It’s no surprise that most people don’t associate the construction industry with technology like they do jelly to peanut butter. The reason is, it has been one of the slowest adopters of technology when compared to most industries. The term Big Data has increasingly gained momentum over the last twenty years, but depending on which industry it's referring to, its meaning and use vary widely.

Curbs are necessary for providing barriers, structural support, protecting landscapes, and directing water flow towards drains. Installing a curb is a laborious process, often including skilled laborers working on their hands and knees using guides or boards to ensure the lines are straight and that the reveal is correct. Machines have become available over the years to make the manual process more manageable, and depending on your budget, there are some different options available on the market.

There are things you can do to extend the life of your GPS equipment. In this blog, some of our former operators turned engineers will share some advice based on their experiences for what you can do to help your machines stay operational longer. It's not always possible to purchase new equipment, so keeping your existing equipment working will require some forethought and action!

Companies have been using GPS technology on their construction equipment for a very long time. In most cases, companies stick with one manufacturer, but the brands used on their fleet vary for others. Is having a hybrid fleet viable? We say - Yes.

Milling machine manufacturers have developed technology that has enabled significant process improvements since the invention of the Roto-Mill in the mid-1970s. The amount of asphalt that a milling machine could cut during, let's say, two hours back in the 1980s compared to today is night and day. If you're still handling your paving jobs without the advanced machine technology, it's time to take your process to the next level, which will save you time and money!

Depending on which brand of GPS equipment you’re using the file types and therefore file extensions will differ. The reason for this is that the brands each have their proprietary systems with their own file types as opposed to universal ones. For example, have you received files ending in .ttm, .dxf, .csv, .tn3, .ln3, or others and wondered what’s the difference between them?

Trenching and excavating – these top the list as the most hazardous operations in our industry. They cannot be avoided, however, as they play a significant role in civil engineering. Being careless or making mistakes could lead to fatalities among your work crew. So, what can you do to keep your job site and workers in the safest possible conditions?

A construction project’s success factor begins with accurate survey data and the coordinate system it is based on. The coordinate system is the source for obtaining the precise survey data. Coordinates are necessary when laying projects out, whether it’s a highway, bridge, site work, utilities, or another type of construction project.

CONEXPO CON/AGG 2023 is coming up quick and if you’re headed to Las Vegas you’re sure to see many cool Artificial Intelligence options that can be useful in construction project management. From the bidding stage through completion, there are many reasons why you might want to consider adding AI into your workflows.

Are you wondering how a surface model will work with your heavy equipment? Although it can seem complex, it is simpler than you may think. Some machines already come equipped with the technology and others can be retrofitted with aftermarket technology systems. Either way, the most important thing to understand is that they run off GPS.

Have you ever been on a job site where the engineer only used a transit or theodolite to check grades? It takes them so long to set up, find their benchmark, measure the point, and calculate an elevation that you might as well send the crew home because it takes so long. Fortunately for you, most engineers these days use total stations or GPS rovers to check grades.

The evolution of surveying over the years is very impressive. What used to take months to do years ago has been reduced to days or hours in modern-day surveying. There are many different methods used by surveyors. This blog will cover some of those methods.

We are often asked how we can provide value to a road, utility, or site contractor who already has an in-house GPS model builder. The answer is simple, we work collaboratively with them to add the modeling expertise of our VCEs, we take up the slack to get large projects ready for construction, and we bring more modeling tools to the table.

By bringing together virtual models, data analytics, systems, people, and improved workflows through CIM you will gain efficiencies in every phase. Stakeholders will be able to easily access and rely on accurate and timely information which will enable them to do their jobs better. Your projects will not run behind schedule as often and your overall costs will decrease.

So, you’ve invested in some GPS machine control technology. You’ve weighed the option of training or hiring an in-house person versus hiring an external service provider to handle the data prep. Based on your research, you’ve decided to partner with an external company that specializes in data prep and want to know what the next steps are.

A question we are frequently asked by our clients and prospective clients is “What is the turnaround time for this project?”. Generally speaking, we typically run on average with a two-week turnaround time but situations sometimes impact that timeline which means it could take longer. Let’s go over some problems that impact the speed of model building.

The increased use of GPS systems for construction projects has led to contractors often asking themselves or service providers like us, “What does a 3d road model cost?”. Typically, you’ll hear the standard reply of “it depends” which it does. However, we’re going to explain why it depends and what each type might generally cost.

There are tons of specialties that one can build off of within construction. Not everyone has to be a carpenter or a heavy equipment operator. However, if you do start in one of those jobs, your chances to further build out your skills are plentiful.

Continuing our support for Careers in Construction month by giving you information about two exciting professions: civil engineering, and landscape architecture. Some might think they’re very similar, however, they differ quite a bit.

Dozers are arguably the coolest piece of heavy equipment out there; however, we can make a strong case for the road grader. Long gone are the days of graders being pulled by horses and tractors! The power and versatility of a modern-day road grader are two of the top reasons we consider it to compete with the dozer for being badass.