{"id":502092,"date":"2022-03-15T05:08:22","date_gmt":"2022-03-15T12:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=wherenext&p=502092"},"modified":"2026-02-23T15:37:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T23:37:42","slug":"construction-gets-operational-intelligence","status":"publish","type":"wherenext","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/construction-gets-operational-intelligence","title":{"rendered":"Getting Smarter about Building Infrastructure"},"author":501,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[471802,180122,160952,478312],"department":[488822],"wherenext-category":[],"industry":[],"class_list":["post-502092","wherenext","type-wherenext","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-aec","tag-construction","tag-infrastructure","tag-zero-waste","department-sustainability-risk"],"acf":{"short_description":"As one of the largest waste producers in the US, the construction industry can improve its sustainability with innovative new technology.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"As stories of oceanic garbage patches<\/a> and textile-laden landfills<\/a> proliferate, reducing waste is becoming a business imperative for sustainability-minded executives. Leaders in construction\u2014one of the biggest waste-producing industries\u2014are creating greener waste management practices<\/a> through a novel form of operational intelligence."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Left","content":"Article snapshot:<\/strong> Under pressure to reform an industry that produces remarkably high levels of waste, construction executives are exploring new forms of operational intelligence to answer stakeholder concerns.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"In the US alone, construction produces over 600 million tons of waste per year, debris that ranges from concrete to glass to wood, according to the Environmental Protection Agency<\/a>. Minimizing what's thrown away is an important sustainability practice<\/a>. It's also a criterion for securing certifications such as LEED, BREEAM, or B Corp, all of which require waste management plans.\r\n\r\nArchitecture, engineering, and construction (AEC)<\/a> organizations committed to cutting waste will benefit from technologies that speed up data collection, improve reporting accuracy, and deliver operational intelligence. A geographic information system<\/a> (GIS) reveals where certain types of waste are produced and where they should go next for minimal environmental impact.\r\n\r\nThrough a combination of GIS technologies like mobile apps, digital maps, drones, and dashboards, construction leaders can analyze waste-related data geographically and improve their sustainability efforts<\/a>.\r\n