Top 10 technology trends in the construction industry

Companies are increasingly adopting technology to increase productivity and create more value for end customers. In this respect, modular construction shifts 90% of building activities to offsite manufacturing, accelerating project timelines by 20 to 50% and cutting costs by 20%. Furthermore, it has been observed that the rise of multiple mid- to late-stage offsite construction start-ups are pushing the modular-homes space forward. Such new entrants making new bets and new funding from venture capital and private equity are also accelerating the disruption of current business models. As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds, an increase in corporate restructuring and M&A activity is to be expected.

Drones enable real-time remote data capture and monitoring, which provides access to remote and dangerous areas while removing human limitations. It enables project teams to gather and collect large volumes of highly accurate information in a short amount of time. The major advantage is that it can provide a complete picture of the construction site on-demand and provides site-managers with up-to-date data. The data collected by a drone also provides a complete map of the site with GPS points, in 2D and 3D, after which photogrammetry software can generate digital terrain models and surface models.

5D BIM refers to the intelligent linking of 3D components or assemblies with time schedule (4D BIM) constraints and then with cost-related information, which enables participants to visualise construction progress and related costs over time. However, the industry is already looking at the next step-up – 6D BIM – which provides additional information related to operation and facility maintenance and provides more knowledge of the life cycle cost of an asset along with construction. Governments are helping with the transformation with regulations and incentives to accommodate more modern methods of construction and push for standardisation.

An additive manufacturing process which allows for rapid prototyping, onsite parts or piping manufacture and a quick resolution of engineering issues. With 3D printing, certain aspects are poised for more growth than others, concrete being specifically one of them. In fact, the concrete 3D printing market is expected to be valued at $56.4 million by 2021, due to new innovative projects planned in construction. Example of a project includes Italy’s Expo 2020 Dubai team creating a replica of Michelangelo’s statue, David, by scanning the original statue and using that data to reproduce a 3D printed copy. They will combine photogrammetry and laser scanning to create the replica.

R&D investment will become more important for specialised or more productised companies, so companies are likely to increase spending to develop new, innovative products and technologies. It will be important for E&C firms to anticipate these changes and get ahead of them whenever possible. Many of these changes could bring with them new skill requirements and eventually could change engineering and construction jobs. For instance, specialised types of concrete that is resistant to chips, cracks and other degradations are being tested and used with increasing regularity. By introducing ureolytic bacteria into concrete, scientists have found a way for the material to heal itself and preventing them from becoming bigger problems.

Automation of construction sites, especially those that involve repetitive tasks, could significantly improve productivity while creating a safer work environment and helping to address the industry’s shortfall in labour. However, the complexity of construction tasks limits the adoption of robotic technology. Nonetheless, automation is expected to be feasible for individual tasks at construction sites within the coming 10 to 20 years. Autonomous rovers that can increase the efficiency and quality of site inspections to a mechanical arm that can automate repetitive tasks such as bricklaying are gaining traction.

Digital technologies can also enhance ecosystem relationships, as more firms can easily collaborate and work together on projects. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is also making its mark on construction. It can dramatically simplify the process of comparing planning documents with utilities for weeks. Artificial neural networks are said to be able to carry out this clash-detection in a day with the need for teams of engineers. AI can not only detect potential clashes with utilities but can also find solutions for them and change the plans accordingly.

The global digital twin market is expected to reach $35.8 billion by 2025, and half of all large-scale industrial companies are predicted to be using them in some form by 2021, which is expected to result in a 10% increase ineffectiveness. More than just BIM or a 3D model, digital twins are an asset that can improve the design of new resources and understanding of existing asset condition. However, they are not standalone products and must be implemented as part of a wider industrial IoT strategy- enabling the use of predictive maintenance when combined with AI.

The idea of harnessing big data is to gain more insights and make better decisions in construction management by not only accessing significantly more data but by properly analysing it to draw practical building project conclusions. Big data from weather, traffic, and community and business activity can be also be analysed to determine the optimal phasing of construction activities. Therefore, the next wave of disruption in construction is being powered by detailed data and analytic solutions. These solutions can find previously unknown data relationships to help guide future business decisions.

Geo-location, remote site-monitoring, personnel location tracking, live mark-ups and the seamless transfer of as-built information can optimise communications through cloud technology and make information about every aspect of a project available to all the relevant parties. Another perk of workforce safety digital tools, wearable sensors, for instance, is the mitigation of risk on the jobsite and the significant changes that will bring to costs related to liability and insurance in the future. However, the key is to find the balance between the benefit of safety while also safeguarding privacy.