Firms which tend to actively embrace technology do this out of three reasons- they want to improve safety, quality, and efficiency. Everyone tries to always find new ways to compete and every firm wants to show that it’s the best, something all people want to turn to. 2019 is another year that brings some innovations, especially in construction technology. There are many tools we still haven’t explored, but new ones just keep coming. We need to be fast learners and capable of handling them. Feeling enthusiastic about another year of development and construction technology innovation, we can make a list of the most exciting trends in this fast-moving field.
Virtual and augmented reality technology
It seems that the world really likes these two, and the construction industry now does as well. There is a difference between virtual and augmented reality technology- AR can superimpose a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the world, and VR replaces the real world through a simulated environment. Today, when the buildings are becoming more and more complex, both technologies can help detect design and coordination errors. AR can present BIM data through a next-generation visual platform, helping foster coordination between designers, consultants, and construction teams. Yet, both of these technologies are still developing, so we can expect even more in the future.
A broad range of concrete types
It seems that there is an increasing number of concrete types and there will probably be even more of them in the future. People can choose from a variety of types, for example, we have modern, high-strength, high and ultra-high performance, stamped, self-consolidating, shotcrete, and limecrete concrete. More and more companies are using shotcrete concrete since its application is both economical and flexible. Recently, they even have invented something called self-healing concrete. Small cracks repair themselves, so it’s very convenient. We are looking forward to more concrete types in the future since the ones we have at the present moment are pretty incredible!
Artificial Intelligence
Whenever someone mentions AI, it is associated with movies like The Terminator, or maybe Ex-Machina. People start imagining robots looking like humans who have a lot of capabilities. But the application of AI means something else, and it isn’t only applied to the use of robots who know how to drive trucks or lay bricks. AI can help with optimising project schedules and planning, and it can improve management, image recognition, machine and reinforcement learning.
Autonomous equipment
Using drones in construction means providing a path to greater safety and efficiency with automation and robotics. One can save a lot of time if he sends a drone to inspect a job site, for instance. It also keeps the technician on the ground so he doesn’t have to climb scaffolds and there are no potential hazards on a working site. There is the Skycatch drone, which generates a 3D model of a site that allows the automatic calculation of an area. It can also move the volume of earth and give information that once required a number of hours to collect.
Predictive analysis
Every time a new form of technology appears and gets added to a certain company, there are new opportunities for theft and loss. That’s why we need predictive analysis, which can help us with a lot of things. It can protect our intellectual property and satisfy the security requirements set by specific clients. We can also avoid attacks and threats that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise. For predictive analysis programs, we need a holistic approach in order to identify weak links at every level, from vendors to the software used for storing project files.
The future always brings us something new and we need to be capable enough to learn how to manage everything well. These are trends of 2019, and each of these innovations brings us something incredible, we just need to learn how to master it.