According to the stats, the construction industry is booming and becoming a hot thing out there. People need homes. Businesses need offices. Cars need roads. In a nutshell, the construction industry is headed for the best. However, the construction industry isn’t that smooth. There are numerous challenges that come with it. For instance, the rising construction costs, as well as numerous labor challenges, are giving contractors a hard time to meet their goals. Moreover, numerous industry regulations are even making the industry more challenging. However, there is a new solution in town. Technology is making things better and easier. Along these lines, here are the trends that are shaping and will continue to shape the industry in the future.
Efficiency-Improving Technology
Technology is quickly taking center stage in the construction industry. With technology, industry players can bank on innovations to improve efficiency. For instance, the entry of blockchain technology in construction is likely to shape the industry—making it more productive. Smart contracts will make workflow fast-moving and give industry players the confidence they need to improve on production. With smart contracts, organizations can have shared systems. This makes it easy to buy, track, as well as pay for services. In a nutshell, smart contracts provide an all in one system for tracking all operations.
Drones
Who said that drones are a reserve for photography and the military? This new technology can be used in different industries—including the construction sphere. Apart from smart photography, drones can be used to map large areas (i.e. over vast distances)—allowing for the production of aerial heat maps as well as thermal images. Even more, advanced drone software can give you real-time, actionable pieces of data for rapid decision making. This plays a key role when it comes to streamlining the operations of any construction project.
What’s more, drones can be used to make the workplace safe. For instance, they can be used to reach those delicate, injury-ridden construction spots—eliminating injurious from the side of workers. This minimizes liability on the side of construction companies.
Augmented Reality (AR)
It’s no secret—augmented reality is booming in the construction industry. It’s projected to hit the $90 billion mark; thanks to the innovative applications that it continues to sire. From the marketing point of view, AR makes it possible to stage a project—making it easily available to potential buyers. On the contractor front, AR promotes the utilization of wearable technology in construction sites. It also promotes the use of 360-degree video for 3D visualization, building automated measurements, simulating architectural changes, hazard simulation, as well as providing safety training. It also helps to track the utilization of important machines like excavators, floor saw machines, etc.
Other Trends
Other Trends include
Mobile Technology—to provide construction applications in real-time. Applications like AirMeasure and Infotycoon heavily rely on mobile technology.
Building Information Modeling—to generate computer-based building representations for easy management of models.
Construction Management Software—This makes it easy to tackle all the needs involving data compilation, file sharing, budgeting, payroll processing, document storage, project management, in addition to inventory monitoring.
The Bottom-Line
Owning a house is a treasure. Having good roads can shape the economy. Working from a good office improves productivity. And that’s what the construction industry is all about. Plus, technology is making the industry even thrive more. With technology, things like labor costs and project delays are a thing of the past. The above trends are revolutionizing the construction industry.