TRIMBLE TILOS is pleased to offer an online community portal for it’s global user base.
TILOS Linear Infrastructure Planning Software just got even better with the launch of a community portal for TILOS users.
Designed as a hub for collaboration, communication and support for TILOS users globally, it’s just another way TILOS helps improve project performance for its customers.
The TILOS online community portal is a place to ask and answer questions, download resources and learn best practices; all on the community portal.
https://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2018-06-29-at-2.34.11-PM.png11461906lorne.duncanhttps://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/petroglyph-logo-2018-wordmark-white-150px.pnglorne.duncan2018-06-29 22:15:082018-07-01 03:57:05Trimble Launches TILOS Software User Community
https://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2018-02-14-at-12.14.05-PM.png8781512lorne.duncanhttps://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/petroglyph-logo-2018-wordmark-white-150px.pnglorne.duncan2018-06-08 22:21:322018-06-08 22:21:32TILOS Software Version 10.1 Speeds Up Linear Project Scheduling
TILOS Linear Infrastructure Project News | April 2018
Each month TILOS Americas publishes TILOS Linear Infrastructure Project News, a curated selection of articles about linear infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS Linear Infrastructure Project Management Software.
April 2018 has seen a number of developments in the hotly debated Trans Mountain Expansion Project.
Earlier this month, Kinder Morgan suspended all non-essential spending, mainly due to the opposition of the BC government to the pipeline.
Photo: KINDER MORGAN
The project has the support of the Federal Government and the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan but faces continued active opposition from the government of British Columbia.
In response to BC’s opposition, Two energy industry associations, The Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) and Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC) both put out statements on April 16 in support of the Alberta government’s introduction of legislation on April 16 that would make it possible to cut off oil and refined products going to British Columbia.
“We really do believe that from a business development and ultimately from a backlog perspective, we see this as year probably about the best year we’ve has since I joined.”
Sohi and Infrastructure Canada Deputy Minister Kelly Gillis gave an update April 19 on the government’s mammoth 12-year, $180-billion plan to overhaul Canadian housing, water systems,and social and green initiatives for a generation.
He said 20,000 infrastructure projects across the country have already started, for a total value of $9.4 billion and 28,000 projects, including a $445 millioninvestment in Canada’s North: the Yukon Territory.
Trump’s “Make America Great Again” Infrastructure Policy has been slow to take effect, despite executive orders and approval of funding.
In what may just be the most impressive move towards efficiency in US bureaucratic history, fourteen agencies, including the the departments of Energy, Interior, Transportation, Commerce and Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have agreed to perform their reviews concurrently instead of sequentially.
“This is the most boring thing we’ll do but absolutely the most impactful thing,’’ DJ Gribbin, special assistant to the president for infrastructure policy, said during an appearance last year at a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting.
According to a recent article in Engineering News Record publication by a trifecta of industry experts, including a former NYC Transit planner, “ancient” US construction management practices have to go.
A construction worker cuts stone at an entrance to New York City’s $4.5-billion Second-Avenue subway line, which opened its first phase in 2017. Its next phase, estimated at more than $6 billion, now is underway. Photo: AP/Seth Wenig
The major investments made in US infrastructure may fail to improve the quality of infrastructure, says the ENR article.
Outdated policies and bureaucracy have spit out costly boondoggles; projects that are incredibly over budget and schedule.
“In an age when image recognition, Big Data analysis and artificial intelligence are coming to define construction, outdated and inefficient contracting and construction management practices won’t cut it to build critical infrastructure projects at the scale and speed they’re now needed.”
The Trump administration should push change by requiring new contracting methods in its touted infrastructure program.
Lower interest rates and an increased interest in Public Private Partnerships sparked a flame of hope for Latin America’s infrastructure.
According to The Economist, the usual suspects of corruption and bureaucracy are wasting this valuable opportunity to improve badly needed infrastructure in Latin America.
As a result, companies are increasing radically the number of compliance officers, says Brian Winter, vice-president for policy at the Americas Society and the Council of the Americas. New laws seek to bring more transparency and strike a balance between discouraging corruption and chilling investment. Legislation in Peru, for example, exempts from penalties firms that co-operate with anti-corruption investigators.
Changes can’t come quickly enough.The $1.8 Billion spent on Brazil’s railroad to nowhere has resulted in more cows ambling along the tracks than trains. Over 2/3rds of the sewage is untreated and more than 60% of the roads are unpaved.
About TILOS Linear Infrastructure Project Management Software:
A favourite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS linear infrastructure project management software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan and schedule.
Trimble TILOS linear infrastructure project management software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, and bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.
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TILOS Infrastructure Project Management Software | Linear Project News | March 2018
Each month TILOS Americas publishes TILOS Infrastructure Project Management News, a curated selection of articles about linear infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS Infrastructure Project Management Software.
Roads and bridges are perhaps engineering’s best examples of function and aesthetic.
The jaw dropping bridges that soar over wetlands, crossing canyons, across rivers and in between mountains are a testament to the ingenuity of mankind.
In Roads & Bridges Magazine, submissions for the best road and bridges in North America are solicited throughout the year. Only 10 of the best linear infrastructure projects are selected as winners.
In this year’s edition, project managers and scheduling professionals in some cases had to contend with hurricanes, flooding and other major setbacks to get their projects to completion.
Despite such impactful challenges, these linear infrastructure projects were completed and stand testament to humankind’s tenacity and commitment to progress.
However, closing the infrastructure gap by soliciting investment has proven difficult due to unstable governance, corruption, and red tape. The ability to secure funding has become even more difficult given the recent protectionist stance of the USA; historically a large investor in the region.
During the global economic downturn, China has offered the region $250 billion in investment over the next decade. It is the top trading partner of many countries in the region, including Brazil, Chile and Argentina.
Tillerson, the US Secretary of state said Thursday at the University of Texas, his alma mater. “China, as it does in emerging markets throughout the world, offers the appearance of an attractive path to development,” he said. “But in reality, this often involves trading short-term gains for long-term dependency.”
Reduced costs are cited as a main reason for rebooting stalled or deferred projects, with some projects expecting up to $100 million reduction in costs.
The first $50 million of the eventual $527 million needed to upgrade Routes 2 and 7 has been secured from a consortium of banks, structured by Goldman Sachs.
This upgrade in linear infrastructure is considered critical as an estimated 70% of all economic activity in Paraguay is concentrated around the National routes 2 and 7. When the upgrades are complete, they are expected to reduce the time from Asunción to Ciudad del Este from six hours to three and a half hours.
Linear infrastructure construction projects such as pipeline projects utilize a significant amount of steel.
Despite Trump’s stated intentions to benefit the American energy economy by placing tariffs on imported steel, the reality is that an increase of 25% in steel costs may negatively impact oil and gas companies and the energy industry as a whole.
IMAGE courtesy of Sky News
According to Oil and Gas Magazine: A 25% increase in the cost of imported line pipe, fittings and valves would raise the cost of a 280 mile oil pipeline by US$76 million. This size would be typical of those pipelines used to carry shale oil from the Permian Basin to the Gulf coast. Considering a mega project, such as the Dakota Access pipeline, the cost increase could be approximately US$300 million.
This increased cost will likely be passed on to the oil and gas producers who use their lines and, subsequently, the American consumers.
About TILOS Infrastructure Project Management Software:
A favourite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS pipeline software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan and schedule.
Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, and bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.
https://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/industrialconstruction_forest-pipes_source_jwn.png__960x536_q85_autocrop_crop-scale_subsampling-2_upscale.jpg638960lorne.duncanhttps://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/petroglyph-logo-2018-wordmark-white-150px.pnglorne.duncan2018-03-22 21:30:462018-03-22 21:31:44TILOS Infrastructure Project Management Software | Linear Project News: March 2018
https://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2018-02-14-at-12.14.05-PM.png8781512lorne.duncanhttps://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/petroglyph-logo-2018-wordmark-white-150px.pnglorne.duncan2018-02-14 21:17:512018-02-14 21:17:51TILOS Software Version 10 Just Released; Updates Further Speed Up Linear Project Scheduling
TILOS Engineering Project Management Software | Linear Project News | February 2018
Each month TILOS Americas publishes TILOS Engineering Project Management News, a curated selection of articles about linear infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS Engineering Project Management Software.
In 2016, US Gov. Charlie Baker signed a Clean Energy law requiring the state of Massachusetts to solicit contracts for 1,200 megawatts of renewable energy, including hydropower, onshore wind and solar power, along with at least 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind energy.
Power lines run near the St. Lawrence River in this file photo. MARIO BEAUREGARD/THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES
Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs are busy proposing major infrastructure projects that would carry Canadian electricity produced by wind or hydro power across Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine to reach Massachusetts.
Last summer, dozens of companies from both Canada and the US filed proposals to meet Massachusetts goal for the onshore supply of power. The timeline calls for the “selection of projects for negotiation” on Jan. 25 2018.
South Korea is preparing to spend billions of dollars in infrastructure specifically for the Winter Olympic Games.
Global sporting events like the world cup and the Olympics bring tourism and publicity to the hosting nation, but at what cost?
The Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium cost roughly $109 million to build for South Korea’s 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The stadium will be used just four times before being demolished. Ahn Young-joon/AP
The $800 million, 14 mile light rail linear infrastructure project that was to connect the airport to the city centre was intended to be completed in time for the games. Only half a mile has been built so far, and multiple officials are under investigation for legacy work like this.
Saddled with over $40 million in debt, Rio still struggles to repurpose giant stadiums as revenue generators. For nations like Brazil, where basic infrastructure needs are not being met, the legacy of the Olympics did more harm than good.
Mexico Presidency, via its official Twitter account, announced (22-Jan-2018) that airport infrastructure investment in Mexico surpassed MXN81 billion (USD4.3 billion).
One such example of investment is New Mexico City International Airport construction which could be, when completed, the 3rd largest in the world. The $13.4bn project is expected to be completed in 2020.
The planned international airport, which would be the third-largest in the world. Photograph: Foster + Partners
85% of the total contracts for the construction of the airport will be assigned by the end of 2017, making cancellation next to impossible. As of May, 15% of the construction work had already been done, according to Mexico’s El Economista newspaper.
Encouraging communities to adopt a smart cities approach to improve the lives of their residents through innovation, data and connected technology is the mandate of the Smart Cities Challenge.
Accepting submissions from the public, primarily for small and medium sized communities, the government of Canada will then select 4 winners of the $75 Million dollars earmarked for the Smart Cities infrastructure development contest.
Open to communities of all sizes, including municipalities, regional governments and Indigenous communities (First Nations, Métis and Inuit). Interested parties must submit their application by April 24 2018.
About TILOS Engineering Project Management Software:
A favourite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS pipeline software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan and schedule.
Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, and bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.
https://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/Clean-energy-CDA-to-MASS.jpg8001200lorne.duncanhttps://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/petroglyph-logo-2018-wordmark-white-150px.pnglorne.duncan2018-02-08 23:28:352018-02-08 23:31:04TILOS Engineering Project Management Software | Linear Project News: February 2018
TILOS Highway Construction Software | Linear Project News | January 2018
Each month TILOS Americas publishes TILOS Linear Project News, a curated selection of articles about linear infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS Highway Construction Software.
Bolivian President Evo Morales met with representatives of German and Swiss railway firms, and Germany’s State Secretary of Transport, Building and Urban Development to sign an agreement to construct a railway line across South America.
After the meeting, Bolivia’s president tweeted, “Our meeting with the Swiss-German consortium was very productive. (…) In January, the technical secretariat begins its work.”
To be completed in 2025, this railway infrastructure project will connect three South American countries: Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.
“The transcontinental railway is an important geo-strategic project for South American countries,” says economist José Alberti from the Bolivian export association CADEX “It will improve integration and infrastructures on the continent, foster transatlantic networking and make access to Asia better.”
Highway construction and bridge projects are complex enough without adding border crossing facilities, linking major existing roadways and highways and managing both politics between the two countries as well as a handful of lawsuits.
Yet, that is exactly the situation for the bridge between Canada’s Province of Ontario and the US State of Michigan. The Gordie Howe International Bridge was named after Canadian born hockey star that played the majority of his career for the Detroit Red Wings .
Image: www.wdbridge.com
Despite allegations of delays on the US side, a recent tour of progress on both sides show the $350 million linear project is well underway.
With an expected completion date of 2020, this is one linear infrastructure project that hasn’t been dramatically affected by the change in US leadership.
The long awaited rail tunnel under the hudson river hits a bump as squabbles between state and federal authorities over the funding of the ail tunnel infrastructure project heat up.
The deal hinges on New York, New Jersey and the Port Authority paying 50 % for the tunnel work and the federal government picking up the rest of the tab.
This latest development leaves commuters afraid they may have to resort to swimming to work
Infrastructure investment and upgrades continue to be a priority for the Mexican government.
A huge overhaul to the existing transmission and power line linear infrastructure system will officially open for bidding January 2018, with bid selection ending September 2018.
Image: www.lexology.com
The $1.1 Billion USD project is intended to integrate separated energy systems across the country, guarantee power to those in the Baja Peninsula and pave the way for renewable energies.
About TILOS Highway Construction Software:
A favourite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS pipeline software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan and schedule.
Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, and bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.
https://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/conceptimage-1.jpg7241287lorne.duncanhttps://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/petroglyph-logo-2018-wordmark-white-150px.pnglorne.duncan2018-01-08 21:17:152018-01-08 21:17:15TILOS Highway Construction Software | Linear Project News: January 2018
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Each month TILOS Americas publishes TILOS Global Linear Infrastructure News, a curated selection of articles about linear infrastructure projects, linear scheduling, and all things TILOS. This month’s headlines were dominated by the politics and policies that directly affect infrastructure project approvals, investment and progress.
The Keystone Pipeline System, owned solely by TransCanada Corporation, currently runs from Alberta, Canada to refineries in Illinois & Texas US, as well as an oil pipeline distribution center in Oklahoma, US.
The planned fourth phase, Keystone XL, attracted growing environmental protest and became a symbol of the battle over climate change and fossil fuels.
The Nebraska commission’s approval of an alternate route is considered a victory for US President Trump, who overturned the Obama administration’s decision to block the pipeline’s expansion.
The proposed line would run about 1,180 miles (1,899 km) from Hardisty, Alberta, to Steele City, Nebraska.
The Keystone XL project is estimated to create 3,500 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs after construction.
“Nebraska recognizes the Keystone XL pipeline is in the public interest bringing good paying jobs and more affordable energy for U.S. consumers,” Andy Black, president and CEO of the Association of Oil Pipe Lines, said in a statement.
Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) has approved two power transmission lines and two substations in the western states of Sinaloa and Sonora.
In a bid to reduce emissions, increase jobs and sales of Electric Vehicles, the Canadian Government will instal 34 new electric vehicle charging stations, spaced about 100 kilometres apart along 3,000 kilometres of the Trans-Canada Highway.
The exact locations are not yet determined, but the EV stations are scheduled to be in operation by 2019.
In a news release, Jim Carr, the Canadian federal government Minister of Natural Resources said “With more electric vehicles becoming available, we want to make them an easy choice for Canadians. The strategic investment brings us closer to having a national coast-to-coast network of electric vehicle charging stations while growing our economy and creating good jobs for Canada’s middle-class.”
In a third bid for the Presidency, Almo, as he’s popularly known, promises increased infrastructure investment and decreased relations with the US.
Mexico’s presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Movement for National Renewal (MORENA) party takes part in an event at the Wilson Center in Washington, U.S. September 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Mexico’s presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the Movement for National Renewal (MORENA) party takes part in an event at the Wilson Center in Washington, U.S. September 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
The Summer 2018 Presidential election campaign is already in full swing as the current President of Mexico, Peno Nieto is barred by law from serving another term.
Lopez Obrador has mainly avoided picking public fights with Trump, who is widely loathed south of the border for his anti-Mexican rhetoric. On Monday he said he would seek friendly relations with the U.S. government but would demand respect.
Almo’s team repeated that talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) should be scrapped until after Mexico’s election because the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto would not defend Mexico’s interests.
Move over USA; China investing in infrastructure projects and increasing trade with Latin America
In a report released Nov 18, 2017, the US Report on Politics & Policy documents the financial aid and investment in infrastructure Latin America is receiving by switching diplomatic relations from the US to China.
And China is making good on that promise, filling the void left by shaky US-Mexico relations during dwindling NAFTA talks and wooing Panama and Costa Rica with substantial infrastructure investments.
The US Report on Politics & Policy report states “For example, China offered Costa Rica a $130 million aid package and purchased $300 million in Costa Rican bonds. In Panama, meanwhile, aside from being the second most important user of the Panama Canal, China is also the largest supplier of goods to the free-trade zone of Colón. By providing both of these Central American states with public works and economic incentives, Beijing obtained political recognition from Costa Rica in May 2007 and from Panama in June 2017.”
And in Mexico, Mexico City’s Secretary of Labor Amalia Garcia Medina told told Chinese national news agency Xinhua that Mexico is exploring new deals due to unstable relations with the US.
Mexico is actively soliciting investment for infrastructure via ProMexico, a government agency tasked with promoting Mexican exports and foreign trade, has attracted a staggering number of projects in recent years in an attempt to increase global competitiveness.
About TILOS Pipeline Software:
A favourite of leading infrastructure companies across the globe, TILOS pipeline software gives Project Planning Managers, Contractors, and Project Owners the ability to create and execute a reliable, comprehensive and easy to communicate linear project plan and schedule.
Trimble TILOS software was developed specifically to address the unique challenges of linear projects such as roads, railway, pipeline, and bridges for professionals in the construction, engineering and energy sectors.
https://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/acciona_kenia.jpg281707lorne.duncanhttps://tilosamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/petroglyph-logo-2018-wordmark-white-150px.pnglorne.duncan2017-11-28 06:29:092017-11-28 06:32:03TILOS Software News, November 2017
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