Researchers at Purdue University's Polytechnic Institute are working with automation software and robotics to try to improve and advance construction processes.

The Savannah (Georgia) City Council has selected AECOM Hunt to act as construction manager at risk (CMAR) for its new $140 million, 269,000-square-foot arena project under an $11.2 million contract, according to Arena Digest.

Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Compliance has issued five citations for crystalline silica dust-related violations and other violations to a Roanoke, Virginia, contractor and has proposed a total of $304,130 in fines. According to Bloomberg Environment, this could be the largest fine imposed to date under the new silica rule.

Canadian tariffs on $12.6 billion of U.S. goods went into effect on July 1, as promised by Canada's Department of Finance, as a countermeasure against U.S.-imposed steel and aluminum tariffs. In addition to steel and aluminum, Canada has also placed extra duties on a wide variety of U.S. products.

Earlier this year, CDC Fab Co. announced the finalization of its purchase of Conwed Designscape | Wall Technology, the industry leader in custom-designed acoustic solutions, from Owens Corning. With the acquisition, CDC Fab will now operate under the Conwed Designscape name.

CertainTeed Corporation announced that it has acquired the Hunter Douglas North American ceilings business earlier in 2018. This acquisition marked a significant benchmark of growth for CertainTeed Ceilings – a leader in the North American ceilings market and part of a commercial business offering that includes CertainTeed’s roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, insulation, drywall and ceiling products.

The 2019 CISCA Construction Excellence Awards Website is now open for entries. The final day to enter your project is January 31, 2019. You may start an application and save it to finish at a later time. Enter as many projects as you wish!

One in 10 companies with revenue of $50 million or more use drones, according to a Blue Research report. Of the 1,736 individuals surveyed for the "State of Drones in Big Business" report, 92 percent said their company saw a positive return on its drone investment within one year.