James Benham delivering his Tech Talk “Future Forecast: How Drones, Sensors and Integrated Apps are Rewriting the Rules”
of a particular tool, lead them to take a pass on everything. “Do I really care that I have to buy another one in a year?” he poses. “No, because I made my ROI after the first project.”
Technology investment ‘no-brainers’ Benham is a subject-matter expert in construction technology. His company, JBKnowledge, now over 200 employees strong, created and developed the SmartBid construction bid software that helps general contractors manage subcontractor data, send invitations to bid, share project documents and qualify subcontractors for the job. Te company’s SmartInsight product is a global online construction network to help subcontractors connect with general contractors for construction projects; SmartCompliance tracks insurance certificate compliance; and SmartReality is an augmented reality (AR) mobile app that can overlay a BIM model on a printed construction plan to transform the plans from 2D to 3D visualizations. Benham regularly speaks to the industry about technology, and specifically technology in construction, and started a division that advises organizations on higher-level strategic issues. His company also launched ConTechTrio, which includes weekly podcasts and livestream on social media, and produces an annual construction tech report on what companies are spending on technology in construction, the tools they’re using, and what JBKnowledge sees on the horizon. JBKnowledge aims to educate the industry on the technology that can improve their workflows and help construction professionals geek out via their ConTech Roadshows throughout the U.S. in 2017 where Benham is a featured presenter. He believes though there are solid products that have earned their place in the crane yard and rigging toolshed, other technologies are still evolving and like their companies, are changing personality on a dime. In the last five years, the crane and rigging sector has seen dramatic advances in technology related to lift planning, training, data analysis, and asset tracking, all with varying
rates of acceptance by end users. While some technologies are in the exciting but tenuous early stages of development, other products have established a foothold in the sector and are becoming mainstream tools in crane and rigging operations. Telematics and datalogging are one example of technology that has seen slow but steady integration in the crane and rigging sector. In fact, Benham considers 2017 “the year of data analytics,” when the sector will see increasing use of analytics software to track data from the jobsite. Cameras in cabs, black boxes on cranes, and RFID scanners for tracking rigging equipment have been a data-mining boon not only on the safety front but also in monitoring and improving jobsite productivity and equipment longevity. Here are Benham’s thoughts on specific technologies working their way into crane and rigging operations.
Virtual vs. Augmented Reality Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are causing a stir in their early stages because they stand to change so much about so many industries, says Benham. In crane and rigging, VR has been integrated into training programs to offer for a more realistic operating experience. Other training companies are promoting their use of AR as even better technology that requires a less cumbersome investment than VR and simulators. Microsoft’s Hololens, which Benham considers the best example of AR on the market, is in prototype stage, and the next version won’t be out until 2019. Oculus, which helped pioneer VR and fired its founder in April, has struggled to sell units because with knockoffs on the market the system’s price point has come down. He predicts AR technology will continue to evolve: “Tere are some really good mobile AR tools you can use now,” says Benham, “but real AR that everyone is thinking about is a couple years away.”
Asset tracking technology Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), introduced to the crane and rigging industry about 10 years ago, reads and captures information stored on a tag attached to a piece of
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