Key Areas that Technology is Revolutionizing the Building Industry
The building industry has been known to be a little resistant in regards to admitting technology is starting to disrupt the construction landscape. Although some people may be hesitant for change, many are starting to realize the benefits that come with integrating new and innovative methods into modern working practices. Improving these practices can reap the rewards for all projects and make them more cost-effective and time-efficient in the long-term. They also bolster companies that are looking to be more competitive in the marketplace and strengthen their position as a whole with organizations being able to broaden their strategic platform overall.
Technology is not only supporting the building industry with popular software and well-known devices, but it is also contributing to large-scale infrastructure with design and safety aspects from the initial planning stage through to project sign off.
From improved project tracking and new software, take a look at some of the most popular technology currently being implemented into the construction industry with significant and positive effects.
Mobile devices and applications
Mobile technology is one of the fastest growing areas of construction. It is one of the most widely adopted technologies due to its ease of use and effective implementation. These types of devices are helpful in all aspects of the building industry including office works and site management to hands-on field-based work. Mobile technology allows everyone to access everything they need to during a project including sharing documents, plans and important information in real-time.
For on-site work, heavy-duty equipment that has specifically been designed for fieldwork has given companies more efficient tools for a range of tasks. Industry-specific components and mobile devices have incredible screens for poor light situations and can handle all weather conditions with ease. Check these Nerds out for examples of hardy and effective equipment that is super simple to use and suitable for both industry and smaller site use.
Wearable technology
The construction industry has plenty of areas that wearable technology could provide invaluable assistance. As this technology is developed, the industry will start to see places where devices will make a huge difference. Areas such as smart glasses are already starting to give people a new perspective and sometimes an augmented reality, which can be useful for onsite work and viewing construction projects in a different light. These tools will also provide wearers with accurate data and improve elements such as project efficiency and safety.
Other ways wearable technology might be introduced is by smartwatches and safety vests that can track motion and conditions to ensure workers safety and productivity. Although this type of technology may be met with some hostility from employees who feel they are being micromanaged by smart technology.
Wearable technology is another aspect that will soon make waves in the building industry and will bring a whole new dimension to construction projects in years to come.
Drone use
Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles have been used for several years in a variety of circumstances. Most widely known for being able to access places people cannot, they can provide a unique and accurate view of locations, which is ideal for site assessments and inspection purposes. Drones are becoming a popular way to monitor the progress of building projects and can give detailed insight into as-built conditions and logistics. Modern drones are also now equipped to capture views in a host of different ways and enable people to see things in 3D aspects, which help when comparing to architectural designs and plans.
Using drones isn’t without some restrictions, as there are rules and regulations that can stop the use of the technology dependent on the location but overall this innovative way of capturing site development helps to progress projects quickly and with more visibility.
GPS tracking
For organizations that manage equipment or vehicle fleets, GPS has been a major innovation in the industry. One of the most popular uses of GPS includes tracking vehicles in real-time, which provides a central hub of information on efficiency and logistics of the fleet. Hardware is installed to each vehicle, and this communicates via satellite to give precise readings for greater visibility.
As technology advances, GPS is being introduced to a wider interconnectivity with other systems in organizations. Other areas such as telematics systems are enabling people to see instant data and information about equipment and site conditions to determine the next steps in a project. This information is fed into a central hub, which in turn can be used to monitor and changes working practices and improve operations for current and future construction projects.
Business Information Modeling (BIM)
This type of technology is already widely implemented in the construction industry, but advances will see it take a greater role in increasing visibility on construction projects. Updates to this software are focusing on bringing lots of detailed information together such as historical information, site conditions and other external data to provide organizations with increasingly accurate real-time information.
Advances in Business Information Modeling has started to see this technology interconnecting with other devices in the field, which offers users the chance to view data for widely and increase productivity on simultaneous projects. This type of visibility is expanding data reach to more team members so information can be shared and implemented quickly and efficiently in all areas of the business. Business Information Modeling is an ever-growing element in the building industry, and as users harness the power of machine learning, they will reap the rewards in the long-term development of faster delivery of projects and accurate information.
Modern and innovative technology is starting to prove itself in this fragmented industry and has proved to be successful in large-scale infrastructure projects. Some technology is being introduced as a standalone feature to monitor the attitude and acceptance of it into current working practices but looking at the long-term future of construction technology, permeating technology and streamlining processes will give organizations a productive and profitable way to implement projects for future development.
