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Can artificial intelligence change construction? As IBM’s Watson adds its computational power to construction sites, tech sees an industry in need of an upgrade IBM’s Watson supercomputer has beat Jeopardy champions, reconstituted recipes, and even helped create highlight reels for the World Cup. Now it’s taking on a new tech challenge; changing how the construction industry operates. A new partnership between IBM and Fluor, a global engineering and construction company, will put the supercomputer’s computational skills to work on making building more efficient. The new Watson-based system, in development since 2015 and now in use on select projects, will be...

Preventing falls in construction Falls continue to plague the construction industry. According to OSHA, falls are the leading cause of death in construction. Of the 991 construction worker deaths recorded in 2016, 370 resulted from falls to a lower level. In most cases, workers were not wearing their fall protection properly – if at all – or employers had not provided fall protection. However, in all cases, one thing is clear: The deaths were preventable. To help reduce fall-related fatalities, OSHA advises employers to “Plan. Provide. Train.” Plan. When planning a job that will require working from height, the employer...

Here are the big-ticket construction projects Ohio State will float at this week's trustees meeting A rendering for the laboratory building at Ohio State's Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio. Columbus Business First has pulled together a list of big construction projects going before Ohio State University's board of trustees this week. Some projects already have been approved to start construction, but Ohio State still needs to hire the people to do it. Other projects need approval to start construction and some projects are seeking for approval for both at the same time. The majority of the projects are on...

Statue of Liberty evacuated after nearby construction fire NEW YORK (AP) — The Statue of Liberty has been evacuated as a precaution after a propane fire erupted in a construction area on Liberty Island. Park spokesman Jerry Willis says visitors were ushered to a plaza a safe distance from the fire, which started shortly before noon Monday. Willis says a construction worker was treated at the scene for a minor injury. The Fire Department of New York said it appeared three propane tanks were involved in the fire.

New photos detail possible construction of second Taiwanese Apple retail store Construction of Apple’s second retail store in Taiwan may be well underway, new photos show. The country’s first official Apple store opened in the Taipei 101 skyscraper last June with 130 employees. Images documenting the construction of Taipei’s massive Far Eastern Xinyi Shopping Mall posted on the Taiwan City Forum depict a sleek, low-profile structure located on a highly visible lot directly in front of the towering new mall. With curved glass walls, a polished, gently sloping roof nearly identical in style to Apple Michigan Avenue, and an interior...