November 10, 2022
Exyn Technologies and Trimble collaborate on a proof of concept for a fully autonomous surveying solution for construction

Exyn Technologies and Trimble collaborate on a proof of concept for a fully autonomous surveying solution for construction

Together Exyn and Trimble Demonstrate a Groundbreaking Solution to Increase Efficiency and Safety Across Complex GNSS-Denied Construction Environments Trimble and Exyn Technologies, a pioneer in multi-platform robotic autonomy for complex, GPS-denied environments, announced today a strategic collaboration to explore the use of autonomous construction surveying technology. The solution will integrate

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Bobcat E10e Excels in Inner City Work in the Netherlands

Bobcat E10e excels in inner city work in the Netherlands

Willemsen Infra BV, a civil engineering company from Utrecht in the Netherlands, purchased a new Bobcat E10e electric mini-excavator earlier in 2022. It is now one of the many electric vehicles and machines that WiIlemsen Infra uses on its projects. According to Justin Willemsen, Director at Willemsen Infra, the company’s

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First Roof Truss Hits The Heights at Everton Stadium

First roof truss hits the heights at Everton Stadium

The first of the giant trusses that will support the roof structure at Everton Stadium has been successfully installed. A milestone moment saw the 100-tonne section of steelwork carefully hoisted into place in the north stand on Wednesday morning, commencing a series of lifts over the coming weeks at both

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Perfecting the Smoke and Fire Safety Tendering Process

Perfecting the smoke and fire safety tendering process

Tendering for smoke and fire safety systems is arguably one of the most complex processes in construction, but it needn’t be. The ultimate aim should be to have a compliant solution that prioritises safety to life above anything else; after all, a person dies every two days in a smoke

Read More »
Aggregate Industries extends its LOOP order tracking service to its RMX concrete customers with Concrete Direct

Aggregate Industries extends its LOOP order tracking service to its RMX concrete customers with Concrete Direct

Aggregate Industries extends its LOOP order tracking service to its RMX concrete customers with Concrete Direct Following the launch of Aggregate Industries paperless order tracking platform ‘LOOP’ in 2019, the building materials supplier has carried out over 4 million paperless deliveries saving an estimated 430 tress and 20 tons of CO2. Now,

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Wine Cellar Design Ideas to Inspire Oenophiles

Wine Cellar Design Ideas to Inspire Oenophiles

If you can proudly call yourself an oenophile, you don’t just enjoy a glass of wine at dinner – you know a lot about it too. This means much more than just being able to exquisitely pair your wine of choice with food or distinguish one component grape from another.

Read More »
7 Mistakes That Can Put The Construction Workers at Risk

7 Mistakes that can put the construction workers at risk

Thanks to the construction workers toiling day and night, we have such exquisite sites and buildings to see. Working at a construction site involves dealing with heavy loads, tractors, noises, and much more. That comes with a plethora of risks that can be life-threatening to these workers. One wrong move,

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LCM a Finalist in 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards

LCM a Finalist in 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards

Low Carbon Materials (LCM), the science-led construction company, has announced it is one of the three international finalists in the world’s most prestigious environmental prize, The 2022 Earthshot Prize. The UK-based company is competing in the Fix Our Climate category, having been recognised by HRH Prince William as an accomplished

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Latest Issue
Issue 322 : Nov 2024

November 10, 2022

Exyn Technologies and Trimble collaborate on a proof of concept for a fully autonomous surveying solution for construction

Exyn Technologies and Trimble collaborate on a proof of concept for a fully autonomous surveying solution for construction

Together Exyn and Trimble Demonstrate a Groundbreaking Solution to Increase Efficiency and Safety Across Complex GNSS-Denied Construction Environments Trimble and Exyn Technologies, a pioneer in multi-platform robotic autonomy for complex, GPS-denied environments, announced today a strategic collaboration to explore the use of autonomous construction surveying technology. The solution will integrate Boston Dynamics’ Spot® robot, the ExynPak™ powered by ExynAI™ and the Trimble® X7 total station. It will enable fully autonomous missions inside complex and dynamic construction environments, which can result in consistent and precise reality capture for production and quality control workflows. “The integration of autonomous surveying technology into a construction workflow has groundbreaking potential,” said Aviad Almagor, vice president of Technology Innovation, Trimble. “It can improve operational efficiency and transparency throughout the build lifecycle while also transforming worker safety for potentially hazardous data collection.” Autonomous robots powered by ExynAI, can sense and avoid obstacles, dynamically adapting to the ever-changing complexity of construction environments. To ensure the utmost safety and efficiency, the ExynPak mounts and integrates with a robot, supporting level 4 of autonomous exploration missions without requiring the robot to “learn” about its environment beforehand. A surveyor simply defines a 3D volume for a mission and the integrated robotic solution handles the complexities of self-navigation without needing a map, GPS or wireless infrastructure. The integration of the Trimble X7 provides high-speed, high-accuracy 3D laser scanning to capture the state of the environment. The captured data can be uploaded to the Trimble Connect® collaboration platform and shared with project stakeholders for further analysis, including a comparison to Building Information Models (BIM) and previous scans to monitor quality and progress. The end result is a map of unprecedented detail and accuracy collected with minimal human intervention and risk. “Industry has been waiting for reliable and robust autonomous technology to transform difficult and dangerous activities. Exyn’s technology is helping to enable a new front in human-robot collaboration. By working with preeminent leaders such as Trimble, we aim to create adaptable, state-of-the-art systems to tackle the complexities across construction and industrial environments,” said Nader Elm, CEO of Exyn Technologies. Exyn and Trimble will be demonstrating this technology at the Trimble Dimensions+ Conference November 7-9 in Las Vegas. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Bobcat E10e Excels in Inner City Work in the Netherlands

Bobcat E10e excels in inner city work in the Netherlands

Willemsen Infra BV, a civil engineering company from Utrecht in the Netherlands, purchased a new Bobcat E10e electric mini-excavator earlier in 2022. It is now one of the many electric vehicles and machines that WiIlemsen Infra uses on its projects. According to Justin Willemsen, Director at Willemsen Infra, the company’s choice of electric machines is mainly motivated by the stricter emission requirements in many city centres and by the advantage that having such equipment in the fleet offers when tendering for government contracts. Willemsen Infra offers a broad portfolio, covering earthmoving, road works and hydraulic engineering and is mainly active in the Utrecht region. It is a family business that was founded in 2008 and employs about 65 people. The company works mainly in the repair, maintenance and construction of sewerage systems, paving and soil remediation. Willemsen Infra also has a number of push boats with pontoons, with which work can be carried out on and along the canals of Utrecht. Modern Machinery Fleet Willemsen has a state-of-the-art fleet of machinery and vehicles. The company formed the fleet with the focus on reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, as most of the work it carries out is in urban areas. It also why several of the machines have a limited axle load of a maximum of two tonne and are equipped with tracking systems, with which the journeys and fuel consumption can be tracked. Justin Willemsen is a strong supporter of the use of electric equipment and tools. The company already has 14 electric vans in operation and recently an electric truck with a spray suction installation system for sewer work was added to the fleet. In addition, the company is gradually switching to electric power tools; including heavier kit such as band saws and vibratory plates. “We believe that we should actively contribute to making construction more sustainable,” says Justin Willemsen, “but the use of electric equipment also provides commercial benefits. When registering for the tendering of government projects, you have a significant advantage if you can carry out the work with electric equipment. We have already won several contracts where fully electrical work was a precondition. And the requirements for the use of construction equipment and vehicles in urban areas are only getting stricter.” Utrecht Precursor to Emission-Free The municipality of Utrecht, where Willemsen Infra works much of the time, is one of the trailblazers in the Netherlands when it comes to environmental and emissions policy. An environmental zone has now been set up in Utrecht, in which diesel vehicles are prohibited. This zone is likely to be expanded in 2023. By 2025, the power supply to the city centre is also required to be completely emission-free. These measures have been introduced to limit noise pollution and harmful emissions, but also to prevent vibrations that can damage the historic buildings. The municipality of Utrecht wants to achieve a completely emission-free city centre by 2030 at the latest. The municipality has also examined the role of construction machinery and mobile equipment. The engineering company, Royal HaskoningDHV, was commissioned by the municipality to carry out research into the causes of air pollution in the city, and this showed that mobile equipment is in second place. Forty per cent of the excavators and wheel loaders used in the city centre fall into the Stage IIIa and IIIb emission classes; so there are still many gains to be made. The municipality realizes that construction companies cannot simply replace older equipment; all the more so as zero-emission machines are considerably more expensive than traditional diesel-powered machines. According to Justin Willemsen, a solution could be for the municipality to work with contractors for longer periods of time, so that they have time to recoup their investments in replacing ‘old’ equipment with zero-emission machines. Depreciation and Residual Value Justin Willemsen is convinced that Willemsen Infra’s investments in electric equipment will bear fruit. “If you have a zero-emission fleet, you are at the front of the queue as a supplier. You can win tenders for sustainability, because KPIs have been defined for this and governments are prepared to pay more for this. And you really can’t secretly use a diesel machine for work, because there are strict controls. The fines can be up to 1500 euros per violation. “To be honest, we don’t have a complete picture of the exact operating costs of electric machines yet,” says Justin Willemsen, “because we can’t say much about depreciation and residual value yet. Of course we save on fuel costs and oil, but I think that mainly the limited maintenance of electric machines will be the deciding factor. We don’t know for sure yet, but as an entrepreneur you also have to be prepared to stick your neck out.” The Bobcat E10e Electric Mini-Excavator In any event, the Bobcat E10e has been very well received; both by the employees of Willemsen Infra and the residents of Utrecht, who often react with surprise to the fact that the excavator makes virtually no noise. Willemsen Infra’s employees are particularly satisfied with the hydraulic joystick control, which is placed on an adjustable console on the side of the driver’s seat. The position of the joysticks can be adjusted as the driver wishes. There is also plenty of foot space in the operator’s position. Because the machine is so quiet, communication between the operator and the rest of the work crew is also very easy. As the E10e mini-excavator weighs only one tonne, is only 72 cm wide (which can be increased to 110 cm using the extendable tracks) and has an integrated, foldable Tip Over Protective Structure, it is not only easy to transport, but also very suitable for working inside buildings, on difficult terrain, in inaccessible places and in narrow streets. Thanks to the zero tail swing, the E10e also causes almost no traffic problems. The machine has a number of other advantages, which are specific to an electric excavator: a patented electro-hydraulic drive system that makes full use of

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First Roof Truss Hits The Heights at Everton Stadium

First roof truss hits the heights at Everton Stadium

The first of the giant trusses that will support the roof structure at Everton Stadium has been successfully installed. A milestone moment saw the 100-tonne section of steelwork carefully hoisted into place in the north stand on Wednesday morning, commencing a series of lifts over the coming weeks at both ends of the stadium that will offer a first view of its full height of just under 45 metres. In total, Everton Stadium will have five roof trusses installed; two in the smaller north stand and three atop the one-tier south stand that will eventually house 13,000 Evertonians. Each truss, which initially rest on temporary support trestles built into the stand, consists of three sections assembled at ground level and lifted into placed individually. Each of those 15 steelwork sections weighs approximately 100 tonnes. The completed roof trusses will have clear spans of between 150 and 175 metres, once the temporary support trestles are removed. The depth of the trusses varies between four metres deep at the supports, to around 11.5m at mid-span. Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, due for completion in the 2024/25 season, is recognised as the largest single-site private sector development in the country, contributing an estimated £1.3bn to the UK economy, creating thousands of jobs and attracting 1.4m visitors to the city of Liverpool, annually. Once complete, the scheme will have acted as a catalyst for more than £650m worth of accelerated regeneration directly benefiting the nearby Ten Streets development. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Perfecting the Smoke and Fire Safety Tendering Process

Perfecting the smoke and fire safety tendering process

Tendering for smoke and fire safety systems is arguably one of the most complex processes in construction, but it needn’t be. The ultimate aim should be to have a compliant solution that prioritises safety to life above anything else; after all, a person dies every two days in a smoke related fire. But red tape and legislation have made the safety of building users less of a priority and over time, bad habits have become the norm, making the tendering process about a race to the bottom on price – and often, quality. To challenge this, SfS, part of Exyte Hargreaves, is sharing four steps to overhaul the tendering process to make it more efficient and result in solutions that are legally sound, which meet the requirements of the entire supply chain, and which put safety top of the list. 1 Consider the application of the building Smoke and fire safety products undergo rigorous testing when they’re installed to any application so when they fail, a lot of responsibility is placed on the manufacturer; the assumption is always that the fault must be product-based, and not whether the product in question was right for the application in the first place. After all, in most cases, once the system leaves the production line the manufacturer is unlikely to be involved in its use thereafter. Typically, it’s a fire consultant that should have the final say over what smoke and fire solution is installed to a building; this should be taken as gospel, they’re the experts. But in many cases contractors will de-spec and install a product of lower quality (and therefore cost) to secure the job. A fire consultant might step back in and challenge what’s been fitted, but they don’t often have the influence to reverse the decision.   A building’s intended use should be the basis of every decision made in the specification and installation of smoke and fire safety solutions. This might vary, depending on at what RIBA stage the project is at when fire safety is eventually discussed. But each application will have unique requirements that should see everyone involved seek out the expertise of a smoke and fire expert; for example, does a building need a basic smoke vent, or does it require an engineered lobby smoke extract system with dampers on every floor suitably sized for the designed airflow? System pressure, the number of insulated blades, number of operations, whether the system is automatic or manually operated and so many more criteria should be individually analysed to determine which solution is best suited to the application in question. There is responsibility on everyone involved in the delivery of a building to critically challenge whether what’s specified is fit for purpose, but working with a specialist that is involved in every step of the fire safety strategy – design, manufacture and installation – can make that accountability less of a burden. 2 Get a smoke safety expert involved from the start Going down that route is advisable, and is something that should be at the very top of the agenda during the planning stages of any build, and every stage thereafter. Architects and designers are responsible for determining how a building will look and function – they’re not experts in fire safety, nor are they expected to be. On the other hand, building control and fire departments – those who are experts in fire safety, are rarely, if ever, involved in the upfront planning of a building. Why, then, hasn’t the industry taken steps to have a consisted thread of fire safety knowledge running throughout the delivery of every new building? It is only experts who live and breathe smoke and fire safety who will bring the relevant perspective required to ensure a fire safety system is compliant, suitable for the application and capable of saving lives should a fire occur. All too little, this vital information is omitted from a building spec and even if it is included, it’s often lacking the intricate detail needed to ensure anyone using the building in the future can be kept safe. Then, when a building is nearing completion and a fire specialist is brought in to assess the solution that’s been installed, it’s too late to implement a more suitable system. As experts in this field, we’re stepping up our own responsibility, ensuring we achieve strong relationships with parties at every level of the supply chain so we can provide that consistent thread of expertise. 3 Don’t focus on budget One of the other main reasons a building will be left with a less-than-suitable smoke and fire safety solution is due to budget. A quantity surveyor, for example, is unlikely to have the knowledge of the individual components of a fire safety system that make it both legally compliant and suitable to the individual application. So, if they’re presented with what appears to be two ‘like for like’ products that differ in price by a few hundred pounds, they’re inherently drawn towards the cheaper option. But it’s not very often that ‘like for like’ is exactly that. Our priority is to create solutions that specify to the correct criteria for each and every individual building we’re tasked with supporting. Often, that means being told we’re the most expensive of three different organisations tendering for a job, even though what the client sees in black and white appears to look the ‘same’. We use this as an opportunity to provide an education – are we comparing apples with apples? There aren’t actually huge swathes of differences in the fire safety products available on the market, so the price difference comes down to everything else we offer – ultimate compliancy, support throughout the entire design and build process, a solution that’s fit for purpose and a promise that we would never break specification to bring down costs if it meant putting people at risk.   The tendering process should be really transparent, but it isn’t. It always leaves us

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Cornish construction consultancy and Cornwall Council generate £34.9m in social and economic value

Cornish construction consultancy and Cornwall Council generate £34.9m in social and economic value

MWJV has published its annual report for year three of Cornwall Council’s BEPS Framework: 2021/2022 A Cornish construction and professional services consultancy has generated an added social and economic value of £34.9 million as a result of its work with Cornwall Council over the past three years. Mace Ward Williams Joint Venture (MWJV), which is a joint venture between Mace and Ward Williams Associates, has released its annual report. This follows its third year of work with Cornwall Council on the £650 million construction and infrastructure capital programme of investment within the Built Environment Professional Services (BEPS) Framework. In the report the Truro-based firm shared a summary of its work across the programmes to date. The added social and economic value has been achieved through the creation of new jobs, facilitated training and via spend with local and small businesses. Jeremy Dunn, MWJV’s Managing Director said: “In the built environment sector we know that we can have a more profound impact than is often understood, and this overview of our work to date reinforces that. “MWJV is a team of Project and Cost Managers, Architects, Engineers and many others – all working as a local Cornish-based team to create spaces, infrastructure and buildings that improve people’s lives and support the local economy. As well as the calculated economic impact, the long-term legacy that such work with Cornwall Council can create is significant to ensure a capable and vibrant future workforce for the county. “Our achievement of the social value targets which we set up and agreed with Cornwall Council from the standards of the Construction Industry Training Board is a real high point. For instance, we’ve created 95 new jobs across our partner businesses in the region and 15 apprenticeships against a target total of nine, exceeded the target of four construction careers events by 41 and delivered 199 weeks of training against a target of 63.” MWJV works with its wide network of local and national suppliers to bring expert and cost-effective project management, architecture, engineering and surveying support to a range of programmes across Cornwall ranging from transport, schools, town regeneration and housing. Projects the company has been working on include Spaceport Cornwall, Looe Flood Defence, Town Deals for Truro, St Ives, Camborne and Penzance, and the Schools Basic Needs and Backlog Maintenance Programmes. Dunn continued: “We’ve had some great results and are happy to be able to evidence our value and continued improvement. We’ve learned a lot from working on the BEPS Framework and are now looking forward to our fourth year where we hope to continue to exceed our targets. “The annual reports are a great chance to reflect on the work we’ve been doing and are an important step in helping us to continue to refine and improve our processes to ensure we’re delivering the best and most cost-effective work for the people of Cornwall.” The report also explores the financial performance of the company which this year turned over £8.17m with £16,000 in charitable donations. Key performance indicators are shared, with the vast majority meeting and exceeding targets, and customer satisfaction has resulted in a net promoter score of 47. The full annual report is available for download from MWJV’s website: https://www.mwjv.net/our-performance Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Aggregate Industries extends its LOOP order tracking service to its RMX concrete customers with Concrete Direct

Aggregate Industries extends its LOOP order tracking service to its RMX concrete customers with Concrete Direct

Aggregate Industries extends its LOOP order tracking service to its RMX concrete customers with Concrete Direct Following the launch of Aggregate Industries paperless order tracking platform ‘LOOP’ in 2019, the building materials supplier has carried out over 4 million paperless deliveries saving an estimated 430 tress and 20 tons of CO2. Now, Aggregate Industries is enhancing its service offering to launch ‘LOOP – Concrete Direct’, providing RMX customers new features and benefits to help simplify the delivery process. ‘LOOP – Concrete Direct’ improves the customer service experience via a downloadable app enabling customers to place, modify, and check orders and delivery information in an instant, saving customers on admin and valuable time. Users can interact with delivery tickets on their own device, seeing real time status updates, test results and comments. A full report can be downloaded directly from the app, which includes order and ticket information. Customers can also chat to Aggregate Industries’ order takers, download conveyance notes and use the tracking service with accurate delivery timings. LOOP – Concrete Direct also presents a fully integrated digital operation and open API with customers’ internal systems, making ordering quick, easy and hassle-free. Chris Lynch, business project manager at Aggregate Industries comments: “After the successful launch of LOOP, we’re enhancing our digital system and offering a service that is unmatched in the industry. LOOP – Concrete Direct has been developed to improve our customers’ experience, with everything needed for concrete deliveries easily accessible, whenever and wherever. “We recommend downloading the app for a smoother ordering experience, streamlined efficiencies and better communication between us and customers. It’s also important to speak to our customer service team after downloading the app so you can activate a phone number against a contract to gain full access.” For further information and to download the LOOP – Concrete Direct app, please visit Aggregate Industries’ LOOP webpage. LOOP Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Wine Cellar Design Ideas to Inspire Oenophiles

Wine Cellar Design Ideas to Inspire Oenophiles

If you can proudly call yourself an oenophile, you don’t just enjoy a glass of wine at dinner – you know a lot about it too. This means much more than just being able to exquisitely pair your wine of choice with food or distinguish one component grape from another. A true wine connoisseur understands different fermentation styles and how they affect wine’s body, looks into the region’s terroir first before traveling anywhere, and always keeps their cellar stocked. Speaking of which, building a wine cellar at home is an excellent way to take your hobby to a whole new level and pay due respect to one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. The great news is that while traditional wine collections were kept in cellars underground to preserve flavor profiles, modern technology makes it far simpler to store your collection above ground. As such, your private wine cellar can become a graceful addition to your home’s overall design, giving it an elegant touch of personality. Here are wine cellar design ideas that will give you a boost of inspiration to finish your dream project: Traditional Wine Cellar with Tasting Space Today, even a traditional wine cellar doesn’t have to be a dark and dank basement space with a single tiny window inside. The important thing is to maintain a consistent temperature of 55°F (~13°C) and an ideal 70% humidity level to prevent your wine from spoiling. As long as these wine-storage basics are met, you can get creative with the design of your cellar! For instance, you can either stick to a classic wood and glass setup or go for a more modern look with sleek metal racks. Companies like Genuwine Cellars or Cellar Maison that specialize in home wine cellars can help you come up with a custom design for your cellar and will turn your vision into reality. Add a small tasting table and chairs to complete the experience and make it feel like an authentic wine cellar. This kind of wine storage is ideal if you frequently entertain guests and fellow oenophiles. A small, secluded cellar with a tasting area where you can all sit around and quaff different wines is the perfect way to show off your collection and get everyone involved in the experience. Visit Tripplo to find a bottle of your favorite orange wine at the best price, add some charcuterie and cheese to the mix, and you have the perfect evening! Contemporary Wine Wall A wine wall is one of the trendiest wine cellar design ideas nowadays, and it isn’t hard to see why. This type of cellar is not only incredibly stylish but also very practical, as it allows you to put your wine collection on display while still keeping it organized. This type of cellar is also perfect if you have a small home and not enough space to build a traditional cellar. A wine wall can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. Opting for a wine wall makes sense regardless of your home’s overall interior design style – you can go for a compact and minimalistic look with metal racks or a more rustic vibe with wood. If you’re going to get really creative, you can even install a wine wall that doubles as art! Keeping your wine installation in a glass-enclosed space will allow your guests to appreciate your collection as a whole. Understairs Wine Storage If you live in a small apartment and don’t have a lot of space to spare, or you’re just a fan of practical solutions, making use of the area under your stairs is a great way to create a wine cellar at home. This type of cellar might be small, but if designed correctly, it can be both stylish and functional. There are many different ways you can go about designing an understairs wine storage. One option is to use racks mounted to the wall to store your wine bottles. This will give the space a clean and minimalist look. Alternatively, you could use freestanding racks or even build your own custom storage solution. Another way to utilize this space is by installing a wine fridge. This is an excellent solution for techy wine lovers who want better control over temperature and humidity levels. There are many different wine fridge models on the market, such as LG’s Signature wine coolers and even full-fledged electric cellars, so you’ll definitely find one that will suit your needs. Final Thoughts As you can see, there are many different ways you can design a wine cellar, even if you’re limited by space or budget. Whether you want a traditional cellar, a modern wine wall, or something entirely unique, there’s a design out there that will suit your needs. When designing your wine cellar, make sure to take into account factors such as the overall style of your home, the size of your wine collection, and whether you want to have a tasting area in the cellar. Now, get creative and start building your dream wine cellar today!

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7 Mistakes That Can Put The Construction Workers at Risk

7 Mistakes that can put the construction workers at risk

Thanks to the construction workers toiling day and night, we have such exquisite sites and buildings to see. Working at a construction site involves dealing with heavy loads, tractors, noises, and much more. That comes with a plethora of risks that can be life-threatening to these workers. One wrong move, and the next thing you know, they’re battling life and death. So in this article, let’s talk about some of the mistakes construction workers can make that put them in risky situations. Enthusiasts can take this as a note to implement in their future constructions. Let’s begin! 1. Avoiding Safety Checks Before Working We cannot completely avoid accidents; some may occur out of nowhere. However, before workers start working, make sure they have the basic safety checks and ensure they are following all the protocols recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Check if they have the correct gear, shields, uniform, and necessities. Apart from worker safety, make sure other things that they will work with are also functioning properly. For example, the tools, ladders, tractors, and crane safety too. An approved fall restraint system is not only required by OSHA but imperative for worker safety. Do not neglect these at all; it should be a priority. Modern technology has made it easier for these to be checked in moderation. The idea is – the more the crew that is working are in sync, the more efficient they are, and there are lower chances for accidents to occur. Some more things to note while doing the safety checks are that make sure they are getting their heart rate and oxygen level checked and are at a healthy number. If not, take measures so they can recover. Failure to complete these protocols will get you in legal problems and incur fines or send your workers into crucial situations. Protect them at all costs. 2. Not Having Proper Head and Eye Protection This is mandatory. In fact, these two things are essential to these workers. Eyewear is crucial because the workers deal with dirt, sparks, debris, sand, and pollution that could damage the eyes. Before they work, supply them with proper eye gear. Following that up with the importance of head gears too. Since workers tend to be higher up in buildings, it is evident for slip-ups to occur, causing things to fall, which is why head injuries are one of the top accidents. Keeping all of them in check makes it easier to avoid accidents.      3. Error in Installing Safety Nets Construction nets are a good way to keep workers protected. Overlooking its need may lead to serious injuries. The management team should focus on getting good-quality nets from reliable brands. A proper net must be durable and able to withstand heavy loads without breaking easily. There’s a construction net designed for specific needs. Choose the ones you need the most. A wrong move and you will be off to the hospital (yikes..) 4. Hydration is Key! A healthy body and mind lead to an increase in productivity. First, make sure the crew is hydrated properly, supply them with water, and check on them if they have any other needs. This strictly doesn’t mean the workers should sip alcohol, soft drinks, or energy drinks. It is better to supply basic necessities through the management team rather than giving them emancipation to do so. Overdoing junk may lead to clumsiness and lower attention span due to the fatigue it comes with, causing accidents, so make sure to avoid them. 5. Issues in Scaffoldings Scaffoldings are done by workers that work way higher up, and for one to be qualified for it needs to be fit enough to do so. This also requires intensive training too. With proper balance and fit is when you can scaffold properly. However, many workers tend to go for scaffolding without proper pieces of training, which can lead to serious injuries. One thing to note here, too, is that some scaffoldings may not be well-built either. To avoid the hefty consequences, one must install safety nets, as mentioned earlier. If you’re working with scaffolding in home projects,  ensure that a proper person is going for it. 6. The Falling Debris Nightmare This is the most common accident on construction sites. While dealing with heavy materials higher up, you never know what can fall from above. Several injuries have been reported due to falling debris like concrete and brick blocks, metal rods, shattered glass, and so on. To avoid this, equip head gears before working, work at a safer distance and warn any workers to watch out before you start on the work. And like usual, safety nets make it easier too.  Don’t forget to follow the safety standards, though! 7. Hiring The Wrong Person We have already spoken about the workers so far; now, let’s shift our attention to the one who supervises it all, the contractor. Hiring the wrong one opens the path for injuries and dangers to occur. The workers’ lives basically depend on the way a contractor handles the area. Some key things that a good contractor should do are as follows A lot of major accidents can be avoided by having the right person to handle the work, so before you work on the materialistic aspect of avoiding dangers, start with the root of where it all began. Insight on Accident Using Statistics! Accidents can occur anytime and by anything. It’s something that can’t be predicted, but certain measures can help you avoid it. Throughout the years, there have been fatal accidents around construction sites. Through intensive surveys, here are some percentages of the most common ones: Statistics are a good way of knowing what to focus on most, but it is without a doubt that all of it requires equal attention! The moral of putting these out is to provide some path to work with around the workplace.      Some safety tips! Since we’ve spoken about the mistakes being made on

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LCM a Finalist in 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards

LCM a Finalist in 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards

Low Carbon Materials (LCM), the science-led construction company, has announced it is one of the three international finalists in the world’s most prestigious environmental prize, The 2022 Earthshot Prize. The UK-based company is competing in the Fix Our Climate category, having been recognised by HRH Prince William as an accomplished group of entrepreneurs and innovators spearheading ground-breaking solutions to the biggest environmental challenges our planet faces. LCM was founded to shape the green construction sector with its science-based, lower carbon, new-age building material OSTO. OSTO is a carbon-negative lightweight aggregate for concrete produced out of waste and by-products. It is a game-changer for the construction industry, which works by making traditional carbon-intensive blocks carbon-zero, thereby reducing their environmental impact. “We are absolutely thrilled to be nominated and now to be through to the final stages in this competition. It is such an honour to be included alongside such pioneering organisations and individuals who are engaged in truly astounding environmental initiatives,” said CEO and Co-Founder Dr Natasha Boulding. “To have our low-carbon, waste-based building material recognised as a formidable solution that can be scaled to reverse environmental damage and to better protect the environment is truly game-changing. This is real independent verification from the highest authority that our product has the potential to help fix our planet,” she added. Finalists for the Earthshot Prize are eligible for the £1 million prize, as well as receiving tailored support and resources from The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance Members, an unprecedented network of private sector businesses around the world committed to helping scale innovative climate and environmental solutions and multiplying their impact. The five Winners will be selected by The Earthshot Prize Council, a diverse team of influential individuals committed to using their platforms to champion inspiring leadership and elevate urgent efforts to repair and regenerate the planet. The Earthshot Prize Council Members include: HRH Prince William, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Alves Da Silva, Sir David Attenborough, Ernest Gibson, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Jack Ma, Shakira Mebarak, Yao Ming, Luisa Neubauer, Indra Nooyi, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Naoko Yamazaki. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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