Peggy’s Tech Blog:
Smart Surfaces Come to Columbia
Columbia, S.C., has approximately 45,000 roofs, 3,400 lane-miles of road, and 700 acres of parking lots–surfaces that absorb up to 95% of incoming solar radiation. The danger here is these areas can heat up the city during the summer months and lead to flooding issues. Left untreated, these dark and impervious areas can make parts of Columbia up to 13 ˚F hotter than less developed areas. Enter innovation.
My home city of Columbia (Yes, I moved from Chicago where I lived all my life a few years ago, although family and business has me retuning often. That’s a discussion for another day.) has recognized the danger of urban heat islands and is taking steps to create solutions to solve the challenges that currently exist.
Expert Opinion:
Cobots on the Rise
I like to use real world examples to illustrate the technology about which I write, and especially for technology around which swirl clouds of hype and fantasy. When it comes to cobots there’s no lack of these. It was therefore refreshing to read a report issued by The Association for Advancing Automation, which provided a new benchmark for the adoption of cobots:
Peggy Smedley Show:
GIS at the Airport
Episode 936 | 9.9.25 | Segment 2
Peggy Smedley and Adan Banda, senior geospatial data manager, and Brandon Mann, geospatial analyst, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, talk about GIS (geographic information systems) and how the technology is applied to complex infrastructures. Adan says DFW airport is a very large airport—larger than the island of Manhattan—which requires a single source of truth. Brandon says people are flying more—a 5% increase year over year on commercial flights—and we are all getting busier, which means the integrated and coordinated systems need to be in place.
They also discuss:
How and what the digital twin monitors at DFW Airport.
How AI (artificial intelligence) plays a role here.
What’s next for GIS in airports.
Peggy Smedley Show:
Soft Skills in Construction
Episode 936 | 9.9.25 | Segment 3
Peggy Smedley and Donna Laquidara-Carr, industry insights research director, Dodge Construction Network, talk about the soft skills needed to attract more workers to the construction industry. She says they did a survey about the cost of poor collaboration.
They also discuss:
How many interactions contractors have daily with people from other companies—and how many involve some sort of conflict.
How many found positive team dynamics on their regular projects.
Which is more important: communication or technical skills.
What’s Trending
Success Stories: 70% Reduction in Scope 1 & 2
Reducing emissions is challenging for any company. Now, we are seeing a case study where one manufacturer is reporting a near 70% reduction in its total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from 2023 to 2024.
That company is ClarkDietrich, which is a manufacturer of cold-formed steel framing products. To reduce emissions, the company purchased third-party Greene Certified RECs (renewable energy certifications) to match Scope 2 market-based emissions for 2024. RECs build demand for more clean energy on the grid—and ClarkDietrich’s RECs include 100% wind energy.
Looking to sponsor an upcoming segment of The Peggy Smedley Show? Check out the exciting topics planned for the coming months and send your ideas to [email protected].
October: How to Secure Your Data
November: Construction Connectivity Trends to Watch