Broad Group, the Chinese construction company that describes itself as a “sustainable building” company, is well known for its record breaking construction times in mid-rise to high-rise structures. I saw the first video of theirs (top video below) over a year ago, and was amazed at the speed with which they were able to construct a 15-story high rise. Never in my wildest dreams did I think they’d be able to outdo this pace in the construction of a 30-story hotel in 360 hours, or 15 days (bottom video below). Something of this sort simply is not feasible in the United States, where union regulations protect workers from ludicrous deadlines and hours. While I must concede that what Broad Group does is impressive, it’s certainly not the kind of building practice that I would like to see replicated in North America, as it simply does not go well with our methods of thorough inspection and more paced construction. Imagine all of the trucks loaded with immense amounts of material that would clog roadways, or the safety standard violations that would go unnoticed or unchecked. Cutting corners is never the solution when lives depend on the safety of your company’s construction.
