CONEXPO – CON/AGG Podcast: Construction Business Insights For Contractors

This episode identifies some of the biggest obstacles for contractors when it comes to supply-chain management—and how it has evolved in the past few years. Peggy Smedley and Alexander Schuessler, founder of SmartEquip and president of its International Group, talk about how technology can help increase efficiency from parts ordering to building materials delivery to equipment rentals —both today...

Learn practical strategies for how to choose the right machine control on equipment such as bulldozers. Host Peggy Smedley and guests Richie Snyder, solutions marketing manager, CASE Construction Equipment, and Max Winemiller, director of CASE’s Road & Site Prep Division, talk about if it is best for contractors to invest immediately in more advanced systems and go all in—or if there are ways...

Technology is helping construction companies break down silos on the jobsite and improve labor-productivity growth. Kris Lengieza, director of business development for the Marketplace at Procore, joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to discuss why collaboration technology is important and the challenges with user adoption today. He also identifies the practical ways that a construction company can ensure t...

There has been an uptick in construction companies leveraging fleet monitoring and management. Michael Ross, director of product, Takeuchi, joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to discuss trends in the space, share best practices for how companies can get started with fleet-management technology today, and provide examples of how construction companies have benefited. He also dives into the most important...

While slipform pavers have been around for a long time, many contractors still hand form concrete pavements and sections. Wade Bowman, national sales manager, Wirtgen America, joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to talk about the benefits that slipforming can provide and the challenges contractors face. He also dives into the topic of stringless paving and discusses if its time has come, identifying how a...

A number of big trends are already emerging in 2018—and they have set the course for what is to come in 2019 and beyond. Ken Simonson, chief economist, Associated General Contractors joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to discuss the overall outlook for the construction industry. He also discuss how trade disputes and tariffs are affecting the industry, the change in the labor market situation, and events...

Lean construction first began roughly 20 years ago; and it developed out of the need for principles and practices for design and management. Today, it can help workflows become more predictable. Michael Carr, president of MOCA’s software products division, Touchplan joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to discuss lean construction, last planner, and how to forecast the future of construction. Carr shares o...

Today’s construction equipment has more capabilities to get more done and with fewer machines. The challenge is successfully implementing new technology. Andrew Kahler, product marketing manager, John Deere WorkSight and ForestSight joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to discuss the biggest equipment technologies impacting the construction industry today and how it will impact work being done out at the c...

Why has it taken so long for contractors to embrace technology at the construction jobsite? Chad Hollingsworth, CEO and cofounder, Triax Technologies, joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to discuss the connected jobsite and what it means for the construction industry. He identifies what kind of data is being collected today and how it is adding value. Hollingsworth also shares some of the best safety prac...

The construction industry needs to help build the new America. The challenge is the industry is facing a skilled worker shortage. This is where technology enters the equation. Peggy Smedley and Ralph Gootee, cofounder and CTO, PlanGrid, talk about the skilled labor shortage and how technology can help with recruiting. They also broach the topic of how technology can be used on many of America’s in...

Construction companies need to know where their assets are—and in the past this information hasn’t been readily available. Now, technology can help centralize all this information. Host Peggy Smedley and Doug Seyler, senior business analyst, B2W Software, talk about collaborative scheduling and dispatching in the heavy, civil construction sector. He gives some real-world examples of how a centrali...

The way major transportation infrastructure projects are being planned is changing at a rapid pace with the help of new technologies. This podcast focuses on advances in transportation construction including railways, roads, bridges, and more. Host Peggy Smedley and Terry Bills, global transportation industry manager, Esri, talk about major changes in transportation infrastructure projects, the in...

Minimal waste and an efficient workflow are two of the top priorities when working with materials such as cement and concrete. Contractors need a reliable solution that decreases the time of the labor force and reduces pollution. Mark Roberts, director of Verifi Research and Development, GCP Applied Technologies, chats with CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio Host Peggy Smedley about how it is advancing sustain...

From equipment, to materials, to technology, and everything in between, asphalt and concrete paving is changing in the construction industry. Peggy Smedley and Andrew Jeffries, vice president of construction, Kansas Asphalt Inc. (K.A.I.), discuss everything from emerging technologies with paving equipment to how the materials have changed and the impact on the environment. They also address how th...

Digital transformation is happening in the construction industry today. This podcast zeros in on helping teams get ready for the change. Peggy Smedley is joined by Claire Rutkowski, chief information officer, Bentley Systems. They discuss why the construction industry is behind, what is driving change and why construction is under pressure to leverage digital transformation to increase productivit...

Earthmoving is incredibly expensive. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) produces ground that is at the correct slope, height, compaction and moisture faster for contractors. This podcast identifies how machine guidance technology works as well as applications for the construction industry. David Rowlett, U.S. manager for the Machine Control Division of Leica Geosystems joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG...

Each year, 1.25 million people are killed on roads. Another 50 million are injured—but this can be solved with the help of technology. Road safety management, safer vehicles, and safer users are the first steps to reducing road accidents. David Braunstein, president, Together for Safer Roads, joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to talk about road safety in the construction industry. Braunstein and host Pe...

Mining technology and data collection has evolved in the last 15 years. Mining construction and operations contractors are now better able to predict extraction costs, increase machine efficiency and accuracy, and reduce their environmental impact. Steve Heap, vice president of commercialization for specialty excavation, pipeline, recycling, and forestry, Vermeer, joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to di...

Construction companies face a unique set of challenges when it comes to asset management. Ensuring people, materials and equipment are in the right place at the right time is critical to the success of a project. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) can help automatically identify and track tags that are attached to objects. With RFID, contractors can reduce the amount of time it takes to find to...

Grade control and machine diagnostics can improve productivity and safety in construction. The challenge is learning how the technology works and implementing it on projects. Andrew Kahler, product marketing manager, John Deere WorkSight joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to talk about what this technology means for today’s contractor and the jobsite, discussing challenges, benefits and opportunities for...

Construction jobsites are humming with a number of different pieces of heavy machinery. The use of machine control can help accurately position machinery based on design models and GPS systems. This podcast will address how technology is continuing to evolve, and how heavy equipment operators can gain greater efficiency and accuracy on jobsites. Murray Lodge, senior vice president and general mana...

There is a big change happening today with the way construction workers interact with data, and it is impacting the dynamic of how work is done at the jobsite. Many contractors are already aware of this, but don’t necessarily know where to start. This podcast addresses the challenges and solutions. Isaac Barlow, founder and CEO, busybusy, joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to discuss how smartphones are...

2017 has been a big year for the construction industry, as the market has begun to pick up. This podcast will look to the future and identify trends about what to expect in the year ahead. Ken Simonson, chief economist, Associated General Contractors of America joins CONEXPO-CON/AGG Radio to discuss the construction market outlook for 2018, addressing trends related to labor availability, natural...

Labor productivity growth in construction has averaged only 1 percent a year during the past two decades. Big data and intelligent machines can help support construction companies out at the jobsite. How can your operators harness it? This question, and many more, will be addressed in this podcast. Karl-Johan Timbäck, productivity services business manager, Volvo Construction Equipment, joins CONE...

Since the early days of 3D printing, discussion has emerged about the potential benefits, hurdles, and opportunities for implementing additive manufacturing technology into the construction of full-scale buildings. While the technology is still in its infancy, it has the potential to significantly improve current construction methods. Will 2018 be the year of 3D printing for construction? Will thi...