Technology is fast-changing the world we live in and construction is by no means immune
to that. Recent advancements have seen many tech innovations that started out as novelties
or gimmicks quickly find their way to practical applications. Here we look at six areas to watch in 2017.
First-up is wearable tech. This of course includes things like smart watches that put
the myriad of apps already used by the industry onto the arms of professionals and operatives
alike. Such devices have also been trailed in monitoring the location of persons on site,
taking roll calls and in checking the body temperature and heart rate of those operating
plant and machinery.
Wearable tech also extends to new devices like DAQRI’s Smart Helmet, bringing augmented
reality (AR) into the field. We’ll look at what that means, together with virtual reality (VR)
a little later on.
The successful application of robotics in construction has the potential to greatly
enhance efficiency and safety in many instances. Whilst the demolition trades have been using
robotic kit for some time, recent trials have seen the technology move into bricklaying,
track-laying and product manufacturing.
There’s also increasing interest in automated plant; unmanned machinery that can work around
the clock, taking its lead from GPS co-ordinates, survey data and digital design information.
Robotics has the potential to be extremely disruptive, challenging the fundamentals of
site labour needs and pushing new levels of quality assurance. The challenge for this
area remains the entry-cost and a serious recognition of its applications; many still
see the concept as science fiction.
The broad category of internet of things includes smart houses that allow us remotely control
temperature and optimise energy performance.
The arguably greater prize is “big data”; the ability to hone and perfect the built
environment that we construct and operate by having an aggregate, trend-level view of
how it is performing. Such data can be obtained from building management systems or sensor
nodes integrated within built assets.
This area is closely linked to what many understand as “BIM Level 3” though the exact definition and
parameters of that term are still under development.
The use of virtual reality (VR) is exploding in the construction sector, quickly moving from
being a gimmick into a valuable tool for project teams and end users alike.
VR creates an immersive environment in a headset or cardboard viewer, or even an enveloping
360 pop-up tent or room. Its key applications to date include health and safety training
and stakeholder engagement.
Stepping back from the fully immersive experience, augmented reality – or AR – applies a
graphic layer to our real-world view. Its thought this could lead into overlays of data
for site personnel, bringing them everything they need from construction-issue information
and specifications to stats on productivity and health and safety warnings.
The rise of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – often referred to as drones – has been well documented
in the construction industry. Again what perhaps felt like gimmick-technology in the first
instance, has steadily matured into practical applications.
UAVs have been used for health and safety inspections, progress reporting and most-prominently
in site surveying; capturing accurate data on large areas in just a few minutes and accessing
potentially hazardous zones with ease, keeping surveyors themselves save.
The ability to 3D print physical objects is impacting construction at both ends of the
scale. Accurate digital design information allows 3D printing to be used for everything
from rapid prototyping, component manufacture and scale modelling, to full scale printing
of excavator cabs and the concrete printing of entire structures.
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