You drive by any construction site, and what do you see? Construction cranes, traffic cones, barricades, high-visibility equipment, lights, and traditional construction site materials. We’ve seen it, and we’ll continue to see it in the future.
You can get away from the fact that some pieces of equipment are essential for workers to do the job safely. But, we’re going to see a lot more technology pop up in the construction industry in 2020; we’ve already seen it in recent years, but 2020 will take a huge leap forward, especially for crews who’ve been hesitant to accept the changes in the industry in the past. What innovations should we expect this year?
AR
Augmented reality has been significant in recent years and will continue to grow. It’s excellent for training purposes. Your employees are put in real-life situations without making mistakes on site.
Using video technology, they are presented with different locations, and they can train on how they would react if it occurred on a job site. This excellent training tool helps eliminate errors, reduce mishaps, and will help prevent injuries on large job sites as well.
BIM
Building implementation software and 3D images of projects is a great way to show clients what they can expect before you’re hired.
If you are bidding on a job, the use of BIM software lets you show them multiple different finishes, colors, designs, and outcomes, based on the projected construction work you do for the client.
Self-Healing
Self-healing concrete is a huge advancement that 2020 will see plenty of. It’s a new technology that fills voids. If walls are damaged, they fix themselves. This helps reduce costs, overhead, and helps mitigate major issues on construction sites, as crews are working quickly to finish the job for a client.
Drones
Drones and aerial photography are enormous advancements that will make a massive leap in 2020 to many construction sites. The reason for this is that it allows for greater clarity of the work from above.
It lets managers see how their crew is doing, what their workers are doing, and how far along they are with tasks they are assigned. If issues arise, it’s easier to view it from multiple angles as well with drones and other technologies, so that corrections can be made quickly on the site.
Software Adaptations
Greater software helps with
- Tracking inventory
- Keeping track of supplies and costs
- FIFO (first in first out)
- The use of different supplies
It’s also easier for managers to keep track of how their crews are working or how far along they are in a job. If they need more supplies, the software allows them to order them easily. And, if construction managers need to connect with other crew members, they can do so in real-time with the latest software that is available to them on job sites today.
Modular & 3D
The use of 3D printed and modular objects are going to find their way onto job sites. These items were previously used to show clients a model of how the last job would appear.
But, the advancements in 3D printing allows construction crews to use some of the 3D printed objects and place them in the final project they are presenting to clients when the work is done.
GPS
With GPS tracking, it is easy for companies to
- Keep track of employees on job sites
- Find out where deliveries are
- Find out if items are delayed
- Easily transport supplies from one location to another on a job site
With the right trackers in place, construction managers always know where their people are, where their equipment is, and where the supplies they need to complete a job are so that they can move forward with the task at hand.
Robotics
No, construction companies aren’t getting rid of their personnel. However, robotics are going to make their way onto construction sites, warehouses, and behind the scenes.
If there is a trivial task that can be done by a robot that allows construction personnel to do more advanced, specialized tasks, more companies are going to make this leap. It’s easier to delineate simple, redundant functions to machines.
And, by freeing up the time of your personnel, who specialize in their craft, you can allow them to do much better work for your crew moving forward.
