New Tech in Construction (Feat. Tyler Williams)

(Scroll to see loads of links to videos of the tech mentioned in this episode.)   Tyler Williams is an innovation man. Within the first couple decades of his career, he worked as a union carpenter, estimator, project manager, and superintendent. Then he reached the point where he felt like he was losing passion for his work. He wanted to make an impact.   This drive to make a difference prompted him to set a goal of making it onto DPR’s innovation team. It took a couple years of proving himself and pitching the decision-makers, but he eventually got there.     You can imagine how satisfying it would be to test equipment in the field and then advise the maker on improvements. That’s one of the things Tyler gets to do.    But when Tyler shows up on the worksite, he’s not trying to keep his boots clean. He gets mucky. He’ll grab a rake and help a concrete crew. He knows that you have to show what you know in order to get the trust of your audience.    We ask Tyler to share about new tools in the field. He’s ready with a list. Here are a few we discuss:

• Smart Tag tracking
• The exoskeleton suit
• The Jaibot
• Dusty the layout robot
• Vita spin control, which has gone from… 
  • helicopter rescue applications 
  • to construction cranes
• Milwaukee’s battery-powered trowels, and concrete vibrators
• JLG’s self-leveling boom lift (not quite as new as some of these others but still interesting.)
• Hyperframe metal studs
• Live-Dig Radar (It’s as amazing as it sounds)

  Tyler shares about the importance of having street cred when introducing new technologies to the people who might be able to make use of them. Eddie recalls how the Dusty (layout robot) team needed to put eyes on the robot in order to keep workers from getting annoyed and angry and kicking the robot on the worksite.    We discuss the massive benefits of industry crossover, starting with a conversation about a helicopter-rescue technology that has now worked its way into construction cranes. (See link above)   He shares about a skeptical boom-lift foreman who reluctantly tried a VR training program and literally fell off of his chair before calling it the best thing he’s ever seen.    These technologies open a door for prospective employees who might not otherwise think about getting into construction. They both lower the barrier of entry in some respects and bring greater diversity to the forms of work to be done.    Tyler touches on some QR-code-based information/instruction that can dramatically increase the ease of information-sharing. We also discuss the possible intellectual-property tensions that arise with this sort of tech.   The last technology we discuss is live-dig radar. (See the link above.) Some municipalities are already requiring all excavators to use this technology.   Tyler’s Megaphone Message: Let’s partner as an industry–even with competitors–and work together to adjust the direction of construction. Let’s work together to help people see that construction is freaking cool.    Find Tyler Online: LinkedIn    Find Us Online: BrosPodcast.com - LinkedIn - Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Eddie's LinkedIn - Tyler's LinkedIn   If you enjoy the podcast, please rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to us! Thanks for listening! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.