According to recent reports, rapid growth is seen in the virtual construction market. The construction industry continues to adopt various new technologies. Many of those technologies involve virtual design and visualization. These include Building Information Modeling (BIM) to Construction Management Software.

One way to describe the growing use of virtual environments to engineer and visualize the construction of buildings before they are constructed is virtual design and construction (VDC). Virtual environments can readily be accessed by mobile devices, desktop computers and virtual reality and augmented hardware programs.

VDC is beneficial because it is estimated that 30% of all construction industry expenses are because of reworking faulty or incorrect builds. By incorporating VDC, one can reduce these faulty or incorrect builds and determine which approach is the best way to go when building in the physical world.

The most popular VDC tool is BIM because it allows various individuals, including architects, engineers and construction crews to see a virtual model of a structure or building before work commences or while work is underway. That way, any needed changes can be done before work continues or advances.

According to reports, the BIM market is worth $8.1 billion as of 2023 with North America leading the market – holding more than 30% of the current market. The market is continued to grow in the future as more construction companies are seeing the benefits of VDC and BIM and how it can help them with projects of all sizes.

Although many people assume technologies such as AI, analytics and the Internet of Things are the exclusive domain of high-tech industries, this is not the case. Even sectors traditionally defined by their reliance on good old-fashioned elbow grease — such as construction and energy exploration — have discovered the benefits these can bring.

By providing companies with greater control, actionable data, and faster communication, these advancements can yield greater efficiencies, increased production, and lower overhead. Advanced regulatory compliance software also can help enterprises maintain best practices automatically.

Implementing New Technology – Tips To Consider

However, realizing these advantages is not automatic. Implementing new technology in your organization needs to be on top of its game when it comes to integrating new technology into your existing operations. Otherwise, you won’t be able to enjoy everything it can deliver for you. The resources you spend on them could go to waste if you’re not careful, which is why it’s important to consider the following tips.

• Start by examining your current systems. Make sure what you already have in place can support any new system you choose to add. This is crucial for avoiding redundancies and budget overruns.

• Establish a governance group. Any key stakeholders who will be affected by the changes you propose need to be part of the decision-making process. Ensure that they have the opportunity to voice their concerns and offer suggestions as you proceed.

• Get everyone to buy into the procedure. Simply installing new tech into your operations isn’t enough. You need to get everyone impacted by it to see the advantages it will provide and understand why it is necessary. Without buy-in, your team members may not be invested in the idea.

• Provide proper training at all levels. No technology is useful unless it’s fully understood. Even simple systems require proper education to get the most out of their functionality. Always give your personnel everything they need to use it properly so you experience the most benefit from it.

• Keep watching. You can’t simply drop a new technology into your existing setup and expect that to be the end of it. Even after everyone becomes familiar with it, you’ll need to pay attention to how it impacts your workflow. It’s also a good idea to set aside time for any adjustments that may become necessary once you see how it’s put into practice.

Whether it’s cloud-based construction management software or GPS tracking on your fleet of vehicles, implementing new technology into your operations can make a tremendous difference. Before you do so, take the time and be certain that you have the support in place to get as much out of the technology as possible.

It’s amazing how brazen some people can be. The construction industry is full of technology stories related to workers turning up for work and finding that someone had, overnight, stolen equipment, tools, and building materials. Imagine turning up for work and finding a large bulldozer was missing. That requires a truck to transport it away from the construction site, and let’s face it, moving a bulldozer is not a quiet job – yet people do it. More importantly, they steal large heavy equipment and they are often never found – at least, until now.

The introduction of GPS units into modern heavy equipment has had an upside, GPS units can be used to track vehicles if and when they are stolen. Recent news stories highlight how effective this technology is. I remember reading one news story that reported the successful location of stolen heavy equipment just one hour after it was reported stolen, all because of the GPS unit located inside the equipment.

GPS is just one of the new technologies that are being used to make life easier for heavy equipment operators. Computer-aided systems are everywhere now – from those designed to ensure the smooth and economical running of an engine to complex units designed to help operators finely adjust the settings on their blades.

New heavy equipment operators have it easy. They learn to operate heavy equipment using this new technology and can then update their skills on the job as new technology is introduced. Older drivers who return to the industry after a lengthy lay-off are often amazed at the changes in heavy equipment and sometimes struggle to come to terms with these changes.  Heavy equipment technology is making life easier for operators, safer for workers, and protecting equipment from theft – all positive for those involved in the field of heavy equipment operations.

Technology has changed the lives of just about everyone in our society. Whether it’s in the kitchen at home, in the office, driving your car, or operating machinery such as heavy equipment, technology has made huge changes over the last 20 years. Changes in heavy equipment technology has occurred on several fronts – in the cab, in the equipment, and on the ground.

Inside the cab of most heavy equipment, you’re likely to be confronted with digital gauges, fingertip sensitive controls, and perhaps even small computer screens connected to ground-based units. In the equipment itself, hydraulics and fuel mixing is now often controlled by computer components while on the ground. The use of lasers and computer technology is now replacing tasks such as measuring and grade reading.

GPS has found its way into heavy technology both as a security measure and as an aid to fine tuning an operator’s work. Operators from 20-30 years ago would be astounded to see the changes that have occurred. 30-40 years ago, operators required physical strength to operate their equipment. Today, a child could almost manage the task. That’s not to say that heavy equipment operations is child’s play. It’s still far from it.

While changes have been rapid when measured over time, they have still been incremental, unlike office workers that went from a typewriter to a computer – that was a huge change. Despite the changes in heavy equipment technology, students can still complete heavy equipment training in just a few weeks. Following training, graduates are ready for entry level employment where they can fine tune their skills on the job. Technology is changing our lives everywhere, and heavy equipment operations is no different.

Step into the cab of a modern grader and you will wonder if it is a piece of heavy equipment, or a well designed office. Compare modern graders from those of twenty years ago. The outside working components have only changed marginally. But in the cab – let’s just say that twenty years ago most graders didn’t have cabs; all they had were roll bars.

The modern cab on a grader has wrap-around windows and air conditioning. It’s no longer a hot (or cold) and dusty (or muddy) job. When I say air conditioning, I mean climate control – the full system with dust exclusion filters and all. Add to this two-way radios for communication, CD players for entertainment and you start to get the picture – and you haven’t even started the motor yet.

Operating has now been simplified with some manufacturers moving from levers to joy-stick type controls. Add to this computer-aided settings for the blades, often connected to a GPS system, and suddenly the grader is a huge machine capable of completing jobs to finest measurements. It really is amazing how much change has gone into a machine as complex as a grader.

Despite all these changes, the operations of a grader are still pretty much the same. A blade is set to a specific height and angle and the grader then carves the surface to a finish dictated by engineers and plans. Learning to operate a grader can be undertaken in as little as three weeks with operators then ready to enter the work force. Interested in grader operator training? Contact ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools for more information.

The one thing you can guarantee with all heavy equipment is that technology is constantly on the move and operating graders is no different. Every year manufacturers release their latest offerings and they always include technological changes of some sort.

Some of the latest technology includes computerization of some systems and GPS technology. Of course these are not ‘new’, however, the way they are being used is often new. GPS was fairly basic several years ago, it has now developed to the point that vehicles can have special devices fitted that help with loss prevention of heavy equipment.

The latest graders are now operated using joysticks rather than levers, pedals or a steering wheel. I am sure that many of our younger generation who have grown up with Xbox’s and the like would handle these with ease. For some of us older folk, a joystick is for flying, not grading – still, we have to move with the times or we will get left behind.

That philosophy is a must in heavy equipment operations now. Operating graders along with many of the other machines used has become one non-stop learning curve. You no sooner think you have your machine mastered when along comes a new piece of technology. At least you don’t have to learn it until it is either fitted, or a new machine us purchased.

Training to operate road graders has come along way in recent years. As technology has improved so too has the training methods used. It is no longer a case of jumping in and teaching yourself, the job is too complex for that now. To be competitive in the employment market you need quality training from a organization that has a long reputation for providing well trained operators of road graders. Just remember, your learning doesn’t end with the completion of your course – it ongoing for the rest of your working career.