Construction and education firms in Prince George will soon get an inside look at some of the leading business technologies used in these fields.
The College of New Caledonia, in partnership with the National Research Council, is offering a free workshop that will focus on AutoDesk programming and the Building Information Modelling (BIM) program. Utilizing these tech tools has caused a 20 to 50 per cent upswing in productivity and is also linked to better quality in the workmanship.
"BIM is the process of designing a building using one system of computer models rather than as separate sets of drawings," said Zelda Craig, CNC's industry liaison. "As digital technology changes the way we do business today, CNC is proud to support companies that integrate digital technology into their business models."
The featured guest at the workshop is Douglas MacLeod, chair of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's (RAIC) Centre for Architecture at Athabasca University.
"MacLeod will share his vast knowledge of BIM technologies that can be used in areas of construction, architecture and timber framing, which are his areas of expertise," said Craig. "Participants will learn how the technologies work together, and also what funding sources are available for projects."
Some of the key themes of his technology insights will be:
Clean Tech - Clean technology can include anything from solar panels to "clean" coal. Canada has embarked on a major initiative to help fund start-up projects in this area through Sustainable Development Technology Canada.
Cross-laminated Timber - CLT is a radical new process of layering wooden planks which are glued together to create solid panels as large as 8-by-40 feet, and is the key to developing energy-efficient buildings. Panels can easily, and inexpensively, be assembled into entire multi-story buildings.
The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. in CNC room 2-1021. There is no charge to attend but preregistration is required. Sign up at the Eventbrite website: http://bit.ly/lmyxbsn.
