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Changes in construction practices requires a holistic approach to technology If a company is looking to affect change in the AEC industry, where does it start? Artificial intelligence and machine learning are sexy (in a nerdy kind of way), but practical application is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. That intersection is where Dareen Salama, director of technical services at design and construction advisory firm Lehrer, LLC, found herself upon completing her Master of Science in Civil Engineering & Construction Management from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and entering the workforce. As the complexity of construction projects...

Construction industry frozen by 'beast from the east' Biggest slowdown since Brexit vote shows overall UK economic activity slumped in March Heavy snowfall from the “beast from the east” caused Britain’s construction industry to grind to a halt last month, according to an industry survey showing the biggest fall in activity since immediately after the Brexit vote. Confirming fears that freezing weather across the country last month would harm the economy by forcing diggers and cranes to fall idle, the closely watched Markit/Cips UK construction purchasing managers index showed the industry contracted in March. The barometer of economic activity slumped...

7 of the Largest Constructed Monuments in the United States Some of which still hold records as much as a century after completion. Getty ImagesEMMANUEL DUNAND A monument may not be useful in a practical sense, but each one has a unique purpose in memorializing a certain part of our shared history. The United States has peppered man-made monuments around the nation, and in the process of building them all, rediscovered a universal truth: Bigger is better. Here are seven of the most notable and most noticeable man-made monuments in the U.S. The also happen to be some of the...

Rapid Building Technique Gets Scrutiny After Bridge Collapse Accelerated bridge construction, or ABC, involves assembling large sections of a span offsite, then moving the massive pieces into place all at once. AP As the 950-ton concrete bridge section was swung into place over a highway last weekend, Florida International University officials were beaming with pride. The pedestrian bridge on the edge of the Miami-area campus was a signature achievement of the school's Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center, a research group set up with federal funding a few years ago to show how spans could be built faster and cheaper...

Effect of olive waste (Husk) on behavior of cement paste Jordan is a famous country in terms of olive trees agriculture that resulted in a mass production of olive oil products. The huge amounts of olive waste (husk) that resulted from olives processing to produce olive oil represent an environmental challenge in the country. The idea in this paper comes to use olive waste as a partial replacement for Portland cement in cement paste to conserve the environment, reduce cement consumption and increase cost efficiency. The wastes were burned properly in an oven and maintained for 6 h until it was...