Latest from Technology
Productivity and Support in Office and Field
Sponsored
MILWAUKEE — Both residential and commercial contractors got filled in on the latest technology that’s influencing the markets served by plumbing contractors at the CONNECT 2017 conference and show held here recently by Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors – National Association. Milwaukee School of Engineering professor Jeong Woo covered Building Information Modeling and other digital collaboration methods. On the residential side, Dave Pedigo, vice president, emerging technologies at CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association, told contractors what’s happening in the smart home market.
Dr. Woo, program director at MSOE’s Construction Management program, talked about AutoDesk BIM 360, Procore Technologies, Bluebeam Revu, and PlanGrid software offerings. They’re all participants in a new acronym, VDC, virtual design and construction.
BIM is a collaboration process, not merely a computer file, Woo said. The more contractors that collaborate on a project, the more powerful the BIM process becomes.
Era of connection
This is the era of connection, Woo said. Why? Because we don’t want to build the same segment of a project twice. BIM can display spatial conflicts with other elements. It makes communication more effective. It provides data continuity, because all of the design data from the architect and engineers is available at the jobsite in real time. BIM software products are cloud-based, so a contractor can, for example, share schedule data and update the schedule live. All of this data will work on mobile devices, so a contractor can review piping design data on his tablet at the jobsite.
BIM can lower costs, improve quality, increase productivity and reduce risk because of, for example, standardization of documentation, he said.
The necessary hardware is ubiquitous — it’s any smart phone or tablet. The software, depending on the project, may not even cost anything. Large general contractors will sometimes invite their subcontractors to piggyback on their software subscription.
Because the technology has been quickly adopted, there are now more than 31 million smart homes, defined as containing two or more connected devices.
The most popular software offerings, AutoDesk BIM 360, Bluebeam Revu, Procore and Plan Grid have many functions in common, such as schedule integration, clash detection, daily reports, submittals, RFIs and punch lists. Some have a few unique functions to differentiate themselves, such as a photo archive, meeting minutes and timeclock tracking.
Getting up to speed on the software is free. All of the software vendors, eager to have contractors use their products, offer free training and certification, Woo said. That includes specialty certifications for MEP contractors.
The only catch is that a contractor has to align his workflow in the way that the software organizes it. Also, a contractor and his project people, have to be willing to form relationships and work as a team with other contractors.
Smart, connected are different
Homeowners and insurance companies will drive adoption of smart home technology, Pedigo told the contractors. The number one reason for homeowners’ insurance claims is water damage, he said, and insurance companies see smart home technology as a way to mitigate claims. The difference between a connected home and a smart home, he said, is that a smart home knows that you’re not at home but the water is running, and turns it off automatically.
CEDIA is the association for the $14 billion home technology industry. Should plumbing and HVAC contractors get into the smart home market? That’s up to them, as is the determination of what products they want to sell and support, he said.
Pedigo made some points on the speed of change today, such as a report by the World Economic Forum that said that 65 percent of jobs that will employ today’s kids haven’t been invented yet. We’ve gone through eras of steam, electricity, microcomputers and now the fourth industrial revolution — 3D printing, robotics and artificial intelligence. There will be 27 billion connected devices by 2020, he said. Broadband speed increases 2.7 times per year. The size of tech devices shrinks 100-fold every decade.
The result will be a house that works like a living being. Homeowners won’t necessarily have to interact with their homes. For example, it’s hot out, the air conditioning is cranking, and there’s a sun load, so the house lowers the shades automatically.
Because the technology has been quickly adopted, there are now more than 31 million smart homes, defined as containing two or more connected devices. The top reason is safety, such as locking the doors or closing the garage door. Pedigo pointed out that the Nest Protect smoke and CO2 detector will communicate with the Nest thermostat and shut down the HVAC system so smoke isn’t spread through the house.
Another big reason for growth in the market is that homeowners like it. A study by the website Houzz discovered that homeowners that included smart home features in their remodeling project were more satisfied with the results of the remodeling than homeowners who did not.
Robert P. Mader
Bob Mader is the Editorial Director for Penton's mechanical systems brands, including CONTRACTOR magazine, Contracting Business and HPAC Engineering, all of which are part of Penton’s Energy and Buildings Group. He has been with CONTRACTOR since 1984 and with Penton since 2001. His passions are helping contractors improve their businesses, saving energy and the issue of safeguarding our drinking water. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with an A.B. in American Studies with a Communications Concentration.