BUILD America

Episode 5: America’s Transportation Funding with Alex Etchen, AGC of America

In this episode of BUILD America, host Kerry Smith discusses the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) with Alex Etchen, Senior Director for Infrastructure Management at the Associated General Contractors of America. The IIJA is a 1.2 trillion dollar investment in US transportation infrastructure over five years, with a focus on roads, bridges, mass transit, airports, and broadband deployment. The conversation covers the challenges and opportunities presented by the IIJA, including supply chain constraints, workforce shortages, and the importance of the Brent Spence Bridge. Despite these obstacles, there is optimism for the future impact of the IIJA.
 
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Episode 4: School Security Design-Build with Patrick Aylesworth, S. M. Wilson & Co.

In this episode of BUILD America, host Kerry Smith discusses the topic of school security with Patrick Aylesworth, Director of Operations at S. M. Wilson Company. S. M. Wilson is a construction management and general contracting firm that focuses on designing and building secure educational facilities. They emphasize the importance of creating spaces that balance safety and a welcoming environment for students and staff. Patrick highlights various security measures, such as secured entry vestibules, biometric fingerprint systems, video surveillance cameras, and secure classrooms. He also mentions the need for layered security and the importance of collaboration between project owners, project teams, and law enforcement agencies.
 
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Episode 3: Firm Foundations for Safe Buildings & Bridgeswith Travis Kassebaum

In this episode of BUILD America, host Kerryi Smith interviews Travis Kassebaum, a Principal and Geotechnical Department Manager at Terracon. They discuss the importance of firm foundations for safe buildings and bridges. Travis shares insights into the Leaning Tower of Pisa and its foundation issues. He also explains the role of geotechnical engineering in ensuring the stability and longevity of structures. They touch upon the 2007 collapse of the Interstate 35 bridge in Minneapolis and the impact of inspections on construction projects. Travis emphasizes the variability of soil conditions across different regions and the need for tailored engineering solutions. He also highlights the continuous updates and improvements in building codes and standards in response to natural disasters. 
 
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Episode 2: Patient-Focused Healthcare Design with Kevin Token and Ryan King

In this episode of BUILD America, the podcast explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on design and engineering in healthcare spaces. The guests are Kevin Token and Ryan King from BSA LifeStructures, an architecture and engineering firm specializing in healing, learning, and discovery. They discuss the challenges faced during the pandemic, such as the need to modify existing systems to ensure safety, the supply chain issues, and the creative solutions they devised to address these challenges. They also talk about the importance of designing for future pandemics and the trend towards creating flexible and multi-purpose spaces in healthcare facilities.
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Episode 1: Built Robotics: “Robots on the Project Team” with Erol Ahmed

In this episode of BUILD America, Kerry Smith interviews Erol Ahmed, the Director of communications at Built Robotics. They discuss the role of robotics in the construction industry and how Built Robotics is developing software to make construction equipment autonomous. Erol explains that their focus is on automating earth-moving energy projects such as solar and they have started with small equipment like skid steers and CTLs before moving on to larger equipment like dozers and excavators. They see excavators as a platform that can revolutionize the construction process. Erol also discusses the increasing adoption of robotic technologies in the construction industry and how it is improving productivity and safety. Fore more information, go to www.informationworks.org