Emerging technology is constantly changing the construction sector, improving the potential to win projects and increasing profit margins. The roles of field experts and frontline workers are shifting as a result of trends and developments.
Leveraging these construction trends would be beneficial for any construction company as the industry grows more competitive and the market evolves. Continue reading to learn about construction industry trends that will help you stay competitive.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence is concerned with technology that allows computers and machines to imitate human intelligence. Machine learning, a form of AI that uses algorithms to learn from data, find patterns, and make decisions without being programmed, has the greatest impact on building technologies.
Project planning and scheduling is an area where AI can excel, replicating projects millions of times in a matter of minutes and making modest tweaks each time to give the optimum timetable that maximizes performance and effectiveness while reducing deadlines and saving money. Construction robots and drones are using artificial intelligence to track worksite progress and give real-time, actionable data to boost efficiency.
AI has a lot of potential in the building industry. AI will also be employed for architectural design optimization, risk management, analytical logistics, and forecast. This, in turn, will result in reliable, more accurate, and productive construction sites.
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
BIM technology is assisting industry professionals in branding themselves through increased efficiency. BIM enables users to create computer-generated renderings of buildings and utilities. The ease with which these models may be managed and data shared can improve the prefabrication of materials, leading to timely and reliable completion. Because of the 3D modelling, BIM helps designers better comprehend the scope design intent of a project.
Commercial construction is a complicated process involving hundreds of workers with a mix of skills. Without BIM, each of these people would have to work on a project independently, and when they come together, their plans may be inconsistent. Issues are sometimes not detected until the construction process has already begun, resulting in costly change orders and schedule delays.
Building information modelling allows for real-time collaboration among all parties engaged in a construction project, resulting in high cost, safety, and efficiency savings. Thus, it has become one of the most important construction trends in recent years.
Construction Robotics
Construction remains one of the most labour-intensive sectors. It entails a number of monotonous and time-consuming operations that can be completed more quickly with robotics and automation. Construction robots also decrease human error and fatigue-related losses.
Collaborative robots, for instance, can automate bricklaying, metalwork, painting, and other monotonous tasks. Robotics solutions can also automate heavy machinery and fleets for excavation, shipping, load lifting, concrete work, and demolition. This improves the safety of workers while also cutting down on operational time. Construction automation with robots boosts total project efficiency, lowers labour costs, and ensures safety for dangerous operations.
Advanced Building Materials
Advanced materials are complimenting the new ways of construction as the industry moves to agile and sustainable solutions. Many new and sustainable materials, such as 3D printed concrete, are replacing older ones. Materials derived from living organisms are gaining prominence, such as self-healing concrete based on bacteria. Furthermore, sustainable materials such as mycelium composites, bioplastics, and biofoam are being used in the construction industry.
Bamboo, cross-laminated lumber, translucent woods, and aluminium foam are advanced hardwood and aluminium materials with greater durability and renewability. Companies are seeking innovative sustainable materials that are long-lasting, low-maintenance, and energy-efficient.
Wearables
Wearable technology is being integrated into construction gear and personal protection equipment (PPE), such as hard helmets, gloves, reflector vests, and work boots. Biometrics and environmental sensors, GPS and position trackers, Wi-Fi, voltage detectors, and other detectors are being integrated into these construction wearables to track employees’ motions, repetitive movements, posture, and slips and falls.
Wearables with biometric sensors can monitor a person’s heart rate, temperature, and other vital indicators, alerting safety management if a worker is becoming exhausted or overheated. Safety is always a heated topic as the industry consistently leads all others in worker deaths each year, and this is likely where wearables will have the greatest impact. Being able to track and monitor staff can help you take a more practical approach to safety matters.
Smart Cities
Among the world’s largest tech corporations, IBM, Microsoft, and Cisco are committed to investing in massive projects to develop smart, sustainable cities. These cities are more complex and interconnected than other megaprojects, necessitating extensive planning and preparation before construction can begin. These construction industry trends are fast transforming the worldwide market; growing pricing and skilled labour shortages are anticipated to persist in the future decade. Regulatory challenges may get more stringent as workplace safety and climate change adaptation becomes more scrutinized.
Green Buildings
Most emerging building sector trends are centred on sustainability. Identifying sustainable materials or procedures for construction projects is presently costly and difficult. From pre-construction planning to project closure and decommissioning, green building is a popular idea that incorporates ecologically beneficial practices. Green buildings maximize energy and resource efficiency, eliminate waste during construction, and allow net-zero carbon emissions. Perhaps an even more powerful motivator for sustainable building is evidence of its benefits to inhabitants. Green buildings, according to research, can have a beneficial psychological and physiological effect on residents and even passers-by.
Construction Monitoring
It’s hard to oversee construction projects manually because they’re spread out and include a lot of assets and people. Various sections on building sites are out of reach of humans, yet they nevertheless need to be inspected regularly. This is why construction firms are turning to technology to help them monitor their projects more efficiently.
Monitoring adds value based on the level of the monitoring process, which ranges from a simple audit function (CM1) to quality assurance (QA). Drone-based monitoring in conjunction with LIDAR or thermal sensors is used in advanced monitoring approaches. To boost efficiency, construction worker monitoring employs high-definition (HD) cameras and AI-based facial recognition systems. Thus, companies provide services or products that increase the overall effectiveness of construction site monitoring. Technology is the future of construction to increase productivity, remove inefficiencies, attract new workers, and make construction sites safer.
