Technology — it\u2019s hard to live with it, but impossible to live without it. Within six months of purchasing a new computer or learning how to run an operating system, they update and \u201cimprove\u201d it. But can you imagine your business without a computer, without a fax machine, without a cell phone, without a digital camera or a PDA? It\u2019s been just over 20 years since these innovations exploded onto the marketplace (less in some cases) \u2013 and the versions that were available then pale in comparison to what is available now. I remember how happy I was to pay just over $1000 for my first hard drive. It would\u00a0store an amazing 10 megabytes (yes, megabytes) of data. That equates to $100 per megabyte. I could get rid of hundreds of 5-1\/4\u201d temperamental floppy disks. That first Apple Macintosh (yes, I\u2019m MAC and Jim is PC) had a whopping 512K (yes, K) worth of memory. The last time I checked, you could buy a 500 gigabyte hard drive for around $140. That is a cost of 0.00024 cents per megabyte, a reduction in the cost per megabyte of around 400,000 times. In another year or two the cost of a terabyte will be that low.<\/p>\n
These technologies allow you to\u00a0run your business more efficiently, but technical innovations also allow you to build better with concrete. The computer has improved Tilt-Up concrete with engineering software, 3-D visualization, and CAD software. The laser screed allows you to build slabs so flat they had to reinvent\u00a0how we describe flatness. That, in turn, allows contractors to build panels with controlled thicknesses and exterior finishes rivaling (some will say better than) factory cast precast. Plastics (remember \u201cThe Graduate\u201d) have provided us the means to build thin brick panels,\u00a0to support panels for leveling, and construct nearly perfect joints. Composite materials allow us to build insulated wall panels that are nearly perfect insulators. Chemicals have improved the quality of concrete by replacing water and they have made sticking panels almost a thing of the past.<\/p>\n
Some technologies in use by other areas of the industry haven\u2019t\u00a0made it to the Tilt-Up industry yet. One of these is the robotic layout technology. These sophisticated devices have taken the residential foundation industry by storm; allowing multiple sets of plans to\u00a0be uploaded into a unit and for one person to lay out a complicated foundation with pinpoint accuracy. Could this be the next idea to impact Tilt-Up?<\/p>\n
What will the future hold for new technology and products? If the advancements in computer storage are any indication, we won\u2019t recognize the industry twenty years from now. You don\u2019t have to be an inventor, however, to get involved with new innovations. The TCA gets at least a half-dozen inquiries per year from individuals or companies with products they think, or hope,\u00a0will revolutionize the industry.<\/p>\n
The typical inquiry relates to whether or not the industry can use the product they have to offer. We give them our opinions and send them\u00a0to some of our early-innovator contractor members. Using a product in field conditions is the true test of whether or not it has potential. We are always looking for these early innovators. If you would like to be considered on our \u201creferral list,\u201d give Jim or me a call or send us an email. Guinea pigs can be cute.<\/p>\n
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Ed Sauter, director ejecutivo<\/p>\n
Junta Directiva de la TCA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"