CoSci event eyed technology’s impact on construction industry

Technology’s transformative impact on the building industry was showcased Feb. 11, 2016 during the Texas A&M [Department of Construction Science] (http://cosc.arch.tamu.edu/) ’s Tech Demo Day at Francis Hall on the Texas A&M campus.

“The event was a hands-on, educational opportunity for students to learn about the latest in building technology from the most innovative companies in the industry,” said Liz Welsh, marketing director at [JBKnowledge] (http://jbknowledge.com/) , one of several companies making presentations and demonstrating products at the event.

Kicking off the day’s festivities was a keynote address by Nick Chim, CEO of [Flux] (https://flux.io/about/) , a company that develops software to help contractors, architects and engineers exchange project data and streamline design workflows. Flux is the only startup company to emerge, so far, from Google X, an initiative to research and develop “moonshot” projects like driverless cars or high-altitude balloon networks that provide Internet access to remote areas.

Chim spoke in Francis Hall’s Segner Auditorium, but to accommodate the large audience, his presentation was simulcast at two locations in the Langford Architecture Center: the Preston Geren Auditorium, located in Building B, and C105, in Building C.

After the keynote, representatives from construction technology companies JBKnowledge, [Rollout] (http://www.rolloutaec.com/) and [Assemble] (http://assemblesystems.com/) showcased their products in 50-minute sessions in Francis Hall classrooms.

The featured companies are transforming the construction industry with innovative technologies and software applications aimed at enhancing collaboration and jobsite productivity while lowering project costs. Among the technologies showcased at the event were applications that turn 2-D construction plans into 3-D models; that facilitate project management by enabling designers, engineers and construction managers to share project markups, revisions, comments and drawings across multiple platforms and devices; and that help constructors pinpoint the location of building materials on jobsites.

Throughout the day, the Department of Construction Science demonstrated its new Building Information Modeling Computer-Aided Virtual Environment, or [BIM CAVE] (http://one.arch.tamu.edu/news/2015/12/14/coscis-bim-cave-upgraded-upscale-francis-hall-home/) , one of the nation’s premier facilities for viewing BIM models.