According to Deloitte’s 2021 engineering and construction industry outlook, 76 percent of engineering and construction executives indicated that they are planning to invest in digital technology this year. Investing in the latest construction technology is helping business owners facilitate digital transformations and stay a step ahead of the competition.
There are real, practical applications e-sms.id and benefits to modernizing your current processes. And if your construction company wants to maintain a competitive edge, you’ll need to find ways to integrate new approaches into your strategy and workflows.
1. Data Collection Apps
Apps are becoming more of the norm in construction, and for good reason. The increased portability of tablets and smartphones allows for greater communication and the ability to work from anywhere. More specifically, data collection apps are helping construction companies gather faster, more accurate and higher quality data from the jobsite. Integrating this type of technology into your current processes is simple and requires a smaller upfront investment while still providing major benefits, including:
2. Drones
Drones are the most widely used emerging construction technology. They can conduct site surveys more quickly and accurately than a crew on the ground and are cheaper than aerial imaging. Their high resolution cameras and the data collected can create interactive 3D or topographical maps and models, and take volume measurements.
Another benefit of using drones is the ability to inspect hard to reach places such as bridges or around tall buildings, and to do it safely. You can also use them to monitor progress on a job site and see how people are working.
3. Building Information Modeling (BIM) Software
The use of BIM provides space for better collaboration because each person and expertise area can add their piece to the same model, instead of broken out onto multiple versions of a 2D paper drawing. This way, the model evolves immediately as people contribute, streamlining the process and increasing efficiency. BIM also helps with problem solving in the design and planning stages of a project, by automating clash detection and providing a more complete picture of the project.
4. Virtual Reality and Wearables
Virtual reality technology is often used in conjunction with BIM to help better understand complex projects. Think of the potential: you create a building design with BIM and then are able to use VR to actually walk around it. Pretty cool, right? This will give your team, or the client, an even more realistic idea of what the project will look like once completed. Having a more complete grasp on the project before it begins gives you the opportunity to avoid big changes and expensive change orders mid-way through.
5. 3D Printing
3D printing as a construction technology has the potential to change material sourcing. For prefabrication, materials for a project can be printed and then transported to the job site, ready for use immediately. This can allow you to get materials faster and streamline the process by removing extra steps in the middle.