Building the Future: Unleashing the Power of AI Supporting the Precast Industry Through Education By Members, For Members | JUNE 2 02 3Welcome to the June edition of Apeiron Construc- tion. Temperatures are rising and the days are lon- ger. Summer is well and truly here and that means that projects across the industry will benefit from heat, light and a renewed sense of energy. At this time, the industry is rejuvenated, and workers’ positivity is infectious on jobsites across North America. Projects are breaking ground at a phenomenal rate while industry developments are pushing construction forward into exciting new places. Challenges remain, undoubtedly. Labor shortages and rising costs never seem to be far from the conversation, but these are continu- ously being offset by innovation, skill, and dedication. In this issue, we are delighted to share some of the key proj- ects taking place across the industry right now. We examine everything from alternative building materials made from the most surprising of sources to the incredible potential of 3D printing. We also speak to associations and businesses that are supporting the industry as it passes the mid-way point of the year. All the while, we analyze every facet of the construc- tion world, bringing our readers a roundup of the successes that are happening every single day. Thanks for reading! | 3 APEIRON CO NSTRUC TIO N A note from the Editor APEIRON-CONSTRUCTION.COM APEIRONMEDIAINC.COM CHIEF EDITOR SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DIRECTOR OF SALES CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER DAVID O’NEILL COLIN O’NEILL | PETER SWALE CHARLIE MCCANN | MARK PETERS DARAGH KIERNAN | MARCO GUANNUE AOIFE CHANEY | JAMES O’NOLAN | MANUELA ARMINI ERIC O’CALLAGHAN | EMMA KILCAWLEY HEMANI KAYLA BROWN LINDSAY BAILEY ALEX MULVEYThe construction industry is an ever-evolving landscape. It is a sector that thrives and depends on innovation, progress, and outside- the-box thinking. In fact, it is this steady influx of technological advancements that have ensured that the industry remains at the forefront of community, industrial and infrastructure growth. Among the latest groundbreaking technologies that have the potential to reshape the future of construction, artificial intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront. 5 | APEIRON CO NSTRUC TIO NBlocPower In order to meet emissions targets, big changes are undoubt- edly required. While every industry needs to step up, the con- struction world is unfortunately one of the main offenders. Solutions are being found but they are very much in their infancy. Concrete and energy usage rank highly on the list of sectors and materials that need a rethink. The result of this realization is that, rather than new designs, structures, and techniques being built from scratch, many are looking into the possibility of retrofitting as a means of minimizing disruption. The problem with this however, is that the cost of this work is often prohibitive, and the knowledge required to complete the work to the highest standard can be lacking. BlocPower, founded in New York City by Donnel Baird in 2014, is a cleantech company that has quite an ambitious goal. The company is working towards reducing emissions and fight climate change through a focus on renewable energy. What is special about this company is that it aims to remove the financial barrier of retrofitting by assisting lower-income areas. “BlocPower is helping create a world where every home and building can be an opportunity for progress, an engine for change. A world where communities are connected and upgrading your property from one that pollutes to one that powers the next generation of the green economy.” | 6 JUNE 2023Pollution Absorbing Bricks Construction materials and the way modern buildings are made mean that the industry is in a difficult spot. Simply put, the level of pollution created by construction is too high. While many will be familiar with the term net-zero in relation to carbon emissions, the concept of ‘net-negative’ is some- what more recent. Net-negative is the process of a company removing or capturing more CO2 than it emits. Unfortunately, it seems as though the industry is facing an incredibly diffi- cult task to bring it to fruition. The drive for net-negative could be given a massive boost with the introduction of an innovative new building material called Breathe Bricks. This material, designed by Ar. Carmen Trudell, an assistant professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obis- po’s School of Architecture is made from a type of porous rock and is based on the basic principle of air filtration. By using an innovative design and including a ‘cyclone’ within the structure, these bricks absorb polluted air and release clear air in return. It’s safe to say that if the industry wants to reach net-negative, Breathe Bricks will need to be part of the conversation. Deconstructing Houses Despite the acceptance that the United States is in the midst of a housing crisis, the incredible truth is that every year, hun- dreds of thousands of homes are demolished. The reasons for this are a combination of safety, location, and trends. Unfor- tunately, some homes are no longer fit for purpose. While this may be a bitter pill that we need to swallow, we can look for the potential positives. These demolition projects wrack up an incredible 600 million tons of debris each year. Unfortunately, by its nature, the process leaves much of these materials unusable. While concrete can indeed be recycled, a significant amount, some 145 million tons, ends up in landfill. The Birch Group is a construction company that specializes in the sustainable reuse sector. Having amassed a huge amount of experience across all facets of construction, the company is currently working on growing the number of clients that avail of its Deconstruction service. This process is not merely a token nod to sustainable practices, however. The company identifies savings for each client, explaining that by prioritizing ‘waste diversion’, residential, commercial, and mixed-use renovation projects can yield significant cost savings. “With 27 years of experience in rehabilitating dilapi- dated residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties, we have an in-depth understanding of the expenses involved in property renovation, remodeling, and redevelopment. Our exceptional expertise in building material reuse makes us unparalleled in waste diversion initiatives.” thebirchgroup.org The Buildings Show NOV 29 - DEC 1, 2023 | TORONTO, ON NeoCon 2023 JUNE 12–14, 2023 | C HIC AGO, IL Houston Build Expo JUNE 28-29, 2023 | HOUSTON, TX | 7 APEIRON CO NSTRUC TIO N| 8 JUNE 2023WRIT TEN BY DAVID O’NEILL The construction industry is an ever-evolving landscape. It is a sector that thrives and depends on innovation, progress, and outside-the-box thinking. In fact, it is this steady influx of technological advancements that have ensured that the industry remains at the forefront of community, industrial and infrastructure growth. Among the latest groundbreaking technologies that have the potential to reshape the future of construction, artificial intelligence (AI) stands at the forefront. While innovation and tech developments tend to be greeted with open arms across the industry, AI has not been universally welcomed. Rather, it is being viewed with a skeptical eye and industry professionals fear that their jobs and livelihoods are at risk. As AI finds its place within the industry, questions are being asked about its impact on employment and the dynamic relationship between humans and machines. Henning Roedel, in his role as robotics lead for the innovation team at California-based DPR Construction, has spent a lot of time thinking about the potential benefits and challenges of the nascent rise of AI in the construction industry. While he can accept that a certain level of apprehension is understandable, he feels that the suspicion is ultimately misguided. “We don’t think about how to reduce our staff size, because we have enough backlog and work ahead of us that we need more people. You need to flip the displacement question around because we currently don’t have enough people in our industry to meet the construction needs of society as it is.” This is not, however, the biased view of an insider. Statistics show that in March there were more than 341,000 unfilled jobs in the sector. | 9 APEIRON CO NSTRUC TIO NNext >