As the year comes to an end, construction professionals are beginning to shift their attention on what the new year will bring to the construction industry. Considering the fact how heavily we rely on technology, it’s no surprise that most of the biggest construction trends we are going to look forward to would revolve around new technologies that would improve not only the building design or the knowledge throughout the industry such as learning how to estimate construction costs, but the construction process as well.
For that, it’s essential for construction professionals to keep themselves up-to-date with the latest trends in technology. This would allow them to stay ahead of their competitors. Below, we have collected the top 5 construction technology trends to watch out for.
1. Energy Saving Buildings
According to the US Department of Energy, 20% of US energy is allocated to commercial power buildings. One of the technological trends to look out for would be the energy-saving building construction– this would reduce energy consumption, which would also lower the amount spent on electricity. Aside from that, another benefit that can be enjoyed would be the fact that it’s good for the environment.
Energy-Saving buildings call for a whole building design approach wherein the construction team would be tasked to design and construct all the elements of what they’re working on. Merging this innovative approach, together with other energy-saving technologies would make traditional commercial buildings 70% more efficient.
As construction technology continues to direct toward autonomous devices, construction sites will need to integrate IoT devices into existing safety equipment like traffic safety cones. These cones with appropriate devices will help construction crews understand where dangers lie on the job site and find ways to improve efficiencies.
2. IoT Technology Would Improve the Job Site
The Internet of Things covers several aspects of construction technology. This includes employee and equipment tracking, drone surveying, wearables, and other integral information collected on the job site. For contractors, as well as subs, cutting costs and improving efficiencies is one of their first priorities. For that reason, a lot of them has started considering the utilization of IoT technology to improve operations.
Most professionals combine the terms of IoT with business intelligence. This is considered as a foolproof strategy because the collection and aggregation of data would allow them to make intelligent decisions based on it. These decisions would turn a manual process to something in real-time.
One great example of this would be the wearables. Not only will wearable technology improve construction safety, they will also impact the Internet marketing strategies of technology companies across the world.
It can be used to track workers in the field and ensure that they’re well protected, or at least aware of potential injuries, and job site hazards. The equipment sensors can also be used to determine whether the machine needs repair.
3. Prefabrication
Despite that prefabrication isn’t something new, with the recent advancements in technology, together with innovative construction practices, prefabrication has been more beneficial than before. Building information modeling has changed the way that construction teams collaborate on projects.
These allow them to utilize prefabrication to the fullest, especially in complex projects. Aside from that, it’s also worth noting that the recent growth in the green building also affected the use of prefabrication in the construction industry. With the use of energy simulation, as well as prefabrication, project teams are now capable of designing and constructing buildings that aren’t harmful to the environment.
4. Smart Buildings
Smart buildings utilize the IoT technology to stay connected not only with the building systems but with people and government environment as well. These buildings use automated processes to manage building operations, such as heating, air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, security, and other home systems in a construction site.
With the use of microchips, sensors, and other devices, smart buildings collect data and control it according to how a building functions. Even though smart buildings are usually utilized in a residential property, the construction-tech trend may influence the greater use of it in the construction industry as facility managers begin to optimize their use of space, lessen energy usage, and be more friendly to the environment.
5. Integrated Mobile Technology
This year, we expect to see mobile apps being used in the construction industry even more. In fact, it’s going to play a vital role in streamlining the whole development process. Users would be able to record job site and obtain real-time date regarding their worker’s productivity. This would also improve the communications between the construction team, architects, and owners.
Final Words
If you want to be the leader in your chosen field, it’s essential to keep an eye on these construction-technology trends. Do your best to learn more about how they can impact the construction industry, and this could be done by keeping yourself updated with the latest happenings in the construction technology.