Construction is going high tech with carbon fiber tools, AR, VR, 3D modeling, and connectivity. Don’t miss a new report on current and emergent technologies available to the damage prevention industry.

Apps

GoFormz iOS App Update streamlines using and sharing mobile forms with optimized navigation to locate and create forms; provides more details on form history, metadata and tags; and the Form Actions menu enables users to share inspection forms, safety documents and more to back-office teams, clients and partners.

Products

DEWALT’s new line of ExoCore™ Sledge Hammers and Axes feature carbon fiber composite handles for durability, overstrike protection that protects the weakest part of the tool and light tool weight.

Software & In the Cloud

Scope AR’s live support video calling application, Remote AR, now supports ARCore, an Android software development kit that brings a new level of AR capability to supported devices. Remote AR users can annotate and add 3D content to a larger workspace so remote workers and experts can more effectively overlay content onto the real-world view of the worker for seamless collaboration while walking through a complex assembly or maintenance procedure or troubleshooting a problem.

WiZ Connected Lighting’s WiZ Pro hardware and software solutions with Wi-Fi connectivity enables building and facility managers to network thousands of lights and monitor energy consumption. New retro-connectors make it possible to integrate legacy light points into the WiZ ecosystem where they can be controlled and monitored, whether fluorescent, halogen or LED. Bluetooth technology and beaconing capability lets products to communicate with enabled accessories.

Vectorworks, Inc. updates to Vectorworks Cloud Services include reality capture, a virtual reality feature and Bluebeam integration. Photos to 3D Model reality capture innovation enables designers to create 3D models by taking photos on a mobile device then sending that data to Vectorworks Cloud Services with the Vectorworks Nomad app. An update to web view Virtual Reality (VR) provides the ability to toggle shadows off and on and to control shadow direction in the web view. The web view feature offers support for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Google Daydream, upping the ability to use web views on five different types of headgear. Other improvements in SP3 include the Cloud Services and Bluebeam Studio Integration, truss section data for Global Truss and Prolyte, a modified user interface (UI) design for Vectorworks Nomad and other fixes.

Trimble’s new versions of its software for structural engineering, fabrication and construction teams - Tekla Structures 2018, Tekla Structural Designer 2018 and Tekla Tedds 2018 – offer better control and documentation through constructible BIM workflows in structural steel and concrete. Tekla Structures 2018 brings faster 3D modeling processes, precise detailing, control over changes and quicker production of drawings. It also supports point clouds for delivery of coordinated, constructible designs. Tekla Structural Designer 2018 focuses on structural design workflow productivity with enhanced analysis options for concrete and steel speed design cycles for complex structural elements. Tekla Tedds 2018 introduces new calculations for civil and structural engineers and a quality assured library of code compliant calculations.

ebb3’s network infrastructure performance for 3D graphics uses Citrix® technology for VR technology solutions for designers in automotive, aerospace and built environment. Citrix® technology is used within the ebb3 High-Performance Virtual Computer (HPVC) system, leveraging the Cisco UCS platform to help create VR solutions with an “on-net capability” and enables users to work on designs from a remote location.

AutoCAD 2019 now includes seven specialized toolsets: Architecture Toolset with specialized building design features and 8,000+ intelligent architectural objects and styles; Mechanical Toolset with 700,000+ intelligent manufacturing parts, features and symbols; Electrical Toolset with 65,000+ intelligent electrical symbols for creating, modifying and documenting electrical controls systems; MEP Toolset with 10,500+ intelligent mechanical, electrical and plumbing objects; Plant 3D Toolset to produce P&IDs and then integrate them into a 3D plant design model; Map 3D Toolset to incorporate GIS and CAD data to support planning, design and data management; and Raster Design Toolset to help edit scanned drawings and convert raster images into DWG objects.

Partnerships & Acquisitions

Applied Software®, systems integrator to the AEC, fabrication and manufacturing industries, acquired CAD-1, an Autodesk® Gold Partner and Autodesk Authorized Training Center (ATC).

Verizon Telematics, Fleetmatics and Telogis have been rebranded as Verizon Connect. Verizon Connect provides connectivity and data insights that provide information on vehicle and worker location, efficiency, safety, productivity and compliance. The Verizon Connect portfolio includes comprehensive fleet and mobile workforce management software platforms, embedded OEM hardware and Hum by Verizon, a connected vehicle device.

InEight (developer of construction project management software) is acquiring QA Software, including its TeamBinder document management and collaboration solution for engineering and construction.

PlanGrid’s integration with Dropbox lets contractors upload plans directly to PlanGrid and back to Dropbox. Contractors can save As-Builts and Snapshots to Dropbox to access them on any device or platform and build and collaborate from anywhere with real-time access to construction information generated from PlanGrid in Dropbox.

Video & Cool Stuff

Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Technology Advancements and Gaps in Underground Safety report details the state of current and emergent technologies available to the damage prevention industry; identifies available technologies that could have damage prevention applications; and identifies gaps in damage prevention technology. An overview of current technologies in damage prevention sectors includes locating, excavating, one call, imaging, pipeline data acquisition, data management and visualization, GIS/GPS/mapping, predictive analytics/risk assessment, mobile data collection, training/education and public awareness.