Technology in the Construction Industry
Improving Client Experiences
Technological innovation within the construction industry is continuously evolving. Virtual inspections, supply chain optimization, and 3D/BIM modeling (or Building Information Modeling), have all made their mark over the past year, allowing for one of our most essential industries to carry forward despite global supply disruptions and labor shortages.
These advancements are important overall, but especially vital within the commercial construction sector, where problems with construction can equal business and financial losses. Here are some recent construction tech trends that have quickly become in-demand in our industry as well as technologies we can anticipate on construction sites in the future.
Drone-enabled construction sites
The use of drones have created a significant shift in the construction technology ecosystem and have become a widely adopted technology by property developers, engineers, and general contractors alike. From documenting conditions and timeline progression, to becoming a useful virtual inspection tool for remote project stakeholders and clients, drones have proven to be an adaptable piece of technology that can add value to any project.
A recent development was the addition of drones with thermal sensors and ground control points, which can enable construction companies to quickly identify issues like water leaks and concrete cracks. Drones are also vital for accident prevention, determining where projects get congested or estimating where hazards could pop up. This is essential for construction sites in cities like Tampa, where sites are dense with activity.
The improved transparency and collaboration through drone implementation decreases inefficiencies that often lead to a reduction in change orders. This not only promotes success for the construction manager leading the project, but also ensures the client’s project is delivered on time and within their budget.
Virtual Reality and LiDAR scanning
According to McKinsey and Company, about 98 percent of construction projects incur cost overruns and delays with the primary causes of rework including lack of communication between trades partners and lack of adequate visualization capability to recognize design conflicts. This has created an opportunity and a need for the construction industry to seek solutions that will close this gap of communication and visualization.
Two game-changers in construction technology that are increasingly being utilized to better serve customer’s needs are the combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and LiDAR Scanning. Their advantage: when applied to the building process, both can be harnessed to draw a clear communication channel between the business owner and their commercial contractor.
Our team implements both of these technologies through our VR construction service to identify and resolve potential problems prior to groundbreaking. Seeing a need in the industry for a VR technology that functions beyond showcasing the final vision to the client, our service instead peels back layers behind the drywall to function as a troubleshooting tool, the primary goal being to fix and correct issues before the construction phase even begins.
Value engineering and design-build
A technique rather than a technology, value engineering is used to identify and eliminate unwanted costs while improving function and quality for the construction project. This method is increasingly popular for larger commercial construction renovations or ground-up builds since it heavily relies on effective communication and decision-making to reach creative solutions. Not only does it have a positive outcome for all stakeholders, it takes it one step further to enable the construction team to prioritize what’s more important, ensuring the client gets maximized value for their budget.
This technique is often closely entwined with the Design-Build approach, another methodology that alleviates stress for our clients by offering the design-builder as a singular point of contact. As a company at the forefront of this approach, our team utilizes this method to deliver a project in which all design and construction services are contracted by our team, ultimately reducing pressures and unwanted burdens from our clients.
Technology on the horizon
The future of construction technology is ripe with innovation and creativity. Augmented Reality (AR) is already taking our industry by storm, much like VR did a few years ago, providing opportunities automate measurements or even visualize modifications.
Additionally, as our industry continues to face labor shortages as well as a need to maintain safety through social distancing, we can anticipate tech solutions through robotics innovations. This can range from construction exoskeletons, which are wearable machines with motorized joints that provide extra support and power during repetitive movements for construction workers, to fully autonomous construction robots that can scan environments and perform tasks independently. With countless new ways to improve operations, safety, on-site efficiency, and client experiences every day, keep an eye out for impressive advances in the industry on the horizon.
