Mobile devices have brought great changes not only to our personal communications, but also to the way we work. Traditional professions like construction have seen a lot of recent progress thanks to smartphones and tablets. Just take a peek in the App Store and check out all the new apps that are appearing on the scene to help engineers and managers with their day-to-day tasks.
Mobile apps bring a level of control to civil engineering that no other type of technology can deliver. This means that not only faster decision-making, but better decisions are made based on the most up-to-date information from the jobsite. We’ve listed out 5 apps that will make life easier for construction professionals, along with information about how these apps will help you be more productive at work. Check it out:
1. Construct App
Construct App is the simplest construction software on the market. Period. It’s a professional communication app for both desktop and mobile. The tool allows construction professionals to follow along jobs in real time, all from the convenience of your smartphone.
The app works through group collaboration, making communication between jobsites and the main office simple and efficient. The app makes it easy to upload pictures, send text and video messages, consult digital blueprints, make notes about projects, assign tasks, and send files of all types (including .DWG). All of the information and message history is securely stored in the cloud and is accessible only by the company registered on file.
2. Autocad 360
Autocad is without a doubt one of the most useful and well known engineering tools out there. Having this in your toolbelt of construction apps is just common sense and a requirement for creating high quality projects.
AutoCad 360 is a free app that lets you view, edit and share any project in DWG format. It’s also possible to make notes and open DXF documents that you are emailed to you, so you don’t have to shuffle between your computer and your phone when a new plan comes in.
3. GraphPad Pro
GraphPad Pro gives civil engineers the ability to quickly create to scale drawings. All you have to do is upload a drawing and GraphPad Pro will make all of the proper adjustments to get it to scale.
By allowing you to add circles, arcs, and dimensions, GraphPad Pro speeds up the work of editing a floor plan. A skilled engineer or architect will find a lot of uses for this app.
4. Sun Seeker
Sun Seeker is one of the coolest tablet apps for Engineers. While not a technical app, it does provide one piece of crucial information that is useful for you in your project planning: the position of the sun.
By using Sun Seeker and the camera, it’s possible to know where the sun will be at any time and day. It even works if you’re indoors. This makes project planning and execution a lot easier.
5. CadControl
Most CAD projects require a high-powered computer which limits the usefulness of tablets. That’s where CadControl saves the day.
With CadControl it’s possible to optimize your tablet’s resources so that it can work not only on CAD files, but with 3D simulations from SketchUp and Solidworks. In practice, the app makes your tablet a powerful tool for creating and visualizing digital plans.
Now that you’ve read through our list of our favorite construction apps, what do you think? Did we miss any? Join in the conversation and let us know about your favorite construction apps.
