The construction industry is leveraging technology to transform construction management and site operations more profitable and sustainably. The major construction industry trends encompass building information modelling, building robotics, and the usage of advanced building materials. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic formulates the need for newer ways of construction that clasp to worker safety and regulations. Therefore, startups and scaleups surge to develop innovations around prefabrication, worker protection, and construction robotics. Parallelly, three dimension printing and green buildings significantly lessen the negative impacts of the construction industry on the surroundings.
Top 10 Construction Industry Trends in 2022
1. Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Building planning and designing is a combined process that needs inputs from multiple stakeholders comprising engineers, architects, builders, and customers, among others. With the conventional method, it’s difficult to visualize changes in real-time as everyone works on their unique files. This impacts the generation of multiple versions of the same plan and results in confusion. Advanced BIM tools cut through this problem by delivering a central database and enabling everyone to work on one shared model. While 5D BIM enables the expense and time overlays, 6D BIM also accounts for energy budgets. These solutions specify clashes during the early stages and improve overall workflow efficiency. In blending with AR and VR, building information modelling permits fast testing in simulated environments.
2. Construction Robotics
Construction work proceeds to be one of the most labour-intensive industries. It comprises many repetitive and time-consuming assignments which can be done quickly through robotics and automation. Construction robots also decrease human-induced error and damage due to fatigue. For an instance, collaborative robots automate bricklaying, rebar tying, painting, and many such repetitive tasks with tremendous precision. Robotics solutions also automate massive tools and fleets for excavation, transport, load lifting, cement works, and demolition. This increases construction worker protection and considerably reduces operational time. Construction automation using robots improves the overall productivity of the project, lessens labour requirements, and provides safety for risky tasks.
Advanced Construction Robotics develops Rebar Tying Robots
Based out of the United States, Advanced Construction Robotics is a startup formulating rebar tying robots to automatically rebar install. The startup’s TyBot and IronBot solutions perform repetitive and backbreaking duties of rebar installation using AI and computer conception.
TyBot eliminates the requirement for manual mapping and calibration by automatically locating, automatically positioning, and tying up to 110 rebar junctions an hour. IronBot, on the other hand, reduces the burden of the heavy lifting by placing 5,500-pound bundles of both transverse and longitudinal rebars. Therefore, it saves schedule time and decreases the risk of injuries as it doesn’t require pre-mapping, commanding, and calibration. The startup’s solutions boost workforce productivity while keeping them safe for construction work.
3. Construction Project Management
Digital project management, 1 of the upcoming construction industry trends, utilizes cloud-based software to attain the goals of quality, time, and cost. Project management already has interpreted principles for each phase of construction. In the foremost phase, the project manager uses Artificial Intelligence-based predictive algorithms to recognize the project’s feasibility. Once approved, the manager sets the benchmark for everyone and distributes the resources using enterprise resource planning software.
In addition to enterprise resource planning software, cloud-based tools assure transparency and allow for large volume data depository. Managers also use such software to trace expected and real outcomes of every task and pile insights into bottlenecks. Towards the end of the project, managers bring blockchain-based smart contracts to affirm legal obligations and avoid financial fraud. And that’s how, digital construction project management decreases waste, boosts workforce efficiency, and assures project completion by deadline.
4. Etch facilitates Construction Payroll Management
English startup Etch uses blockchain technology for construction jobs payroll administration. Using smart contracts decreases the time between work completion and payment. Employees’ Etch wallets collect the money which is then transferred to an Etch card. The card is accepted widely and further eradicates the need of creating a bank account. Etch also lessens the administrative load of employers by automatic payroll for employees as per their work and assures timely payments. It abolishes the need to sign payrolls, comply with taxes manually, and check copies. This creates cash flow management more productive for construction companies.
5. Real-Time Project Management Software
Israeli startup Constru delivers real-time project management software. It utilises computer vision and robotic technologies to enhance construction site visibility. The startup’s platform deploys virtual engineers to oversee every construction job throughout the building site. An algorithm analyses objects along with contextual information and correlates them with the expected data to follow the progress of projects. The platform also furnishes an overview of project plans, budget overruns, and future risks. Project managers utilize this platform to streamline construction procedures, attain data-driven insights, and gain clarity on currentongoing projects.
