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Trends  Discover & Learn

Major Trends in the Construction Industry

Listed below are the major trends in the Construction industry. We will discuss each of them in more detail in the following weeks:

Industrialization & Prefabrication;

Information Technology;

Organizational Practices; and

Sustainable Construction.

Trends to Watch in 2021

Innovation in the construction industry is essential as the industry changes, especially with the impacts the COVID pandemic has had the world over. Innovative thinking
is important to meet the pressure from clients, improve quality while reducing costs and meeting or exceeding project deadlines. 

As the industry continues to shift and become more competitive, it will be important to watch and incorporate appropriate trends to stay relevant and valuable to the
client. In 2021 the below 10 must-watch trends were identified by the U.S. company Big Rentz in their Think Big Blog (https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/construction-trends#smart-cities).

Protective Equipment

With the impacts of the pandemic, construction site guidelines have moved to a focus on cleanliness and strict safety protocols.
This has led to increased union involvement and influence in projects. This can potentially add time and cost to projects.

Other industry safety innovations trending are:

machines that increase site safety

work boots that can alert others if a person falls
mules that move heavy or hazardous materials
robots that construct scaffolding or lay bricks
machines that augment human-decision making (i.e., interpret data to actionable insights)
use of 3-D printers, which can decrease transportation risks
environmental sensors that provide warnings for noise, heat, and wind

Efficient Technology

The innovations in technology hold some of the biggest impacts on the industry; the most important being inefficiencies. The
below types of technologies will grow in impact and importance as time moves forward:

Smart Contracts that use an all-in-one tracking system which could include:
movement of currency using blockchain
shared business systems
faster closeouts
increased security
better tracking
automated supply chain
 Construction Drones used for:
rapidly mapping large areas
producing aerial heat maps and thermal images
jobs requiring scaling tall structures (safety consideration)
minimizing risk of theft
Augmented Reality (AR) facilitates the use of wearable tech that allows for:
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
Building Information Modeling (BIM) creates a computer rendering of the projects building and utilities by
shares data for prefabrication of parts
promotes on-time and accurate completion
intelligent 3D model-based process

Growing Need for Labourers

Over the past number of years, and looking forward, there is a demand for educated workers. 

In the past, negative perceptions of trade school slowed new talent in construction. The 2020 pandemic shifted attitudes to a
positive place. With the promotion of career growth opportunities, and new technologies the industry, has begun to pull new
talent into an industry that is seeing more and more openings.

Remove Worksites and Mobile Access

Mobile applications in the construction industry allow worksite access like never before possible, including:

real-time inspections;

on-site accountability; and

accurate measurements taken from a mobile phone camera.

This type of mobile access made it easier for teams to collaborate and attend pubic approval meetings virtually keeping projects moving forward during the
pandemic. Those without complete mobile connectivity will be at a productivity and sales disadvantage going forward. 

Rising Material Costs

Rising interest rates are likely to compound industry costs. The technologies mentioned above will be key in helping to maintain
costs and combat project pressures.

Innovative living materials and tech may push up costs initially but 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

Green Building

Green construction is the expected standard for homebuyers, renters, and commercial tenants. Unfortunately, many sustainable
and eco-friendly features remain a luxury, despite their long-term savings — though this will change over the next decade as
ecotech and sustainable construction (https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/sustainable-construction) become more mainstream.

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
(https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/benefits-of-green-buildlings) on inhabitants and even passersby.
 Greenscaping, the practice of outfitting rooftops with plant coverings and small parks, is now commonplace in urban centers
around the globe, exemplified by Google’s new multi-tiered London HQ
(https://www.newstatesman.com/business/companies/2020/12/what-google-s-new-london-building-says-about-big-tech-s-plan-cities). The developers deemed the
project a “landscraper”, a building with similar dimensions to a skyscraper but build horizontally rather than vertically. This
enables vast greenscapes to cover the structure while also improving its resistance to high-powered storms driven by climate
change.

Modular and Offsite Construction

The modular and offsite (prefab) construction industry is in the middle of a multi-year boom that is predicted to continue to into
the future, led by the residential sector. This market is being driven by a lack of skilled labour and increased cost-cutting
technology.

New technology also enables these prefab and modular buildings to grow larger than ever before. Many major international
builders say they plan to pare down their on-site construction activity to just 25 percent by 2025 in favour of prefab construction.

Modular projects offer the ability to better regulate employee safety in climate-controlled, ventilated environments, making them
ideal for social distancing requirements implemented in locales everywhere.

Construction Management Software

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

Focusing on Residential Projects

As global investment from tech companies increases in complex megaprojects like smart cities, some of the largest construction
companies, like Skanska, announced that they’re no longer pursuing large transportation public-private projects, instead focusing
on lower-risk arrangements.

The large-scale project downturn is already resulting in increased interest in private sector projects. Residential construction
spending in the private sector alone is up nearly 7 percent in 2020, and privately-owned housing starts clocked a 12.8 percent
year-over-year growth in November 2020.

Smart Cities

Some of the biggest tech companies in the world, like IBM, Microsoft, and Cisco, are investing heavily in megaprojects to
build smart, sustainable cities. These cities are more intricate and interconnected than most megaprojects and require intense
planning and development prior to commencement. Global spending on intelligent infrastructure development stopped $120
billion in 2020 and is expected to sharply increase.

References

1. Zitzman, L. (2021, February 27). Top 10 Construction Industry Trends for 2021 | BigRentz. Big Rentz Think Big Blog. https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/construction-
trends (https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/construction-trends)

2. Allison Arieff. (2020). What Google’s new London building says about Big Tech’s plan for cities. Newstatesman.
https://www.newstatesman.com/business/companies/2020/12/what-google-s-new-london-building-says-about-big-tech-s-plan-cities
(https://www.newstatesman.com/business/companies/2020/12/what-google-s-new-london-building-says-about-big-tech-s-plan-cities)