Innovations and Tech Trends in the Construction Industry

Innovations and Tech Trends in the Construction Industry

Since the dawn of humankind, we have been building large constructs and structures. Whether it be the Pyramids of Egypt or the latest and tallest skyscraper in a business district, construction has played a significant role in the improvement and advancement of humankind. However, the construction industry has gone significantly far. In this article, we’re going to take a look at inventions, innovations, and developments that are emerging currently and what we can expect in the near future.

Augmented Reality Enhancements

While many of us are tangentially familiar with augmented reality enhancements through our video game applications, many industries are making use of its capabilities to display information unimpededly. Construction workers can use this to look at a blueprint or even the actual site and have critical information displayed at the ready. This isn’t just a small improvement: the ability to look at a specific location and have the necessary information available makes the construction process a hundred times more efficient and accurate. AR glasses provide an entirely new dimension of efficiency and productivity too. The hands-free aspect of it also increases the safety features, as individuals won’t have to have their hands preoccupied when doing monitoring and analyses.

Wearable Construction Equipment

Along with wearable augmented reality equipment, the construction industry is enjoying innovations when it comes to wearable technology. This is a boon to the construction industry, as it is one of the most dangerous industries. Accidents often happen and are treated as part of the risks of the job. Fortunately, even safety equipment is receiving an upgrade. Boots that can detect collision or scan the proximity for dangers, even hardhats that detect whether a worker has good mental faculties by identifying “microsleeps” are currently being developed. These technological advancements all contribute to lessening the risk of working in a construction site, giving workers more agency and safety when going about their job.

Prefabrication and Modular Construction Methods

Most houses being sold nowadays aren’t 100% built on the spot. They are most likely pre-built and prefabricated in a factory, and construction crews simply assemble them on-site. Of course, building houses from scratch is still relatively popular and has a wide variety of benefits and uses. Still, prefabricated buildings or “prefab” are fast becoming the most commonly used methods of construction. After all, it’s significantly more efficient, allowing buildings to be built in half the time and less crew while reducing emissions and waste from all the construction processes.

Super-powered Exoskeletons

Exoskeleton originally started as a science fiction feature- after all, wearable devices that enhance your strength tenfold do sound like it’s fiction. But this technology exists, and construction companies are using them to both reduce the risk of injury and make the process of lifting heavy weights by a human easier. Orginally a way to rehabilitate physically incapacitated patients, the technology was smartly modified to provide extensive back, shoulder, and leg support. This allows humans to lift great weights, which is a construction environment, can mean life or death or efficiency and unproductivity.

Intelligent and Efficient Construction Robots

While human construction workers won’t be replaced any time soon, construction robots are fast evolving and improving. They’re currently being utilized to assist construction workers in manipulating and carrying impossibly heavy weights, and their programmable nature means that they can be coded to do a specific motion. This reduces the need for human interference in hazardous tasks, such as transporting heavy materials in an untraversable terrain or providing protection from extreme temperatures. The manufacturing industry is already utilizing robots and autonomous machines to automate their system, and the construction industry is fast following suit.

person in a printing press

Using a machine that layers spools of plastic on top of each other, 3D printing machines allow individuals to create a 3D structure from scratch, provided they can make a 3D render and file. 3D printing technology is still limited to smaller creations, but that doesn’t mean it has no benefit to the construction industry. Many designers and architects are using 3D printed models to create a better understanding of the design they’re making. This allows architects, engineers, and designers to create a 3D and highly interactive model to test their ideas on and make adjustments as necessary. This reduces the chances of expensive mistakes, making construction sites more efficient and productive.

There will be more improvements and innovations shortly. We can expect construction to be more efficient, productive, and safe. We can only wait and see what the future holds for us.

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