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The article explores how contractors in the U.S. are using a tight labor market and booming construction to examine the changing role of the equipment operator as new technologies upend traditional construction processes. Topics covered include indicators for how many operators and people are pursuing the required certifications to run equipment, and the offer of virtual reality training for mobile elevated work platforms (MEWP) in response to the labor shortage.

The article reports about how Turner Construction has found that a smart Internet of Things (IoT) crane-monitoring device from technology company Versatile, which is changing the way they run their cranes, with real benefits for productivity. It also mentions how the sensor-laden device has a camera that sees what's happening around the crane and uses machine-learning algorithms to analyze the video and automatically identify everything hoisted by the crane.

The article discusses the spread of COVID-19, CONEXPO-CON/AGG being managed to bring well over 100,000 attendees to Las Vegas. Topics include show organizers with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers being announced there were more than 130,000 registrations for the show; some manufacturers, crowds being thronged to the sprawling showgrounds; and Chinabased equipment manufacturer LiuGong told ENR its not seen any significant impact on its production due to coronavirus.

The article focuses on partial collapse of Hard Rock Hotel which were under construction in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 12, 2019 and accident killed at least two workers and injured more than thirty people. It mentions attention has turned to removing two tower cranes considered dangerously unstable and composite metal decking appeared to break away from the structural steel frame. It also mentions videos of collapse show portions of top floors collapsing, sending debris into streets.

The article offers information on annual conference of the periodical, FutureTech, which was held in San Francisco on June 3-5, 2019, for industry technology professionals to study the future of construction technology and learn how other firms are innovating and solving problems. Topics discussed include role of technique that mines data to make machine-learning-based predictions in worksite safety efforts; importance of cybersecurity; and concern related to the skilled labor shortage.

The article reports that several people were killed when part of a construction crane crashed down from top the Liebherr tower in Seattle, Washington (D.C.). It mentions views of Tim Church, L&I public affairs manager, on tower cranes. It presents views of Eric Dean, President at Ironworkers International, on people injured in the accident. It also mentions views of Terry McGettigan, a Seattle-based tower crane specialist, on wind-speed anemometer.

The article explores how forensic engineer, Gary Panariello, brings a level head and reassuring competence to a dangerous New Orleans building collapse site. Topics discussed include focusing on search and rescue, and the full extent of the damage to the building; response team of engineers that determined a pair of unstable cranes at a New Orleans building collapse site needed to be imploded; and bringing wind speeds that might collapse the overloaded and unstable tower cranes.

The article reports that Terex Peiner SK415 crane collapsed onto a Dallas apartment building, killing one, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the crane's owner, Bigge Crane and Rigging Co., citing serious violations. It mentions that the crane company responded by formally contesting the citation. It also informs that the state licensing requirement for crane operators and Texas cities.

The article focuses on the demolition of the Hard Rock Hotel located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It mentions that hotel's owner, 1031 Canal Development LLC, has contracted Kolb Grading LLC and its subsidiary, Dem/Tech, to perform a controlled implosion of the hotel. It also mentions that the unorthodox plan to bring down the two damaged tower cranes at the site came from an ongoing assessment from structural engineers.

The article discusses efforts were underway Oct. 22 to recover the bodies of two construction workers killed in the collapse of a hotel under construction in New Orleans after a controlled demolition brought down two tower cranes threatening other buildings following the initial collapse. It presents views of New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell on the controlled demolition.