TRENDING TECHNOLOGY CONSTRUCTION

The latest construction industry statistics show a booming and

sustainable sector. Yet, rising construction costs and labor challenges in
addition to new regulations are reducing the margin for error and waste.

For an industry that remains slower to innovation and adopting trends,

the same construction trends persist year after year with slightly different
nuances. New technology is continuing to change the construction site,
improve the ability to win projects, and increase profit margins. Trends and
movements are changing the roles of industry professionals and frontline
workers.

As the industry becomes more competitive and the market shifts,

harnessing these construction industry trends will prove valuable for any
construction firm. Read on for the must-watch construction trends of 2020 to
help you can stay competitive and gain an edge in the industry.

1. Efficiency-Improving Technology

The biggest differentiator for builders and developers this year is likely to
be technology in construction — specifically, the innovations that can enhance
efficiency.

Smart Contracts
Forbes Council member Amir
Baluch MD points out the coming impact
of block chain technology on
construction. Experts see it as being a
powerful component in providing a more
secure and fast-moving workflow that
gives all parties involved more
confidence and productivity.

Smart contracts offer all

organizations in a project a shared
system to do business, allowing them to
buy, track, and pay for services. Rather
than getting contracts and tracking
deliverables from all separate parties,
firms can use smart contacts as an all-in-
one tracking system where rules and
deadlines are set and the blockchain enforces them. This system will carry
make for faster closeouts, increased security, better project tracking, and an
automated supply chain.
Drones in Construction
Drone use in the
construction
industry continues to be one
of the fastest growing trends,
with usage rising by 239
percent year over year. The
technology offers far more
uses than just aerial
photography for real estate and commercial efforts.

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, streamlining the entire construction process.

Personal safety and equipment loss continues to be the biggest areas of

liability in construction. Drones can be increasingly used to reach heights and
do jobs in place of human workers to prevent injury. Between $300 million and
$1 billion in construction equipment is stolen each year. As on-site security
tools, drones can be leveraged to reduce labor costs and minimize the risk of
theft. That keeps projects on schedule and moving faster too.

More advanced future uses include monitoring equipment use and

incorporating AI to organize moving construction equipment.

Augmented Reality (AR)

The augmented reality is
expected to be worth $90 billion by
next year as it continues to
provide new applications. On the
client front, AR means efficient
project staging and making pre-
construction projects tangible for
buyers and tenants.

For the builders and developers,

AR facilitates the use of wearable technology as well as 360-degree video to
enable:

 3D 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 simulations
2. Mobile Technology

According to eSub, 80
percent of construction
professionals say mobile
technology is a top priority. It
provides many applications from
real-time inspections to on-site
accountability and being able to
measure spaces with just a mobile
phone camera. Mobile apps in the
marketplace include Air
Measure and Infotycoon. Those
without complete mobile connectivity will be at a productivity and sales
disadvantage from this year forward.

3. Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Building information
technology is helping industry
leaders stand out with better
efficiency. BIM allows users to
generate computer
representations 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. Autodesk describe
s it as an intelligent 3D model-
based process to help professionals manage buildings and infrastructure.”

According to Finances Online, top BIM software solutions available in 2020

include:

1. Autodesk BIM 360

2. Tekla BIMsight
3. Revit
4. Navisworks
5. BIMobject
 6. BIMx

4. Construction Management Software

Having great construction

management software is a vital
component for remaining competitive,
building a valuable business, and
mastering operational efficiency.

While each software service may

have slightly different functions and
features, the best holistically tackle
end-to-end needs from RFIs to compiling
data, sharing files with mobile teams,
budgeting, document storage, payroll, and HR, monitoring inventory and
project management.

Top reviewed construction management software solutions in 2020 include:

1. Procore
2. CoConstruct
3. Buildertrend
4. ProjectSight
5. RedTeam
6. Quick Base
7. Projul
8. PlanGrid
9. Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate

Choosing the right construction management software is important for your

firm. Begin with looking at ease of use and integration with other existing
software. Look for scalable software that fits now, and can take you where you
want to go. Evaluate customization options, upgrades, and additional features
and check for availability of support and training to get up and running.
5. Modular & Prefabricated Construction

Modular and prefab construction has enjoyed a major movement over the
past few years. Construction Dive predicts modular construction will continue
to grow by 6.9 percent per year and hit $157 billion by 2023, driven by the lack
of skilled labor and affordable and growing material costs.

As the technology supporting off-site constructed modular units

improves, we can expect to see a lot more activity in this sector. Many smaller
builders have developed innovative, green building designs with this method,
increasing their market visibility and boosting client trust.

New technology has also enabled these prefab and modular buildings to
get taller and taller. An example is the recent opening of the 21-story CitizenM
Bowery Hotel in NYC. The 100,000 square foot hotel hosts 300 modular guest
rooms, as well as a rooftop bar, lounge, and coworking space. The average
modular project square footage has tripled to an average of 200,000 square
feet.

Other major international builders say they plan to pare down their on-site
construction activity to just 25 percent by 2025 in favor of prefab construction.

6. Green Construction

Green construction has become the expected

standard by homebuyers, renters, and commercial
tenants. Unfortunately, many sustainable and eco-
friendly features remain a luxury, despite their
long term savings. Though this may substantially
change over the next few years.

Whether it is pressure within the

construction industry, demand from end customers
or regulations, expectations are that renewable
energy will continue to grow as a percentage of
overall consumption. That is a huge market, given
buildings are still responsible for 40 percent of our national energy
consumption and 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

Green construction includes both the technology to lower a building’s

carbon footprint and the use of resources and building models to reduce the
use of resources. Perhaps an even greater driver of green building is proof of
its value for occupants. Research shows that green buildings can have a
positive psychological and physiological impact.

7. Better Safety Equipment

The industry is also

witnessing a rise of machines
capable of identifying common
safety issues and eliminating
those threats one at a time.
Innovations to work boots allow
them to connect to Wi-Fi and
alert others if a user has fallen.

Beyond worker gear, we

are already seeing robotics being
able to replace human workers.
This ranges from material
moving “mules” to scaffolding
and bricklaying robots. Many companies, however, claim that robots are not
replacing any human jobs.

More accurately, they are changing the jobs humans do — in most cases,
augmenting human decision making and making room for different, higher-level
jobs. One of the most important being the ability to decipher and translate data
findings into actionable insights.

Then, we also have 3D printing which can decrease transportation risks

and environmental sensors to detect noise, heat, and wind at construction
sites and serve as warnings to evacuate construction workers and move costly
construction equipment.
8. Investment in Infrastructure

While many of the factors involved are still controversial and require
ongoing experimentation, the biggest tech companies in the world are
investing in megaprojects to build smart, sustainable cities. This includes
names like IBM, Microsoft, and Cisco, all of whom are deep into smart city
development. Investment in these cities is expected to reach $135 trillion in
the next 24 months.

In addition to cities, some notable international megaprojects in the

works include Masdar City, Hudson Yards, Songdo International Business
District, and the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor. The projects range from tens
of billions of dollars to over $100 billion and are projected to change the
economy, improve the infrastructure, and contribute to the environment.

9. Persistent Labor Shortage

One of the most noticeable

construction trends for the past few
years has been an alarming labor
shortage. We are at a moment in the
construction cycle when labor is
expensive and competitive. Robots may
pick up a lot of the slack, though there
appear to be few human replacement
workers in the pipeline.

However, we will need more

educated workers to manage and
interpret the data produced by new
technology. Fortunately, women are
stepping up to fill some of this gap.
According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, only 9.9 percent of
construction industry workers are women. However, trends show a 94
percent growth in female-owned construction firms from 2007 to 2018, with
around 30 percent of companies promoting a woman to a senior position in
2018.

T he industry is also placing its targets on recruiting Generation Z, those

who are born between 1995 and 2010. Despite their perceptions of trade
school, construction firms will be wise to point out the career growth potential
of construction jobs, the value of trade school and apprenticeship programs,
and the opportunity to experiment with new technology.

10. Increasing Material Costs

As of October 2018, costs for

construction materials have risen 7.4
percent year over year according to
The Association of General
Contractors. Rising interest rates are
likely to compound all types of costs,
resulting in further pressure on total
construction. Technologies like drones,
AR, and BIM will prove key to helping to
maintain project volume and combat
this cost pressure.

Innovative new building materials may

push up costs further, even though they
may ultimately provide more savings
for users in the long run. Some of these
innovative materials include:

 Self-healing concrete
 3D graphene
 Transparent aluminum
 Light generating concrete
 Invisible solar cells
11. Companies Moving Away From Megaprojects

One of the issues for construction firms that work on megaprojects like

highways and publicly owned buildings is that they have a fixed price
agreement. With construction, however, things will undoubtedly change and
additional costs will be incurred. This can often lead to disputes between
contractors and the owner or client.

Some of the biggest companies, like Skanska and Lendlease, announced

in 2019 that they were no longer going to pursue large projects, and rather,
instead, they are deciding to opt for more private and contract type
arrangements. It’ll be interesting to see how these projects will be built, as
America’s infrastructure degrades due to time or extreme weather events.

These construction industry trends are changing the business and global
landscape. Rising prices, scarce skilled labor, and regulatory challenges may
only become tougher over the next few years. By adopting new practices,
leveraging new technologies, and investing in new projects, builders and
developers can reduce risk, win more contracts, and enjoy profitability.

Overall, the outlook for the construction industry is positive. As your firm
strives for greater efficiency and safety, be sure to keep up with demand by
using a reliable rental equipment network with Big Rentz.