CCA Weekly - April 17, 2012

Economy

Non-Residential Construction Activity Offsets Decreases in Residential Construction

Construction edged down 0.1 per cent as the decline in residential building construction more than offset the gain in non-residential building construction, said a Statistics Canada report, as the Canadian economy expanded slightly in January. Read more

Labour

Changes to immigration system applauded by industry

The Canadian construction industry is applauding a new federal government plan to help fill growing labour shortages by changing the immigration system to make it easier for skilled tradespersons to immigrate to the country. Read more

Infrastructure

Webinar: US Government Procurements in Infrastructure-Buy American Update – April 25, 2012

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), in partnership with Export Development Canada (EDC), invites you to participate to a special webinar on April 25, 2012 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EST to hear from the experts regarding the current status of Buy American and other domestic sourcing measures affecting the infrastructure sector in the United States. This webinar is free of charge. Read more

Innovation and Technology

Cambridge, Ontario teams up with IBM to coordinate construction

The City of Cambridge, Ont. is working with IBM Corp. on a research project intended to make it easier for city engineers to coordinate construction activities both on and below the surface of roads. Read more

Loughborough University researchers in England work on 3-D printing app for construction

Researchers at Loughborough University have developed a system that can produce extremely complex sections of building, moving the concept of 3-D printing far beyond walls. They have built a robotic arm that operates on seven axes which allows the manufacture of far more complex shapes, producing three-dimensional components created first on a computer screen. Read more

How simulation tech can solve real sustainable design challenges

Simulation technologies can play an important role in the design and building phases of a project. However, these technologies are also proving their worth in other aspects of construction, including public awareness and perception.  Read more