World of Concrete (WOC) has served the global construction and masonry industries for 47 years — and, every year, its exhibitors bring increasingly impressive tools, equipment and technologies to the thousands of industry players in attendance. The 2022 installment of the trade show was held Jan. 17-20, 2022, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and hosted nearly 37,000 registered professionals at its exhibition and education sessions.
This year’s exhibition packed 632,000 net square feet with seemingly endless opportunities to explore and demo some of the industry’s most cutting-edge products. Emerging trends included productivity and efficiency, technology and automation, and equipment and data management — just to name a few.
The Construction Business Owner team was present and equipped to try some of the many exciting innovations and technologies that stole the spotlight at this year’s show. With an increased focus on a return to in-person events, the show’s exhibitors doubled down on their commitments — many presenting newly released products on-site, which gave attendees (and magazine editors alike) a lot to talk about. Below are five of our team’s hand-picked favorites that we view as drivers of today’s trends.
1. Nuron from Hilti
With the launch of its Nuron battery technology and a new line of 70 compatible power tools and larger equipment, Hilti aims to change the way the world looks at power tools on the jobsite. Nuron — batteries, tools and chargers all designed for uptime and the collection and storage of data in the cloud — offers operators the opportunity to do more, and learn more in the process. All Nuron battery packs and chargers work interchangeably under a single ecosystem to help reduce complexity and cost. The redesigned battery interface delivers higher performance and longer operating times by allowing a significantly higher power transfer. To boot, Nuron gives operators a new freedom to run heavy-duty equipment that was once restricted to corded, gas-powered or higher-voltage battery systems.
2. Autonomous Work Vehicle from Honda
First introduced as a concept at CES 2018, the Honda Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV) combines off-road side-by-side platform with emerging advanced autonomous technology. This new category of work vehicle is a flexible option for the typical rugged construction jobsite. The AWV employs a suite of sensors to operate autonomously, using GPS for location, radar and lidar for obstacle detection and 3D cameras for remote monitoring. Today’s second-generation prototype AWV successfully performed a range of functions at large-scale solar energy construction site. Black & Veatch operated, tested and validated the AWVs performance and suitability in several construction use cases. Honda worked with Black & Veatch on field testing to deploy multiple units on a recent site in New Mexico. Want to try one? You can email awv@na.honda.com to learn more and apply to become a test partner.
3. BOD2 from COBOD
3D printing is transforming the industry by automating key building processes, making construction faster, cheaper, more sustainable. According to COBOD, the BOD2 modular robot construction printer is “the world’s most sold 3D construction printer and the first second-generation printer on the market.” The modular design of BOD2’s was developed to fit any project — the operator can decide and select the printer’s length, width and height to accommodate the specific needs of any construction project. At WOC22, COBOD partnered with Quikrete and We Print Homes to demonstrate 3D printing in action, using concrete as its “ink.” Attendees had the chance to see concrete printing mix being loaded into the BOD2 printer and watch concrete structures coming to life. BOD2 can print with speeds of up to 100 centimeters per second at a standard layer height of 2 centimeters, and 5 centimeters in width. See it in action.
4. Brokk 110 from Brokk
Brokk’s nimble Brokk 110 demolition robot is compact in size, but offers enough substantial power to take down walls in confined spaces — and can get there easily with the ability to navigate rough terrain or stairs. The Brokk 110 has a 300-degree working radius, and is so small, it can fit in an elevator, as well as a car trailer or small truck. Its compact configuration gives it the agility to solve for a wide variety of residential, commercial and industrial demolition problems. Accompanied by Brokk’s SmartConcept — a set of technological features that offer improvements in power management, reliability, maintainability and ergonomics — the machine is focused on maximizing productivity.
5. U10-5 from Kubota
Kubota’s U10-5 minimal tail swing excavator is fit to meet a construction project’s rental needs in both residential and commercial work. The U10-5 offers single-level maneuverability with hydraulic adjustable track widths that quickly contract to fit through tight spaces easily — think doorways, fence gates, inside buildings, hallways, elevators and more. The U10-5 extends to a 5-foot, 11-inch digging depth with a bucket breakout force of 2,337 pounds. In addition, the U10-5’s hydraulic control system offers smooth operation and an increase in digging productivity. The U10-5 also offers the same side lever joystick operational controls found on the other larger Kubota excavator offerings, with consistent joystick digging controls. Both models offer clean, hose-free boom lines because the hydraulic hoses are uniquely hidden and protected inside the boom leading to less excavator downtime.
