Modern Contractor Solutions July 2023 : simplebooklet.com

PROJECT PROFILESTaking the Next Step ............................................Construction Rentals ............................................ 16EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONVanair EPEQ System ............................................. 18ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONSErosion Control .................................................... 20Decarbonizing Concrete: Part 3 of 4 ...................... 22MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONConstruction Robotics .......................................... 24SOFTWARE SOLUTIONSElevation Pro ....................................................... 26New Technologies ................................................ 28Prophix Empowers ............................................... 30 LEGAL SOLUTIONContractor Beware ............................................... 32TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONSVolumetric Technology ......................................... 34Fleet Wisdom ....................................................... 38Autonomous Tech ................................................ 40SAFETY SOLUTIONSDrones & Sensors ................................................. 42Less Injuries ........................................................ 44MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONSProactive Maintenance ......................................... 46Street Repair ....................................................... 48FEATURED PRODUCTThe New Rooster Asset Tracking System ............... 51SUBSCRIPTIONS For all changes, go to:MCSMAG.COMClick the SUBSCRIPTIONS button in the main menuwww.mcsmag.com 3100 Lorna Rd, Ste 101Birmingham, AL 35216DONNA CAMPBELL Editor in Chiefdonna@mcsmag.com MIKE BARKER Publishermike@mcsmag.com RANDY MOON Media Consultantrandym@mcsmag.com KEVIN MCCLARAN Media Consultantkevin@mcsmag.com MINDY PALMER Media Consultantmindy@mcsmag.com LISA AVERY Art Directorlisa@mcsmag.com SETH SAUNDERS Digital Media Specialist seth@mcsmag.com INGRID BERKY Office Manageringrid@mcsmag.comTIM GARMONCEORUSSELL HADDOCKPresidentCHRIS GARMONCFODONNA CAMPBELLVice President, EditorialTONYA BROWNINGVice PresidentNo part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage-and-retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher. The views expressed by those not on the sta of Modern Contractor Solutions, or who are not speciﬁcally employed by Highlands Publications are purely their own. All Industry News material has either been submitted by the subject company or pulled directly from its corporate website, which is assumed to be cleared for release. Comments and submissions are welcome, and can be submitted to donna@mcsmag.com.For reprint information, contact Chris Garmon at chris@mcsmag.com.Canada Post Publication Agreement #41578525. Undeliverables 355 Admiral Drive, Unit 4, Mississauga, ON L5T 2N1 Modern Contractor Solutions Magazine@mcsmagModern Contractor SolutionsTODAY’S TECHNOLOGY The summer buzz is the heat. Projects are humming along this season. A nice complement to equipment is the technology available today for reducing downtime, increasing productivity, and being more accurate on the job. This issue starts with a project profile featuring Tucker Paving and its embrace of automation to its excavators. The full story is on page 12. Sunbelt Rentals discusses how manufacturers and dealers can deliver more value; check out the story on page 16. Construction robotics is the topic on whether it’s a novel toy or a breakthrough; this story is on page 24. Integrated cloud platforms and software for accurate estimating and reporting make this issue’s Software Solution section a must-read. A feature article about volumetric technology brings information in a Q&A with Mark Rinehart, vice president of Sales and Marketing with Cemen Tech, and three customer testimonials. From telematics for your fleet to autonomous tech, our MCS July issue is brimming with solutions and educational insight. Dig in and enjoy! The next read for your punch list is The Fred Factor. Do you remember this book? It's still relevant today and I recommend it. Stay safe and cool this summer. Stay engaged as the August issue brings a focus on equipment. Cheers,Donna CampbellEditor in ChiefSAN DIEGO (July 10, 2023) – Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Janessa BennettAndrews, from Allentown, Pennsylvania, left, assigned to amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7), records patient information from Airman Ty Chatman, from Birmingham, Alabama, aboard the berthing barge during the ship’s maintenance availability, July 10. Tripoli is an America-class amphibious assault ship homeported in San Diego. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kaleb ShultzThe Fred Factorpunch•list52

Page 9

Page 10

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com6industry newsROOSTER UNVEILS ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM Rooster LLC, a Kansas-based Construction Technology (ConTech) company, launches the Rooster® Asset Tracking System, the world’s first equipment management tool that captures every minute of powered, unpowered, and heavy equipment activity and automates reporting for as little as $1 per month. It is purpose built to provide visibility, accountability, and efficiency for anything, from small powered or unpowered tools to heavy equipment and yellow iron. The Rooster Asset Tracking System consists of Rooster Hubs and Rooster Activity Trackers. Rooster Hubs are robust data portals that connect to the Cloud through an LTE-M cellular connection to deliver highly accurate GPS location and activity data. Rooster Activity Trackers are small, rugged devices that, once installed to any piece of equipment, capture activity on a minute-by-minute basis, for up to 5 years, and relay that data to the nearest Rooster Hub.The Rooster® Asset Tracking System now includes meter reading and reporting capability for heavy duty trucks and construction equipment using the SAE J1939 standard for data exchange. This feature is designed to make it easier to track and view current equipment telemetry, such as vehicle identification number (VIN), fuel consumption, and engine hours. Specially developed plug-and-play cables conveniently connect to equipment data or dedicated telematic ports, minimizing installation effort. For more, visit rooster.com.EBERSPAECHER CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEMS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS IN NORTH AMERICAEberspaecher Management celebrates a unique business anniversary: 50 years for Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems in North America. The site in Mississauga, Canada, is the oldest overseas subsidiary of the Eberspaecher Group and supplies its customers with vehicle heaters, energy storage systems, and AC systems. The main products are heaters for Class 8 truck manufacturers, but the subsidiary also promotes air and coolant heating solutions as well as spare parts for the RV, Off-Highway, Agriculture and Utility & Marine markets. The wide range of user-friendly operating elements and diagnosis tools complement these services. In North America, the Eberspaecher Group has nine sites with activities in its three Divisions Purem by Eberspaecher, Climate Control Systems and Automotive Controls as well as the new business area of hydrogen mobility. For more, visit www.eberspaecher-climate.com. B2W SOFTWARE GIVES STUDENTS A HEAD START IN CONSTRUCTION CAREERSThe future is bright for college students aiming for careers in construction, and B2W Software is making it a little brighter. Through the B2W College Program, universities and colleges with construction management curricula can incorporate B2W Software for teaching free of charge. Across North America, schools use B2W applications to give

Page 11

Page 12

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com8industry newsstudents a step ahead in their academics and their careers and provide a hands-on experience with what real-life construction workflows look like. Brigham Young University in Utah is among the schools where students also use B2W Software to gain an advantage in the Associated Schools of Construction’s Student Competitions.The B2W Software College Program offers applications for construction estimating and bidding as well as resource scheduling and dispatching, job performance tracking and reporting, and equipment maintenance. The technology supports courses such as estimating, construction management, construction technology, civil engineering, construction science, and other related fields.The Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an organization of construction educators that further develops teaching concepts for students internationally, holds its Student Competitions annually and regionally. Construction companies sponsor these weekend-long events. They look to the competitions as opportunities to educate students as well as to identify future employees. For more, visit www.b2wsoftware.com. TOPCON INTRODUCES APTIX INTEGRATION PLATFORM FOR HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION Topcon Positioning Systems introduces Aptix™, a new integration-platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) to optimize how heavy civil construction projects are managed. Aptix seamlessly integrates Topcon solutions with multiple third-party applications to automate and orchestrate data connections between the office and jobsite. It streamlines processes and generates insights for construction teams within one platform, ensuring the as-built is as-planned and the project meets profitability goals. Aptix automates and orchestrates the distribution of data, including machine control files, constructible models, project schedules, and reports on actuals. It shows, in near-real time, the location of machines with the ability to aggregate as-built data from mixed fleet telematics. It provides real-time reports on people, materials, machines, and carbon dioxide emissions, creating greater visibility for carbon footprint and sustainability initiatives. For more, visit www.topconpositioning.com/aptix.PMI AND ORACLE ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION TO IMPROVE DIGITAL PROJECT EFFICIENCIES Project Management Institute (PMI) and Oracle Construction and Engineering announced a collaboration that will allow them to pool their respective capabilities to deliver thought leadership, best practices, and tools created exclusively for professionals in the construction and asset-intensive sectors. The non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) executed between Oracle and PMI is intended to begin with the integration of Oracle resources into the existing coursework for the Construction Professional in Built Environment Projects (PMI-CP)™, a capstone

Page 13

Page 14

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com10industry newscertification which leverages best practices from the construction industry, construction industry organizations, and construction industry experts across the world. As a top contributor to construction research initiatives, Oracle leverages industry best practices as part of their digital technology product development efforts. Additionally, PMI and Oracle plan to participate in joint events, webinars, and roundtables bringing together industry leaders and experts to address challenges within the construction and asset-intensive sectors. This collaboration also is intended to deliver PMI programs and trainings to Oracle employees, and apply PMI best practices to configuration templates in the Oracle Smart Construction Platform. For more, visit www.pmi.org.FLEETWATCHER’S E-TICKETING ENHANCES EFFICIENCY AND IMPROVES SAFETYFleetWatcher e-ticketing enhances efficiency by providing the plant, driver, crew, and the customer the same ticket data at the same time. After initially setting up customers, drivers, and company employees, e-ticketing information can be shared for all future projects without additional effort. This saves the time normally devoted to manually collecting, tracking, and sorting of paper tickets, while reducing worksite hazards since inspectors automatically receive the information needed without dodging trucks while collecting tickets. It eliminates lost tickets, and the headaches and hassles associated with them, while providing an easy-to-use system to share e-tickets with state agencies and others requiring them. Requests for tickets from prior projects are easily and quickly handled regardless of how long ago the project was completed. FleetWatcher scale ticket integration provides material and tonnage verification, and quickly summarizes tickets for contractor payments. Tickets and summary reports are available via cell phone, allowing immediate access to the information for all applicable personnel, including DOT. It is ideal for state funded pavement projects of all types and sizes. FleetWatcher has partnered with agencies in dozens of states, providing a turnkey solution to alleviate the challenges and burdens associated with collecting paper tickets. Additionally, integrating with scales and programs like OnStation, B2W, Viewpoint, and other popular software programs allows data to flow seamlessly wherever needed. For more, visit www.fleetwatcher.com.HCSS PARTNERS WITH CLUEHCSS, a leading provider of innovative software that helps heavy civil businesses streamline their operations, announces integration with Clue. This innovative platform connects all company assets—yellow irons, on-road, rentals, and crew into a single system. Clue integrates with HCSS HeavyJob, Telematics, and Equipment360, providing an integrated platform for all systems where users get a single pane of glass view of their entire operation. For more, visit hcss.com and getclue.com.

Page 15

Page 16

Page 17

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202313In a construction business environment that increasingly demands speed and efficiency from its players, the onus is on contractors to meet those demands—and they are doing so in a range of new and differing ways. For Florida construction specialist Tucker Paving, already a decade-long proponent of GPS-based machine control, that has meant drawing on that same technology to step up the excavation facet of their game. The results of doing so have been both impressive and undeniable. At a central Florida residential development, using automated excavator technology from Topcon Positioning Systems on several machines, the company reduced the time needed for some segments of the workflow by half, made better use of other equipment and improved their position with project owners as a valued partner. Tuckered out? Nope, just getting started.CENTRAL TO THE STORYIt should come as no surprise that Winter Haven-based Tucker Paving is as busy as they currently are—managing as many as 40 projects at any given time. Central Florida now boasts one of the highest influxes of new residents and rates of development of almost any area in the country. Studies show roughly 1,500 people moving to the region every week, boosting the populations of the seven major central Florida counties from 4.3 million to 5.2 million residents over the next decade. In Polk County alone (home to Tucker Paving), the population is projected to increase by more than 24% by 2030. All that growth equates to a huge demand for housing and commercial space, a need that bodes well for contractors like Tucker, according to Eric Woodcock, the company’s equipment manager. “Developments in this part of the state are springing up almost everywhere,” he says. “The area of Polk County where we are currently working—particularly near the I-4/SH27 interchange—is just exploding. This project, called BellaVida Resort Phase 3, is a 57-acre site that will feature 300+ homesites for both single-family dwellings and townhomes. Since we started, we’ve been moving at a nice clip, largely because of the GPS-based equipment we have at work.” CHOICE CUTSAs mentioned, Tucker Paving has been an avid believer in machine control since 2014, currently having more than 21 dozers and motor graders employing that solution. However, when true excavator automation entered the construction realm several years back, the company was eager to tap those benefits as well.“Chip Tucker, our owner, is progressive when it comes to equipment that can improve the operation,” says Woodcock. “It stands to reason that automating the excavation part of the job would have caught his attention. Here at the BellaVida site alone, we have three excavators—including a John Deere 470 we purchased from Dobbs Equipment—all running the MC-Max Excavator solution from Topcon. Our operators love it and it’s really streamlined our workflow. Dobbs’ Roger Croft has been key in getting us adapted to the Topcon automated solution, just as the team at Dobbs has provided outstanding support for all our Deere equipment and the Topcon systems on it.”One of the most attractive features of the system to Tucker’s operators, particularly as it relates to mass excavation, is the ability to

Page 18

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com14project profilequickly switch between 2D indicate-only and 3D automatic modes. In 2D mode, should they only need an indication of bucket-depth in relation to grade, they have it and can dig as normal. However, when needing to dig a precise slope, MC-Max in 3D automatic-mode keeps them on-grade and tracking the design file, eliminating the risk of over- or under-excavating.NOW, IRON FREEWhile the benefits cited above have proven extremely beneficial to Tucker at the development site, Ron Hall, one of the company’s superintendents, says the new solution pays valuable dividends in other ways as well.“Before we automated the excavators, we had two options for working any area needing a specific slope,” says Hall. “We would either need to have it staked or we’d have a GPS-equipped dozer working alongside the excavator, essentially acting as its GPS and ‘cleaning up’ after the larger machine. Well, staking is out of the question for us—since automating, the only stakes you will see on a Tucker jobsite are layouts for sanitary, storm, water, curb, etc.”He also cited the inefficiency of using two machines to grade a slope. Automating the excavator, he says, not only allows the machine to operate accurately and independently, it also frees up a dozer to do work on another part of the site, raising productivity even further.“Without GPS, the mass grading part of this job—just removing/moving the dirt and getting it ready for utilities—would probably take two and a half to three months,” he says. “Because of the efficiency GPS brings to the site, I'm going to mass grade this job in three weeks. You can’t beat that.”ON CHOSEN PONDSOne of the most noticeable areas in which the benefit of automating the excavator function has shown itself is in construction of any of the eleven water features which serve as both retention ponds and aesthetic enhancements at BellaVida. Typically a headache—and an ideal situation for the dual-machine approach mentioned above—pond creation has instead become the area in which Tucker’s automated excavators have thrived.“Our operators have really embraced the Topcon technology and their comfort level is reflected in the excellent production rates we’ve been getting,” said Woodcock. “While the ponds at BellaVida varied in size, each one still needed to be excavated to a specific depth and sloped to a specific angle—a challenging operation. However, giving the operator the ability to simply reach out with his bucket and know, with confidence, that he is at the correct depth or creating the perfect slope, proved invaluable.” The largest pond Tucker’s team created was approximately 250 ft long by 100 ft wide at its widest point—just a bit smaller than a football field. They cut roughly 18 ft from one end and 13 ft on the other, resulting in them moving approximately 9,300 yards of dirt from that area alone. “It took us three days to complete the operation using two of the automated excavators; doing it with stakes would have easily been a five-day operation,” says Woodcock. “With schedules as demanding as they’ve been, that was a huge time savings.”QUESTION OF BALANCEWith both the economics of today’s construction jobsite and new and evolving challenges such as supply-chain interruptions, shortages of available trucking, etc., in mind, efforts were made to ensure the movement of soil balanced out at the BellaVida site. That was handled by taking material from high spots and pond excavations and using it in low areas and for use as fill for house pads. “The beauty of the automated excavator solution is that they can be used to dig ponds, to dig lots, to dig roads—again, all by themselves. They become a much more versatile piece of equipment for us,” says Hall.Not all material situations are quite as accommodating as the one at BellaVida. Hall says they recently completed earthwork at a subdivision in nearby Lake Hamilton where they ended up exporting about 110,000 yards of material. “Fortunately, we've also got jobsites for that same developer that are 50-60,000 yards short, so we can easily move material to one of their own projects. It’s not as convenient as a balanced site, but it’s workable.”TIME BEATS MONEYAlthough the GPS environment is well-entrenched at Tucker Paving, Hall says dealing with machine control was a new experience for him when he joined the company five years ago. It did not take him long, however, to realize the benefits the technology brings.“I've been running equipment for over 30 years and never dealt with GPS until I started working here and I love it,” he says. “I can't imagine getting work done without it now—not in a timely fashion, anyway. I know from company history that Tucker Paving was one of the first companies in Polk County to start using fully automated GPS on their machines and it doesn’t surprise me. Chip Tucker is all about getting things done right, getting them done safely and doing it quickly—GPS makes all that happen.”CLOSING THOUGHTIn light of the tremendous growth occurring in Central Florida, that last point, speed, has loomed very large for Tucker Paving, adds Woodcock. “When it comes to bidding on jobs, there are times when we may not come in at the lowest price,” he says. “However, we secure a lot of our work based on the fact that we can give the customer a shorter schedule—that’s ultimately what they want. In the current environment down here, time is often far more important to a developer than cost. If we can tackle a job that would normally take six months and—using technology like automated excavators, machine control dozers, etc.—reduce that time frame by almost half, that’s going to win every time.” about the authorLarry Trojak is president of Trojak Communications, a Minnesota-based marketing communications firm. He has written for the construction, recycling, demolition, scrap, and aggregate processing industries. For more about Topcon’s MC-Max, visit topconpositioning.com.

Page 19

Page 20

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com16project profileRenting construction equipment and machine control technology is an increasingly popular option for contractors as managers look for more efficient ways to complete jobs, all while battling high equipment prices, rising interest rates, and supply chain disruptions. But when renting, what level of service and support can you expect, especially when it comes to machine control technology? Nationally, rental revenues rose 12.7% in 2022, according to the American Rental Association, and while the forecast for 2023 is more moderate, rental remains an attractive strategy for many contractors.Sunbelt Rentals in Port Arthur, Texas, has seen increased demand for all types of construction equipment and construction technology. “We have a focus on heavy construction, and from late 2021 to the end of 2022 we added 10 excavators, 10 dozers and a grader, all with aftermarket machine control,” says Bryan Mazingo, branch manager. “Our customers are working on some of the largest projects in the area.”Machine control systems are growing in usage as spending on infrastructure projects increases. The $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will funnel billions to states and local governments to upgrade outdated roads, bridges, transit systems, and more. Contractors are turning to machine control for increased accuracy, precision, and productivity, and many government contracts now require it. ACCOUNTABILITY MATTERSWhile the support contractors require for rented construction technology varies considerably, Sunbelt Rentals has an unwavering commitment to customer service excellence. This commitment requires each location to hold their technology manufacturers and dealers to the same rigorous standards. “Some customers have their own surveying departments, and some don't,” says Mazingo. “They may need assistance or training. Our technology suppliers need to support our customers with any questions they have.“If the construction technology goes down, it can stop the job, and other jobs behind it,” continues Mazingo. “If there are failures, breakdowns, or repairs, we need to know our suppliers are going to be there within a reasonable time.”Suppliers that don’t measure up are quickly replaced. When one of Mazingo’s technology suppliers was taking two, four, or even six weeks to come out and look at a broken machine, Mazingo asked for training so his staff would be able to resolve customer problems faster. The request was denied. “They wanted us to depend on them 100% and it just didn’t work out well,” says Mazingo. “With all these issues, it was time to find another solution.”Mazingo chose to work with Leica Geosystems and its Texas dealer, Four Point Solutions, for machine control on eight new excavators purchased in late 2021. Four Point Solutions quickly obtained safety certifications and secured background checks so its technicians could access construction sites at large industrial and chemical plants.According to Mazingo, customers noticed immediate improvements in both the support and technology. “The technology was great,” says Mazingo. “We had less downtime, fewer failures, and anytime there was an issue, the technicians were out here that day or early the very next day to look at it.“After using their excavator systems for a while and seeing the great support from both Leica and Four Point Solutions, I decided to start converting everything over,” Mazingo addd. COLLAB OPTIMIZES UPTIMEWhile high-value supplier relationships are the main reason Sunbelt Rentals customers can resolve issues quickly, technology innovation also plays a role. In addition to state-of-the-art machine control, Sunbelt Rentals is utilizing Leica ConX, a cloud-based collaboration tool. Construction RentalsConstruction RentalsSunbelt Rentals puts pressure on manufacturers and dealers to deliver more valueGROWING DEMANDBy Troy Dahlin

Page 21

“We can log in remotely and see what the problem is,” says Aaron Laine, owner of Four Point Solutions. “We can also send messages through the system to help guide and train their people.” “They're able to walk my technicians through issues to find solutions,” says Mazingo. “And now you've reduced your downtime from two days down to a couple hours.”To further assist Sunbelt Rentals in meeting its customer-service objectives, Four Point Solutions is teaching Sunbelt Rentals technicians how to handle simple tasks such as fixing cables. “If they’re 15 minutes from the jobsite, and we’re three hours from the jobsite, it makes sense for their technicians to make the repair,” Laine says.“It’s about working with them to keep the end-users happy,” he adds. SEAMLESS WORKFLOWS Since most contractors operate mixed fleets, partners appreciate machine control that works well with multiple brands. “The Leica technology works well with any brand of equipment,” says Laine. Sunbelt Rentals customers have been able to improve their setup and eliminate unnecessary base stations and other equipment as a result.“By streamlining equipment, one customer was able to reduce their construction technology costs and improve their workflow,” says Laine. “Now they no longer need three different sets of files.”The feedback from contractors is important to Sunbelt Rentals. “Customers like the technology better and say it’s easier to work with,” says Mazingo.Because understanding the technology’s capabilities is important to customer success, Sunbelt Rentals also expects training support from their manufacturing partners. “The proper setup and operation of machine control technology goes a long way toward reducing downtime,” says Laine. “One of our customers asked for someone to come out and give them a rundown on the Leica system, and Four Point Solutions was able to do that,” explains Mazingo. “To have a provider that's willing to take the time out of their schedule to do that, it’s something we look for.”CLOSING THOUGHTBefore you rent construction equipment with machine control technology, it’s important to understand the support that comes with it. A top-quality company like Sunbelt Rentals ensures you have the service and support you need to maximize the value of your rental. Leica Geosystems and dealers like Four Point Solutions are making a difference in what contractors can expect from machine control technology, whether rented or owned. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202317about the authorWith more than 15 years of experience in in the construction industry, Troy Dahlin serves as the vice president for the Heavy Construction Segment of Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, in North America. He is responsible for the growth of the business through increased sales and market share. For more, visit leica-geosystems.com.

Page 22

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com18equipment solutionFleets that do remote jobsite work are grappling with the challenges of decarbonizing their fleets now, in order to meet increasingly stringent idling laws while dealing with the inevitable transition to electric vehicles (EVs). With concerns about jobsite productivity and EV range, fleet operators are seeking solutions that enable them to continue to get the job done in a no-idle or reduced-idle environment. Recognizing the need for innovative mobile power solutions, Vanair has recently launched its groundbreaking EPEQ Electrified Power Equipment line.Founded in 1972, Vanair has seen a lot of change over the years, but nothing like the rapidly evolving business landscape faced by fleets today, with its unprecedented rate of change. Vanair’s ongoing collaboration with its customer base across various industries, supported by a robust voice-of-the-customer program, enabled the company to anticipate upcoming trends. EPEQ delivers a jobsite power solution that will not only bridge the gap today, making carbon-based vehicles greener in the field, it will continue to serve the needs of fleets even after they transition to EVs.ENGINEERED WITH THE END IN MINDVanair’s Electrified Power Equipment (EPEQ) line is a comprehensive, patent-pending system that offers fleets an end-to-end solution to reduce their carbon footprint and comply with idling mandates now. At the jobsite level, EPEQ lets fleets become true “green fleets” without waiting for EV adoption to mature or for charging infrastructure challenges to be resolved.The EPEQ product lineup includes a diverse range of fully-electric mobile power solutions designed to make an instant impact on carbon emissions. With the inclusion of the innovative “Smart Controller,” fleets can power down their vehicles on the jobsite while ensuring work productivity and meeting regulatory requirements.The purpose-designed components of the EPEQ line, such as lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, electric power take-off (ePTO) systems, air compressors, AC power inverters, welders, EV chargers, idle mitigation technology, alternators/regulators, and DC-DC converters, are optimized for battery-powered systems. The advanced ELiMENT LiFePO4 Battery incorporates a unique battery management system that can discharge power while being charged, enhancing overall efficiency.With its wide range of functionalities, Vanair can tailor the EPEQ system to meet the specific needs of any fleet. Whether fleets require a targeted single-function machine or an ecosystem product grouping kit, Vanair offers a customizable solution to suit various applications across industries like road construction, mining, oil and gas, fire and rescue, and more.A GAME CHANGER INSIDE AND OUTThe EPEQ system is fully self-contained and can be mounted on internal-combustion-engine vehicles, electric vehicles, or trailers. When installed in a vehicle or enclosed body, users can experience a substantial reduction in noise levels (up to 60%) and eliminate exhaust emissions from the equation. The removal of internal-combustion engines also results in lower maintenance requirements and immediate fuel savings.Early adopters of the EPEQ system have lauded its functionality, citing quiet operation, improved air quality, and enhanced equipment performance. The system has opened new possibilities for fleets that previously faced challenges related to fumes, noise, and workspace limitations. Fleets are leveraging the EPEQ system to gain a competitive advantage, expand services, and cater to unique applications within their respective industries.The EPEQ line represents Vanair’s commitment to providing fleets with clean, quiet, and powerful alternatives for a sustainable future. By empowering fleets to decrease their environmental impact now, Vanair is supporting the transition towards greener transportation solutions tomorrow, while ensuring fleets can continue their operations efficiently and compliantly today.There is no longer any reason that a jobsite can’t be green, or at least greener. The scalability of the EPEQ system allows for the addition of different power equipment, and with the introduction of the EPEQ IDLE MITIGATION (EPEQ IM) kit, fleets can automatically turn off vehicles while still enabling workers to operate the power equipment.AUTOMATIC RESPONSEThe EPEQ IM system can be customized to turn the vehicle on or off based on fleet-dictated parameters, such as run time or battery state EPEQ SystemEPEQ Systemsupports tomorrow’s jobsites of today VANAIRBy Dean StrathmanEPEQ SystemEPEQ Systemsupports tomorrow’s jobsites of today VANAIRBy Dean Strathman

Page 23

of charge. It utilizes the onboard vehicle battery or Vanair’s EPEQ ELiMENT LiFePO4 auxiliary battery to power various functions, including cab heat and air conditioning, emergency lights, radios, laptops, cameras, and AC electrical equipment.The Smart Controller module is discreetly placed underneath the dash and communicates through the vehicle’s J1939 CAN bus network or OBD port, making parameter setting and system operation effortless. By automatically turning off the vehicle once specific conditions are met, the EPEQ IM system significantly reduces idling time, also known as “ghost miles,” which cause wear and tear on the vehicle. This reduction in idling time leads to substantial savings in maintenance costs, including fuel consumption reduction, minimized engine hours, and reduced DPF regeneration and cleaning. The EPEQ IM system addresses not only the emission issue but also extends the lifespan of existing chassis.Vanair also offers telematics capabilities that provide valuable asset usage information to fleet managers. The new telematics package enables precise monitoring of various parameters, including geo positioning, vehicle speed, fuel level, tire pressure, and fault codes. This information empowers fleet managers to make informed decisions about fleet investments, optimize asset utilization, and identify components that can be removed to save space and weight.READY FOR THE FUTUREAs EV’s take the stage, EPEQ has already solved the “hard to electrify” dilemma raised by many industry pundits. By removing the burden of powering truck-mounted equipment from an EV’s primary battery bank, the EPEQ system enables the use of traditional PTO-driven components, such as air compressors and hydraulic drive packages. This compatibility ensures that workers using electric vehicles in the future can continue operating the same equipment without requiring additional training or adapting to unfamiliar solutions.CLOSING THOUGHTWith Vanair’s EPEQ systems, work becomes simpler and more productive both in the present and as fleets progress into the future. These electrified power solutions bridge the gap between conventional and electric vehicles, providing fleets with a reliable and efficient path toward sustainable operations. By embracing Vanair’s EPEQ Electrified Power Equipment, fleets can achieve their environmental goals, optimize operational efficiency, and position themselves for a successful transition to electric vehicles. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202319about the authorDean Strathman, Vanair’s vice president of sales, has been an integral part of the company since 2009, showcasing remarkable career progression through his versatility and excellence in various sales roles. With a profound understanding of the truck body industry and expertise in mobile power solutions, Strathman has earned the trust of both clients and colleagues, positioning himself as a valuable advisor. For more, visit vanair.com.

Page 24

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com20environmental solutionErosion ControlErosion ControlBEST PRACTICESAround the world, streambank erosion is a common issue that affects infrastructure, properties, wildlife, and water quality. Yet, a lot of people still implement ineffective methods for erosion and sediment control.Even though streambank erosion is a naturally occurring process, it can become worse as a result of some anthropogenic activities, like urbanization, removal of streamside vegetation, agricultural use, channel realignment, etc.Let’s remember that streams are dynamic and constantly changing systems, so streambank restorations should adapt to these conditions over time.If you’d like to learn more about this, keep reading to discover the best erosion and sediment control method for streambank restorations.STREAMBANK RESTORATIONSStreambank restorations are important because erosion and sediment can make the water look muddy, affect surrounding structures, disturb aquatic life, and much more. But that’s not all, a streambank restoration project can even increase property value.Streams are home to many species and provide several benefits to humans, so it’s important to control erosion and sediment to protect these valuable ecosystems. When doing construction near these ecosystems, applicable laws also require you to have an erosion and sediment control plan.EROSION AND SEDIMENT There are several methods for streambank restorations, but depending on the site conditions, some options might be more effective than others. And sometimes, a combination of these erosion and sediment control measures might be needed. Although silt fences are a common option for sediment control, they tend to be ineffective for streambank restorations. So, they should only be used as a temporary solution, especially on sensitive jobsites.Want to know alternatives that are more sustainable, earth-friendly, and effective? Let’s check the best methods for erosion and sediment control:EcoBlanket® with Tackifier. EcoBlanket with naturally sourced tackifier is one of the most effective, not to mention earth-friendly, erosion control methods for streambank restoration projects and it’s installed in a one step, low impact pneumatic process using an Express Blower® machine. This eco-friendly blanket imitates the layer of humus that holds soil particles together and protects soil from erosion in nature. The best part is that EcoBlanket can also be applied in remote areas while providing both immediate and long-term protection. Besides protecting the soil, this streambank restoration method can improve existing soil structure, too. That’s because EcoBlanket is made of recycled green waste materials and can be injected with seeds to revegetate the site with native plants in a process called Terraseeding®. In extreme erosion and sediment control situations, a compost filter sock can be added at the top of the slope, as well. Filtrexx® FilterSoxx™. Filtrexx FilterSoxx is another effective erosion and sediment control tool that can be used for streambank restoration projects. FilterSoxx is a geotextile mesh tube filled with certified compost material to prevent soil erosion. This compost filter sock creates an erosion control barrier that retains sediment but allows the cleaned water to flow through. And to make things even better, this sustainable streambank restoration tool is also flexible and versatile. FilterSoxx can be filled in place or pre-filled and moved into position.CLOSING THOUGHTThese erosion and sediment control measures offer long-lasting, sustainable, and earth-friendly solutions to protect and restore streambanks. But before starting a streambank restoration project, remember that the appropriate method for erosion control should be selected and installed by professionals. for more informationFor more about Express Blower’s Terraseeding and other services, visit www.expressblower.com.SOURCES:National Geographic - Stream education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/streamFiltrexx www.filtrexx.comDenbow Environmental Services www.denbow.com Article Supplied by Denbow of Chilliwack, BC, Canadastreambank restoration methods

Page 25

Page 26

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com22environmental solutionThere is an overwhelming opportunity among the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry to reduce the carbon footprint of our built environment. The built environment is responsible for 40% of total global emissions annually, with construction materials accounting for 13% of that. One such material is so widely used but also has a staggering impact on the environment: concrete. But what makes this material have such high emissions?According to Architecture 2030, concrete is responsible for 11% of total global emissions, with 90% of those emissions coming directly from the cement content itself. Within the AEC sector, designers, manufacturers, and contractors are growing increasingly aware of the material’s impact on the environment, exploring and investing in various methods to help reduce its emissions. Here's how the AEC industry can help decarbonize concrete to reach climate goals: USE CONCRETE MIXES WITH LOWER CEMENT CONTENT Due to prescriptive requirements and a tendency for large safety margins, the construction industry has a history of over-cementing concrete, which has caused significantly higher emissions of the material. One concrete carbon reduction strategy is mixture design optimization. If performance specifications allow for it, significantly lower quantities of cement can often be used to achieve strength and durability requirements for the application. In addition, substituting ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), including fly ash, blast-furnace slag, and natural pozzolans, is a great place to start. This way, concrete maintains its performance while reducing its emissions. CONSIDER CONCRETES WITH “ALTERNATIVE” CEMENTAnother method to decarbonize concrete is to utilize “alternative” cement options. The most widely known alternative is Portland-limestone cement (PLC), which was developed in direct response to growing interest from the sector to reduce the embodied carbon emissions associated with OPC. Using PLC can lower the carbon footprint of concrete by 10% on average. Additionally, like any industry facing a widespread issue, various startups and organizations have recently emerged, offering innovative alternatives to OPC. Brimstone is an example of one of these cutting-edge companies, creating a carbon negative Portland cement with carbon-free calcium silicate rock instead of limestone. Prometheus is another example, working to create a zero-carbon bio-concrete combining microalgae and other natural components. Concrete innovations like those pioneered by Brimstone and Prometheus are not yet readily available to the public but are exciting options for the AEC industry to look forward to. ASK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS (EPDS) One method for decarbonizing the concrete sector lies directly in the hands of contractors. Because contractors are in communication with their manufacturers and suppliers on a daily basis, it is up to them to understand what materials they are specifying for a given project and their impact. EPDs demonstrate to contractors the carbon impact of a material to help them make more informed decisions when considering the overall emissions of a building project. Understanding EPDs is a win-win for contractors and suppliers alike, as it encourages suppliers to create EPDs for their products (including cement/concrete) and enables contractors to make comparisons between the concrete mixes available to them so that they can choose one with a lower impact. CLOSING THOUGHTConcrete is the second most used substance in the world, so it is imperative that the AEC industry continues to make strides toward decarbonizing the material in order to meet climate goals. Luckily, industry leaders are taking notice of the opportunity to educate designers, manufacturers and contractors on concrete’s carbon impact, meeting them where they are on their “embodied carbon journey” to help them understand steps to take during material specification, how to read an EPD and the role sustainability plays in the bidding process. Decarbonizing ConcreteDecarbonizing Concretehow to reduce emissions from the built environment BUILDING TRANSPARENCYBy Mikaela DeRousseauPART 3 OF 4about the authorMikaela DeRousseau is data and methodology manager at Building Transparency, a nonprofit organization that provides open-access data and tools to foster a better building future and aid in reversing climate change. For more, visit www.buildingtransparency.org.

Page 27

Page 28

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com24management solutionIf you’ve been operating a construction firm of any size over the past decade, it’s a safe bet that the single biggest problem you’ve faced is finding skilled labor. We can theorize around the recruiting strategies, educational tactics, even deflationary economic scenarios that might allure a new wave of Americans to enlist in our skilled trades, but unfortunately, theories won’t complete projects in the near term. Worse yet, as a high concentration of the current generation of skilled labor is set to retire over the coming decade, it is hard to fathom the forthcoming, piercing strain on our industry. So, if enough human labor won’t support current demand for labor, we must ask: how on earth will we complete critically important buildings and infrastructure projects and sustain economic growth?The obvious answer is: robotics.SAVE THE TRADESIf you’ve felt the pain of the skilled labor shortage, then you also understand the hype around robotics in construction.The thesis is simple: robots assisted by low-skilled human operators can bridge the productivity gap by completing the most tedious of construction tasks many multiples faster, at a significant cost reduction, with better accuracy, and reduced safety risks.That’s a massive promise that, admittedly, has yet to be realized due to the nascent nature of construction robotics.As a former construction manager (who felt the labor pain firsthand) and now a venture capitalist focused on funding the most transformative ideas in construction through Shadow Ventures, robotics has been on my radar for a while and the vertical has followed a particularly slow adoption curve. But for good reason. Buildings and infrastructure have outsized costs and serious risk attached, so making robotics work with near perfect quality, at the size and scale our market demands, is extremely time—and capital— intensive.But there’s reason for renewed optimism: real-world use cases are increasingly both economical and scalable.To offer some concrete examples of robotics concepts that are actively being deployed by AEC firms: • The SAM the bricklaying robot by Construction Robotics can lay 3,000 bricks per day.• Finishing work robots can paint, drywall, or plaster entire commercial spaces.• Other specialty robots can frame, design layouts, weld, floor, drill, fasten, manufacture rebar, and cut.• Exoskeleton suits can augment human strength and load bearing abilities.• Robots in the form of 3D printers can print entire structures with concrete.• This is just the beginning. Soon, you will find robots that augment work for each trade. The more tedious and specialized the task, the better.While this reality can engender reactions of fear and defensiveness when you consider potential job loss for partner companies, it’s important to be mindful of the larger perspective. For the foreseeable future, we are merely trying to bridge the existing labor gap, to make sure supply meets demand, and there is still a massive hole to fill. Moreover, robots don’t act independently. They need human operators that understand the objective of the desired task, who can supervise and sometimes course correct. The old argument of human augmentation vs. elimination applies here.Construction RoboticsConstruction Roboticsa novel toy or productivity breakthrough?WORKFORCEBy Nick Durham

Page 29

EARLY ADOPTER OF ROBOTICSIf you’re interested in becoming an early adopter of robotics to fill your skilled labor gap, there is a lot to consider before getting started.The most important question to understand is your company’s appetite for risk. Being an early R&D partner means lower speeds, growing pains, zero scale, and generally, lower overall outputs than human labor can perform. But it also means you’re signing up to have early access into the most promising companies in the world that when mature, can exponentially outperform existing outputs. As they grow, your competitors might not have access and the cost advantages that you will.An alternative approach would be getting started with a more mature product that matches or exceeds your output goals today.When considering piloting a robotics company, here are a few specifics to ask about and consider: • Production Speed (and Accuracy): How quickly can the robot complete tasks? What level of accuracy can they deliver? • Autonomy: Is the robot fully autonomous or does it require humans in the middle to support it? (Both will require a human operator, but less autonomy means more skilled labor, time, and potentially cost—it’s just a less skilled machine.)• Skill of Operator: What skill level does the human operator need to have in order to operate the robot?• Scale: How quickly can the robotics company scale with your demand? Currently, this is the largest constraint to solve in the construction industry.• Model: How will the company charge you for their robotic services? Robotics as a service, leasing, or fixed production costs are common ways robotics companies charge.Regarding startup companies, focus on what is realistic today versus in the future.CLOSING THOUGHTDon’t let the hype cycle around robotics being a novel, toylike concept distract you from its most practical use case: helping solve our massive labor gap.If you agree that there are limited ways to solve the current labor shortage, then I ask you to consider: what is the opportunity cost of not experimenting and learning how robotics could work for you, right now? www.mcsmag.com JULY 202325about the authorNick Durham is a general partner at Shadow Ventures. Nick is a former construction manager, turned startup operator, turned VC—holding a decade of experience in leadership positions at notable startups in the built environment and real estate industries such as: BuiltWorlds, PrintWithMe, and Stuccco. At Shadow Ventures, he's a part of a team that’s deployed $20M into early-stage startups focused on digitizing, automating, and decarbonizing the built world.

Page 30

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com26sotware solutionElevation ProElevation Proelevate your takeoffs and digital models INNOVATIONInSite Software's latest takeoff software, Elevation Pro, has brought earthwork takeoff and GPS machine control modeling to a whole new level. This new software improves accuracy, reduces risk, and stream-lines communication with field staff, all while significantly cutting down the time it takes estimators to perform takeoffs and create GPS machine control models.According to Steve Warfle, president and chief product officer for InSite Software, "Elevation Pro is a totally new software product that revolutionizes the sitework sector. Our development team worked with customer focus groups, industry partners, and studied the competitive landscape to identify the essential features that modern earthwork estimators need to increase production and minimize the wages spent on takeoff and modeling.”Elevation Pro debuted to a receptive industry at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023 in Las Vegas this past March. Prior to exhibiting, the trade show recognized InSite Software by announcing them as a candidate for the Next Level Award. The award celebrates companies that are developing next-level products, technologies, and services to advance the construction industry.FEATURES FOR CONTRACTORSElevation Pro offers the fastest takeoff solution in the industry. By speeding up the takeoff process, estimators can bid on more jobs with confidence, save time, and improve accuracy. With its advanced tools and features, Elevation Pro allows estimators to work with multiple data sources simultaneously, including CAD, PDF, drone, and Google Earth. When you takeoff items from one document, it automatically updates across all other documents to prevent errors and double counting.It provides better communication to other contractors, team members, and engineering firms by exporting CAD and PDF files, improving workflows through docking workspace panels, and providing faster results with less training.The software generates precise graphics and reports for all takeoff items. This is crucial when estimators encounter quantity disputes, giving them the evidence needed to prove their numbers. Other notable features of Elevation Pro include Vector selection for all data entry, innovative cut and fill with contours, and Dynamic Site Balancer for value engineering. Moreover, InSite Elevation Pro can export KMZ files to third-party mapping applications like Google Earth and Map Plus, with up-to-the-minute jobsite data. Original PDF or CAD file data can be overlaid with cut and fill contours, subgrades, stripping regions, or area/length takeoff before export.EXPERT OPINIONScott Simon is a project manager/estimator for CTS Contracting; he has been performing takeoffs for more than three decades. CTS Contracting is a civil site development company, taking on projects from moving dirt to utilities, asphalt paving and demolition, and has been an InSite Software customer since 2006. According to Simon, "Elevation Pro dramatically speeds up takeoff and model building." He spends half the time doing takeoffs for bidding purposes and about three-quarters of the time building models when compared to the previous version.The new software features quick key commands, more CAD features, and tools that make it easier and faster to use compared to other software options. FROM DATA TO AUTOMATION To create reliable GPS models, it is crucial to create accurate vector-based takeoffs. These models are critical for implementing machine control systems, which can automate various ©NACS2021A drone’s view of a 65-acre warehouse facility in Hamburg, New York, on the shores of Lake Erie. CTS Contracting removed roughly 200,000 cubic yards of earth.Work from multiple data sources simultaneously using a coordinated cursor across all open workspaces.

Page 31

construction tasks and enable employees to focus on other duties. This approach reduces the need for labor while ensuring that the project stays on schedule.“To effectively utilize technology in construction, models need to be highly precise and accurate. We rely heavily on this technology and seldom require physical staking on our jobsites. We operate multiple machines, including four dozers, three excavators, and a grader, using machine control. Avoiding the need for physical staking saves us a considerable amount of time”, says Simon. Elevation Pro creates GPS machine control and staking files easily without the complexity and necessity of a CAD program. The data can be downloaded to any data collector including CAT, Komatsu, Leica, Topcon, Trimble, and other GPS systems.SPEED, ACCURACY, EASE OF USEInSite Software is not only a superior product but also affordable. InSite Software uses a subscription-based model to minimize upfront costs. They also offer training classes each week and seven-day-per-week technical support. Simon says, “When it comes to cost, speed, accuracy, and ease of use, none compare to InSite Software.”Simon also sends InSite Software company files from time to time. “I have requested they look at a couple changes here and there. I either get someone on the phone right away or they call me back quickly. They are always open to looking at and considering requests,” said Simon. “I know they are constantly working to improve the software and make it even better.”CLOSING THOUGHTAccording to Warfle, the team behind Elevation Pro listened carefully to their customers and challenged themselves to create a better solution. As innovators and industry leaders, they were not afraid to start over and rethink the entire process to create a more accurate and cost-saving earthwork takeoff and GPS modeling solution.The result is Elevation Pro, a software solution that offers the fastest takeoff solution in the industry, saves time, and improves accuracy. The company’s willingness to start over and create a better solution reflects their passion for innovation and excellence in the construction industry. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202327for more informationFor more than 30 years, InSite Software has provided earthwork takeoff and construction estimating software for the excavation, general contracting, and engineering industries. InSite Software continues to expand its product offerings to meet the growing productivity needs of these industries. For more information, visit www.insitesoftware.com.Elevation Pro's exclusive Cut & Fill Contours Map provides advance planning tools and indisputable quantity validation.

Page 32

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com28sotware solutionTechnology has transformed the way that we build. AEC firms are increasingly turning to technologies such as building information modeling, artificial intelligence, drones, and virtual and augmented reality to take on exceedingly difficult projects. It’s a significant shift for an industry that has historically been slower to adopt new technologies.OVERCOMING STAGNANT PRODUCTIVITYWhile the industry has made great strides in technology adoption over the years, productivity has remained largely stagnant. This is in great part because of the widespread use of unintegrated point solutions. While point solutions can seem like an easy fix, they can leave you with disparate systems that don’t talk to each other, so if you enter data in one system it isn’t updated across your technology platform. This leads to double (or triple or more!) data entry. The lack of digitalization hinders not only the efficiency of individual team members, but it can slow down an entire project and open your business up to costly errors and increased risk.EXPLORE THE BENEFITSFortunately, there’s a better way. Integrated cloud solutions connect all project stakeholders, processes, and data in one integrated platform, delivering full project control, cost transparency, and real-time intelligent data. The industry is beginning to catch on to these advantages. A recent Deloitte study found that 76% of E&C decision-makers are putting more money into digital technologies (and the connected data that comes with them). Let’s take a closer look at some of the top benefits of cloud platforms: STREAMLINED WORKFLOWS With a cloud platform, you can create custom workflows at the project or enterprise level to ensure your teams are on the same page. Plus, automated, customizable alerts can take the guesswork out of when each task is to be completed, while intuitive and robust dashboards mean you always know where you stand on a project. ACTIONABLE DATA A cloud platform can effectively store and refine your data throughout the project lifecycle so you can learn from past projects to establish better processes for future workflows. And with real-time access to information, you always have a single version of the truth to help turn your data into actionable insights. DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT Top cloud platforms can automatically categorize files by project level, making it easy to find the documents you need, when you need them. They can provide one central location for all stakeholders to manage and share forms and documents across the entire asset lifecycle, ensuring a well-documented paper trail. STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT A cloud platform encourages greater collaboration and helps ensure all stakeholders are engaged throughout a project. It also allows you to keep track of project contracts and execution performance of every business partner to help ensure you’re maintaining good business partnerships. You can also create customized evaluation reports for future project reference. FLEXIBILITY AND SCALABILITY Cloud platforms are highly configurable so you can address your individual business needs and adjust as your needs change. You can easily add (or subtract) users and modules as needed. You can also set up role-based views so system administrators can determine the level of access each project stakeholder requires, from full access to only viewing rights on relevant projects. Plus, you can easily grant or retract a user’s view of any module or layer of the platform, at any time. RISK MANAGEMENT Technology can help contractors proactively identify and manage potential risks. An integrated cloud platform can store and analyze historical project data, allowing contractors to identify patterns, anticipate challenges, and implement preventive measures. Dashboards and alerts can also quickly notify the right people when a potential issue arises so they can course correct before it’s too late.New TechnologiesNew Technologiesdiscover the power of an integrated cloud platformDIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONby Dustin Anderson

Page 33

SUSTAINABILITYAn integrated cloud platform supports more effective planning by connecting your 3D BIM design to project time and cost to create a 5D plan that facilitates optimized collaboration to reduce waste and rework. Connecting all people, processes, and data throughout the project lifecycle can further support sustainability efforts by increasing building efficiency, creating environmental impact awareness, and enabling circular construction. The impact is even greater when paired with new digital sustainability solutions such as the EC3 calculator, which provides an estimate of a project’s carbon footprint, and a smart digital material passport, which links to a 3D model to track components over a building’s lifecycle and provides insights into which materials can be reused. SOFTWAREONE COMMITMENTSoftwareONE has been a leading global technology provider since 1985, and is redefining how companies build, buy, and manage everything in the cloud. SoftwareONE entered the construction technology space through its unique partnership with industry powerhouse Schneider Electric and its subsidiary RIB Software, creator of MTWO Construction Cloud, to become the global distribution and service provider of MTWO.The MTWO construction cloud platform connects all project stakeholders, processes, and data and addresses every phase of the building lifecycle. The robust solution is highly configurable with 100+ modules and an open API that seamlessly integrates with other business critical solutions, providing unparalleled collaboration and efficiency and boosting productivity up to 30%. MTWO empowers AEC firms to digitally transform their business while winning work, increasing efficiencies, mitigating risk, and reducing their environmental impact. At SoftwareOne, customers are supported every step of the way. SoftwareOne’s team of consultants have deep AEC industry roots—with professional backgrounds as engineers, architects, project managers, and other industry roles, the team understands the ins and outs of efficiently managing construction projects and how technology can play a pivotal role. CLOSING THOUGHTConnected cloud platforms such as MTWO are game changers in the industry. They provide both short-term gains and long-term benefits. A connected cloud platform is a solid investment in your digital transformation and can set your business up for sustainable long-term growth. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202329about the authorDustin Anderson is the global head of the AEC business for SoftwareOne. He is a dynamic construction software executive with more than 25 years of success in sales and operations. He is passionate about the construction and real estate sector and exploring "beyond ERP" initiatives such as Internet of Things, Machine Learning, and Intelligent Buildings. For more, visit SoftwareOne.com/construction.

Page 34

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com30sotware solutionProphix EmpowersProphix Empowersseamlessly manage budgeting, forecasting, and reporting BATSON-COOK CONSTRUCTIONGeorgia-based Batson-Cook Construction, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kajima USA, is a general contractor, construction manager, and design-build contractor. Its experience crosses a wide variety of sectors throughout the Southeast, including education, healthcare, hospitality, office, retail, multi-family residential, industrial, and religious buildings. With its broad array of work and various projects, Batson-Cook’s financial forecasting needs to be very detailed, accurate, and reliable.For years, the company’s finance department had been using various systems for budgeting, forecasting and reporting, including Excel spreadsheets. Using multiple tools and manual spreadsheets created significant challenges. Those included trying to consolidate all the necessary information specific to Batson-Cook’s financial planning, scheduling, and projections of projects while maintaining version control to ensure general managers were working with the same updated information. It was clear that visibility into budgeting and forecasting outside of the finance department was limited, which again made managing budgets and forecasting extremely disjointed and complicated. All of this was impeding Batson-Cook’s ability to forecast and close quickly—and accurately. SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTHIn 2018, Jeff Krall joined Batson-Cook as the company’s chief financial officer. Once on board, he quickly realized the business needed a flexible, automated solution that would consolidate all of its budgeting, forecasting, and reporting information in real time and in one place. This was the only way to accurately allocate resources and make time-sensitive decisions on any new opportunities or issues that emerged, especially in today’s disruptive business landscape. The platform needed to be forward-facing for all necessary users to ensure everyone had access to all of the details they needed for an effective workflow. Krall also desired a solution that would seamlessly integrate with Batson-Cook’s existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system from Trimble Viewpoint.He chose the cloud-based financial performance management (FPM) platform from Prophix, noting it was in the “sweet spot” for what Batson-Cook was seeking in terms of the flexibility and scalability it required, along with the features the company specifically wanted, and given the breadth of experience the company had in the construction space.EFFICIENT FORECASTINGSince implementing Prophix, Krall’s vision for Batson-Cook’s finance function has come to life. By having the company’s data centralized in one cloud-based platform, project managers can quickly and efficiently consolidate information from various sources. For example, contractors and subcontractors can ensure projects remain within budget and meet deadlines, and department heads can ensure their budgets and actuals are in line with the finance team and overall business goals. A single source of truth ensures that Batson-Cook has much more confidence in the integrity of the data, enabling staff to make more effective, impactful decisions. With Prophix, everyone within the organization is always working with the most up-to-date financial information to prevent cost overruns, reworks and project delays. Batson-Cook is able to allocate costs and resources across jobs and work orders to fulfill backlog and revenue goals. Through Prophix’s interactive dashboards, the Batson-Cook general managers can be nimbler and more flexible in making impactful strategic decisions. Having this deep level of insight helps them to monitor progress and compare actuals to budgets by any dimension.As seen during the pandemic, Prophix’s scenario planning ability enabled Batson-Cook’s finance team to quickly update forecasts based on different business scenarios and communicate with stakeholders on the fly. These capabilities instill confidence when making decisions around staffing and resources, and promotes more efficient and effective forecasting, even during volatile market conditions.CROSS DEPARTMENT USE Prior to using Prophix, Batson-Cook’s department heads weren’t involved with budgeting or forecasting for their division or department. Since they were removed from the process, they didn’t have background on their budgets and were provided with costs and expenses without insights into why that was (i.e., the actual charges). Now, by leveraging Prophix, they have a complete picture of their budgets, and can do their own budgeting and forecasting. They can drill down to look closely at their expenses, and reports are easy to generate, giving them a much better understanding of their financial position in terms of where they stand with

Page 35

their budgets and expenses. As a result, accuracy has increased across the organization, impacting the bottom line.Additionally, Batson-Cook’s general managers appreciate Prophix’s forecasting functionality as it has enabled them to better project jobs and job profits. When using Excel to forecast, Batson-Cook had been ending the year 20-30% different than initially forecasted. With Prophix, the forecasting has become so accurate that there’s only a 5% difference at year-end. Not only is the forecasting more accurate, but it is also significantly faster. In the past, when Krall was using Excel, it would take him four to five days to prepare the spreadsheet to give to the general managers so they could do their forecasts. Now, he can provide the details in a matter of minutes, basically kicking off the workflow and turning it over to them—a massive time savings.Prophix has enabled Batson-Cook to forecast efficiently and effectively across the whole company—from the individual job level, to the division level, to the corporate management level. This has been great for the company and its stakeholders. Krall looks forward to leveraging additional functionality in the future currently available in the Prophix platform, including labor budget forecasting. CLOSING THOUGHTWith the need for flexibility in today’s fluctuating economic environment, construction businesses require agility in their budgeting and forecasting. With FPM tools like those from Prophix, companies like Batson-Cook are able to forecast more quickly and accurately, best preparing them not only for the near-term but also to proactively address future market volatility. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202331for more informationBatson-Cook Construction is a Georgia-based general contractor, construction manager, and design-build contractor that has been in business for more than a century. Prophix provides an integrated, cloud-based platform to the Office of Finance; one that delivers planning, budgeting, reporting, forecasting, and consolidation solutions. Prophix supports the future with AI innovations that adapt to meet the strategic realities of more than 2,600 active customers, globally. For more, visit www.prophix.com.REPAIR SPALLS AND CRACKS IN 10 MINUTES!ROADWARE 10 MINUTE CONCRETE MENDER™It’s thin, it gets in, and it won’t pop out!See more at www.roadware.us or call 800-522-7623.Cartridge applied or bucket mixed, Roadware Concrete Repair Products will have your oors ready for trafc, coating, or polishing in about 10 minutes. Any size repair. Blend with sand and pigments to create unlimited colors. Permanent repair.800-522-7623ROADWARE INCORPORATED381 BRIDGEPOINT WAYSOUTH ST PAUL, MN 55075 www.roadware.usDashboard image provided by Prophix

Page 36

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com32legal solutionTimely and effective communications among the project owner, contractors, and others are hallmarks of successful construction projects. Nearly every contract will be amended to reflect some changes in work and schedule. Construction contracts have long required timely notice of claims so the project participants can efficiently mitigate and resolve changes. The terms of these notice and waiver provisions vary and contractors must pay careful attention to them to avoid a bad result. Owners, especially in public projects, may impose rigid and arduous notice provisions on contractors that require strict compliance. In addition, even when notice and waiver claims are reasonable, they sometimes do not apply to all change request (e.g., owner-issued changes). Courts vary greatly in how they handle notice requirements in these instances. ENFORCEMENT NUANCESSome jurisdictions enforce notice and waiver provisions strictly. For example, in Kentucky, the Supreme Court held that that Kentucky’s Fairness in Construction Act permits parties to enforce formal claims notice provisions that void claims not submitted in strict conformance with contract requirements. Louisville and Jefferson Cnty. Metropolitan Sewer District v. T+C Contracting, Inc., 570 S.W.3d 551 (Ky. 2018). In T+C, Kentucky’s highest court required strict compliance even though the owner knew the work was being done because the owner ordered it (the issue was who damaged the pipes that the contractor had to repair). The owner did not claim that it was unable to document the costs incurred to perform the work or that contractor had sought recovery of costs not incurred. The owner presumably could document the dispute and the work performed before the work ever began, because the owner ordered the work. Kentucky is not the only state to put the equities aside and hold that one who prays for rain should be ready to deal with the mud. See e.g., Mike M. Johnson, Inc. v. Cnty. of Spokane, 150 Wash. 2d 375, 380, 78 P.3d 161, 163 (2003) (Washington state court held that failure of “[f]ull compliance by the Contractor” of the notice provision resulted in waiver of claims and that ‘actual notice’ is not an exception to contract compliance”). Other jurisdictions limit strict enforcement, honoring substance over form. Although there are some nuances, the federal government and certain states have held that strict enforcement may be excused if the owner cannot prove lack of actual notice or that the delay in notice prejudiced its rights. For example, a federal court has held that strict compliance was too “severe and narrow” and that it would be “out of tune with the language and purpose of the notice provisions, as well as with this court's wholesome concern that notice provisions in contract-adjustment clauses are not applied too technically and illiberally where the Government is quite aware of the operative facts” Hoel-Steffen Const. Co. v. U.S., 456 F.2d 760, 767–68 (Ct. Cl. 1972). Some state courts have also held that the strict compliance requirement is not appropriate in circumstances that would lead to an absurd result. For example, a Pennsylvania court held that a provision requiring a contractor to make a claim for damages “within 21 days after the event giving rise to the claim or after the claimant first recognizes the condition” was not required because damages could only be quantified at the end of the project and the owner had notice of claims. James Corp. v. N Allegheny Sch. Dist., 938 A.2d 474, 485 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2007); see also City of Meridian v. Petra Inc., 154 Idaho 425, 299 P.3d 232 (2013) (lack of timely notice and pre-approval of additional work did not bar claim “where the city specifically requested a change, it is obvious that it approves of the change”); H.E. Contracting v. Franklin Pierce Coll., 360 F. Supp. 2d 289, (D.N.H. 2005) (contractor may recover costs for additional work where “the owner has actual knowledge of the additional work and is not prejudiced by the contractor's failure to comply with the writing requirement.”).Even in jurisdictions that limit strict enforcement, strict compliance may still be required where the notice provision is a Contractor BewareContractor Bewaredo not let notice provisions doom your next projectBEST PRACTICESBy Chris Hoskins and Danielle Waltz

Page 37

“condition-precedent type” that expressly sets forth the consequences of failing to strictly comply with the notice provisions. A.H.A. Gen. Constr., Inc. v. New York City Hous. Auth., 92 N.Y.2d 20, 31, 699 N.E.2d 368, 374 (1998). Further, any unreasonable delay in providing notice may result in not recovering because it provides the owner with a strong argument that the claim would be prejudicial regardless of the state’s approach on compliance of notice terms. Weigand Constr. Co., Inc. v. Stephens Fabrication, Inc., 929 N.E.2d 220 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010) (extra work claim untimely because written notice of claim was submitted 11 months after the subcontractor received drawings). CLOSING THOUGHTSo, what should contractors do to avoid a potential mess caused by arduous notice and waiver provisions? • Consult with an attorney on the terms of the contract, including the notice provisions, and the applicable current law. The law is ever evolving. • Allow an attorney to negotiate any unfair or unenforceable provisions. One accepted revision to the contract could open the door for others. • Assuming lack of leverage to negotiate the terms, analyze whether the risks are worth it. • Upon accepting a project, put a protocol in place that conforms with the notice requirements in the contract, even if not in a strict compliance state. • Ensure that, in addition to conforming to the notice requirements, these issues are also addressed in meeting minutes and other written correspondence with the owner to establish an appropriate paper trial.• Follow that protocol for the duration of work on the project. • Consult with an attorney and evaluate the notice provisions in any subcontracts. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202333about the authorsDanielle M. Waltz is a commercial and construction litigator and government relations specialist in Jackson Kelly PLLC’s Charleston, West Virginia, office, where she is a member. She is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and is active in its Construction Law and Litigation Committee. She can be reached at dwaltz@jacksonkelly.com.Chris Hoskins is a member of Jackson Kelly’s Construction industry group and practices out of the firm’s Lexington, Kentucky, office. He represents general contractors, construction managers and other participants on private and public projects, advising primarily on contracts and project disputes. He can be reached at choskins@jacksonkelly.com.

Page 38

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com34technology solutionVolumetric TechnologyVolumetric Technologyconcrete production control is a game-changer for contractorsEXPERT Q&AMark Rinehart is vice president of Sales and Marketing for Cemen Tech, the worldwide leader in the volumetric concrete industry with customers in over 70 countries. Mark has more than two decades of experience supporting construction customers in navigating new innovations and technology, helping them to improve and build their business. Below is an exchange with Mark about the advantages of Cemen Tech’s volumetric technology and how concrete control is a game-changer for the construction industry. MCS: What are the advantages of using a volumetric concrete mixer compared to ready-mix concrete or other on-site mixing solutions?RINEHART: Volumetric technology is a game-changer for contractors, giving them complete control over producing concrete whenever, wherever, and in whatever quantity they need. Cemen Tech’s C60 volumetric concrete mixer measures, mixes, and dispenses a precise amount of concrete from a single unit. Sand, stone, cement powder, water, and additives are each kept in their own bin on the mixer, ready to be mixed at the jobsite—unlike traditional mixing methods which blend all materials before leaving the plant. Volumetric concrete mixers allow you to change mix designs on the spot, meaning concrete can be produced for multiple projects and jobsites in a single day, all using the same unit. With the Cemen Tech C60, you can store hundreds of calibrations and mix designs, so the operator can quickly and easily move from one project to the next using the state-of-the-art electronic control panel. The Cemen Tech C60 also comes equipped with ACCU-POUR™—a suite of productivity tools that leverage smart technology to connect the jobsite and office. Contractors can schedule jobs, assign projects, and send orders wirelessly to the operator’s tablet in the truck. Together these tools help contractors expand their business and improve profits by increasing efficiency and lowering costs. By producing concrete on-demand, contractors avoid added costs and loss in productivity caused by short loads, overages, hot loads, delays, and downtime—common pitfalls of barrel trucks. MCS: Can you explain the process of how the volumetric concrete mixer measures and dispenses the materials accurately?RINEHART: With a volumetric concrete mixer all materials (sand and stone to cement powder and water) continually blend on demand. The mixer starts and stops as needed while the aggregates stay separate in their respective compartments. Volumetric concrete technology focuses on batching based on volume rather than weight. All material is calibrated by weight and delivered to the mix auger by volume. This method produces a proportional accuracy of plus or minus 2%. The Cemen Tech C60 volumetric mixer has a one-touch control system that lets you select the mix design you need, and the system adjusts to the correct mix. Automated high and low flow admix tanks with digital flow meters ensure the exact amount of admixture Pavement Restoration, Inc. downtown Nashville utility project.

Page 39

every time. A hydraulic cement bin lets the operator easily switch between concrete mixes and flowable fill applications. MCS: What are the specific features or technologies in Cemen Tech's mixers that ensure consistent quality and uniformity of the concrete mix?RINEHART: All Cemen Tech C60s come equipped with an AP Touch computer that controls the proportioning and dispensing of all ingredients without the unit needing to be adjusted by an operator. This includes auto-adjusting aggregate bin gates, a dual auger cement bin system, and flow meters for water and admixtures. The system measures and reacts in real time so each ingredient is dispensed in correct proportions according to the saved calibrations and mix designs in the computer. This ensures the mixer meets the accuracy tolerances set by both ASTM and the Volumetric Mixer Manufacturers Bureau. The ability to add moisture sensors to the C60 as an option allows the unit to read the live moisture content of the aggregate and adjust the feed water to the system, further adding to the accuracy for the most accurate water-to-cement ratio available.MCS: What is the capacity range of Cemen Tech's volumetric concrete mixers, and how does it vary between different models?RINEHART: Cemen Tech produces volumetric concrete mixers ranging in size and application, from as small as 2-yard capacities up to 12-yard capacity units. These mixers can complete many applications outside of standard concrete, including gunite or shotcrete, flowable fill, colored concrete, and fast-setting concrete, to name a few. While volumetric trucks are typically mounted to a truck chassis, we also produce stationary units for precast operations and trailer-mounted mixers for added portability. MCS: Are there any advancements or upcoming developments in Cemen Tech's volumetric concrete mixing technology that customers can look forward to?RINEHART: Yes, as the global manufacturing leader for volumetric mixers, it is important for Cemen Tech to monitor industry trends to be aware of the present state of the market and forecast future directions. We listen closely to our customers and what they need to be successful. Innovation is a key differentiator for Cemen Tech that sets us apart and allows us to build groundbreaking products, service, and solutions.CLOSING THOUGHT The best information comes from the owners of companies using the Cemen Tech volumetric concrete mixers. Turn the page for three contractor testimonials sharing how the Cemen Tech technological advances have added to their bottom lines and what they like best about the features of the volumetric mixer. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202335

Page 40

Seth Bittick, VP of Operations G-CRETE LLCSan Antonio, Texas “With volumetrics, we can pour products that the typical concrete barrel truck is not capable of pouring, like fast-setting mixes and rapid-setting flow fill,” says Seth Bittick, vice president of operations at G-Crete in San Antonio, Texas. “Our Cemen Tech C60 volumetric concrete mixers can let us do big jobs more efficiently because we can do continuous pours. We never have to stop if we can load materials on-site. And because we are able to produce only enough to finish the job, there’s a lot less material waste—the equivalent of a wheelbarrow of material compared to the yards you get with a barrel truck.” Carter Holzer, Owner HOLZER SITEMIXIndianapolis, Indiana “The flexibility volumetric technology delivers is invaluable—to us and our customers. We can switch mix designs on a job with the touch of a button, including changing between wet and dry on the fly to manage concrete slump,” says Carter Holzer, owner of Holzer Sitemix in Indianapolis, Indiana. “Using ACCU-POUR™ and smart technology, we can quickly and easily move one of our Cemen Tech C60 volumetric concrete mixers from one job to the next while keeping everyone in the communication loop.” Jon Hargett, OwnerPAVEMENT RESTORATION, INC. (PRI) Milan, Tennessee “I love to be able to tell folks that we can do anything a concrete plant can do—just tell us what you need, and we can bring it in any quantity. Our Cemen Tech C60 volumetric concrete mixers let us do that,” says Jon Hargett, owner of Pavement Restoration, Inc. in Milan, Tennessee. “We can do multiple pours at one location with one truck with consistent, accurate, and high-quality results every time.” JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com36technology solutionfor more informationFor more about Cemen Tech volumetric concrete mixers, visit www.cementech.com. Downtown Nashville Utility ProjectIndianapolis Town Utility ProjectGreen Valley, San Antonio, Sewer Project

Page 41

Page 42

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com38technology solutionA backhoe on a rural jobsite was overheating. Unfortunately, no one realized it except the contractor—who was at another jobsite. The contractor had received a diagnostic alert and immediately contacted the site manager to stop the machine. At the same time, the dealer also received the alert and called the contractor to schedule a tech. The alert’s diagnostic procedure let the tech know what was happening with the backhoe, so when he left for the site visit several hours away, he took the necessary parts with him and repaired the backhoe the first visit. What made this extraordinary outcome possible? Telematics. As part of an equipment manufacturer’s connected services, telematics gathers valuable fleet data, such as equipment location, engine hours and fault codes, and puts it in user hands. Easy access to this intelligence makes it possible for contractors and fleet managers to address a wide range of jobsite challenges and improve productivity, efficiency, and safety. REDUCE UNPLANNED DOWNTIMEWhen contractors have a clear picture of fleet health, they can make decisions that keep machines running in peak condition. Using telematics, they can see when it’s time to schedule maintenance or address potential issues before they become critical. This proactive maintenance model can prevent failure and significantly reduce unplanned downtime.Some telematics providers give operators a generated report on a periodic basis, while others have long refresh times. To address in-the-moment issues, it’s important to look for telematics that give operators access to machine data in near-real time, like CASE SiteWatch.EMPOWER OPERATOR CONFIDENCE As talent on the jobsite retires, new operators are stepping into machines that are growing more complex. Telematics helps bridge skills gaps by providing hip-pocket support with near-real-time fault codes, fuel and DEF levels, and more. Site managers and fleet managers can also access dashboards and receive alerts and stop running machines if needed. Having multilevel visibility can help prevent issues and improve jobsite safety. It also allows contractors to know where machines are without tracking down the operator. Some telematics, like CASE SiteWatch, provide access flexibility. Contractors can decide who can access machine data—and that includes their dealer.SIMPLIFY FLEET MANAGEMENTDepending on the size of the fleet and number of jobsites, refueling can be tough to coordinate. With telematics, fleet managers can see fuel and DEF levels for every machine, prioritize sites, and quickly plan an efficient route. When fleets are large and spread across multiple jobsites, one-screen access to every machine can significantly simplify fleet management. Equipment that comes standard with telematics—rather than as an add-on or subscription charged per machine—can be advantageous for big fleets. IMPROVEMENT BUILDS SUCCESSTelematics only works if it draws out insights and guides users to actions that improve fleet operation, utilization, and efficiency. Dashboards should be easy to engage with and understand so users can achieve the outcomes that matter most. CASE co-developed its telematics solution with dealers and continually updates its dashboard and capabilities to make data more useful through a machine’s life. CLOSING THOUGHTThe benefits telematics provide make it clear why it’s becoming an industry standard. In the field, on the road or in the office, telematics keeps contractors connected to their equipment and business. about the authorTed Polzer, director, product and customer support, North America, with CASE Construction Equipment. For more, visit www.casece.com/northamerica/en-us.• Fleet WisdomFleet WisdomTELEMATICSBy Ted Polzerimproving productivity, efficiency, and safetyFleet WisdomFleet WisdomTELEMATICSBy Ted Polzerimproving productivity, efficiency, and safety

Page 43

Page 44

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com40technology solutionConstruction is approaching its next era of innovation, fuelled by the demands of a rapidly growing population and the need for sustainable infrastructure as well as the pressing challenges caused by inflation, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical turmoil. Construction leaders are therefore increasingly challenged to meet expectations to deliver on time and on budget. These factors are reshaping the building ecosystem, prompting a shift toward data-driven solutions and demanding swift and decisive action from construction firms.The solutions to these challenges are becoming increasingly difficult to find using traditional approaches such as training and hiring external consultants. Forward-thinking leaders within the construction industry are turning toward autonomous technologies to transform operations and improve productivity, sustainability, supply chain efficiency, and more.To gauge this changing landscape, Hexagon conducted its Autonomous Construction Tech Outlook. Surveying more than 1,000 technology decision-makers from commercial general contracting firms in Australia, the UK, and North America, this study shed light on the industry challenges, the short- and long-term priorities, and the adoption of autonomous technology in the building construction industry today. The research demonstrated that technology is key to overcoming construction firms’ most pressing business challenges, including managing supply chain and materials, inefficiencies and waste, and communication. The survey also provided valuable insights into the disconnect between businesses identifying their key pain points and priorities and the subsequent adoption of the best autonomous technology to help address them. EMBRACING AUTONOMOUS TECHAutonomy has moved out of the emerging technology space in commercial construction into widespread adoption. The research found that 84% of firms are using autonomy in some part of their operations. These companies reported benefits from within their operations across many challenges and priorities, including improved sustainability, less waste, better supply chain mapping, better safety compliance, and faster decision making. With autonomous tech, the leverage gap closes between the data created during a project’s lifecycle and the data used to produce actionable insights. The construction industry’s adoption of autonomous technology includes software and tools, self-driving construction vehicles, and robotics. Today, the most popular application of automation is for project management. It is important to note that there are different levels of automation, from limited or partial to full autonomy. Thirty percent of the companies surveyed who had introduced autonomous solutions had implemented autonomous technologies requiring no human interaction, or full autonomy, freeing up key resources and enabling people to spend more time on complex tasks.For example, AECOM Tishman, a subsidiary of AECOM, is focused on three main challenges during large-scale and complex projects: monitoring progress, identifying deviations, and handling ongoing design changes during construction. In an effort to proactively address issues before they occur, AECOM Tishman aims to capture discrepancies between field installations and BIM. To achieve this, the team implemented autonomous inspection analysis and progress tracking as well as custom reports tailored to their needs. The outcome was a blend of meaningful data autonomously visualized in an accessible and digestible way, including weekly progress dashboards, labor productivity projection analysis, forecasting progress per trade labor data, and impact analysis with future-looking clash detection. As a result, AECOM Tishman identified 112 critical forward-looking clashes within two months, and weekly progress reporting led to an improved ability to flag issues and adjust work in the field, minimizing production waste and costs. Autonomous TechAutonomous Techheralding a new era for the construction industryFORWARD-THINKINGBy Taylor Cupp

Page 45

BRIDGING THE GAP Although commitment to autonomous tech is forecasted to grow, with 79% of firms planning to invest an average of $7.1M in autonomous solutions within the next three years, the survey revealed a disconnect. Companies understand the benefits of autonomous technologies but often do not apply them to advance their business goals. For instance, among survey respondents who stated that improving supply chain management is a top priority in the next 12-18 months, only 28% reported their companies had invested in autonomous monitoring technology, one of the top reported technologies that aid in this area. Additionally, 37% of respondents using fully autonomous robotics report that it drives sustainability benefits, the leading priority in the next three to five years, yet only 17% of firms are investing in this type of technology now. These disparities represent a significant opportunity within the industry. Identifying the best autonomous technology solutions through planning and investing strategically will help firms address specific priorities and pain points.BEYOND REPUTATION Despite its reputation for being resistant to change, the construction industry has identified technology investment as key to solving its most pressing business challenges. In fact, 60% of respondents believe autonomy will have a significant impact on market competitiveness. With 84% of respondents reporting to have adopted some form of autonomous technology already, those companies who do not innovate in the same way risk lagging as the technologies and the businesses who apply them continue to advance, gaining a competitive edge over their less tech-savvy counterparts. CLOSING THOUGHTThe key now is to help the industry leverage this technology to target key pain points and ensure lasting and scalable results across the board. Just like the industry’s transition from manual to power tools, or paper to digitization, autonomous technology is a transformation that will define the next era of construction. Changing the perception of autonomous technology to encourage understanding of their applications and how they can be applied directly to specific business priorities will help remove obstacles to adoption and ensure that firms stay competitive in an ever-evolving market landscape. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202341about the authorTaylor Cupp is senior manager of building solutions with Hexagon, the global leader in digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies. Hexagon puts data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, quality, and safety across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, public sector, and mobility applications. For more, visit hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB. For a copy of Hexagon’s Autonomous Construction Tech Outlook, go to hexagon.com/contechreport.

Page 46

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com42safety solutionIn the construction industry, employees are exposed to some of the most physically demanding work environments. This is only exacerbated by potential harsh weather conditions on jobsites around the country. Through embracing technology, we can help reduce the number of exposures to potential hazards, monitor worker and environmental conditions, and plan work accordingly.DRONE INTEGRATIONThe use of drones on construction projects isn’t new, but they have recently become more of a contributor to McCarthy’s approach to improving workplace safety. Drones can serve as a safe substitute for humans in undertaking hazardous tasks. Although we use drones across the company, we have found specialized uses for them in a few of our different work programs. In our commercial market, drones are employed to review elevated work such as routine building enclosure inspections. This task would otherwise require mobile elevated work platforms or scaffolding to complete these inspections. Although these traditional methods are still used, the frequency is decreasing. This translates to less need for additional equipment and fewer potential fall hazards. In the self-perform civil market, drones complete topographical survey over large swaths of land and even calculate the slopes of excavations. We have found the use of drones to be much safer and more effective for completing this type of work compared to the old way of using heavy surveying equipment. The ability of drones to access hard-to-reach locations provides a faster and more accurate report and provides both a time and cost savings over traditional surveying techniques.On our renewable energy projects sites, drones identify faulty solar panel modules. In lieu of having crews troubleshoot and search to find deficient modules, a drone affixed with a thermal camera can quickly find varying heat signatures indicating an issue. This has dramatically increased our efficiency. More importantly, in this role, drones reduce our crew’s exposure to electrical hazards associated with panel troubleshooting as well as the thermal exposure working around modules. WEARABLE TECHNOLOGYWith OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention Campaign and the CDC’s staggering statistics that more than 650 fatal injuries occur each year due to heat related illness (HRI), McCarthy strives to protect employees and trade partners from HRI on projects. We rely on jobsite data to improve management, and McCarthy is first in line to evaluate new HRI-related technologies. McCarthy partnered with Kenzen in 2021 to pilot wearable heat monitoring technology on multiple construction projects in Arizona, Georgia, and Texas. The Kenzen device—worn on the employees’ bicep—contains sensors to monitor external environmental conditions as well as the employees’ vitals in Drones & SensorsDrones & Sensorsimproving jobsite safety through advancing technologyMCCARTHY BUILDING COMPANIES, INC.By Andrew Rhines, GSP, CHST

Page 47

real time. The program uses an 11-question medical survey to take the guesswork out of HRI and personalize it to the employee. This confidential questionnaire focuses on medical and personal history that could affect the employee’s susceptibility to HRI. The device uses the employee’s personal information in conjunction with the information collected by the wearables’ sensors to produce real-time HRI data. The capability to provide personalized data allows employees to better understand the importance of proper hydration, core body temperature, and sweat rate as it relates to their body. Most beneficial to the education and training of our employees was the stop work alerts generated by an algorithm built into the wearable. This notification alerted the employee and their supervisor of dangerous heat stress symptoms when their core body temperature and/or heart rate became elevated. This feature was seen by the employees as a tool to tailor the way they work. Over the 10-week pilot, crews were able to modify their work practices to reduce the number of stop work alerts that occurred by working at a more constant pace rather than short bursts of high output energy. Overall, the data collected by the pilot program was compiled and analyzed using an analytics dashboard. This valuable information has helped McCarthy to identify new ways to prevent heat illness as well as assist to validate current practices to ensure employees are educated with the best possible programs and resources.CLOSING THOUGHTThe advancement of technology within the construction industry is seen throughout the building process but innovation employed in the name of safety is the most important. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202343about the authorAndrew Rhines, GSP, CHST is a project safety manager for McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.’s Southern Region. For more, visit www.mccarthy.com.CUTTING EDGE IMPALEMENT PROTECTIONCARNIE CAP is the most effective way to cap exposed rebar while keeping your workers safe and on the job.National OSHA Compliant • CAL-OSHA ApprovedPatent #5826398, 6073415ORDER TODAY!(888) 743-7725 www.carniecap.comWORKS IN HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL & INCLINATIONAPPLICATIONS✓ ASSEMBLE WITH 2X4 OR 2X6 LUMBER ALREADY ON SITE✓ SAFELY DISTRIBUTES WEIGHT ACROSS ENTIRE SYSTEM✓ NO MORE CAPPING EVERYREBAR!✓

Page 48

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com44safety solutionThe construction industry is easily one of the country’s riskiest. Approximately 20% of worker deaths in the U.S. occur in the construction field, even though construction workers make up just 6% of the country’s labor force.Construction site injuries aren’t only harmful to the workers who get hurt on the job. They also affect the entire company. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board estimates that the average cost of a one-time construction site injury is $35,000.To avoid the short- and long-term consequences of construction site injuries, it’s vital that employers prioritize regular and comprehensive safety training.Some of the most significant benefits of safety training are discussed below, along with tips on creating a more effective safety program.COMMON SAFETY HAZARDS Construction sites, especially busy commercial construction sites, have many moving parts, making it easy for accidents and injuries to occur. The following are some of the most common safety hazards construction workers regularly face:• Working at great heights (increasing the risk of injury or death after a fall)• Moving heavy objects (increasing the risk of lifting and crushing injuries)• Slips, trips, and falls (which can cause sprains, fractures, and other bodily injuries)• Noise exposure (which can damage hearing and affect balance) • Exposure to harmful chemicals (including asbestos, lead, and carbon monoxide)• Exposure to electrical equipment (increasing the risk of electric shock-related injuries)REGULAR TRAINING BENEFITSThorough and consistent safety training can reduce the risk of several accidents and injuries, including those listed above. The following are some additional benefits of regular safety training for construction workers:Increased Productivity: Some employers may be wary of increasing their safety training efforts because they worry about wasting time or delaying projects. It’s important to remember, though, that a safe construction site is a productive one. When safety isn’t a priority, accidents and injuries are more likely to occur. When these situations happen, the entire site may have to shut down for hours, days, or weeks to assess the cause of the accident and mitigate the damage. Better Employee Retention Rates: Construction crew members are more likely to stay with an employer if they feel that employer has their best interests in mind. If they know their employer values their safety and wants to make sure they’re taken care of on the jobsite, their loyalty will increase. As a result, employers will have to worry less about the time and money required to recruit and train new team members.Increased Savings: Recruiting and training aren’t the only aspects of running a business that cost money. On-the-job accidents and injuries are also expensive. They can result in significant costs for employers, from legal fees to lost productivity. For those who value long-term savings and profitability, it’s best to focus on safety by offering thorough and ongoing training. Better Public Reputation: Providing regular safety training can also improve an organization’s public reputation. Word travels fast. If one employer is known for frequent injuries on the job, they may have a more challenging time recruiting workers. Potential clients may also be wary of hiring a particular company if they know there’s a greater possibility of accidents happening on their business’s property. SAFETY PROGRAM ELEMENTSIt’s clear that a commitment to safety matters in the construction field. What constitutes a good safety program, though? Industry experts agree that the following elements contribute to a more effective and beneficial safety program: Management Buy-In: For a safety program to genuinely benefit employees, management and other leaders must buy into it and its importance. If higher-ups don’t care about safety and allow employees to cut corners (or even encourage it), on-site injury rates are unlikely to budge (and may even get worse). Those who want a greater emphasis on safety should share the benefits of regular safety training with the company’s managers and leaders. After getting top-down support, it’ll be easier to implement the program and enforce its rules. Less InjuriesLess Injuriesbenefits of regular safety training for employees WORKPLACEBy Steven John Cumper, B.App.Sc. (Osteo.), M.Ost.Less InjuriesLess Injuriesbenefits of regular safety training for employees WORKPLACEBy Steven John Cumper, B.App.Sc. (Osteo.), M.Ost.

Page 49

Employee Involvement: Along with managers and higher-ups, it’s also vital that employees on all levels are involved in the company’s safety program and safety training. Employees should play an active role in lessons. Assessments or hands-on exams may help to increase motivation and engagement while also increasing knowledge retention, too. Leaders should also encourage employees to provide feedback (and implement that feedback when possible). The people who work on the jobsite each day have the greatest insight into the safety challenges and what can be done to correct them.Worksite Analysis: Regular worksite analyses can help employers to understand how safe their jobsites currently are and where they can make improvements for increased safety. For example, after a worksite analysis, they might learn that they need to provide easier access to first aid kits and other supplies. They may also find that certain employees aren’t following specific safety protocols. Worksite reviews should be conducted by a construction consultant who is familiar with the industry, its safety guidelines, and the most significant risks employees face. Hazard Control and Prevention: Employers might not be able to eliminate construction site dangers completely. However, they can reduce injury and accident risk with proper hazard control. For example, a manager might set rules stating where equipment should be stored at the end of the workday, how it should be used, and who has permission to use it. They can also ensure hazardous chemicals are properly stored so workers aren’t accidentally exposed to them.Ongoing Instruction: Ongoing instruction helps to improve the retention of training information. How do employers make sure they prioritize ongoing instruction even during the busiest seasons? Implement a training schedule. Planning training days in advance saves employers from scrambling to put together a lesson at the last minute. Employees will also get regular updates and access to the latest safety information. CLOSING THOUGHTWhen construction workers participate in regular safety training programs, they’re better equipped to handle the stressors and risks of their jobs. Employers benefit, too, through increased productivity, better retention rates, and an improved public reputation. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202345about the authorSteven John Cumper, B.App.Sc. (Osteo.), M.Ost., is a businessman with a strong background in biomedical science and osteopathic medicine. He founded Medshop while studying at RMIT University in Australia, expanding its reach to markets in Papua New Guinea, Singapore, and Malaysia. In September 2021, the Bunzl Group acquired a majority stake in Medshop, but Cumper remains involved as the Managing Director (Medshop Group). His journey from Zimbabwe to the UK and Australia reflects his dedication to academia and entrepreneurship, combining diverse knowledge and experience. For more, visit www.medshop.com.au.

Page 50

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com46maintenance solutionAs a construction contractor, you know your machinery is one of the most significant assets in your operation. However, the construction equipment that you rely on daily is not immune to wear and tear, as it is often exposed to harsh conditions that can negatively affect its performance over time. Without proper maintenance, your equipment can become less reliable, less efficient, and more costly to operate. Inspecting and maintaining equipment regularly helps you get ahead of potential maintenance needs or concerns, avoiding machine downtime in the future. By performing proactive maintenance, you can keep your equipment functioning at its peak, extend machine lifespan, and save money over time. Let's explore some benefits of being proactive in your equipment maintenance and what factors you should consider when building a maintenance strategy with your local OEM dealer. TOP BENEFITS OF PROACTIVE MAINTENANCEAny construction operation invests heavily in equipment, and protecting that investment is essential for your business’s success. Developing a proactive maintenance strategy is a good way to make sure that your equipment is in top shape and can bring significant benefits, such as lower operating costs, better equipment performance, and higher resale value. Reduce operating costs: By approaching equipment maintenance in a proactive manner, you can spot potential issues with your equipment before they turn into major problems. Thus, maintenance can be performed quickly, reducing the need for costly repairs and replacements down the road. Regular inspections and preventive maintenance also improve fuel efficiency and reduce equipment wear and tear, lowering overall fuel consumption over time and the costs associated with equipment downtime. As a result, when maintaining equipment in good condition, contractors can cut operating costs and improve their bottom line. Improve equipment performance & efficiency: Well-maintained equipment runs more efficiently and productively throughout any operation, reducing downtime and maximizing productivity on the jobsite. When performing equipment maintenance, we recommend using genuine OEM parts and fluids along with service performed by trained technicians for optimal equipment functionality. Increase resale value: Prospective buyers are often willing to pay more for well-maintained equipment, as it indicates that the machine has been well cared for and is less likely to have mechanical issues. Contractors can demonstrate that their equipment has been properly maintained by keeping detailed records of maintenance services, including the dates and type of maintenance performed. This not only protects your equipment investment, but it also has the potential to increase the resale value of your machine.BUILD A PROACTIVE STRATEGY Building a proactive maintenance strategy for your construction equipment can appear overwhelming, requiring a variety of factors such as maintenance needs, service schedules, and best maintenance practices. So, if you're not sure where to begin, here are some key steps to consider when developing your maintenance strategy. Develop a relationship with your equipment dealer: Establishing a strong relationship with your equipment dealer is a critical component of a proactive maintenance strategy. Your dealer is a valuable resource when it comes to expert maintenance advice on schedules and procedures, genuine Proactive MaintenanceProactive Maintenanceprotect your construction equipment investment BEST PRACTICESBy Ryan Schubert

Page 51

parts, and certified service. They can assist you in developing a customized maintenance plan that takes into account your specific equipment, usage patterns, and operating conditions while also providing you with the necessary service and support to keep your equipment running smoothly. They can also register your equipment, allowing maintenance information to be tracked in real time, so you never miss a service. Create a maintenance plan: A maintenance plan, like a CASE PlusCare Planned Maintenance Agreement from your CASE dealer, is a detailed maintenance plan designed to maximize the performance of your equipment. Your maintenance plan will include routine inspections, preventive maintenance, and timely repairs in the event of equipment malfunction. This will help you stay ahead of fluid changes, wear part replacements, and early signs of equipment issues, eliminating the stress of planning and budgeting for your machine maintenance needs. Your maintenance strategy will be tailored to your equipment's requirements and outcome goals. Implement a maintenance strategy: The implementation of a proactive maintenance strategy requires planning, execution, and ongoing evaluation. Your maintenance plan will outline the service tasks that need to be performed on your construction machine and the frequency with which they need to be completed. This maintenance plan should be reviewed and updated as needed to ensure that it remains effective and relevant to your equipment's needs over time. EQUIPMENT BEST PRACTICESBeyond building your maintenance plan in partnership with your dealer, it’s important to employ best practices between service visits to keep your equipment running strong. Train your operators: Proper equipment maintenance reduces wear and tear and prevents breakdowns. Train your operators on proper equipment usage, which includes performing daily inspections, identifying potential issues and reporting them. Ask your dealer for any training assistance for your crew. Choose quality OEM parts: These parts are specifically designed for your equipment to ensure optimal performance and durability. Use OEM whenever possible, and work with your dealer to source and install them. Keep accurate records: Create a system to maintain detailed records of all maintenance tasks, inspections, and repairs planned. This is an important step in determining the effectiveness of your maintenance strategy. It also ensures that all necessary maintenance services or inspections are completed on schedule. Proactive maintenance is a critical part of protecting your construction machinery and making sure your equipment is functioning at its best. By implementing a comprehensive maintenance program, contractors can ensure their equipment is properly maintained and serviced, preventing breakdowns and reducing downtime.CLOSING THOUGHTFor professional maintenance service and genuine OEM parts, trust the experts at your local dealership to create a successful maintenance plan to protect your equipment investment. For CASE Construction Equipment, we recommend the expertise and commitment of your CASE dealer. With their partnership and investment in your operation’s success, you can ensure that you are always prepared to tackle the next project with confidence. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202347about the authorRyan Schubert is an aftermarket services development manager for CASE Construction Equipment Parts & Service with more than 15 years of experience in the construction and mining equipment industry. Schubert is responsible for developing service solutions to improve customers’ total cost of ownership, reduce downtime, maintain safety, and customer satisfaction on construction products.

Page 52

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com48maintenance solutionStreet RepairStreet Repairsaves time, money, and the environment CRAFCO HP ER COLD PATCH™When a pothole appears on the streets of Edmond, Oklahoma, residents expect it to be filled within 24 hours. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for procurement or preparation, so the City of Edmond’s Street and Traffic Division needed a solution that installs easily, has a long shelf life, and is workable in any weather condition.THE SOLUTIONFor the last 8-10 years, their strategic reserve has been stocked with Crafco HP ER Cold Patch™, which meets the city’s demands and provides a repair that lasts. Herb Mason, assistant superintendent for field services with the City of Edmond, says all-weather workability was a top consideration for the city. HP ER Cold Patch is formulated for all-weather use and adheres well to cold and damp pavements.“After we’ve had a weather event, we send out multiple pickups with this product in the back to get those small potholes before they become big ones,” Mason says. “The patch really stays, it sticks well, and it doesn’t pop out of the hole when people drive across it.”Along with the performance in cold and wet conditions, Mason says the long shelf life of the HP ER Cold Patch has served his division well, allowing his team to keep plenty of ready-to-use asphalt cold patch available for whenever the need arises. Crafco’s product doesn’t harden in the bag or need to be kept warm, so it’s easy to stockpile large quantities for months without upkeep.“By having material in the yard, if you’re going through some of it on a regular basis, you can have enough for an emergency repair on a weekend or whatever time it might come up,” he says.Thanks to HP ER Cold Patch, Mason’s division can make one-time repairs that will last several years without extra maintenance. This ready-to-use, zero-VOC material is designed for potholes, utility cuts, wide cracks, and other deficiencies in both asphalt and concrete pavements, including everything from highways to bridge decks to walkways. It even works on sports courts. With no mixing, heating, or special equipment required, HP ER Cold Patch is designed to help agencies complete patch jobs as efficiently as possible. After application and tamping, the product gains its full strength with compaction from traffic.FROM PLANT TO ROADWAYCrafco’s cold patch solution offers benefits for end users and producers alike. To ensure an efficient and profitable process from the plant to the roadway, Crafco offers its HP ER Enhancer program to producers. HP ER Enhancer is an organic viscosity modifier designed to blend with asphalt to produce Crafco’s HP ER Binder for cold patch production. Crafco packages its HP ER Enhancer in premeasured totes that are ready for producers to add to paving-grade

Page 53

asphalt. Following the guidance provided by Crafco, producers are able to create an eco-friendly asphalt binder that’s safe to work with, cost-effective, and garners positive reviews from end users.For Geneva Rock, a supplier based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the program has been profitable since the company made its first batch of HP ER Cold Patch material in September 2021. Asphalt salesman Cody Mills says prior to working with Crafco, previous attempts at making cold patch were too cumbersome, involving tedious reprocessing and drying steps.“When Crafco developed its HP ER, we could have totes of the material on hand that we just plug right into our asphalt plant and then make it like regular asphalt, that streamlined the whole process and made it so easy to use,” Mills says. “Speaking with our asphalt plant operators, they were blown away by how easy the process was compared to what it used to be.”Mills says one of the reasons Geneva Rock stepped away from cold patch production in the past came down to safety concerns and a lack of payoff for the risk involved with using flammable materials. With Crafco’s non-VOC product, plant workers have peace of mind knowing they can blend it in a hot plant without risk of flash.Customer feedback has also been positive. “Reviews of it have been great,” Mills says. “We’ve had guys say that they’re not going to buy anything else after they’ve used it.”ECO-FRIENDLY BENEFITS At APAC, a producer with locations across Kansas, Crafco’s HP ER Enhancer program has provided cost savings and environmental benefits. Dave Duncan, branch manager of the APAC Shears division, says he has found the product’s shelf life to be particularly beneficial, allowing the business to sell all of what they make. Duncan has also been impressed with the eco-friendly nature of Crafco’s cold patch solution.“There are fuels in these oils to make them last longer,” he says. “Well, this is a biofuel, so it’s not hazardous and it’s much better for the environment. Our company is always looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly. I think if a lot of the customers in some of the cities knew some of this stuff, they would probably start buying it more.”Duncan adds that since he can produce this cold patch product at a lower temperature, APAC is able to use less fuel in their burners. The result is lowered emissions during the production process.At APAC’s Wichita and Augusta locations, estimator and plant manager Stewart Randall says Crafco’s partnership and support have been valuable. Along with being easy to reach for questions, Crafco’s team offers on-site guidance during the mixing process to ensure the product meets standards.Randall’s main focus when choosing to produce Crafco’s cold patch solution was longevity. After being able to stockpile the product for 6-9 months, Randall is pleased with both the product’s longevity and the associated cost savings.Ultimately, Crafco’s HP ER Cold Patch is helping asphalt producers and end users streamline their processes, save money, reduce environmental harm and improve safety from the plant to the jobsite. CLOSING THOUGHTUltimately, Crafco’s HP ER Cold Patch is helping asphalt producers and end users streamline their processes, save money, reduce environmental harm and improve safety from the plant to the jobsite. www.mcsmag.com JULY 202349for more informationFor more, visit www.crafco.com.

Page 54

JULY 2023 www.mcsmag.com50modern construction productsPANTHER VISION UNROUND™ FLATEYE™ FlashlightPanther Vision launches the FLATEYE FRL-2100 flashlight-lantern, scientifically proven to hold a higher lumen count longer than its competitors. The non-cylindrical design prevents the lantern flashlight from rolling away, a common issue faced with traditional flashlights. The FLATEYE FRL-2100 puts out 2175 lumens is available to purchase on panthervision.com for $249.99. Check out the rest of the FLATEYE model collection on PantherVision.com/Flateye, Amazon, Fleet Farm, Best Buy and select retailers nationwide.MALTA DYNAMICSWaveOn Tech Apex Type 2 HelmetThe Malta Dynamics APEX Type 2 Safety Helmet with WaveOn Technology meets ANSI standard Z89.1-2014 and features a six-point suspension system for improved impact protection with adjustable head and chin straps for ultimate comfort and fit. Equipped with WaveOn Technology, a contactless chip provides readily available access to documentation. Simply wave a smartphone over the WaveOn decal and register the product. WaveOn links a registered helmet to a worker’s training documentation, all in one place, without the need to download an app. For more, visit www.maltadynamics.com. Komatsu's upgraded PC130LC-11 has a longer undercarriage design, increasing lift capacity by up to 20% compared to the previous model. This 97.2 hp small conventional tail swing excavator is easily transportable and offers a unique combination of lightweight power and agility. The PC130LC-11 uses up to 12% less fuel than the previous model (PC130-8). Fuel consumption on this excavator can also be reduced with the auto idle shutdown feature that can be set to automatically stop the engine after a preset amount of idle time. The Komatsu diesel oxidation catalyst (KDOC) helps reduce particulate matter by using passive regeneration over 98% of the time. For more, visit www.komatsu.com. MALTA DYNAMICSComfort Maxx SteelThe Malta Dynamics Comfort Maxx Steel Harness has an upgraded D-Ring configuration, pre-installed trauma relief straps, and sewn-in belt. This product features improved padding, strategically positioned to deliver optimal comfort even during extended wear and a custom, standing D-Ring with dual lifeline connection. With the integration of sewn-in lumbar support designed to accommodate heavy tool bags, workers can carry their tools without compromising their comfort and stability. The Comfort Maxx Steel is engineered to provide unparalleled comfort, reliability, and safety to workers in various industries. For more, visit www.maltadynamics.com. MILWAUKEE TOOLGRIDIRON™ Pocket T-Shirts Milwaukee Tool continues its dedication to solving frustrations in comfort, movement, and protection from the elements. GRIDIRON™ is built to survive and engineered for best-in-class durability without sacrificing on mobility and comfort. The new GRIDIRON™ Pocket T-Shirts are built from durable, reliable fabric to survive the job's demands and engineered for broken-in comfort on day one and continue to get better over time. These products are engineered with a focus on the trades, ensuring solutions to benefit productivity in all jobsite conditions. For more, visit www.milwaukeetool.com. KOMATSUPC130LC-11 Excavator

Page 55

www.mcsmag.com JULY 202351featured productThe construction technology market is cluttered with options for fleet tracking, safety, and labor management, and yet, despite this tight labor environment, construction workers still waste time searching for, or manually accounting for, equipment. Some estimates indicate that up to 90 minutes per worker per day is spent looking for stuff. Is this the best use of time? Not really. And when it comes to timekeeping, one thing is certain: getting an accurate equipment timesheet—capturing the billable hours—is a challenge.Enter the new ROOSTER ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM: the industry’s first equipment management tool that captures every minute of equipment activity and automates reporting for as little as $1.00* per month. It is purpose built to provide visibility, accountability, and efficiency for anything in inventory, from small powered or unpowered tools to light and heavy equipment.The Rooster Asset Tracking System consists of Rooster Hubs, Rooster Activity Trackers, and the Rooster App portal. Rooster Hubs are robust data portals that connect to the Cloud through an integrated cellular connection to deliver equipment activity and telematics data, and accurate GPS location every 8 minutes. Rooster Activity Trackers are small, rugged devices that, once installed to any piece of equipment, capture activity on a minute-by-minute basis, for up to 5 years. They transmit data to Rooster Hubs up to ½ mile away, or through most concrete and metal to a nearby Hub using a long-range, low-power pairing protocol based on the LoRa® communications standard and protected by more than a dozen patents issued and pending. STREAMLINE ASSET REPORTINGWith Rooster, contractors with equipment and fleet inventory of all sizes can manage assets more effectively; export succinct, reliable reports that backup time and materials billing; and create utilization reports that help determine whether to rent, sell, or buy.Rooster also includes meter reading and reporting capability for heavy duty trucks and construction equipment using the SAE J1939 standard for data exchange. This feature is designed to make it easier to track and view current equipment telemetry, such as vehicle identification number (VIN), fuel consumption, and engine hours without leaving the office. No more checking dates written on filters or putting tape on windshields. to monitor maintenance schedules or verify billable hours on the job. Specially developed plug-and-play cables conveniently connect to equipment data or dedicated telematic ports, minimizing installation effort.DEPLOY IN MINUTES. USE FOR YEARS.The subscription cost, at $1/month for Trackers and $10/month for hubs, is as much as 60% less than other options. Rooster hardware is purchased separately, and as needed, putting customers in control of their deployment schedules. Users can instantly activate and deactivate any device, at any time to pause billing, and there is no contract.Rooster offers an introductory “Asset Tracking Starter Kit,” which includes a Rooster Hub and its AC and Flying Lead power adapters, four Rooster Activity Trackers and a set of four mounting options. With a self-service, order-on-demand sales model, customers only pay for activated devices managed through the free Rooster Mobile App, which is available on Google® Play and Apple® App Store. Expanded Rooster System packs, bulk pricing and a variety of accessories are available on rooster.com. Rooster offers, help videos, live customer support, and referral to deployment partners by calling 844-4ROOSTR (476-6787). * Rooster Activity Tracker subscription is $1.00 (USD) and Rooster Hub subscription is $10.00 (USD) per month. At least one Hub is required. Cost of equipment varies, visit rooster.com/products for more details.For more about the Rooster Asset Tracking System, visit www.rooster.com. The new Rooster Asset Tracking SystemThe Rooster® Hub attaches to equipment through convenient plug-and-play cables to gather and report telematics data such as VIN, fuel usage, and engine hours.The Rooster Activity Trackers are IP-67 rated for complete, durable protection.The Rooster App displays telematics data gathered from the host engine, simplifying the task of monitoring, and maintaining equipment.Rooster assembled the “Asset Tracking Starter Kit,” priced at $750 and complete with the most popular products of the system.

Page 56

punch list 0723 The Fred Factor MARK SANBORN AUTHOR T he seventh book on your punch list is The Fred Factor This book is designed to help you excel in your career and make your life extraordinary WHY THIS BOOK The Fred Factor entered the business world for a must read by executives and those in managerial roles in the early 2000s The book was based on a true story and presented a powerful motivational message to help anyone be more in their lives The simple story of the author s postman Fred and the exceptional customer service the author experienced from how Fred lived his life and served in his capacity to deliver the mail inspired the book and a movement THE FRED FACTOR The book focuses on four principles to transform your life and be more like Fred the Postman MAKE A DIFFERENCE Fred chose to perform his job with the highest of standards regardless of any obstacles He provided service that was above and beyond making people feel valued respected and cared about in a way that inspired them to excel in their daily grind From the book Ultimately the more value you create for others the more value will eventually flow towards you Knowing you ve done your best independent of the support acknowledgment or reward of others is a key determinant in a fulfilling career BUILD RELATIONSHIPS Fred took the time to truly get to know the people on his mail route He learned their routines and preferences He built personal relationships and provided customer service to go beyond simply delivering the mail From the book Leaders succeed when they recognize the human nature of their employees technology succeeds when it recognizes the human nature of its users and Fred the Postman still succeeds because he recognizes the human nature of his work CREATE VALUE Serving others and thereby creating value for others doesn t have to cost anything You can work with what you have to make the most of your position Think creatively and be happy in your work and others will notice Fred mastered the most important job skill in today s workforce the ability to create value for his customers and not spend more money to do it From the book The faster you try to solve a problem with money the less likely it is the best solution Anyone can buy his or her way out of a problem with enough money The challenge is to outthink rather than to outspend the competition REINVENT YOURSELF If Fred could bring originality to his work how can we reinvent our work to be extraordinary We can make choices to do our jobs with passion From the book No matter what job you hold what industry you work in or where you live every morning you wake up with a tabula rasa a clean slate You can make your business as well as your life anything you choose it to be CLOSING THOUGHT Chances are we know a Fred that has presented themselves with excellence motivating us to do more and be more in our line of work I think of the project managers on jobsites organizing and scheduling materials and people and leading by example to bring projects to completion With a hard hat clipboard and steel toed boots they motivate today s builds for more information Mark Sanborn CSP CPAE is president of Sanborn Associates Inc an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and in life Mark is an international bestselling author and noted expert on leadership team building customer service and change For more visit marksanborn com fredfactor P L 52 JULY 2023 www mcsmag com

Modern Contractor Solutions July 2023

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8