The technical seminars known as “technoforums” conducted by the Association of Carriers and Equipment Lessors (ACEL) that have become popular features of the annual Philconstruct event continue to be top draws even when presented online. This was clearly demonstrated at the 4th Philconstruct VX that was held on November 4-7, 2021 where ACEL offered two such seminars.
The first one, entitled “3D Construction Technologies in the Age of Digitalization,” attracted 152 attendees. Held from 10:15 AM to 12:30 PM last November 6, it was conducted by Nerick S. Gamo, SITECH Philippines general manager, and was moderated by Arlan P. Vergara, ACEL public relations officer and RMD Kwikform Philippines operations head.
In his talk, Gamo, a long-time advocate of technology adoption in the Philippine construction industry, cited the many benefits 3D construction technologies provide – from improving worksite productivity to enabling significant savings in time and costs. He admitted though that technology adoption is still a challenge but pointed out that the local construction industry is not exactly technology-averse but is simply technology-hesitant. He is hopeful though that the experience of early technology adopters, who are already reaping the gains 3D technologies bring, will encourage more construction companies to follow their lead. “The potential benefit is not only to the constructors but to the trade and commerce companies that every infrastructure project open opportunities for,” he reminded his audience, adding that technology adoption can be the construction industry’s “small contribution to nation-building.”
ACEL’s second technoforum which focused on “Soil Compaction and Technology for Paving” was attended by 164 participants. It had Felix Roman Carpio, Monark Equipment Corporation’s paving specialist, as the speaker, and J. Eladio Angeles, ACEL president and Olympic Engineering and Sales Corporation general manager, as the moderator. Held from 2:15 to 4:30 PM on November 6, the session dealt with soil compaction fundamentals – its definition and importance, the forces involved in soil compaction, the factors affecting soil compaction, and compaction technologies for soil compactors. The Association’s technoforums are regular features of Philsconstruct, an annual expo series organized by the Philippine Contractors Association (PCA), with ACEL as co-organizer. Dedicated to the country’s construction industry, this yearly series usually starts with a Luzon leg, followed by stops in Cebu and Davao, and then culminates in a grand expo in Metro Manila which is attended by the construction industry’s movers and shakers. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, PCA, beginning last year, decided to hold the event online, dubbing it as “Philconstruct VX” to highlight its being an online gathering. The November event was the fourth leg of this virtual offering.
