The world as we know it changes every day thanks to ever-increasing developments in technology. The construction industry is just one among many industries that have enjoyed considerable enhancements and changes thanks to technological advancements.
It is quite staggering when you consider the way in which the construction industry used to run and be managed, compared with how it is today. The construction industry was once a very hands-on, manual environment, but with advances in technology and the internet being such a big part of every element of construction, the whole way in which we work has changed.
Now, a lot of the planning and management is taken care of with ever-advancing technology. These advancements have made everyone’s lives easier, safer and more efficient.
We want to explore five ways that technology has changed the construction industry today, and explore how the industry could continue to evolve.
Smartphones
While it seems a little bit backwards to talk about something that has been around for ages, we cannot understate the way in which smartphones have transformed how we interact with each other and how easily we can now communicate in the construction industry thanks to smartphones.
As a time management and time-saving device, the smartphone allows us to take far less time with jobs and stay connected to people in remote job sites. We can now take pictures of relevant components of a job site and send them off to project managers, or submit claims with evidential proof through photographs.
The way in which smartphone technology will continue to impact on the construction industry remains to be seen, but it’s sure to be exciting.
Construction management cloud software
Further to the previous point about smartphones is the introduction of construction management software. One of the biggest gripes on the site is ensuring that things are on track, and that people are being productive.
Time is one of the biggest resources, and managing a huge scale construction process can be a huge headache. Enter construction management cloud software. Where once all invoices and claims were based on paper trails, now it’s possible for every kind of construction company, from a small-to-medium enterprise through to a big multinational construction company, to manage their processes with contractor billing software and automation software that manages processes accurately.
This kind of software uses a ‘cloud’ system which means it can be accessed from anywhere, by anyone with authorisation, and from any device.
Computer Aided Design
While computer aided design (or CAD) has been around for ages, it’s with the advent of technology that it has really come into its own. Three-dimensional modeling and scaling of an unparalleled kind allows the build of a construction site to start before the design is even finished – which means that you can fast-track projects. Computer aided design also allows for improvements in processes, which means that problems can be discovered before physical work starts.
Drones
The introduction of drones to the construction industry has made a big difference to the way in which surveying is completed. Drones are invaluable in the surveying and mapping of areas where it’s impractical to send a helicopter and impossible to send humans. Drones can procure footage which is then compared to blueprints and modifications are made based on findings.
Health and safety technology
The importance of advances in health and safety technology are huge – and have made a big difference to the construction industry. Protective equipment, lighting, warning systems, reflective clothing and technology process improvements have made leaps and bounds in ensuring that worksites are safe.
These kinds of advancements in technology make for an exciting and bright future. With such accelerated growth, it begs the question of where we’ll be in another fifty years- let alone another five.