CONSTRUCTION TRENDS
2021 is a year of change and growth in the construction industry. Rising construction costs and labor shortages persist, challenging the industry to innovate competitive new ideas. COVID has impacted how the construction industry does business. The way companies meet with clients, close projects, hire new employees, and overall do business has changed. New technology continues to change the construction industry.
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
COVID-19 drastically impacted the construction industry
- Guidelines changed- state regulations emphasized cleanliness and strict safety protocols.
- Industry also witnessing a rise of machines capable of identifying common safety issues and eliminating those threats one at a time.
- Wearable innovations- headsets that reduce noise pollution, job boots that connect to Wi-Fi and alert others if a person has fallen, 3D printing, environmental sensors, etc.
EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
There are innovations that can enhance efficiency, and ever since COVID-19 there has been an increased reliance on construction technology. Some examples are:
Smart Contracts
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- Smart Contracts offer all organizations in a project a shared system to do business, allowing them to buy, track, and pay for services.
Construction Drones
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- Today’s drones are used for rapidly mapping large areas over long distances, producing valuable aerial heat maps and thermal images. The advancing drone software provides real-time, actionable data that can be used for rapid decision making, further streamlining the entire construction process.
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Augmented Reality (AR)
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- With AR builders and developers can view the site in a 360-degree video. With this technology they can enable:
- 3-D visualization of future projects on their surrounding environment.
- Automated measuring of buildings.
- Fast and affordable simulation of architectural and structural changes.
- Safety training and hazard situations.
- With AR builders and developers can view the site in a 360-degree video. With this technology they can enable:
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
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- BIM allows users to generate computer renderings of buildings and utilities. The ease of managing these models and sharing data can enable superior prefabrication of parts, leading to on-time and accurate completion.
Mobile Applications
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- Apps in the construction industry allow worksite access.
- COVID 19 mandated that teams continue to collaborate without physical access to materials, spaces, or even other teammates.
