What news did the construction industry bring in the final month of winter? For all our Melburnian readers, August’s most popular news was possibly our award – the World’s Most Livable City for a record seventh year!
Catch up on some of the most popular articles we found from around the web:
World’s Skinniest Tower Halted Due To Cost Blowout
The world’s skinniest tower, located on “billionaire’s row” in Manhattan, is in danger of never being completed due to cost overruns and a recently-filed lawsuit. Construction of the planned 433-metre tower at 111 West 57th Street has reached 20 floors.
Dezeen reports that the lawsuit claims that Maloney and Stern “omitted some very significant items in their budget including cranes, which are very expensive in New York and can run into the millions of dollars”, according to AmBase’s attorney Stephen Meister.
Melbourne Facing Pricey Road Options
Only one of four proposed routes for Melbourne’s “missing link” freeway has a price tag within the Victorian government’s $10 billion cost estimate.
The other three range in price from $16 billion to $23 billion and each includes more than 13km of expensive tunnels. Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday revealed four possible routes for the North East Link, which will complete the Metropolitan Ring Road by connecting to either the Eastern Freeway or EastLink.
Direct Hiring vs. Subcontracting: When to do what?
Deciding between hiring workers directly or hiring subcontractors in construction is never an easy decision, and often depends on a per project basis. Each method has its pros and cons, and many construction companies take advantage of both. The question that many businesses face however, is which method should be used in a specific scenario.
Depending on the particulars of a project, timeline and location, hiring the right combination of workers to ensure profitability becomes a difficult task. This article discusses the specific differences of these methods and will provide benefits for both direct hire and subcontract workers.
Melbourne Named World’s Most Liveable City For Record Seventh Year
For a record seventh consecutive year Melbourne has been named the world’s most liveable city according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
This year’s top 10 is identical to last year’s, with Adelaide, Perth and Auckland all making an appearance.
Melbourne received a score of 97.5 out of 100 on the annual list -securing perfect scores for healthcare, education and infrastructure.
The Next Wave of Major Builds Line Up
A handful of major construction projects are moving closer to reality, as evidenced by current construction tenders open for each of the respective projects.
With a minimum construction value of $50 million, the five projects across metropolitan Melbourne represent the largest projects currently at tender. Below is a brief overview of each of the five projects that will make their place in due course.
The 4 Coolest Tech Innovations in Construction
There are some absolutely nutty things going on in the construction industry these days. Did you know they built a 57-story skyscraper in China in just 19 days? Or that robots are building a 3D printed bridge all by themselves?
You may still do things the old-fashioned way—you know, having a worker put a brick on top of another brick. That’s worked just fine for years, and you’ve got a long line of happy customers to prove it.
But it doesn’t hurt to have an eye toward the future. Maybe 95% of these innovations are fads or something that doesn’t have any practical value for you, but every now and then you stumble upon a tech that can really change how you do things for the better.
‘Ripe For Disruption’ 5 New Construction Technologies Changing The Way We Build
For a sector with a global turnover of $10 trillion, productivity concerns are a harbinger of doom, and it doesn’t help that we are overwhelmed with information about the likelihood for disruption in the industry – new technologies that will fundamentally change the way the market evolves.
A recent report by the consulting firm on construction’s digital future indicated R&D spending in construction was, to its detriment, well behind that of other industries. McKinsey predicts that the industry is overdue in embracing newer technologies: “ripe for disruption”.
So, what are the next wave of technologies that are likely to enhance efficiency, mitigate risk and disrupt the construction industry?
Drone Uses in the Construction Industry
Drone technology has come a long way from just being a fun hobby for taking aerial photography or entertainment and for military use. Now, drones are used across numerous industries for delivery of goods, research, new flight options, new racing sports, potentially exploring space and to take aerial selfies.
One emerging market for drone technology is in the construction field. While still in its nascent stage, drones are being used on construction sites to map building structures and sites using camera technologies and the mobility of the device to take photos and track projects, unlike what workers have been able to do before.
Architect Wins International Competition with Figure-Of-Eight Shaped ‘Looping Towers’
Milan-based architect Peter Pichler has won an international architectural competition for a concept to create a residential hub that promotes the benefits of integrated public amenity.
The 35,000sq m scheme is proposed in the Dutch town of Maarssen and will consist of two L-shaped towers encompassing 260 apartments, connected by a running track and gym facing the Vecht river.
SBS Group is a manufacturer of light gauge steel framing systems. As earlier adopters of pre-fabrication, we believe that knowledge is powerful. What we can learn from the construction industry will not only help us, but help our clients to BUILD SMARTER.
Find out more about our BUILD SMARTER approach, or download our free guide to find out more about how pre-fabrication is transforming the construction industry.
