Construction Technology and Software Rundown: April 24, 2020

COVID-19 Freebies and News

Autodesk reports that the rate of new project creations in BIM 360 Design jumped 350% globally with people working from home since mid-February. Autodesk is offering BIM 360 Design for Revit free until May 31, 2020 through Autodesk’s Extended Access Program.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Cybercrime Support Network are partnering to educate online users about scams surrounding COVID-19 and what to watch out for when using the web, working online or e-learning from home. NICB’s COVID-19 NICB Resource Center highlights national and state resources for identifying and fighting insurance fraud. Additional resources include Cybercrime Support Network Scam Alerts, NICB ID Theft Brochure, ID Theft Infographic, FraudSupport.org, FBI Urges Vigilance During COVID-19 Pandemic and FTC: Coronavirus Scams.

Terex is 3D printing parts for face shields. Working with the Lake Area Technical Institute Electronic Systems Technology and Robotics departments, about 800 face shields and 100 masks have been distributed to health care providers in South Dakota and Minnesota. Genie (a Terex brand) team members have been working on a concept to produce medical equipment for a local hospital. Genie’s engineering design manager designed face shields that go over the N95 masks using a sponge, bungee cord and plastic tube. Supplier Allegis Corporation sourced materials and developed a custom tool to stamp out the shield shape. The Genie team expects to produce 4,000 to 5,000 face shields. In addition, they have developed a process for manufacturing face coverings using material provided by the hospital and a heat-sealing process to create seams and pleats. Genie engineers are also using 3D printing capabilities to make some custom parts, which have allowed critical hospital PPE to be put back into service quickly.

NoSweat disposable performance liner for hard hats wicks away sweat using SweatLockÔ technology, which helps keep workers from touching their face to wipe away sweat, which is a known way COVID-19 can be spread. The NoSweat liners fit all brands of hard hats and bump caps and are compliant with major safety standards.

Triax Technologies’ IoT-based solution, Proximity Trace, alerts, via a wearable device that can be worn on a hard hat or lanyard, when workers are too close based on recommended social distancing practices. In the event of a confirmed case of COVID-19, it also enables companies to trace data captured passively by the worker’s device to identify who might have been exposed.

Partnerships & Acquisitions

JE Dunn Construction and WastePlaceare partnering to streamline waste and recycling services. As JE Dunn uses WastePlace on more jobsites, the WastePlace team will produce more robust B2B enterprise tools, instant rating across service types, as well as geographies and mechanisms to reward both customers and service providers who exercise more sustainable practices.

Aurigo Software and Autodesk announced an alliance to develop a comprehensive set of cloud-based solutions for public and private owners. Aurigo will integrate with Autodesk Construction Cloud, a portfolio of construction management software and services that will give owners a single end-to-end technology platform for design, planning, construction and operations of infrastructure and private assets.

Video & Cool Stuff

Check out JBKnowledge's ConTech newsletter coverage of NASAthat includes information on using mushrooms to build sustainable housing on Mars and a request for help designing a robot for digging on the moon.

The National Association of Surety Bond Producers and the Surety & Fidelity Association of America are urging federal, state and local officials to accept electronic execution and delivery of construction surety bonds and commercial surety bonds.

Wired magazine’s in-depth article, Concrete Is Awful for the Planet. Clever Chemistry Can Help, notes that if the cement business were a country, it would be the world's number three producer of greenhouse gases. However, companies and researchers are working on a cleaner concrete. CarbonCure is working on a system to replace some of the cement used in making concrete with carbon dioxide to reduce emissions and sequester carbon.