Telecom & Broadband

    For the First Time in Forever: Dodge’s chief economist anticipates brighter days ahead, with a little help from Anna and Elsa

    I’m not a huge Disney fan…honestly…I’m not. But these lines stick out to me from the Frozen song I used as a title for this piece: There’ll be actual real live peopleIt’ll be totally strangeBut wow, am I so ready for this change! Our latest national and regional forecast was released to customers at the end of April. On the surface, our forecast for total construction starts is little changed relative to the version released in early February. However, the… Read More »For the First Time in Forever: Dodge’s chief economist anticipates brighter days ahead, with a little help from Anna and Elsa

      Guns, Drones, and Scissors: Lessons From the North Carolina Power Station Incident

      Cyber attacks often take center stage in public and private discussions of critical infrastructure security in the U.S. The Dec. 3 incident that left some 45,000 Duke Energy customers without power in North Carolina — as well as the ongoing Russian assaults on Ukrainian infrastructure — provide an important reminder that physical attacks remain a major threat as well. On the PBS news program Amanpour and Company, Juliette Kayyem, former Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and author… Read More »Guns, Drones, and Scissors: Lessons From the North Carolina Power Station Incident

        Infrastructure in the News: Wastewater Agriculture, Rural Broadband, NIMBY Energy

        Wastewater Agriculture Urban farming may have just taken a big step toward scaleable reality. According to Hortidaily, researchers from Clemson University and South Korea’s Gyeongsang National University have developed a low-impact method for growing produce in cities. The system researchers are developing would use an anaerobic membrane bioreactor to filter harmful contaminants out of wastewater while leaving behind nutrients that fertilize plants. The treated water would be used on crops, such as lettuce, that are growing in an indoor, soil-free… Read More »Infrastructure in the News: Wastewater Agriculture, Rural Broadband, NIMBY Energy

          With Smart Cities, Technology Shouldn’t Be the Goal

          The urban IT movement known as “Smart Cities” offers a seemingly infinite toolset for making cities and their infrastructure more efficient. But tech isn’t the point, cautions Riad Meddeb and Calum Handforth of the United Nations Development Programme, in the pages of the MIT Technology Review. Truly smart cities recognize the ambiguity of lives and livelihoods, and they are driven by outcomes beyond the implementation of “solutions.” They are defined by their residents’ talents, relationships, and sense of ownership—not by… Read More »With Smart Cities, Technology Shouldn’t Be the Goal

            New York City Gets Tough on Construction Safety

            Between January and June of this year, seven workers died on construction sites in New York City. On subsequent routine inspections, Department of Buildings officials have visited some 7,500 construction sites citywide, issued more than 3,600 safety violations, and issued 1,499 stop-work orders, according to data that the department released this week. In April, the department proposed five new construction safety bills and updates to city construction code. Since June 1, the department has been operating under a “zero tolerance”… Read More »New York City Gets Tough on Construction Safety

              Robot Assistants, Coming to a Construction Site Near You

              With construction plagued by inefficiency, safety concerns, and labor shortages, the smart money is on robotics transforming the job site. The National Science Foundation, in particular, is betting $2 million on a consortium of researchers from the University of Florida, University of Michigan, and Washington State University, for their study pairing human workers with so-called “interactive robot assistants.” According to the University of Michigan’s University Record, the robots will learn how to learn on the job from their flesh-and-blood mentors.… Read More »Robot Assistants, Coming to a Construction Site Near You

                Five Strategies for Successful Networking

                “It’s not what you know but who you know.” This adage is particularly true for building product manufacturers. In Dodge’s new e-book, you’ll learn the best networking strategies to get the attention of people who specify, select, and purchase products. Find out how to generate new leads, deepen connections with existing contacts and keep your fingers on the pulse of the industry — so you can deliver more relevant services and grow more business. Here are a few of our… Read More »Five Strategies for Successful Networking

                  Boost Your Profits: Nine Tips for Construction Firms

                  Ideas to Drive Your Business Forward As markets evolve, staying at the top of your game and ahead of the competition is critical.  Find out what may be hindering your business and where you can make improvements. To help you win more business and increase profitability, check out Dodge Data’s new guide, “Nine Profit-Boosting Tips for Construction Firms.” It includes quick pointers on: Marketing your business Enhancing your services and operations Bidding prioritization  The guide also include a few special… Read More »Boost Your Profits: Nine Tips for Construction Firms

                    A Mid-Year Economic Outlook for the Construction Industry: Three Quick Takeaways

                    At the mid-year point the construction industry is trending upwards with an economic forecast that looks optimistic. But what is next for the industry and what are the growth projections? Here are three quick takeaways from Dodge’s latest forecast: Economic growth is surging thanks to the growing number of vaccinated Americans and substantial federal stimulus. This surge will continue into 2022 as consumers and businesses spend and invest anew. Higher material prices and labor shortages, however, will impede a quick recovery for… Read More »A Mid-Year Economic Outlook for the Construction Industry: Three Quick Takeaways

                      The Infrastructure Bill: What’s in It? And When Can You Start Bidding for Jobs?

                      Get in line. As the Biden administration and Congress work toward a landmark, $1 trillion infrastructure deal, nearly 2,000 corporations and other groups have met with legislators and White House officials in an effort to shape the bill to their own interests. The White House and a bipartisan group of senators announced a preliminary agreement at the end of July, which includes some $550 billion in new spending. As of early August, the bill totaled 2,702 pages, a massive laundry… Read More »The Infrastructure Bill: What’s in It? And When Can You Start Bidding for Jobs?