6 NEW (MODERN)

BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUES
Jan 10, 2020 12:00:00 AM

Blog
Photo: PixabayMany of the construction techniques in use today have
been around for hundreds of years. Others are a bit more recent—and
while we love the time-tested approaches that brought the industry to
where it is today, it’s exciting to see how new construction techniques and
construction innovations are reshaping our approach.

From modular construction techniques to insulation panels, you can be

sure that the innovations impact each aspect of building construction
techniques.

NEW & INNOVATIVE

BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUES
Just to be clear, there are plenty of great new building techniques for
construction coming out these days. But in this article, we’re covering the
most innovative construction techniques that developers are eager to try
out:

1. AUGMENTED REALITY-
ASSISTED BUILDING
One of the most anticipated changes in new construction techniques is
the integration of augmented reality (AR) into the process. By combining
Building Information Modeling (BIM) with modern AR wearables,
developers can see fully-rendered visualizations of what a construction
project will look like.

Aside from the obvious benefits to pre-construction planning for

individual developments, this technology will support new construction
strategies across all aspects of urban planning: zoning for housing
developments, utility management, traffic routing, and more.

AR can also assist in determining the kinds of construction materials used

on site and whether the building requires insulating concrete, for
example.

2. RAISED ACCESS FLOORING

There are plenty of raised flooring options to choose from these days,
depending on your facility’s needs, available space, HVAC structure, and
cable routing demands.

Raised access flooring systems open up the possibilities for service

distribution across your building and allow you to tap into more modern
approaches to facility construction, such as underfloor air distribution -
this type of system offers better airflow and lower energy use compared
to conventional HVAC systems.
These types of modifications are important for future-proofing a facility by
way of keeping reconfiguration costs low over the building’s life cycle.

3. SELF-HEALING CONCRETE
Given that concrete is the most widely used material in the world, it’s a
little surprising that it took us this long to get to this point. But finally, self-
healing concrete has advanced to the point where it’ll soon be a viable
alternative to traditional materials.

By leveraging bacteria that lives within the concrete building itself, these
materials automatically repair any cracks or fissures that may appear over
time, offering a great long-term solution for concrete degradation.

4. THIN JOINT MASONRY

It’s not just the building materials that are evolving in masonry - the
techniques are, too. Consider thin joint masonry, a relatively new
construction technology that offers clear benefits to construction time.
The method uses quick-set adhesives that are a fraction of the thickness
of traditional mortar beds and reach full bonding strength in a matter of
hours.

Thin joint masonry might reduce the amount of concrete blocks needed,
among other factors.

Compared to masonry based on wall panels, the thin joint approach

allows builders to put up walls faster on construction sites while retaining
thermal performance.

Read more about building design techniques:

7 high rise building design considerations

10 steps to designing a building development plan
What is the process of constructing a new commercial building?
5. KINETIC FOOTFALL ENERGY
HARVESTING
It’s no secret that one of the biggest areas of new construction techniques
in buildings is incorporating alternative energy in various forms. Kinetic
footfall energy harvesting involves placing ground sensors in high traffic
areas that generate and store thermal mass energy taken from pedestrian
steps.

In terms of long-term planning, this is an innovative way to integrate more

sustainable energy solutions that live off the traditional grid. These kinetic
solutions are also being tested on roadways as we speak - however just
like solar roadways these innovations have so far earned mixed reviews. It
may be a while before the technology truly goes mainstream.

6. 3D PRINTED BUILDINGS
Yep, you read that right - 3D printing technology is streamlining
construction on the job site. Companies are now leveraging 3D printing to
fabricate materials on-site in a near perfect replica of factory settings. This
decreases reliance on extensive supply chains and reduces project costs
overall.

But now, we’re seeing more extensive use cases where architectural
designs are uploaded directly to 3D printing software. This lets builders
automate the construction process as much as possible and opens the
doors to a faster, smarter system of development, which takes less time
and effort from all parties involved. Not bad for a new building system.
NEW BUILDING
TECHNIQUES IN
CONSTRUCTION
Your company certainly doesn’t need to rush out and deploy these new
approaches all at once - no company could - but they offer an interesting
insight into where the industry is heading.

New construction methods and innovative techniques are always

changing and challenging us to rethink how we manage projects. And
while some of these advancements aren’t quite ready to hit the market at
scale, we’ll be eager to see how each new development affects the industr