Technology keeps on growing every year. For some, it takes time before they can fully adapt, while for others, the transition was smooth sailing. New technological innovations, together with uncertain and complex economic and political times, more and more businesses are starting to look for ways on how they can adapt to such change, instead of completely losing the battle.
For companies that have chosen to stick with traditional methods, every day is becoming a losing battle, as they really don’t know what to expect. In the past decade, the construction industry has been experiencing a lot of changes— from construction materials being used, types of builders, strategies and techniques to build facilities, and these have been all brought by the advancements in technology.
With that, allow us to discuss how technology will impact the future of construction.
An Improvement with the Production of Materials
What makes the construction industry driven into adopting new technologies would be “sustainability” this has always been one of the main goals that every sector aspires to achieve. Wherein they do everything to ensure that they can look for ways that would allow them to continually develop projects on a bigger scale while ensuring that it wouldn’t have any negative impact on the environment.
That’s why each year, more and more research is being done with the aspiration of improving not only the safety but also the longevity of materials used in the construction industry– from large scale operations, going down to residential buildings. There’s the self-healing concrete, self-cooling paint, and many more.
With the use of green materials, it would also ensure that the buildings would have a lesser impact on the environment, and it’s also proven to be the most cost-effective solution as it would allow them to save as much as 50% in their monthly electric bills. Included in this are the high-efficiency pump, smart barricades, LED lighting, water conserving plumbing fixtures, and many more.
It’s also worth noting that even though traditional materials like mortar and steel, bearings, and the like are still considered to be an integral component for most buildings, technology continues to change how these materials are made and used in various areas.
Together with the creation of sustainable materials used in the construction industry, the methods of manufacturing these products are also changing with the help of technology.
Wherein there’s plenty of apartment buildings and hotels that are made using paneled walls that are designed by computers and made in factories and not in an on-site setting. There are also instances where they’re even made by robots. This reduces the labor cost and wastage related to such.
Modular and Pre-fabrication Construction
These are the methods used to construct a building in a “factory environment,” but it uses the same materials that are often used in traditional construction. The building is made up in separate modules while in the factory then it’s relocated to the construction site where it’s assembled later on.
Once these modules have been set up and sealed, they’ll become the integrated floors, walls, and roof. Since these modules are being engineered separately instead of being on the same site altogether, prefab construction is considered to be stronger than the traditional methods.
It’s also highly efficient and sustainable, and you wouldn’t have to worry about the design being compromised. Even site location activity can be eliminated by up to 80%, especially in terms of site disruption, reduction, vehicle traffic, and possible security risks.
Methods Used
There’s a lot of 3D rendering software programs, such as BIM that makes it possible to design projects digitally from start to finish. This can be quite useful for the entire team as they’ll be able to view the whole project during the construction process and make necessary adjustments right away.
Aside from that, it also allows a step-by-step re-evaluation of the entire project, and this would lessen the risk of costly mistakes and timely errors.
Indeed, there are a lot of benefits that can be enjoyed with the help of technology– and everyone who is part of the industry will also benefit to these changes. There will be a decrease in labor due to the use of the smart app that could connect to various devices, such as smart wearables, PPE, equipment, and if this continues to develop, even traffic devices, such as road flares. Likewise, with the help of robots and machine, there will be a lesser need for construction workers to perform their job manually.
Author Bio
Chris Giarratana is the co-founder of StrategyBeam, an Orlando marketing agency, where he works with small businesses and nonprofits to achieve their goals. He helps drive conversions and boost sales through SEO marketing, Google AdWords management, and copywriting services.
