The primary advantage of CIM is the benefit it provides to our client partnerships. We seamlessly integrate our modeling work into their workstreams, which allows them to plan their resources and their projects most efficiently. When CIM processes are incorporated into civil engineering workflows, the result is far better than when it is not, including higher profits for contractors!

Cut & Fills (aka takeoffs) are among the topmost critical components of bidding, planning, and executing earthwork projects. For an inexperienced person, it can be a very time-consuming task. Additionally, it is a process that has little room for error. Mistakes in cut & fill analyses result in extra time, resources, and expenses.

Both LIDAR and Photogrammetry share the same primary purpose: to determine the 3D relationships between other locations; however, their methods differ. Both ways accomplish their task by locating and measuring natural and people-made land features' elevations, angles, and boundaries. These surveying methods are fundamental in construction and civil engineering. Understanding their similarities and differences will help you decide which to invest in and deploy for your projects.

One can never be too careful when it comes to underground utilities detection and digging. According to Common Ground Alliance (CGA), which represents a body of industry stakeholders that advocate for the 811 service, U.S. damages cost $30 billion every year! Contributing to the vast expense of damages are: failure to notify, excavating issues, and locating issues.

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!

Whether it’s something you’ve read in our blogs or elsewhere, you know that utilizing drones and other technologies are advantageous in executing, managing, and controlling earthmoving projects in today’s fast-paced world. The days of looking at a job site with 2D paper models are mostly behind us. 3D Models, Digital Elevation Models, 3D Point Clouds and Orthophotos are way more common nowadays.

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.

Residential subdivisions have steadily grown in popularity since their development in the 1940s. They require careful and thorough planning. To obtain the required approvals for construction to begin, it is also necessary to gather site plans, topo surveys, diagrams, and any other relevant project data. Included within the site plan is the layout and grading plan for the site, and that’s where we can get involved to assist with your data prep.

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!

Construction project meetings include stakeholders from many different areas. Meeting participants can range from those with a deep knowledge base like the developer or contractor to individuals from the finance area who are looking at it through a different lens. All perspectives are valuable; however, it can be challenging to effectively facilitate these meetings and ensure that each individual walks away with the information they need to contribute to the project’s success.

In our industry, precision is one of the most fundamental factors to successful project execution. Precise measurements lead to precise calculations, precise calculations lead to precise specifications, and ultimately that all leads to better project outcomes. Being able to calculate accurate local elevation for job sites is essential. However, our planet is not the perfectly round, smooth shape that some think it is. Earth is very bumpy and irregular. This irregular shape is called the geoid.

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?

Geometry is the basis for civil engineering. You may have heard the term TIN when speaking with a civil engineer about a surface model for your project. So, what is this TIN thing you hear them talking about? Basically, it’s a bunch of triangles all joined continuously together at their points (vertices). TINs provide a visual of a topographical surface and are the building blocks for creating 3D surface models of civil works.

Some of you may already be flying a drone over your worksite during the preconstruction phase and have recognized how beneficial it is to have incorporated this into your standard process. Some of you have not. We’ve identified a few key reasons why everyone should.

Over the years, we have come across different reasons for suboptimal bids. The most common reasons are all related to, you can probably guess it, changes! Many changes occur throughout a project's lifecycle. Sometimes they start as early as the bid phase. Changes to the project's scope that happen pre-bid are usually referred to as addendums. A few of these pre-bid changes come to mind.

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.