CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR: How would you evaluate the rate of new tech- nology adoption by the construction industry as a whole today, and where do you see it going in the next few years?
ALICIA LOPEZ: In the past five years or so, we have seen the industry becoming much more tech-oriented. Te growth in venture capital (VC) money that has been poured into construction technology in the past few years has been exponential as VC firms have realized there are a lot of opportunities in the construction industry. Many other companies are also in- vesting heavily in construction tech- nology. One of the things I think we are going to see in coming years is a major gap between companies that have em- braced technology and companies that have not. I think we are at an inflection point in which the companies that are going to thrive in this environment are the companies that are able to adjust to new technology. Right now, technology in construction
is changing at a faster pace than we have ever seen before. In the next five years we are going to see more disruptive changes. If you want to thrive, you need to adjust and keep pace with these changes. We are at a pivotal moment.
CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR: How does Flatiron’s global size and scope give you a competitive advantage on the technology front?
ALICIA LOPEZ: Flatiron is part of one of the largest construction groups in the world. We have a lot of sister compa- nies around the globe. We leverage this massive network working together in multiple innovation initiatives. We have an AI Center of Excellence with people in Australia, Europe and North America, where we share what we are doing and
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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR JULY/AUGUST 2024
Laser scanners are just one of the tools utilized on Flatiron projects.
tackle initiatives together. We leverage all the resources that we have across the world and the power of knowledge that we have collectively. We have the scale, and the connections, that make it easier to implement new technology quickly.
CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR:What is your advice to smaller companies that may not have the same global power as a Flatiron to stay competitive and keep up with technology adoption in the industry?
ALICIA LOPEZ: For me, it’s about being agile, and about staying ahead of the game. You cannot wait for the things to happen to you; it’s about being proactive. You want to think ahead, and make sure you are positioning your company for the future. Tink about where we want to be in five or 10 years.
CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR: Lastly, on the green construction/sustainability front, are there newer technologies or
approaches that Flatiron is employing to advance sustainability on your jobsites?
ALICIA LOPEZ: Sustainability is a key initiative at our company and our group. We focus on the three pillars of environ- mental, social and governance (ESG). In the environmental component, we are testing electric vehicle equipment, such as an electric excavator we recently piloted at the San Diego airport project. We are reducing fuel consumption and renovating our fleet to reduce carbon emissions. We are tracking telematics to reduce idle time and waste. We are also testing different concrete mixes to reduce the carbon footprint, recycling concrete and asphalt to reduce the vol- ume of material to landfills and reduce the consumption of water. Environmental management is a very big topic for us in the company and in the bigger group worldwide, and those are just a few of the ways we are focused on reducing our carbon footprint!
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