Technology is changing the construction industry, there is no doubt about it. Before you can decipher the latest construction technology, new devices are developed to be used in construction. There has been some great advancement rocking the construction industry.
The good thing is, emerging construction technology increases the need for skilled labor. With the future of construction technology looking bright, those joining the industry need to be skilled to handle everything that the industry brings. Read on to learn more.
Latest Construction Technology
Augmented reality
A few years ago, virtual reality was seen as future construction technology. Today, VR is quickly paving the way for augmented reality. The fact you can see the real world through a lens makes augmented reality better than VR. Although augmented reality is costly, companies that can afford it now will reap a lot of benefits. With this latest construction technology, companies can project and build better designs.
Prefabrication and Modularization
Prefabrication in construction is on a growing trajectory. It is one of the eco-friendly ways to build houses. Prefabrication strategies are already employed in many different parts of the world.
In Dubai, for instance, a 3D office was printed in 17 days. After printing, the house was assembled in two days. This practice will grow more in the coming years, defining the future of construction technology.
Besides prefabrication, offsite building (modularization) is also becoming a growing trend. Over the next several years, modularization is expected to rise steadily in popularity. As technology quickly grows, better modular houses are made. The advancement in technology has led to the creation of standardized processes to assemble parts offsite, making it a cinch to do the main assembly at the site.
Self-Healing Concrete
Self-healing concrete is not a new trend, but it is now only gaining momentum. In the next few years, self-healing concrete will be used on roads and buildings. By 2030, more than 5 billion metric tons of self-healing concrete is projected to be produced per year. The rise in self-healing concrete is partly due to the rise in urban centers in India and China.
Drones
Instead of surveyors and supervisors moving from one section of a building to the next, they can use drones, which take a live feed. The live feed can be sent to the client, the architecture, and other parties involved. This saves time and money. Instead of months of surveying, a day using a drone is enough to survey a site or two.
The work of construction superintendents has been made easier, and this saves more money. However, with the convenience of technology comes the additional need for skills to use it. For instance, while this article from Procore Technologies outlines the main skills for construction superintendents, the new emerging technologies call for an upgrade in skills to manage the innovations.
The precision and accuracy of the latest drones make them ideal for future construction technology. With drones, the future of construction technology means less human involvement and more accurate results. A few years ago, drones needed a controller, but the technology has advanced significantly to make it easier to use.
Robotics
Robotics are the future of construction technology. Other industries, such as healthcare, have already invested heavily invested in construction technology. Robots are now more precise and more accurate and are applied in modern construction designs.
Today, the cost of robotics is high small and medium construction companies may not afford them. However, the technology will advance, and prices will come down as more companies go into the market. In the future, robots might be able to lay bricks and complete most tasks that are done by man today.
Mobile and Cloud Technology
Today, there are so many software options for designers and managers in the construction industry. There is a software to do almost anything, including planning, designing, managing workers, estimating costs, and much more. In most construction technology events and conferences, you will come across this software.
Cloud technology has come to facilitate the storage of data and access from anywhere anytime. You can store limitless data sizes and access the data from any device. Unlike other forms of storage, cloud storage is relatively less expensive.
Mobile technology allows you to access your data, from any software, on a mobile device – a smartphone or tablet.
GPS as an Emerging Construction Technology
GPS tracking has been used for years, but not in the construction industry. Today, construction companies are embracing GPS tracking and using it in surveying. When collecting data before groundbreaking, the use of GPC can lead to the collection of more accurate data. Project managers also use GPS tracking to manage company fleet – makes it easy to know where the vehicles are at all times.
GPS also makes it easier to track any lost equipment. There are so many possibilities in the use of GPS in the construction industry.
Better Scanning Technology
Scanning has been applied in the construction industry for a long time now. However, as technology advances, you can only expect better scanning, which helps understand at what level projects are. In construction technology events and conferences, construction specialists are pushing for more use of scanning technology.
Construction Specialists Can Learn More by Attending Construction Technology Events
Around the world, and at different times of the year, some conferences and events discuss future construction technology and emerging construction technology and any other issue that affect the construction industry. Through these events, construction specialists can learn more about what to expect in the years to come. Again, it is a platform to share ideas on how to implement upcoming technologies.
Conclusion
Some technologies have been in the construction industry for long, such as employee management software. However, these technologies are advancing every year to offer better features and swift functionality. Others are coming up and taking over the industry. The future of construction technology will need more people to operate machines, to sit behind computers and others to be on the ground. The emerging construction technology will require education for specialists already in the industry – this allows them to use these new technologies better.
