How Smart Plants Lower Producers’ Costs

Optimize your resources to reduce the debt of becoming a least-hassle supplier. When Albert Einstein was once asked to name mankind’s greatest invention, his answer was “compound interest.” While the federal funds rate was near zero, it made sense for businesses to load up on debt and pay virtually no interest. Now, with higher interest rates compounding the impact, it’s…

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Master Builders tool extracts value from rich concrete order data stream

Master Builders Solutions dubs its new MasterAtlas Software as a Service offering “the construction industry’s first virtual concrete assistant.” The application integrates data from multiple sources, including batch plant controls, GPS positions and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, into a singular platform for monitoring concrete production—independent of a producer’s existing sensors or monitoring tools. Combined with data analysis, MasterAtlas creates…

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Sensor Streams Temperature, Maturity Data

Construction-geared Internet of Things device developer has added LumiNode Plus concrete sensing solution to its LumiCon Smart Construction Platform. With low-power operation and USB battery recharging, the new wireless technology offers direct cloud connectivity, enabling instant streaming of concrete temperature and maturity data directly to the cloud without the need for network gateways, repeaters, or signal boosters. Such advancements reduce…

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Precision-Hayes deploys IoT to expedite post-tensioning data relay

Sources: Precision-Hayes International, Seagoville, Texas; CP staff

Precision-Hayes plans to commercialize technology that will provide architects, engineers or other project stakeholders with real-time tendon elongation and force readings from post-tensioning (P-T) operations. Initial market development will focus on unbonded, monostrand tendons typical in elevated, cast-in-place concrete slabs and parking structures.

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Construction IT specialist paints 2018 as “year of digital disruption”

Source: Triax Technologies Inc., Norwalk, Conn.

Thanks to a flourish of Internet of Things (IoT) and companion developments on deck this year, connected jobsite software and hardware provider Triax Technologies contends that construction is poised to shatter its reputation as one of least digitized among major business sectors.

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Data analytics, IoT integration top drone specialist’s 2018 construction trends

Sources: Identified Technologies, Pittsburgh; CP staff

Identified Technologies, a specialist in drone-enabled gathering of data from construction materials production and job sites, projects a watershed year for technology adoption among contractors, suppliers and customers. Leading the firm’s Top Construction Technology Trends of 2018:

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Command Alkon tracks ‘Domino’s’ effect on customer expectations

Sources: CP staff; Command Alkon, Birmingham, Ala.

In a sign of rapidly changing times for information technology and heavy building materials, Command Alkon departed from past annual customer conference agendas at ELEVATE 2017. Attendees of the early-November gathering were compelled to grasp the a) parallels between their business-to-business operations and two business-to-consumer service and product brands; and, b) role of analytics and Big Data in anticipating construction market conditions driving profitability and growth.

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Fiber distribution gauge brings ‘Internet of Things’ to mixer chutes

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Steel reinforcing fiber leader Bekaert Corp. premiered at World of Concrete 2017 a laser-enabled device measuring concrete mixes’ homogeneity and fiber distribution profile. Mounted at the end of a mixer truck chute, the Dramix eyeD generates graphs and limited dashboards that attest targeted reinforcement uniformity.

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