How Technologies are Revolutionizing the Future of Construction?

Technologies in the construction industry help in enhancing the productivity and boosting profits of the companies. The adoption and integration of several technologies provide the best opportunities for the construction business to thrive in the next decade.

 FREMONT, CA: Technological advancement drive the construction forward, and it is odd that so many companies are slow to adopt new technology. Technology made the construction industry safer and smarter. It allowed the industry to increase productivity, improve collaboration, and tackle complex projects. Nowadays, new technologies are continually emerging, and what seemed like future tech about ten years ago is now being leveraged by almost all the companies across the globe. While the construction companies continue to underinvest in technology, venture capitalists are betting on the future of construction technology. Technology has started to impact the construction in almost all the sectors starting from scaffolding to drones and many more. By the innovation revolution in the industry, the advancement started to brighten up in certain areas of the construction. Here are some of the major areas where technology has an impact. 

Productivity

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Looking back, the productivity platform has remained flat for the decades. The traditional method of design-bid-build makes construction disjointed and siloed. Every construction site is different and has its unique set of challenges and risks. This, in turn, makes the construction managers streamline the processes and increase the productivity the way the other industries like the manufacturing and the retail does.

Software and Mobile Apps

Mobile apps and software are widely used in construction projects.  From pre-construction to scheduling and project management and field reporting to back office management, there’s a software solution to help streamline the processes and improve productivity. Most of the software solutions are cloud-based and allows the changes and updates to documents, schedules, and other management tools that are to be made in real-time, facilitating better communication and collaboration. Mobile technology allows real-time data collection and transmission between the job site and project managers in the back office. Cloud-based solution platforms help on-site employees to submit timecards, expense reports, requests for information (RFIs), work records, and other verified documentation. Day-by-day, more software providers are forming a strategic partnership that allows the users to integrate data with other software solutions easily, which makes it easy to run the business.

Offsite Construction

Offsite construction is usually used on projects with the repetitive floor plans or layouts in their design, such as apartment buildings, hotels, hospitals, dormitories, prisons, or schools. Offsite construction is performed in a controlled environment, similar to that of an auto manufacturing plant. At every destination, workers have all the tools and materials to perform their task consistently, whether it is constructing a wall frame or working on wiring. This assembly plant method of construction reduces waste and allows workers to be more productive. Offsite construction usually comes in two forms, namely, modular and prefabricated. Modular construction is nothing but the construction of the entire room built using MEP, finishes, and fixtures already installed. These can be rooms that are as small as bathrooms or modules that can be fitted together on-site to create a bigger space like apartment units. The prefabricated building comprises of everything starting from framing, internal and external wall panels, door and window assemblies, floor systems, and multi-trade racks, which are the panels with all the ductwork, wiring, and plumbing packaged together.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning

AI helps to improve worker productivity by decreasing the amount of time wasted moving about the construction site to retrieve tools, materials, and equipment to perform different tasks.  Workers are tracked throughout the day using the smartphones or the wearables.  Robots and AI are now widely used to monitor job-site progress with real-time actionable data to improve job site productivity. Drones and rovers are integrated with high-definition cameras and LiDAR to photograph and scan the construction site each day with accuracy. AI uses those scans to compare against the BIM models, 3D drawings, construction schedule, and estimates to inspect the quality of the work performed and to determine how much progress has been made each day. Deep learning algorithms are then used to identify and report errors in work performed. 

Safety and Training

Of the 4,963 worker deaths in the last years, the majority comprised of the deaths that occurred at construction sites. Worker safety should be the number priority of the every construction company and technology solutions are enabling the construction site managers to properly train and monitor the workers to prevent accidents, thereby reducing the rate of serious injuries and even deaths.

Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/ VR)

VR is used for years to train soldiers, pilots, and surgeons and can be used in the usual way to train the workers on operating cranes and excavators to do the welding and masonry work.  AR is yet another technology that can greatly improve the safety on-site. Whether it’s allowing for a more detailed safety plan to be developed or provide and train on heavy equipment using actual equipment on real sites with augmented hazards, there are multiple ways in which the AR can be deployed on the job site.

BIM

Building Information Modeling is a process that integrates the digital representation of the building in a 3D model to facilitate better collaboration among all stakeholders on a project. Changes to the BIM model occur in real-time, so any changes or updates to the model are instantly communicated to all team members when they access the model.

Construction firms are starting to come around on tech adoption. Companies that are researching and implementing technology are gaining rewards with increased productivity, better collaboration, and completing projects on time and under budget, resulting in higher profit margins.

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