Constructive Voices Peter Finn, Henry McDonald, Steve Randall, Jackie De Burca

In the first of a new series of short but insightful conversations with construction industry thought leaders, Steve Randall is joined by René Morkos of Alice Technologies.
Are you ready to explore the cutting edge of construction technology?  René shares his remarkable journey, from hands-on construction projects around the world to pioneering AI applications in the industry.
Learn how AI is not just changing, but revolutionising the way we plan, simulate, and execute construction projects.
Find out how René's work is paving the way for a more efficient and cost-effective future, and why this might just be the most exciting time in construction history.
Listen and build your knowledge on the AI revolution in construction!
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Building Conversations is a Retuned Media production for Constructive-Voices. © 2024 Retuned Media Ltd. 

Building Better Cities: A Journey Through Urban Design
Host: Jackie De Burca
Guest: Dr. Julian Bolleter, Co-Director of the Australian Urban Design Research Centre
Below are a few of his books and you can check out Dr. Julian Bolleter on Amazon.


Introduction:

Jackie De Burca welcomes Dr. Julian Bolleter, an influential figure in landscape architecture and urban design.
Julian shares his personal connection to the environment rooted in his childhood.

Main Themes:

Urban Development Challenges: Julian discusses his research in Dubai on the city’s rapid construction, environmental impact, and labor practices.
Climate Performance and Policy: Insight into Julian’s collaboration with state government to enhance climate performance and urban policy.
Educational Contributions: Julian’s role in academia through teaching and writing, nurturing the next generation of urban designers.





 




Research Highlights:

New City Development and Urban Infill: Julian’s exploration into how new urban spaces are created and existing ones are optimized.
Public Open Space Design: The significance of designing accessible and functional public spaces for communities.

Welcome to Constructive Voices. In Episode 1 of Season Three, we explore the urgent shift within the construction industry towards more sustainable practices, particularly in the face of the UK government’s net-zero targets. 
The construction industry is seeking environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional cement due to its significant carbon footprint, with the UK government setting net zero targets for the sector. A promising innovation in this field is Cemfree by DB Group, a binder made from waste material through alkali activation, offering an 85% reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional cement. Jackie De Burca investigates Cemfree with Tony Sheridan.
 
About Tony Sheridan
Tony Sheridan is Group Commercial Manager at DB Group (DBG), the pioneering leaders behind Cemfree, an alternative to traditional cement that offers the construction industry unprecedented savings of up to 85% in carbon emissions.
Tony has over 20 years of construction industry experience and has spent the majority of that in management roles within the ready-mix concrete industry. He has remained dedicated to furthering his own knowledge of the industry as well as others, with a degree in civil engineering before completing a further MBA in 2010.
Tony remains committed to influencing the industry to work towards a more sustainable future, and through his leadership of the commercial function of all divisions at DBG, he is championing sustainable practices every day in the role.

This episode features Yaron Dycian, co-founder of WINT, who discusses the integration of AI in water management to combat water scarcity and climate change.
WINT employs AI algorithms to monitor water flow patterns in buildings, identifying anomalies that indicate leaks or damage, which can result in substantial water savings and reduced carbon footprints.
The system is designed to alert staff to these issues promptly, which is crucial given that about 25% of water in buildings is wasted, contributing to significant carbon emissions and financial losses, such as the $100,000 annual waste at the Empire State Building.








Dycian highlights that water damage is now the leading cause of insurance claims, surpassing fire damage, prompting initiatives like the UK’s Joint Code of Practice to enforce Water Leak Mitigation Systems.
WINT not only helps in achieving sustainability by reducing water waste and carbon emissions but also offers financial benefits by saving money for its customers. The technology, adaptable to various environments, including construction sites, uses AI to predict potential leaks, although it does not ensure a 100% success rate.
The podcast also discusses the cost-effectiveness of implementing WINT, with initial prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of pounds and ongoing fees in the tens per month per system. WINT has a presence in multiple countries and is effective in preventing leaks on construction sites, despite the inherent limitations of AI technologies, which can sometimes produce inaccurate results or “hallucinations.”
Overall, WINT is posited as an essential and increasingly standard component in building design, likened to elevators and sprinkler systems, for creating water-sustainable buildings. The adoption of WINT across various projects exemplifies its utility in real-world applications, and the conversation underscores the potential of AI in revolutionising water management in the construction and building management industries.

“I never really saw engineering as the career for me and it wasn’t really pushed. When I was studying subjects like art, science, maths, those subjects were always my passion from school all the way up to college. But I was always looking at different career pathways like medicine, going into maths, or even going into marketing and media. And it wasn’t until I did lots of different work experience placements, that I realized that engineering really was the career for me.”









This intriguing quote above is from this episode’s guest, Melissa Ahmed, who is talking to Emma Nicholson as part of the series Focus on Female Engineers. Melissa Ahmed is the Managing Director at Techwuman Ltd.
 

“I grew up seeing my Dad as my role model. And he is a civil engineer. So I saw him working with interesting tools and software. I remember he had this huge table with massive white papers. It had scribbles of buildings all over it, and a ruler that was taller than me.
He also had sketches on his computer. He had lots and lots of books. And all of this really fascinated me. I would even do pretend play when he was not looking.”









The wonderful quote above is from this episode’s guest, Dr. Zenan Ahmed, who is talking to Emma Nicholson as part of the series Focus on Female Engineers. Dr. Zenan Ahmed is currently a Senior Energy and Sustainability Engineer at WSP in the United Kingdom. But in her biography below you can read about more of her endeavours.
















“Starting early during the formative years. I think that it’s really important how each of us are brought up in our household and how the gender bias rules are passed on from one generation to another. I think it’s really important that we eradicate that preconceived notion from a very early age.
And it’s not really about forcing people to be an engineer when they do not want to be an engineer. It’s more about exposure and validation and telling them look, this is also for you.”