World Fence News

42 • JANUARY 2020 • WORLD FENCE NEWS 800-328-GATE www.tymetal.com We Close Openings Greenwich, NY • Pearland, TX • Ft. Dodge, IA • Closing openings from 4 to 500 feet! • Designed and tested as systems • Exclusive U.S. distributor of Safetyflex Crash Rated Bollards Cantilever Gate Systems Overhead Gate Systems Vertical Lift Gates Pedestrian Gates & Portals Crash Rated Cantilever Gates Bi-Fold Gates Box Frame Roller Gates Crash Rated Beams Manufacturing Quality Security Gate Systems Since 1985 Tymetal Corp. Tymetal Corp. Gate & Operator Systems Tymetal Corp. Tymetal Corp. Tymetal Corp. Tymetal Corp. Tymetal Corp. Tymetal Corp. Shallow Mounted Crash Rated Bollards Swing Gates DESIGN SERVICES • CUSTOM SPECIFICATIONS • CUSTOM DRAWINGS • TECHNICAL SUPPORT Ornamental Gate Systems took shortly before retiring. It was a 3-day affair sponsored by a group of automaton suppliers to the construc- tion industry and was set up so that the first two days were spent visiting jobsites to witness a sampling of to- day's latest, greatest autonomous and digital industry applications. The third day was for review- ing what we'd seen, in roundtable, open-discussion fashion. It was a re- markable trip. Though I thought I'd been keeping up, I was surprised at how fast these applications were ad- vancing, particularly in the field of ar- tificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. In fact, the technology is ad- vances so much, the main focus is becoming less on the technical as- pects (which we're conquering) and more on the social, moral and ethical questions that go along with living in a society where humans are no longer making key decisions about our day-to-day lives. But of course, there was much more than AI. There were loads of other fascinating and improved applications in archi- tectural/engineering, design/presen- tation, global positioning systems, costing/budgeting tools that updated supplier costs in real-time, and even robotic systems that could perform masonry or hang drywall on site! Light Years But if I had to choose, I believe the thing that affected me the most had to do with the advances being made in 3D print- ing applications for construction. We're not talking small-scale stuff here. At home, our U.S. Marine Corp used a large 3D printer to print an entire pedestri- an foot bridge – and then went on to "print" a 500 square-foot barracks in less than 40 hours! Then we learned about companies all over the world turning 3D-printed homes a reality for everyday consum- ers – not that 3D technology is limited to Earth only. Scientists are currently working on a method to 3D print hab- itable structures on Mars using ex- tracted natural carbon in Mars's own atmosphere! Just how cool is that? I glance over at Earl. His eyelids are drooping. I'm losing him – time to switch tactics. Ok, Earl, if "new and exciting" doesn't do it for you, what do you say we take a closer look at this rose-col- ored good 'ol days world of building construction you're so quick to her- ald? Remember, I was there too. So let's go back and remember what a – say, 1970s – construction site was really like and reassess for ourselves how grand it all really was. My first real job was in building material sales. Part of my duties was to periodically visit local construc- tion sites in an attempt to hawk my company's goods (mostly dimen- sional lumber, sheathings and nails). It was 1977 and it's a Friday. Since I wasn't yet 20 and construction work- ers still terrified me, it was about all I could do to interrupt one of them long enough to ask for the person in charge of the site. The worker would then – with- out looking up and without further acknowledging my presence – impa- tiently gesture with his trowel toward a pitted and pocked trailer at the back of the lot. This was the site superin- tendent's office. The trailer would (always) be resting slightly akimbo on hasti- ly-erected foundation elements made up of cinder blocks, 4 x 4s and con- crete remnants. A deeply suspicious set of scrap-wood stairs with no rails would lead to the front door. The steps were always greasy with mud and – today – it was all I could do to wrestle the case of 24 longneck bottles of Old Milwaukee ® beer up the stairs and through the slim trailer door. This was a Friday ritual. My boss would raid petty cash (beer money), put me in a company truck, send me off to deliver these malted offerings to 1) our best customers and 2) people we wanted to be our best customers. It was generally between 10-12 stops and often took up my entire day. (Or as far as my boss knew, that was the case). I'd always save my last delivery of the day for the client I liked the most. If they weren't in a hurry to get home (or to the bar), I'd sometimes then stick around and share a cold one with the superintendent and crew. They'd tell me old sailor stories and make fun of my youth and I'd smile and take it – still happy to just be out of the office. Once we were Just Like the Good Old Days? continued from page 38 These were men (women didn't exist back then) who knew what they wanted and who didn't mind putting in an honest day's work to achieve that end ! I mouth the words along with Earl as he speaks. continued on page 46

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