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Autodesk/InsiteVR Collaboration Brings BIM into VR Meetings (Fri, 10 May 2019)
One of the features of the integration is that it allows users to create annotations in the BIM model just by talking out loud. (Image courtesy of Autodesk.) Autodesk has announced an integration between InsiteVR and Autodesk BIM 360: the first commercially available solution on Autodesk’s construction platform that lets users perform multi-user meetings inside of VR. The tech allows users to join from headsets or desktops and make changes to the model from inside the VR environment. T...
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Not Just a Pipe Dream: Hemp as a Building Material (Wed, 08 May 2019)
A hemp field in Kentucky. Soon, fields like this will supply “engineered wood” that could replace hardwoods like oak. (Image courtesy of Matt Barton, University of Kentucky.) After the U.S. government made it legal to grow industrial hemp late last year, a startup has announced that they’re building a factory to turn hemp fiber into “wood.” The factory, located in western Kentucky, will start turning hemp fibers into flooring and blocks by the end of the year. H...
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Texas & Louisiana Construction News

Oil Port Proposed Next to Louisiana River Diversion Moves Forward (Mon, 06 May 2019)
Approval for $2.5 billion oil terminal on the lower Mississippi River is contingent on study findings.
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Louisiana Picks Contractor for Second River Diversion Project (Wed, 17 Apr 2019)
The second of two major sediment diversion projects in Plaquemines Parish, La., is closer to construction following the naming of a contractor to build the $700-million structure that will use mud from the bottom of the Mississippi River to help rebuild the state’s disappearing wetlands.
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Today in Energy

Venezuelan crude oil production falls to lowest level since January 2003 (Mon, 20 May 2019)
In April 2019, Venezuela's crude oil production averaged 830,000 barrels per day (b/d), down from 1.2 million b/d at the beginning of the year, according to EIA’s May 2019 Short-Term Energy Outlook. This average is the lowest level since January 2003, when a nationwide strike and civil unrest largely brought the operations of Venezuela's state oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), to a halt. Widespread power outages, mismanagement of the country's oil industry, and U.S. sanctions directed at Venezuela's energy sector and PdVSA have all contributed to the recent declines.
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Coal stockpiles at U.S. coal power plants were at their lowest point in over a decade (Fri, 17 May 2019)
U.S. coal stockpiles decreased to 98.7 million tons in February 2019, their lowest value in more than a decade. Total U.S. coal stockpiles have fallen as more coal plants have retired.
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Business

Report: Fort Bend County among top Texas spots to stretch your paycheck (Mon, 20 May 2019 17:30:00 UT)
Fort Bend County earned a spot on the most paycheck-friendly places in Texas, according to a new study by SmartAsset.
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Adaptive reuse project in the Heights announces first tenants (Mon, 20 May 2019 17:00:00 UT)
Mendocino Farms Sandwich Market, the Southern California chain planning four restaurants in Houston, and Honeychild's Sweet Creams have signed leases at the project and plan to open late summer or early fall 2020.
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