Will Thompson and Mitch Corrigan traded the predictability of Australia's tier-one contractors for something most people said was impossible: helping build a rail business from scratch in the United States.

In this episode, they pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to compete in one of the world's toughest construction markets and why the approach that's working might surprise you. 

We explore the uncomfortable truths about why talented people leave construction, what happens when you strip away the layers of approval processes, and the counterintuitive hiring strategy that's attracting people from completely unexpected backgrounds.

If you've ever wondered why some companies feel completely different to work for, or what it really takes to break into a new market as an international contractor, this conversation will give you answers you won't hear anywhere else. 

Topics covered: Breaking into the US market, building culture that retains top talent, unconventional hiring approaches, fast-moving project delivery, and what makes some contractors fundamentally different from others.

The Martinus Approach: Culture, Growth, and Conquering North America

In this episode, Jason and Carlos are joined by Thomas Schultz and special guest Peter Fitzpatrick, Project Commercial Director, to explore a role that's either fundamental to how construction projects work or potentially unnecessary, depending on where you stand. 

The conversation examines how quantity surveyors and commercial teams operate on major projects, unpacking the significant differences between markets like the UK and Australia. The team debates specialised roles versus the generalist engineer approach, discussing what gets lost and gained when responsibilities shift between team members.  

he discussion moves into the relationship dynamics between engineers and QSs, bridging technical knowledge with commercial reality, and how contract structures like NEC shape collaboration on major infrastructure projects. Peter shares insights on disputes, contract administration, and whether the burden of process actually prevents bigger problems down the line.

The episode wraps with each guest proposing one change they'd make to contract structures or delivery models to drive better outcomes.

Timestamps:

04:46 - How the QS role differs between the UK and Australia

22:25 - Do disputes cost more than prevention?

30:53 - Can contracts force collaboration, or is it all about culture?

39:59 - If you could change one thing about contracts, what would it be?

Are Quantity Surveyors Needed In Construction?

Join Jason, Carlos, and returning guest Thomas Schultz as they tackle one of construction's most fundamental yet unresolved challenges: how should master schedules actually function in project delivery?

🏗️ Core Questions Explored:

 * Can one schedule serve both contract reporting and day-to-day construction coordination?
 * The tension between commercial requirements and construction team autonomy
 * Why detailed master schedules often conflict with on-site realities
 * The trade-offs between control, flexibility, and project speed

⚖️ Key Discussion Areas:

 * The gap between planning teams and construction delivery
 * Resource allocation and schedule ownership across project phases
 * How contract structures influence scheduling approaches
 * The challenge of updating versus adapting to site conditions

🎯 Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction from South London, Clapham & Germany
05:35 – Why master schedules play multiple roles on projects
14:06 – The trust gap between planning and construction teams
28:53 – Commercial recovery vs. delivery optimization
46:06 – Should schedules be planned to Level 5 detail?
1:00:04 – Connecting everything to one schedule: promise or problem?

Check out the Off Site Newsletter: https://offsite.aphex.co/

Should Construction Teams Follow the Master Schedule?

Join Jason and Carlos for their 100th episode, joined by members of the Aphex team with construction backgrounds. Kelvin (Engineer), Thomas Schulz (Engineer/Quantity Surveyor), and Cam Rainger (Engineer).

Breaking away from polished industry success stories, the team discusses why the most valuable learning in construction comes from project failures. The conversation explores professional mistakes and their consequences, covering trust and verification on construction teams, documentation failures, commercial risk management, and the balance between proactive problem-solving and following procedures. 

Key Timestamps: 00:00 - Episode 100 introduction and celebration 03:24 - Team introductions and new format explanation 08:06 - Cam's Story 16:01 - Thomas' Story 25:40 - Carlos' Story 32:38 - Kelvin's Story  Check out the Off Site Newsletter: https://offsite.aphex.co/

What Experience Taught Us About Construction

Join Jason, Carlos, and special guest Sam Hanisch as they dive into three developments shaping the global construction landscape:

🏗️ Southeast Asia's Construction Giants: Explore the $500 billion Southeast Asian construction market growing at 6% annually. Discover major players from state-owned Indonesian contractors to international specialists, plus massive projects like the $40 billion Trans-Sumatra Highway.

🤖 Trunk Tools' $40M AI Revolution: Analyse the construction AI startup's massive Series B funding and their RAG platform connecting construction documents, drawings, and schedules. Examine what this means for AI in construction versus existing solutions.

⚡ The Future of Planning Professionals: Discuss a controversial post claiming expensive planners earning $200-400K are becoming obsolete. Evaluate whether technology will replace traditional planning roles or transform them.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

02:26 - Southeast Asian construction market analysis

12:40 - Trunk Tools funding and technology breakdown

34:29 - The obsolete planner debate

Check out the Off Site newsletter here [https://offsite.aphex.co/]

Follow Carlos on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-carvalho-aphex/] | Follow Jason on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlancini/] | Check out Aphex [https://www.aphex.co/?utm_source=zencastr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=offsitepod]

Southeast Asia's Construction Boom: Giants You've Never Heard Of

Join Jason and Carlos as they tackle three construction industry topics:

🏗️ China's Mega Dam Project: Exploring the $140 billion Yarlung Zangbo Dam - three times larger than Three Gorges Dam and requiring 12.5 miles of tunnels through Tibet's deepest canyon.

📊 Mega Project Success Framework: Analyzing MACE's 10 pillars for successful delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects and what separates winners from costly failures.

🤝 ConTech Sales Strategy: Examining whether construction technology companies should sell directly or through reseller partnerships - and what this means for customers. Key Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

03:05 - China's Yarlung Zangbo Dam

09:46 - MACE's Project Delivery Report

24:16 - Construction Tech Go-to-Market Strategy

Check out the Off Site newsletter here [https://offsite.aphex.co/]

Follow Carlos on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-carvalho-aphex/] | Follow Jason on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlancini/] | Check out Aphex [https://www.aphex.co/?utm_source=zencastr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=offsitepod]

Building the World's Largest Dam in the World's Deepest Canyon

Join Jason and Carlos as they explore three major developments in construction and technology:

🏗️ Mega Projects Surge: Analysis of Mace's new report showing 11,000+ live megaprojects worth $15 trillion globally - a 4x increase since 2010. Why are projects getting bigger, and what's driving this trend?

🌐 AI Browser Revolution: The emerging battle between Perplexity, OpenAI, and Google for AI-enabled browsers that could automate construction workflows from form-filling to document control.

💰 UK Infrastructure Wave: Major project approvals including Sizewell C nuclear, A66 highway expansion, and the Midlands Rail Hub connecting 50 stations.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:32 - Mace’s Mega Project Report

19:00 - AI Browser Revolution

32:23 - UK Infrastructure Wave

Check out the Off Site newsletter here [https://offsite.aphex.co/]

Follow Carlos on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-carvalho-aphex/] | Follow Jason on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlancini/] | Check out Aphex [https://www.aphex.co/?utm_source=zencastr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=offsitepod]

The $15 Trillion Question: Why Construction Projects Keep Getting Bigger

Join Jason and Carlos in this episode of The Offsite Podcast as they tackle three fresh topics from the world of construction:

🎯 Design Management Best Practices: Explore the persistent challenges of scheduling and coordinating design in construction projects. Discover why design delays plague major projects and examine effective strategies for managing complex design workflows, resource constraints, and multi-disciplinary coordination.

⚖️ Oracle Licensing Controversy: Dive into the contentious terms of service surrounding Oracle's Primavera P6 software. Uncover the implications of data ownership policies and licensing requirements that are sparking industry-wide debate about customer rights and software vendor practices.

🤝 Who Should Own The Project's Tech: Analyse a LinkedIn discussion about who should drive technology decisions on construction projects. Examine the pros and cons of clients, contractors, or supply chain partners taking the lead on software selection and implementation.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction & Autonomous Highway Construction

03:22 - Design Management Deep Dive

16:41 - Oracle Licensing Terms Analysis

29:36 - Who Should Own The Project's Tech

Check out the Off Site newsletter here [https://offsite.aphex.co/]

Follow Carlos on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-carvalho-aphex/] | Follow Jason on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlancini/] | Check out Aphex [https://www.aphex.co/?utm_source=zencastr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=offsitepod]

How Do You Coordinate Multi-Discipline Design Teams?

Join Jason and Carlos in episode 95 of The Offsite Podcast as they tackle three complex topics shaping modern construction delivery:

🏗️ Construction Roles Decoded: Jason and Carlos break down the confusing world of mega project delivery roles - from general contractors to delivery partners and managing contractors. They explore when you'd use each role and how risk flows through these contractual relationships.

📋 Framework Projects Deep Dive: The duo discuss the rising trend of framework-style project delivery that's reshaping infrastructure. They examine why clients choose frameworks over traditional delivery and the unique challenges of managing geographically dispersed work.

🚢 Tanzania's $10 Billion Port Gamble: The pair analyses the on-again, off-again mega port project backed by China's Belt and Road Initiative. They discuss the trade-offs countries face with international infrastructure funding and 99-year lease agreements.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction & Bridge Design Disasters

03:09 - Construction Delivery Roles Analysi

 20:17 - Framework Projects Discussion

37:26 - Tanzania Port Project Update

Check out the Off Site newsletter here [https://offsite.aphex.co/]

Follow Carlos on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-carvalho-aphex/] | Follow Jason on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlancini/] | Check out Aphex [https://www.aphex.co/?utm_source=zencastr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=offsitepod]

What's the Difference Between a General Contractor and a Delivery Partner?

Join Jason and Carlos in Episode 94 of The Offsite Podcast as they explore three major developments shaping the construction industry:

🛣️ Abidjan-Lagos Corridor: They dive into the $15 billion, 1,000-kilometre coastal highway connecting five West African nations. The duo explores funding challenges and potential contractors for this transformative infrastructure project serving 300 million people.

🤖 Contractor AI-Powered Tools: They explore how contractors like Skanska and Granite Construction are using AI to build custom solutions like "Asphalt Guru" and "Safety Sidekick." Does this fundamentally change the build-versus-buy equation for construction technology?

💰 Outcomes as a Service in Construction: They analyse the emerging pricing model where companies pay for results rather than software access. The hosts examine the benefits and complexities of this approach, from risk allocation to outcome measurement challenges.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:42 - West African Highway Project

07:58 - AI Development in Construction Companies

24:23 - Outcomes-as-a-Service Deep Dive

Check out the Off Site newsletter here [https://offsite.aphex.co/]

Follow Carlos on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-carvalho-aphex/] | Follow Jason on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlancini/] | Check out Aphex [https://www.aphex.co/?utm_source=zencastr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=offsitepod]

Why Big Contractors Are Building AI Tools In-House

Welcome to the Off Site Podcast. The show with the most raw & unsolicited takes on construction and technology.
Hosted by Aphex CRO Carlos Carvalho and  CEO & Head of Product Jason Lancini. 

Each week, the two chat about all things construction, including tech, shocking news stories and much more! Join us for hard truths and exciting news about the construction industry.

The Off Site Podcast