Accelerations in technology are introducing an extensive digital transformation in the construction industry. Today, there are numerous examples of how technology is bringing a revolution in this industry. While it is interesting to find the traditional building and construction landscape changing, it is even more interesting to discover the factors that are contributing to the change.
Connected Homes
Just like computers/servers connected in a network to form the internet, solar-powered homes will form an interconnected cellpowered network, thus generating and managing power and energy more efficiently. Builders will need to employ IT and networking engineers to design and set up the infrastructure for the technology that will power smart homes and cities.
Cloud and Mobile Technology
Mobile technology isn’t just for games anymore. Apps are becoming more of the norm in actual construction. The increased portability of tablets and smartphones allows for greater communication and the ability to work from anywhere. Integrating this type of technology into your current processes can be much simpler and require a smaller upfront investment, while still providing major benefits and boosting productivity in your day to day processes.
Mobile technology can help to save time and keep the project moving forward faster by providing real-time monitoring, updates, and making information available between the job site and the office. Companies can easily access the latest revisions to plans or report a problem to the project manager off-site.
Living Materials
One of the most exciting construction trends to watch is the development of living materials. These biological compounds literally grow themselves and are poised to move from interesting experiments to full-scale production in the very near future. The upside is just too great for these materials to remain exotic.
The most promising biological materials are built by and made of bacteria and fungi. This makes them light, strong and weirdly portable. The phrase “grown in place” might soon be as common as “cast in place.”
Exoskeleton
Originally developed for military use and patient mobility and rehabilitation, exoskeletons are beginning to appear on construction sites. Helping to protect workers from manual handling injuries and the risk of hand-arm vibration, these mechanical suits that “augment” with human operatives can also deliver considerable gains in productivity. Its use on construction sites in the past year have generated results that look set to drive the development and uptake of exoskeletons in the construction sector during 2021.
Advanced Materials
With growing awareness of the impact that construction has on our environment, technological advances are bringing numerous new material innovations to the fore.
The recycling of hard-to-dispose-of waste products has seen a significant increase, particularly in relation to plastics. Recent developments have seen the incorporation of waste plastic into roadways and even its use as a material for 3D printing new building components or structures. CO2 is another by-product being re-purposed in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the industry.
Construction Software and Data Ecosystem
Real-time collaboration software