Construction technology is a collective term for the types of technology that have a specific use within the construction industry. The appeal of new construction technology lies in its promise and ability to enable companies to build faster and smarter. Builders must adopt these new skills, processes and technological partnerships to successfully advance the field of construction. Laser scanning is one of the most popular types of construction technology.
Laser scanning tools provide accurate information about a site, improving construction accuracy and quality by providing detailed data to the construction manager and improving the planning and detailing process. Managers or contractors don't have to wait for someone else to complete the site evaluation. They provide fast scanning and save time for your contractors. Some examples of construction projects that use automated construction equipment include artificial intelligence, BIM software, 3D printing, and LiDAR. All of them are created and adapted to help the industry improve working conditions, increase efficiency, improve health and safety and many other benefits. LiDAR technology can help measure distances (range) by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor that can be mounted on a variety of other construction technologies throughout the site.
However, LiDAR technology is also very fragile and the capacity of the LiDAR sensor may be limited under certain conditions, such as heavy dust, rain, snow or fog. Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key technological advance for many industries, including construction. AI offers the construction industry the ability to accelerate planning and make all operations faster and more efficient. Therefore, a greater need for AI technology was created within the industry as a result of the creation of ALICE, an AI assistant designed specifically for the construction industry. Recent digital advances are combined with new hardware solutions with equal ingenuity. The following 10 recent developments include both areas of development: prefabrication, modular construction, 3D printing, green construction, data modeling, digital twins, virtual reality (VR), robotic swarm technology and mobile technologies.
Learn how they can transform and prepare your operation for the future. Prefabrication is nothing new, but technology makes it easier to access its benefits. Mobile technologies provide visibility into the manufacturing process to everyone involved. Interested parties can view the details related to the project from start to finish. Innovators are also improving prefabrication processes and results. Modular construction is gaining popularity in both North America and Europe.
The technique allows five workers to install hundreds of hospital bathrooms in days. An engineer invented 3D printing, which soon courted architects and designers. It was a means of creating models that they could discard and reprint while refining a design. But 3D printing has a new home in construction, where it is carrying out life-size projects. Now, many are touting 3D printing for construction as the future of home construction.
However, in practical terms, there is a limited supply of 3D printed houses for sale, and government regulations and building permits are the main initial obstacles according to 3drific. Governments, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and private companies will widely use 3D printing for construction in the coming years. The reuse of recyclable materials for construction began as early as the 1960s. Green construction is now a desirable and lucrative investment for construction companies. There are a myriad of materials that construction teams can reuse. Major construction organizations use data to make almost every decision, from the projects they bid on to the key performance indicators they must monitor.
Using advanced data analysis, decision makers can gain information on how resources are allocated in the workplace, resulting in valuable cost savings for projects with low margins and tight deadlines. Data modeling can also offer companies more hiring opportunities by accurately projecting offers which is essential in an industry with competitive profit rates of just 12%, according to a McKinsey study. As more work is being done remotely, digital twins which are virtual representations of construction sites are becoming fundamental elements of the construction process. These replicas connect digital tools and data to solve real-world construction problems revolutionizing the way construction will be planned in the future. Providing a real-time 360-degree view of work sites allows for more efficient project monitoring fewer visits to facilities and better risk mitigation and problem solving. McKinsey projects that the construction industry could increase productivity by up to 60% in the future thanks to digital twin technology. Virtual reality (VR) refers to the creation of a fully simulated environment and has a relatively long history within the construction industry. This technology can also be used in natural environments such as rockfalls and mines to assess the structural integrity of a site and therefore reduce workers' exposure to risk and alert construction equipment to any hazardous conditions. Construction technology is also effective during modernization bringing older buildings up to modern standards and reducing the need to build newer structures. The construction industry has been relatively slow to adopt this technology but it has still paved the way for progress.
Now companies are working to include more advanced autonomous equipment among other new types of construction technology. These two types of virtual site replicas work together to illustrate potential problems and cost-saving solutions during the construction process. Interest and adoption for digital technology continues to increase in all value chains and stakeholders in architecture engineering and construction (AEC) even though restrictions related to COVID-19 are being lifted in many places. At the beginning of the pandemic construction quickly shifted to using digital tools that allowed virtual collaboration and remote monitoring of sites just another step that the construction industry is taking to adapt to new technological developments. The possibilities of this robotic swarm technology are endless since not only can they be programmed to place bricks but they can also safely repair infrastructure in flooded or hard-to-reach places that would be considered hazardous to human workers once again helping to reduce the construction industry's problem with health and safety.
