COVID-19 Freebies and Resources

Check out Trimble's COVID-19 Resources page for contractors and 7 Tips for Remote Collaboration.

Civalgo is offering its Project Management platform free to contractors until July 1. The offer includes platform setup, system implantation and remote training.

After printing and donating almost 1,000 face shields to hospitals and healthcare workers in the Philadelphia area, DJM designed and printed face shields to fit Omega II style hard hats, MSA V style hard hats and baseball caps. The hard hat face shield is assembled by two pieces, a 3D printed visor adapter and a plastic face covering. The hard hat and baseball shields sell for $10 and are available in blue, yellow, gray, red and purple.

Apps

Diagnose by Commusoft, an AR-enabled video call app for iOS, enables installers to host remote support sessions with customers. Installers can diagnose issues remotely, determine whether a visit is necessary and direct customers through self-service. Commusoft’s remote support feature for iOS is available for free to all users for the next three months. Diagnosis by Android support is coming soon.

Products

With DroneDeploy updates, users can add new plans during flight to maximize air time; live stream current flight paths with real-time visual context; identify and understand issues onsite by toggling between the thermal and RBG cameras; conduct photo-based inspections on 2D orthomosaics with the ability to tag team members to document the inspection from discovery to resolution; upload all media types to the cloud via a mobile device; and improve safety and visibility with ESRI Integration with the latest site maps.

Software & In the Cloud

B2W Schedule now manages trucking resources along with its original ability to manage employees, equipment and materials. Schedulers and dispatchers can assign, view and modify truck requirements and deliveries by their own fleets and by third-party contractors. B2W Schedule is part of B2W Software’s ONE Platform, which includes applications for estimating, field tracking, equipment maintenance, e-forms and business intelligence.

Trimble Scan Essentials for SketchUp provides the ability to import, view and model from point cloud data in SketchUp. Tekla Structures 2020 delivers enhancements, improvements and new features that enable efficient workflows for better productivity, increased mobility and collaboration across project teams

Partnerships & Acquisitions

Kyocera’s DuraXV Extreme rugged flip phone integrates Skyhook’s precision positioning technology for locating devices, even when offline, while preserving battery life. The Skyhook solution uses network connectivity, power settings and device mobility to adapt resource utilization in real time.

As the pilot developer of the DEWALT Tool Connect system, ToolWatch is partnering with DEWALT to improve the tool ownership experience. Users can use ToolWatch’s innovative technology system to track DEWALT tools. The DEWALT catalog will integrate into the ToolWatch platform so users can scan the product’s QR code or barcode to automatically populate data into ToolWatch.

Video & Cool Stuff

U.S. CAD's white paper (registration required) uncovers roadblocks to BIM adoption and success. Hurdles to adoption include general mistrust of new technology, fear that technology will replace workers, difficulty showing ROI and creating buy-in, misunderstanding risk and lacking standardization. The paper explores why understanding the hurdles to adoption is key and highlights best practices to overcoming these hurdles.

Viewpoint’s free e-book, Why Customers Moved to the Cloud (registration required), reveals the top three reasons contractors moved their ERP to the cloud and the benefits they gained.

RedTeam’s ROI calculator tool can help companies estimate and measure the value of construction technologies. The calculator takes the benefit (financial value created by the technology being used) divided by investment (the total cost of buying, implementing and maintaining the software) to find the ROI, or total net value created. Benefits are measured by labor savings, productivity gain, workplace benefits and risk mitigation.