholders on the project can quickly see the progress of the project, identify issues, and keep the project on time and on budget from anywhere,” said Rich Humphrey, VP, Construction, at Bentley Systems. EarthCam 4D is the first solution that fully synchronizes time-sequenced images to 4D planning models - stakeholders no longer need multiple software interfaces and different stored image sources to access this critical comparative information. According to FMI, 13% of working hours are spent looking for project data and information. Having real-time imagery synched with a SYNCHRO 4D model in a single interface provides immediate, real-time evidence of every steel beam placement, and every window installation against 4D models, simplifying project management for SYNCHRO users worldwide. EarthCam 4D will be premiered at Bentley MOMENTUM, the developer showcase for digital twin solutions on January 26th. EarthCam’s Control Center 8 has long been the software of choice among industry leaders for smart project documentation, promotion and security. EarthCam is driving productivity for a more visually informative jobsite, providing camera rentals, same-day delivery and professional installation. EarthCam works with industry leaders around the globe to make construction project management less costly and more efficient using powerful visual data. To learn more about EarthCam 4D and Control Center 8, visit earthcam.net/earthcam4d/
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IDTechEx Talk Smart Buildings: Another Frontier for the Digital Revolution
Take a look around your room. It is likely full of sophisticated digital technology: computers, smartphones, an internet-enabled TV, and even a smart speaker. However, the building itself has not really changed since the introduction of electrical wiring and central heating many decades ago. Smart buildings aim to bring digital technologies into the fabric of the building, rather than just to objects within it. They will utilize a wide range of emerging technologies, such as semi-transparent photovoltaics on windows, moisture sensors for leak detection, and printed heaters with wall panels. Combined with changes to building construction, such as greater use of prefabricated panels with integrated electronic functionality, incorporating technologies such as these promises smart buildings that facilitate predictive maintenance, are more energy-efficient, and are responsive to the needs of occupants. [Digital leak detection] Anyone that has had a water leak at home knows that it is extremely annoying and expensive, with walls, ceilings, and flooring all needing replacement. Furthermore, the affected area is out of action while everything is dried using extremely noisy fans and dehumidifiers. Clearly, a technology that reduces the likelihood and severity of leaks would bring clear benefits to home and business owners, along with insurance companies. Printed moisture sensors are a promising potential solution, which if integrated into walls and floors would be able to detect leaks at a very early stage and alert the owner of the building. One such approach, targeted primarily at bathrooms, has been developed by the Swedish company InviSense. A printed RFID antenna coil is coated with a moisture-absorbing material. The resonant frequency changes in response to moisture, which can then be detected by an RFID reader. While testing of leaks behind tiling can be performed non-destructively, it does not provide continuous feedback. An alternative approach to leak detection is being developed by UK company Laiier. It offers low-cost capacitive sensors, which are made from carbon-based inks and can be produced using conventional graphics printers. The thin-film sensor format enables them to be placed underneath appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, boilers, and pipes, or even under flooring or within walls. The sensors are connected to the cloud, and hence able to provide the property owner with an alert when an increase in moisture is detected, enabling repairs to be performed before a leak becomes significant. [Integrated heating, lighting, and wiring] Housebuilding techniques have not changed substantially in many years, with most houses still being constructed on-site using conventional building materials. Plumbing and electricity are installed during the construction process, requiring skilled manual labor during every build. While most cars have been produced on a production line with extensive automation for many years, houses are still essentially handcrafted. There is thus an excellent opportunity to simultaneously reduce construction costs and provide additional value to the building’s occupants by integrating functionality into building materials. Promising examples include incorporating electrical heaters into wall panels, thus removing the need for unsightly free-standing radiators. Electrical switches, wiring, lighting, and other sensor types could also be installed into wall panels prior to installation, reducing the need for individual fixings that increase costs and create visual clutter. Technologies for possible integration into smart buildings. Source: IDTechEx [Improved energy efficiency] Heating and powering homes more efficiently is crucial in meeting CO2 emission targets since at present around 30% of emissions in developed countries come from domestic households. While clearly greater adoption of established technologies such as thicker wall/roof insulation is important, there is also plenty of scope for emerging technologies to contribute. Photovoltaic solar panels, currently installed in around 3.5% of UK homes, are a continuing target for innovation. One emerging approach is the construction of tandem photovoltaic cells, which utilize an additional light-absorbing layer to harvest solar energy more effectively. Oxford PV are a leading player here, with its ‘perovskite-on-silicon’ tandem architecture demonstrating higher efficiencies (29.5% in a recent laboratory example). It is currently developing a production line to mass-produce these high-efficiency tandem cells. However, rigid roof-based solar panels are not a viable option for every building. Another alternative is semi-transparent solar cells, which can be applied to windows as thin films. Although less efficient, since clearly less light is absorbed, semi-transparent solar cells enable existing windows to be utilized for energy harvesting. A further development, currently in its early stages, is photochromic photovoltaics that would absorb a higher proportion of sunlight on sunny days. [Another frontier for the digital revolution] Buildings, both domestic and commercial, have been slow to benefit from the digital revolution thus far. There are many high-tech items within buildings, but generally speaking, little modern technology is integrated within the fabric of the buildings themselves. This is set to change over the coming years, with ‘smart buildings’ that enable predictive maintenance, efficient construction, and have sensing/heating/lighting/energy harvesting integrated into the building materials from the outset becoming increasingly common. [Your guide to emerging technologies] IDTechEx offers an extensive portfolio of technical market research reports covering many of the technologies required for smart buildings. These include printed/flexible sensors, smart city materials, electronics reshaped, perovskite photovoltaics, smart glass/windows, materials opportunities in emerging photovoltaics, and many more. All IDTechEx reports cover the current state and expected future developments, both in terms of technical capabilities and commercial adoption. Granular forecasts segmented by technology and application assist with planning future projects, while multiple company profiles based on primary interviews provide detailed insight into the major players. Also included in the reports are multiple application examples, SWOT analysis, and technological/commercial readiness assessments. Further details and downloadable sample pages for each report can be found on the IDTechEx website or by contacting us at Research@IDTechEx.com.
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Avvir Launches Avvir Accelerate to Support AI-Backed Planning in the Construction Industry
Avvir, a reality analysis company providing a system of record for buildings to the construction industry, today announced the launch of Avvir Accelerate. The new product is a software solution that offers planning and consulting services to help users at every stage of the project lifecycle, whether it’s from the early programming stage pre-RFP, the design development phase, or the pre-construction and construction phases. This service came to life because Avvir realized that gathering documentation, understanding design intent, federating trade-specific BIM models and translating that information into a comprehensive schedule and cost estimate is an uphill battle every project team faces. With Avvir Accelerate, customers get help streamlining their entire project with Avvir tools and best practices for finding, communicating, and acting on project information more efficiently, allowing them to gradually build up confidence and mastery to continue autonomously. In Q1 of this year, Avvir announced the close of its Series A fundraise. Since the raise, Avvir has utilized the funds to drive significant product upgrades and new capabilities, fundamentally enhancing the construction project management process. In addition to announcing Avvir Accelerate, the company launched several product upgrades aimed at creating a new level of analysis for the built world including; the addition of a 4D dashboard, updates to its robust 3D Viewer, and 4D/5D analysis that eliminates the need for weekly LiDAR scans. These product enhancements allow construction industry professionals to break down and effectively analyze a project’s progress and status through improved tracking and reporting capabilities, increasing accuracy, safety and timeliness for construction projects. “Our goal at Avvir is to create a turnkey solution for construction industry leaders that informs and supports the entire lifecycle of a project,” said Raffi Holzer, CEO and Co-founder of Avvir. “Everything that we accomplished this year is another step in that direction, allowing us to go far beyond providing only a point solution, and instead offer a full suite of tools needed to empower construction professionals with intelligent, data-driven job sites that enable them to reliably deliver on schedule, within budget and safely.” Without a unified data source to keep plans up-to-date and reflective of on-site activities, construction professionals can end up with an incomplete view of the project at hand, leading to mistakes, engineering flaws, and wasted resources. Avvir’s revolutionary platform enables complete knowledge of a project at any time by harnessing the power of reality capture data. Beta user Kevin Marren, Superintendent at AECOM, said, "I could move faster, giving updates to the project team on a weekly basis so they could proactively get ahead of predicted clashes that had to be addressed in the field." As 2021 comes to a close, Avvir is set to launch additional upgrades to its technology, including enhanced BIM integrations, updates to the user interface, and new machine learning progress analysis. These innovations are designed to provide automatic status updates across platforms and prioritize immediate tasks and actions. Looking ahead, Avvir will continue to augment its analytical technologies to increase prediction accuracy, decrease the time it takes to receive results, and accelerate the development of new analyses and features.
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Smart Cities: Paradise or Punishment?
In the last century, the sweeping architecture of the new cities Brasilia and Canberra was found to be soulless by those required to live there. Come the weekend, Brasilia emptied as those required to work there decamped to the fun of Rio de Janeiro. Nowadays many call the equivalents smart cities because the computer industry is putting sensors everywhere for people control. Makes them happy, right? The antidote is the new IDTechEx report, “Smart City Materials, Systems, Markets 2022-2042”. The 310-page report explains that it does not have to be that way. Commercially oriented and newly prepared by Ph.D. level IDTechEx analysts worldwide, it identifies gaps in the market, potential partners, lessons from success and failure, business cases. Raghu Das, chief executive of IDTechEx advises, “The massive new challenges of desertification, rising sea levels, starvation, increasingly violent weather, dysfunctional national governments and the accelerating move to cities can be tackled on a human scale. Priorities need to be entertainment, inclusiveness, safety, zero-emission and affordability from the independence of water, food and energy supply, new faster, inclusive forms of multipurpose transport and appropriate city location and layout.” Enablers include 100% electrification startling advances in multifunctional smart materials such as metamaterial cooling. Examples include 3D printed graphene concrete in new tunnels under London and solar bodywork of smart shuttles. Renaming a video doorbell as Internet of Things will not change the fate of mankind but a seawall against rising sea levels that is made of the new “everlasting” concrete and makes clean water and considerable electricity just might. Long-life beats recycling any day. Metamaterial reprogrammable intelligent surfaces may be more key to the success of 6G Communications than big data. Compact food production in cities replaces traditional farming with its problems of manpower, emissions, water pollution, space, cost, security, and transport. Understand the relevance of saline and vertical farming, solar greenhouses, xeriscaping, cultivated cellular meat, and milk. Aquaponics grows vegetables and fish together, agrivoltaics marries electricity and food production and bioswales prevent flooding, clean water, grow food. Biocrete architecture nourishes plants. Food production delightfully integrates into living space. Ironically, Disney EPCOT Florida is nearer to an ideal smart city than most of the dehumanized ones now being erected with massively wide streets, empty skyscrapers, no center, and no soul. The report compares many, finding another irony. Most of the really-impactful, imaginative approaches are not taking place in new cities but in London (graphene concrete tunnels, every new house must have an electric vehicle charger), Beijing (robot restaurants), and New York (East River tidal power without tidal barrage). Appealing newcomers are mostly tiny – like Toyota Woven City with its multipurpose robot shuttles – but could have lessons for the needed large new cities. Best practice is identified and new ideas are proposed in the report. The Executive Summary and Conclusions is sufficient for those in a hurry. Infograms interpret pollution, desertification, sea-level rise, responses including food, water, energy independence, resilience, conservation, zero-emission, electrification. Here are required smart materials, infrastructure, transport, multifunctional composites, ultra-high-performance concretes, new air taxis, robot shuttles, energy harvesting, off-grid city electricity, indoor food production. It summarizes supporting ICT, IOT, 6G, sensors, case studies, and best practice. 25 of its 57 dense pages are new roadmaps and forecasts, mostly 2022-2042. Chapter 2 is a smart cities appraisal – old, new, and planned – illustrated with new images and commentary, lessons of failure. Chapter 3 extensively covers reinvented concrete and smart materials for smart cities. Most attention is given to cement and its derivatives such as concrete, the most-used man-made material in cities because they are more of the problem (10% of global warming) and more of the solution (many routes to decarbonization, higher strength very long life means less needed and least carbon of all, 3D printed buildings and more). However, 10 of its 42 very detailed pages cover the emerging multi-mode roads, sidewalks, parking areas, and airport runways, new metamaterials, city cooling materials, and more with a key startup appraised. The 46 pages of Chapter 5 concern food independence for cities – why, where, how, when, best practice, making the required electricity where it is needed, and new ideas with many actual layouts and successes. It ends with four pages on the robotics for the trend to unmanned facilities. Water independence takes 12 pages as Chapter 6. Raghu Das of IDTechEx points out, “Cities may never practice independence in food production or even electricity and drinking water but resilience against the much tougher challenges ahead requires them to move towards independence as a capability. Even tiny Singapore now targets one-third of food made internally.” Many smart cities target layouts that require no more than 15 minutes to get from home to work or shops. However, we shall still want to get to the historic city center, the countryside, the next cities and attractions, and that is why Chapter 7 concerns new forms of zero-emission transport eliminating congestion and getting even the poor or disabled to get to precisely where they want as with robot shuttles on plazas paths and into buildings, Hyperloop at airline speed, vertical takeoff air taxis and more. What is doomed to fail? What is promising and when? Given their relative importance, the 43 pages cover mainly new city land and air travel but touching on marine. The report finds independence of electricity production, zero-emission, to be easier for most cities than the independence of food and water because so many technologies are now available for purchase with many more coming soon. Das explains, “A windy city may have very large wind turbines where one revolution charges a house for three days but the primary trend is making electricity where it is needed, notably with solar everywhere from windows to paths, walls, vehicles, and park benches. A new challenge arises from solar weak in winter so we cover energy storage delaying electricity supply up to seasonal.” The 56 pages of this chapter embrace options for cities from both batteries and non-battery storage. Learn mostly about generation from water, wind, and daylight in many new forms but also see the place of hydrogen. For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/SmartCities, or for the full portfolio of Smart Cities research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research/SmartCities
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New Passive Cooling for Buildings, Discussed by IDTechEx
With global warming kicking in and rising sea levels displacing millions to arid regions, there needs to be much more cooling of buildings. Species extinction, more widespread disease, unliveable heat, ecosystem collapse, cities menaced by rising seas – these and other devastating climate impacts are accelerating and are bound to accelerate in the decades ahead, according to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which promises a major analysis in 2022. The proliferation of air conditioning has issues of cost, materials, maintenance, life, and making more heat than cold. Passive cooling means no power is needed. It is widely deployed in the form of translucent multilayer polymers facing the sky and convective chimneys in traditional African buildings. However, they have their limitations. Two new passive options need to be welcomed that use readily available, non-toxic substances - metamaterials and unprecedentedly white paint reflecting maximum sunlight away from a building. [Beautiful, cool, 3D printed buildings] Low-cost, rapidly erected houses are needed for people everywhere, including those millions about to be displaced by climate change and for the third world. One of the fastest and cheapest methods is 3D printing, as detailed in the IDTechEx report, “Concrete and Cement Reinvented: Growing the Market, Decarbonising 2022-2042”. Typically, they are ugly and if they are to be painted anyway, why not use a paint that cools? [Whitest paint in the world] The whitest paint in the world has been created in a US laboratory. It is now in the Guinness World Records book as the whitest ever made. The scientists claim that it is so white that it could eventually reduce or even eliminate the need for air conditioning. However, analysts at IDTechEx caution that, not being adjustable, it is better regarded as part of the toolkit. “When we started this project about seven years ago, we had saving energy and fighting climate change in mind,” said Xiulin Ruan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. Making it really reflective also made it really white. The paint reflects 98.1% of solar radiation while also emitting infrared heat. It absorbs less heat from the sun than it emits, so a surface is cooled below the surrounding temperature without consuming power. A roof area of about 100 square meters could add cooling power of 10 kilowatts, more powerful than air conditioners used by most houses but localized. Typical commercial white paint gets warmer rather than cooler. Paints on the market that are designed to reject heat reflect only 80% to 90% of sunlight and cannot make surfaces cooler than their surroundings. Two features make this paint ultra-white: a very high concentration of a benign common chemical compound called barium sulfate – also used in photo paper and cosmetics – and different particle sizes of barium sulfate in the paint, scientists at Purdue said. Researchers at Purdue have partnered with a company to put this ultra-white paint on the market. [Metamaterials] Metamaterials are composites that contain repetitive patterns tailored to manipulate electromagnetic and other emissions in a manner previously impossible. For the coming commercialization of electromagnetic versions, see the IDTechEx report, “Metamaterial and Metasurface Markets Electromagnetic 2022-2042”. Many are transparent and one of these has been researched that may assist with the problem of silicon and some other photovoltaics needing cooling to maintain efficiency. The combination of high haze, low visible absorption, and high thermal emissivity makes these nanocellulose metamaterials interesting for use as coatings for solar cells, for which the combined set of properties may enhance device light absorption, making more electricity while also improving lifetime and efficiency by passive radiative cooling. Different colors are possible and, for buildings, there is the prospect of better solar cladding and maybe metamaterial-covered windows cooling passively. To be precise, passive radiative cooling draws heat from surfaces and radiates it into space as infrared radiation to which the atmosphere is transparent. However, the energy density mismatch between solar irradiance and the low infrared radiation flux from a near-ambient-temperature surface requires materials that strongly emit thermal energy and barely absorb sunlight. The researchers embedded resonant polar dielectric microspheres randomly in a polymeric matrix, resulting in a metamaterial that is fully transparent to the solar spectrum while having an infrared emissivity greater than 0.93 across the atmospheric window. The metamaterial consists of a visibly transparent polymer encapsulating randomly distributed silicon dioxide SiO2 microspheres. For those interested in the impending $40 billion market for transparent electronics, see the IDTechEx report “Transparent Electronics Materials, Applications, Markets 2021-2041”. When backed with a silver coating, the metamaterial shows a noontime radiative cooling power of 93 watts per square meter under direct sunshine. Further, the developers demonstrated high-throughput, economical roll-to-roll manufacturing of it - vital for promoting radiative cooling as a viable energy technology.
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Digital Twin urban planning technology can yield $280bn global windfall for cities
Digital Twin technology is expected to lead the way in transforming our cities, savings billions in running costs, and assisting towards net-zero targets. A new report by global tech market advisory firm ABI Research, says the cost benefits alone could be worth $280 billion by 2030 through using Digital Twins for more efficient urban planning. "Digital Twins will become the ultimate tool for city governments to design, plan and manage their connected infrastructure and assets in an efficient and cost-effective way,” said Dominique Bonte, Vice President End Markets at ABI Research. “Cost savings can be obtained in key areas, such as energy and utilities, transportation, safety and security, and infrastructure (roads/buildings). However, urban digital twins also offer many other advantages in terms of supporting and improving sustainability, circularity, decarbonization, and the overall quality of urban living.” The report details potential efficiencies across a wide range of asset categories and use cases: • First-time suitable designs of buildings and other physical infrastructure avoiding expensive modifications after completion • Energy-efficient building designs maximizing solar capacity and yielding lifetime energy savings • Resilient and safe infrastructure designs reducing policing and emergency response costs • Optimized designs of utilities, streetlight, and surveillance networks to achieve the same coverage target with less CAPEX • Design of COVID-19 proof buildings to deliver healthcare savings • Digital Twins enable efficient eGovernment through seamless exchange of data with citizens for mediation purposes. One of the leading suppliers of urban Digital Twin technology is Chicago and London-based Cityzenith, which featured in this research alongside Siemens, Microsoft, and Engie, and recently joined the World Economic Forum's Top 100 Global Innovators community. Cityzenith founder and CEO Michael Jansen commented after reading the report: "As an architect by trade, I know how inefficient and over budget the built environment has been over the last 30 years or more, often causing delays in completion and inefficient use of materials due to the industry's lack of data and technology. “It's a huge global problem as we seek a more efficient and sustainable model for our urban planning, and construction must catch up with the pace of emissions reduction in other industries such as manufacturing. Fortunately, Digital Twin technology is accelerating to provide much-needed solutions to these issues; modelling by software like our SmartWorldOSTM can manipulate huge amounts of data to enable smooth and accurate 'right first time and on time' construction on new projects and help retrofit older construction to cut emissions now and in the future. "During the next 12 months, we will partner with at least ten international cities, to integrate our SmartWorldOSTM Digital Twin platform. We have also signed a major international contract to use SmartWorldOSTM to manage carbon emissions in other cities as part of the Race to Zero and movement towards a more sustainable and cost-effective energy transition." Digital Twin technology has been named one of five top tech growth sectors, including nanotechnology, genomics, biotechnology, and AI. According to the World Nano Foundation, these five sectors will enjoy a combined growth of more than 400% over the next five years. The Digital Twin market alone is predicted to grow from $3.1bn to $48.2bn by 2026, according to MarketsandMarkets. Cityzenith’s pioneering work has been recognized by an international World Smart City Award from the Open Business Council and status as a Top 10 Digital Twin provider by Manufacturing Technology Insights in the last year. Bonte at ABI Research concluded: "While the cost-saving advantages of Digital Twins allow cities to achieve fast ROIs, the increasingly complex nature of connected and smart urban infrastructure, especially in view of future smart urban concepts, will simply mandate the deployment of Digital Twins as critical, holistic management tools, similar to the role they play in other industries like manufacturing.” To hear more from Cityzenith CEO Michael Jansen on how Digital Twins can save our cities billions in running costs, please join an upcoming FREE webinar, ‘Investing in an AI Technology Platform for Sustainable Cities' taking place virtually on Tuesday the 24th August at 13:00 CT, please sign up https://event.webinarjam.com/register/61/xqokkfl4
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New launch in construction reinforcement technologies from Kordsa: Kratos Structural Reinforcement
Kordsa’s Kratos Macro and Micro synthetic fiber reinforcements stand out as the first Turkish product in the over 500 million-dollar sized international fiber reinforcement market. As the company expanded its Kratos product range in 2020, with the addition of Kratos Rebound Minimizer, a shotcrete additive that reduces rebound in tunneling and mining applications, and Kratos Pool Fiber used in pool plaster applications, became a preferred solution partner of many prestigious projects with its cost effective, durable and efficient product range. In parallel to its "Inspired, we reinforce life” vision Kordsa has recently added to its Kratos product portfolio 4 Structural Reinforcement products after a comprehensive R&D period. Structural Reinforcement is critical both for Turkey, and in terms of overall sustainability. Reinforcing with Kratos Structural Reinforcement products saves both time and cost compared to demolishing and rebuilding. In this respect, it stands out as an environmentally friendly and sustainable solution. If technically compatible, compared to steel or reinforced concrete jacketing, fabric reinforcement applications provide a more advantageous solution minimizing the loss of field. Kordsa held a digital launch for the new Kratos Structural Reinforcement Products on May 31st. The meeting, started with the opening speech of Kordsa CEO Ali Çalışkan, and continued with the illuminating presentation of Kordsa’s Strategy and Business Development Director and Construction Business Unit Leader Fezal Okur Eskil about Kordsa and the Construction Business Unit. Following her presentation, Prof. Dr. Alper İlki, from Istanbul Technical University, Civil Engineering Faculty Structural and Earthquake Engineering Department, shed light on Structural Reinforcement Technologies in Turkey and in the world and explained their significance. Following Kordsa’s Global Technology Director Devrim Özaydın's speech titled Global Technology and Construction Reinforcement, in which he also touched on Kordsa’s technology-focused innovation perspective, Sales and Marketing Manager M. Yasa Kılınç, Technology Manager Uğur Alparslan, Account Manager Sebla Demir and Project Leader Tuluhan Ergin from Kordsa Construction Reinforcement business line, gave a detailed presentation including key technical specifications, usage areas and market position of Kratos Structural Reinforcement Technology. The digital launch meeting ended with the speech of the Chairman of the Earthquake Strengthening Association (DEGÜDER) and Chairman of the Board of Artyol Mühendislik Sinan Türkkan on Turkish structural reinforcement market and DEGÜDER's activities.
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Toray Launches Torayvino Branch as Japan’s First Water Purification System Usable with Your Choice of Faucet
Toray Industries, Inc., will start selling the Torayvino® Branch household water purifier exclusively in Japan today. The company debuted the Torayvino brand in 1986 when it brought out a countertop water purifier employing hollow fiber membrane filters. The Torayvino Branch is Japan’s first water purification system to allow switching between tap and purified water by simply lifting a faucet lever. To date, consumers have faced limitations in choosing faucets for under-sink water purifiers or faucets with built-in purifiers. They can install the Torayvino Branch under sinks to work with innumerable faucet designs, features, and brands. They can use their existing faucets or foreign-branded ones. Since the Torayvino Branch is installed under the sink, it does not spoil the design of the entire kitchen. This product adopts the SKC88.X cartridge, whose water purification capacity, cost, and size match most contemporary lifestyle needs. While compact, this cartridge is an industry leader. It can remove 17 impurities of JIS, has a fast flow rate, and can purify 4,000 liters of water. It is priced at ¥9,130, including tax. It is designed for annual replacement, for a monthly running cost of about ¥700.
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My Electrical Expert Offers a Range of Electrical Services Backed By Years of Industry Expertise
My Electrical Expert, the electricians with an impeccable reputation for delivering high-quality electrical solutions, is committed to its core vision. The electrical expert makes sure they offer the best possible solutions through their team of well-trained and highly skilled electricians, technicians, and engineers. “We have a reputation for having the best expertise in the industry and enjoy a high level of trust and confidence of our clients across the United States,” says the spokesperson for the company. “We carry our industry expertise as a badge of honor. We also pride ourselves on our honesty, efficiency, reliability, safety, and transparency whenever we do business with residential as well as commercial clients.” As the best-known residential electrician in the country, My Electrical Expert has been serving the needs of homeowners for decades. They are co-ops and condominium experts and equipped to handle projects of any size, from townhomes to multi-family apartment buildings. My Electrical Expert employs a team that is OSHA certified and has passed the testing and training standards as set by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. All their projects are handled with safety-first culture and within a completely safe working environment. The commercial electrician services by My Electrical Expert are handled by the most experienced electricians in the team. They make sure that apart from the functional aspects, the aesthetics side of every project is also considered while executing the work. The team provides clients detailed information about the specialized electrical needs for their business and collaborates with them at every stage of the project. My Electrical Expert also specializes in industrial-grade services. The leading industrial electrician employs licensed engineers, certified electricians, and the latest technology to diagnose problems and provide the most appropriate solutions. They can handle even complex electrical issues with ease. Residents and commercial business owners can rely on this emergency electrician to attend to any emergency electrical needs and problems quickly. The company offers a 24/7 emergency response system precisely to deal with such unforeseen problems and situations. My Electrical Expert can mobilize entire divisions or deploy a specialist team, as the situation demands, to address electrical problems effectively and quickly. Customers can call their office for phone consultation and on-spot assessment and get a ballpark estimate for their electrical work. The company deploys only NATE-certified technicians and makes use of the latest equipment to ensure high-quality electrical solutions for all their clients. For more information, visit myelectricalexpert.com
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Waylay Provides Missing IoT Link for Smart Building Automation
Waylay today announced its low-code automation platform for smart buildings, in response to increasing market demand for new intelligent building automation applications that rely on sensor data and data from building management systems. According to ABI Research (*), the automated building market has traditionally focused on four conventional sectors: HVAC, lighting, access control and fire & life safety. Today, new emerging applications in space management, environmental monitoring, asset management and cleanliness & hygiene management are being offered. Together, these new solutions will grow at 32% CAGR over the next 8 years to create US$2 billion in software and services revenues by 2026. Waylay delivers its IoT automation platform to manufacturers of building equipment, building management service providers and software companies to deploy these new intelligent building applications and realize a swift response to changing circumstances, legislation and customer needs. Next-gen smart building applications Waylay’s automation platform complements ongoing IoT initiatives and processes real-time sensor data, from both legacy systems as well as new sensors, to add a new layer of business intelligence to smart buildings. Waylay’s data analytics fuels new solutions for optimized facility management, preventive & predictive maintenance of HVAC systems, failure detection, occupant safety, asset and energy optimization, alarm response and optimized field service teams to streamline business processes and create new, high-margin revenue streams. Automation platform kickstarts new smart building scenarios The Waylay smart building automation platform no longer requires the typically complex mix of IT development skill sets to create, productize and maintain new use cases. The low-code development environment with drag & drop rules engine visual programming interface allows cross-organization collaboration. Data scientists can efficiently put their algorithms in production, while maintenance managers can develop and validate their own information, decision & control flows and tweak and maintain them as needed. None of this requires lengthy IT development cycles. The automation platform for smart buildings hosts a set of use-case rule templates that kickstart the creation of new scenarios and that can be adapted for every specific building, structure or environment. This results in a quick go-to-market of new smart building applications and minimal in-house resources and skills to maintain the solutions platform. “Waylay has consistently proven to offer the best in class IoT automation and analytics platform,” said Piet Vandaele, CEO of Waylay. “Our drag & drop low-code approach increases innovation velocity and data scientists or domain experts no longer have to wait for traditional R&D cycles to finish. This becomes critical when legislation changes or circumstances like COVID-19 require quick responses from smart building solution providers. The Waylay platform brings democratization of analytics to smart buildings and therefore higher ROI to IoT data in smart buildings.”
