Blog & Articles

Navigating Digital Disruption in the AEC Industry

7/12/2022

0 Comments

The Construction Institute is dedicated to supporting our members' journey in digital transformation. Keeping pace with technological developments in the construction industry and their implications is no small task. Artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, smart contracts, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), manufactured construction, smart materials and other technologies are no longer just on the horizon; they are already in use by industry innovators. What technologies might become standard practice? What will be the timeline for their adoption? How should our members position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities and avoid the risks?
What technologies might become standard practice?
What will be the timeline for their adoption?
How should our members position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities and avoid the risks?
We will continue to explore these questions by bringing you conversations with experts.
Our Digital Disruption panel at the Women Who Build Summit in April 2022 brought insights from the creators and users of innovative technologies. In 2022, we are proud to have given our first Digital Leadership Award to Erik Sanford, Director of Virtual Design and Construction at Dimeo Construction Company. Erik chairs the Visionaries Forum planning committee and helped create and moderate CI’s 2021 Tech Trio Series, which you can access here.
CI is becoming a recognized leader in the field. Together with Executive Director, Nancy Greenwald, Erik has presented at the CI, for CMAA New England, and at the Forum on Construction of the American Bar Association, on the topic of “BIM, Blockchain, and Smart Contracts.” You can read Executive Director Greenwald’s related article here.
What do new technologies really mean for contractors and their relationship with surety bond providers? Read Executive Director Greenwald’s article in the spring issue of Surety Bond Quarterly here.
We are pleased to announce the creation of a CI connection with industry tech startups. Through these special memberships, we will bring our members up to date information on new technology developments at a level they can be implemented while mentoring the development of new technologies. The first startup company we will be working with is DigiBuild, a start-up that has created a blockchain-enabled project management platform with multiple facets. In the coming months, we will be creating more course, events, and content around AEC technology and its implications for all of our members.
As always, we want to hear from you. What do you want to learn and what do you want to teach us? Email Executive Director Greenwald.

0 Comments

2022 Annual Dinner & Awards Photo Slideshow

6/10/2022

0 Comments

The Construction Institute was honored to announce the winners of the Institute's 2022 Awards presented at the Annual Dinner on June 9th at the Society Room in Hartford. The awards recognize some of the industry’s most outstanding leaders for their accomplishments and ongoing commitment to the Construction Institute’s mission of promoting cross-industry collaboration. Please scroll down and view some photos from this celebratory night.
This year's awardees are:
Special Industry Recognition Award: Interstate Electrical Services, Corporation
David N. LaBau Lifetime Recognition Award: Steve Blovish, (ret.) Bartlett Brainard Eacott, Inc.
Distinguished Service Award: F. Michael Ayles, FAIA, Principal, Antinozzi Associates
Digital Leadership Award: Erik Sanford, CM-BIM, CM-Lean, LEED-AP, VDC/BIM Director at Dimeo Construction Company
Volunteer of the Year: The 2022 Planning Committee of the AEC Leadership Conference - F. Michael Ayles, Antinozzi Associates | Kate Anderson, Gilbane Building Company | Tiffany Cartier, Fuss & O'Neill | Jim Cecil, Nexii | Kaitlyn Dobberfuhl, Gilbane Building Company | Jeryn Koritzinsky, BRG | Tony Messina, Whiting Turner

0 Comments

Viking Construction Scholarship Call for Entries

5/27/2022

0 Comments

BRIDGEPORT, CONN., (May 24, 2021) – Graduating high school seniors and college students planning to start or continue studying a construction-related field are invited to apply for Viking Construction’s annual scholarship. Each year, the company awards $4,000 scholarships (up to $1,000 per year in college) to a qualified student who has completed the online application available at http://www.vikingconstruction.net/viking-scholarship/. Deadline for the 2021 scholarship is June 17.
Ideal candidates will be enrolled in programs such as construction management, architecture, civil engineering, surveying, and urban planning. Semi-finalists will be selected from the qualified applications and will be invited to have a personal interview with Anthony Gaglio, Jr., Vice President of Viking Construction, Inc. A winner will be selected after the interview, and the scholarship check will be mailed directly to the winner’s school before the start of classes.
Viking created this scholarship in 2012 to support the general community and those pursing construction-related careers. To date, the company has committed $44,000 to students. Applicants must maintain a 2.7 grade point average minimum to continue to receive the award each year they are in college.
Founded in 1991, Viking Construction, Inc., (www.vikingconstruction.net) is a family-owned company of craftsmen in all areas of construction. The company strongly believes in personal involvement, quality control, and sound financial management. Its award-winning portfolio includes historic renovations, wastewater treatment facilities, pharmaceutical plants, churches, schools, assisted living facilities, office buildings, industrial manufacturing plants and large-scale affordable housing projects throughout Connecticut and New York.

0 Comments

Young Professionals Committee Social

5/9/2022

0 Comments

On Thursday April 28th the Construction Institute’s Young Professional’s Committee had an extremely successful networking event at Concentric Brewing in Portland CT. This event was a collaboration between the Young Professionals groups of CI, CoteNET and CTGBC. Attendees report that it was very inspiring to have an event that brought together members from all three groups as well as multi generations. One more thanks to our sponsors Gilbane Building Company, BVH and Eversource!
Please scroll down for photos from the event (courtesy of Kaitlyn Dobberfuhl)

0 Comments

Energy Storage Solutions & The Technical Assistance Fund for Multifamily Properties

4/22/2022

0 Comments

The May meeting of the Multifamily Peer to Peer Network will feature a presentation on Energy Storage Solutions and the Technical Assistance Fund for multifamily properties offered by the Clean Energy Group (CEG). Connecticut’s new Energy Storage Solutions program helps lower the cost of buying a battery by providing an upfront and performance incentives, with additional incentives for participants from historically underserved communities. To assist multifamily affordable housing facilities in evaluating the feasibility of energy storage, the Connecticut Green Bank has partnered with CEG to offer project-specific technical assistance and funding support for pre-development studies.

Zoom Presentation Friday, May 20 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Click here to sign up!

0 Comments

Go green: Growing relationships on and around the golf course - by Nancy Greenwald

4/11/2022

0 Comments

Modified from an August 19, 2016 - Connecticut (http://nerej.com/section/CT)

“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.” – Arnold Palmer

As golf season approaches, it is time to reflect on the parallels between golf and construction.
Both require mental preparation. Some of the best golfing minds have said, golf is 80-90% mental. In this respect, golf is not unlike design and construction, where mental preparation translates into advanced planning, including detailed drawings and specifications, and the greater the emphasis on completeness before breaking ground, in other words the better the “mental preparation” the more successful the process.

Both involve simplicity and complexity. Hitting a golf ball may seem like a simple act, but it involves complex input, for example, calculating distance, taking wind into account, mastering your physical stance and balance, and transferring energy from your swing to drive the ball in the right direction for the right distance. Similarly, the simple beauty of a completed building, bridge, or other structure, does not reveal the underlying complexity of the design and construction process. As in golf, no one thing makes a system complicated. In a construction project, it’s an accumulation of thousands of small details and actions over time that form a complex system.

Experience matters in both. On the golf channel they claim that an average proficient golfer takes about 300 weekly lessons while playing at least 32 holes per week over a period of many years. When each construction project involves a unique design, tailored to meet the owner’s needs, zoning and environmental requirements, and involves unique field conditions, a depth of experience is invaluable.

Relationships matter on the green and on the job. Good business relationships depend upon experiences shared and connections forged. This happens over time in construction as companies work together successfully on projects. Shared experiences and connections are forged as well on and around the golf course as players support each other’s efforts and enjoy each other’s successes. Our mission at the Construction Institute is to promote cross-industry collaboration - on the job and during our Spring Golf Tour and Annual Golf Classic, on the course!

Combining golf and construction. Golf is a game that involves a lot of downtime, so it affords plenty of opportunity for quality conversation. Join us for the 2022 Golf Tour and the Golf Classic. The Golf Tour will take you to 5 of Connecticut’s finest courses, for an afternoon nine-hole event followed by a networking reception. This event is limited to 40 players and spots are going fast. Review the schedule and courses here. Registration is already open for the Annual Golf Classic. We will see you on Thursday, September 22, 2022, at Lyman Orchards. Not a golfer? Join us for mini-golf and dinner. This is a great event to increase your company’s visibility! Sponsor and register here.

0 Comments