October 2021

Tech
Adoption
Week

#TechAdoptionWeek

Welcome to Tech Adoption Week 2021

Welcome to the first annual Tech Adoption Week! Over the next few days, we’ll be exploring fresh ways to help you navigate change and ease tech adoption at your organization.

Check back here every day for new stories and follow Bluebeam on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube for the latest updates.

Construction Isn’t Slow. It’s Out of Room.

Project Management & Efficiency, Technology & Innovation
Frank Kalman

The Permitting Crisis Isn’t What You Think It Is

Construction & The Economy, Project Management & Efficiency
Parth Tikiwala

Keeping Construction Safe

Health, Safety, and Compliance
Tracie Sanim

Explore critical insights for National Safe Work Month 2023, focusing on workplace safety in the construction industry. Learn about risk management, mental health support, diversity in the workforce, and the new 10-year national strategy to reduce workplace fatalities. Discover resources for small businesses to enhance safety practices.

Sense and Sensibility: How Architects Are Designing with Sensory Needs in Mind

Building, Design & Architecture
Hamish Champ

Architects have long sought to design buildings that suited occupants’ needs, as well as being aesthetically pleasing. Lately, the built environment has acknowledged the need to create buildings which cater for occupants’ needs in more ways than one

How One Nonprofit Is Expanding the ‘Passive Construction’ Movement

Sustainability
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Passive construction relies on design principles aimed at attaining high levels of energy efficiency while also creating comfortable indoor living spaces

Winning Public Sector Construction Contracts

People & Project Spotlights
Tracie Sanim

Uncover the hidden potential of construction projects in reshaping economies, fostering innovation, and driving societal change in this article. Explore the concept of Social Procurement, where construction intersects with broader goals, and delve into focus areas like gender equity, local industry participation, and sustainability that can propel your construction business towards success and positive impact.

Go Inside This Historic Pittsburgh Building’s Adaptive Reuse Project

Building, Design & Architecture
Hilary Daninhirsch

Kingfly Spirits, a 10,000-square-foot craft distillery, has injected new life into the Steel City neighborhood, thanks to creative craftsmanship put into the 125-year-old building

The Internet’s Most Asked Questions About Bluebeam

Bluebeam Tips and Tricks
Bluebeam Team

Discover the answers to your most asked questions about Bluebeam. Unlock insights into Bluebeam's innovative solutions bridging office-field communication in construction projects. Experience the power of Bluebeam Studio and Cloud for heightened collaboration and convenient document management on-the-fly.

These Student-Built Concrete Canoes Are a Sight to Behold

People & Project Spotlights
Vivien Dolivo

ASCE, the oldest engineering society in the United States, hosts its annual competition to provide students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience while testing their practical skills with the concrete mix and project management styles

McKissack & McKissack’s Cheryl McKissack Daniel: Know When to Say No

People & Project Spotlights
Pat Olsen

The fifth-generation construction executive shares her keys success, including when to turn down work

Restoring Chicago’s Architectural, Cultural Heritage in Bronzeville

Building, Design & Architecture
Elisa Silverman

The neighborhood on the Near South Side has undergone many transformations over the past century

How Bluebeam Enables Knowledge Sharing Within Global Organisations

Bluebeam Tips and Tricks
Bluebeam Team

A pioneering new initiative is helping architecture, engineering, and construction professionals get the very best value from their digital editing tools.

Reimagining Home with Regenerative AI Tools

Sustainability
Diana Kightlinger

To create a more desirable future, how should homes, neighborhoods and cities evolve? The SPACE10 Research and Design Lab launched a global competition to find out

One Way to Keep Contractors Safe from Cybercrime: Construction Escrow Services

Technology & Innovation
Stacey Freed

Construction has increasingly become a target for cybercriminals; one way to thwart these malicious efforts is to funnel funds through a third party

This Construction Student Wants to Transform His Community with Bluebeam

People & Project Spotlights
Vivien Dolivo

From a small Mexican town to Texas and now California, Eduardo Juanes is maximizing the power of digital collaboration to jump-start his construction career

Go Inside the World’s First Underwater Bicycle Parking Garage

Technology & Innovation
Emily Beyda

The global capital of biking, Amsterdam, continues its emphasis on two-wheeled, manual transportation with a one-of-a-kind parking structure

Columbia Professor Takes a Down-to-Earth Approach to Building Materials

Sustainability
Diana Kightlinger

At the Natural Materials Lab, Lola Ben Alon gains inspiration from early building environments to develop future materials that will decarbonize construction

How Symal and Wamarra are Accelerating Change in Construction

Bluebeam Tips and Tricks
Tom O'Keane

Wamarra and Symal Infrastructure are aiming to create more opportunities and remove barriers for the employment of Aboriginal people, while using the latest in Bluebeam software.

Auburn’s Summer Academy Brings More Young Women into Construction

People & Project Spotlights
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

As the industry works to bolster female representation, this program aims to strategically cultivate interest among a demographic that hasn’t historically been encouraged to join construction

How Drone Technology Is Construction’s Eye in the Sky

Technology & Innovation
Hamish Champ

The advent of drones has given the construction industry the opportunity to get a unique view of a building project as it rises from the ground

Golder’s Four-Step Implementation of Bluebeam

Bluebeam Tips and Tricks
Caitlin Davidson

Discover how Golder, a global consulting firm, implemented Bluebeam as their standard software solution, revolutionising workflows and communication. Explore their four-step implementation strategy and how they customised Bluebeam to suit their diverse teams.

Salvage and Reuse in Construction: Building Demand with Each Project

Sustainability
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

What to do with waste from construction and demolition projects is a significant global problem. But the tides are shifting, and the market for C&D waste recycling is growing

Archaeologists Discover Stone Age Drawings of Human-made Mega Structures

Building, Design & Architecture
Diana Kightlinger

Precise engravings found in Jordan and Saudi Arabia depict enormous Neolithic hunting traps located nearby, revealing a mental mastery of space perception not observed before in such an early context

Hardening Structures in an Age of Worsening Wildfires

Sustainability
Diana Kightlinger

As the destruction from wildfires increases, so does the need for new approaches to help ensure structures survive blazes—and insurers continue to cover damage and loss

Site Logistics: The Next Frontier in Construction Technology

Technology & Innovation
Frank Kalman

Digital tools can deliver a new level of site logistics effectiveness that will give your operations a boost not just in the planning stages but throughout a project

Batch Hyperlink Will Blow Your Mind

Bluebeam Tips and Tricks
Troy DeGroot

Imagine pointing to an entire folder and subfolders of drawings and bringing the section cuts, elevations and plan notes to life (from 2021)

Prefab, DIY Housing Comes to Rural Mexico

Sustainability
Emily Beyda

Modular building is mostly seen in urban environments, but one architecture firm is trying to make the practice viable for prospective homeowners in rural Mexico

How to Convince Tech Skeptics to Use Bluebeam: 3 Tips from Golder

Technology & Innovation
Caitlin Davidson

Unlock the full potential of Bluebeam with expert tips from Golder. Convince tech skeptics to embrace this user-friendly PDF software for improved efficiency and collaboration in construction, engineering, and architecture. Discover how to highlight Bluebeam's features, leverage Studio Sessions, and replace crude sketches

A New Foundation for Concrete: Used Diapers

Technology & Innovation
Erik Sherman

Researchers at the University of Kitakyushu in Japan found that chopped up cleaned diapers can replace up to 10% of the composite material in a concrete mix for structural use in single-story buildings and as much as 40% in nonstructural and architectural components

How to Get a Fast ROI for Software for Construction

Technology & Innovation
James Chambers

How do you choose the right construction software for you, and make sure that your investment is worthwhile?

How Prefab Can Be the Solution to the Housing Crisis in Australia

Sustainability
Caitlin Davidson

Australia is currently facing a severe housing crisis—is prefab construction the solution?

How Supply Chain Management Is Responding To Challenging Times

Project Management & Efficiency
Hamish Champ

Experts argue that relationships across the construction industry are more vital than ever in today’s challenging markets. Contractors who establish a good relationship with their suppliers can hope to rise to meet and surpass these challenges.

How Bluebeam Is Transforming Merced County

Technology & Innovation
Hamish Champ

Bluebeam is increasingly being used by public sector organizations. Built spoke to the supervising building inspector for plan reviews for Merced County in California about why his team made the switch to Bluebeam and what the software has done to transform the way his team can respond to the needs of local people

Is Construction Ready for Generative AI?

Technology & Innovation
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Startups using the promising new technology say it will be a ‘superpower’ for the industry in the not-too-distant future

Top 3 Construction Software Workflows Recommended by Patterson Building Group

Technology & Innovation
Caitlin Davidson

With a focus on efficiency and precision, Patterson Building Group has found Bluebeam to be essential in its pursuit of cost-effective and timely project delivery.

Smart Cities: Revolutionising Urban Living with Advanced Technology and Data Integration

Technology & Innovation
Caitlin Davidson

Smart cities are transforming urban living with advanced technology and data integration, enhancing the quality of life for citizens. Continue reading to discover the fundamental opportunities for the construction industry to integrate smart technologies and offer sustainable solutions for future urban growth.

Construction Needs to Market Itself Better to Fill the Skills Gap

People & Project Spotlights
Elisa Silverman

With skepticism prominent around the value of traditional, four-year college degrees, construction trades have a unique opportunity to market to future generations of workers amid a persistent industry skills gap

Construction Industry Incorporates Bi-polar Ionization Technology into Building Plans

Technology & Innovation
Erin Flynn Jay

Technologies like BPI allow buildings to reduce outside air requirements by 50% or more, resulting in a 20%-40% reduction in HVAC energy spending

Are Sustainable Drainage Systems the Solution to Our Growing Flooding Problem?

Sustainability
Hamish Champ

Climate change is increasing the threat of flooding across many parts of the world, so engineers and others in the built environment are turning to alternative methods to tackle water flow and drainage issues than the traditional pipework and sewer networks.

Built celebrates NAIDOC Week 2023

People & Project Spotlights
Tracie Sanim

NAIDOC Week is a time to reflect on and appreciate the contributions of First Nations people in Australia. Discover the significance of NAIDOC Week, the role of elders, and the importance of engaging with Indigenous voices. Learn about Danielle Leedie Gray, a First Nations graphic artist and designer, and how businesses can support and collaborate with First Nations artists. Explore ways to create a more inclusive and respectful environment in the design, engineering, and construction industries.

Empowering First Nations: How Wamarra is Revolutionising Careers in Construction

People & Project Spotlights
Tracie Sanim

Discover how Wamarra, an Aboriginal-owned civil contractor in Australia, is revolutionising the construction industry by providing full-time employment, career pathways, and training opportunities for First Nations people. Learn about their approach to building sustainable Indigenous employment, creating economic independence, and empowering Aboriginal communities.

Reconciliation in Action: Downer’s Industry Leading Approach

People & Project Spotlights
Tracie Sanim

Discover the success story of Downer Group's Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and its impact on the construction industry. Explore how their commitment to Indigenous employment, cultural respect, and community engagement has transformed their business. Learn about the power of RAPs in driving economic equity, fostering positive relationships, and creating a more inclusive future.

California’s High-Speed Rail Project Sets Sights on Ambitious Future

Technology & Innovation
Emily Beyda

Proponents hope that a completed rail system will revolutionize the state’s approach to transportation and pave the way for similar projects across the nation

Navigating the Markups List in Bluebeam

Bluebeam Tips and Tricks
Chris Graham

Cluttered markups can proliferate construction plan documents in today’s digital world. Thankfully, Bluebeam’s Markups List is a powerful tool to quickly organize things in a meaningful way

Columbia’s Bruce Gordon: Promoting Sustainability in Construction

Sustainability
Pat Olsen

The third-generation family business executive talks about why he chose to enter the field, as well as some of the ways the construction firm has been proactive in working toward a better future

Stacey, the ‘Bluebeam Guru’ Revolutionising Drafting at Inertia 

Bluebeam Tips and Tricks
Caitlin Davidson

In construction, Stacey has emerged as a trailblazer, making a remarkable impact on the implementation of Bluebeam at Inertia Engineering  

This L.A. Lumber Yard Sources Only from Fallen Neighborhood Trees

Sustainability
Emily Beyda

Angel City Lumber has built a business on locally sourced wood, a trend founder Jeff Perry hopes will catch on elsewhere as the industry works to be more sustainable

Say Goodbye to the Construction Hard Hat

Health, Safety, and Compliance
Erin Flynn Jay

With the construction industry increasingly focused on worker safety, more firms are embracing new-age helmets that provide better protection vs. the traditional hard hat.

Resilient Design and Construction

Building, Design & Architecture
Caitlin Davidson

Discover the importance of resilient design and construction in the Asia-Pacific region, which is highly susceptible to natural disasters. Learn how resilient materials, innovative construction methods and green infrastructure can increase the strength and durability of buildings and infrastructure.

Why Converting Vacant Office Space to Housing Isn’t So Simple

Technology & Innovation
Stacey Freed

Societal shifts following the COVID-19 pandemic—namely the rise of remote work—have left millions of square feet of office space vacant. But converting those buildings to housing and other potential uses comes with several building complications

Protecting Construction Workers in a Challenging World

Health, Safety, and Compliance
Hamish Champ

The safety of workers on building sites is paramount. Protective clothing has moved on from basic boots, hard hats and gloves to garments featuring high-spec technology.

The Delicate Balance Between Classic, Modern in Indian Architecture

Building, Design & Architecture
Emily Beyda

Built spoke with Madhu Manoj, founding principal architect of Monsoon Collective, about building with place in mind and the ways the aesthetics of classical Indian architecture impacts his practice

October 2021

Tech Adoption Week