Looking back at the last decade, there have definitely been some great advancements in the construction industry. From prefabrication and modular construction to sustainability, this industry is steadily moving towards efficient and cost-effective technologies that will have a positive impact over the next few years.
With the emerging technologies that are massively shaping the future of construction, here are the latest trends that we can look forward in the year 2019.
1. Construction Drones
After the launch of commercial drones in the market, it now has major applications in many business sectors. The construction industry also benefits from this technological advancement.
When utilized to monitor construction sites and building inspection, drones can be programmed to sweep a large project in a matter of hours and gather valuable data that would otherwise require days or weeks to be collected by foot. Drones can also observe construction from viewpoints that are not accessible to humans. This way, they can detect issues that are normally hidden from sight while improving safety on the site.
The applications of a commercial drone can significantly improve project management, working conditions, and cost saving.
2. Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality is bound to open more doors in the construction industry. It has quickly surpassed the outdated use of virtual reality to become a revolutionary advancement in technology which transforms the way construction managers approach and visualize a project.
Some of the AR tools are already being used to visualize the construction site, reduce rework and improve safety. AR tools are used to displays key information about equipment as the user looks at components, or they can display warnings when there are risks nearby.
For example, the Daqri helmet provides users improved situational awareness, calling attention to environmental factors, such as temperature differentials and unsafe conditions.
3. Pre-Fabrication and Modular Construction
The offsite assembling of building components is not new in the construction industry. In fact, pre-fabrication of materials, parts and even buildings is a practice that has been deployed for more than a decade. But in the last couple of years, this method of construction has transformed completely across all construction disciplines as more contractors are building pre-fabricated facilities to work more efficiently and reduce overall project cost. Modular construction has a lot of potential and with new, affordable technologies coming up, this trend is only going to grow more in the coming year.
4. Data and Cloud Storage
Data plays an integral part in the construction industry. With the revolution in cloud technologies and data management, the construction industry has also shifted from conventional management techniques to a more sophisticated, realistic and data-driven approach.
Implementing data analytics in project management, construction firms have started driving their daily operations with a more holistic approach backed up by facts and findings.
This not only helps in making the processes accurate and time efficient but also helps in crunching tonnes of uncategorized data. This facilitates project managers and teams to access and gain insights at every stage until the project is completed.
With so many new technological trends emerging, 2019 is surely an important year for the construction industry by far. Even though, the industry thrives on its manpower, bringing in new technologies for a safer and more efficient working environment is beneficial for all. Looking at all the new technologies being implemented in new projects, it is safe to say that the construction sector is on the verge of a technological revolution.
Learn how to build a successful career in the construction industry: Building a career in Construction Management – What to expect?
