This article was published on: January 27th, 2020

Tags: construction, technology, trends

As technology continues to advance, industries such as construction are starting to feel the benefits through evolved systems and tools. Experts say construction trends are starting to go innovative and sustainable directions with automation and the green movement. 

Here are the top trends to keep an eye on: 

1. Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality 

Automation is getting a jumpstart as more firms adopt and see the usefulness of Virtual Reality. This technology aids architects and construction teams in improving design and detecting errors, enabling them to correct these aspects instantaneously. 

Apart from modeling, it also allows for more creativity as it enables the production of more interactive designs. VR or AR models can also allow for gesture interfacing that allows a user to control or manipulate a model through simple hand gestures or facial recognition. 

2. 3D printing 

3D printing is utilized for easier prefabrication offsite and onsite that presents increased labor and material cost benefits. This also significantly lessens construction wastes and is not dependent on the shifting construction workers. 

In other countries, 3D printed residential neighborhoods and buildings are being built. Dubai is now home to the world’s largest 3D-printed building, just 3 years after it successfully built the largest 3D-printed office building in the country.

3. Robotics

The World Economic Forum reported that 2020 is going to be the year of robotics in the construction sector. This can massively substitute minute roles in the construction force such as bricklayers to provide better construction times and deliver improved quality of builds. 

4. Sustainability 

Reducing environmental impacts through sustainability has been a trend that is slowly making its way to construction. Several efforts are being made to optimize energy efficiency to drive for low carbon emissions. 

More construction firms are sourcing for materials with better thermal performance and insulation. A new innovation to generate and store energy is the focus when it comes to concrete roof development. There are also firms that are moving to transform construction waste and reuse it as building materials.  

5. Modular Design 

Prefabricated solutions are starting to pick up some traction in the industry. As the capacity to build offsite increases, many developers are looking to create inside factories and just assemble their buildings on site.  

As modular begins to prove more beneficial and efficient, the promise of faster onsite assembly is now made possible. Architects are also given more room to be creative as they strive to produce a higher quality of designs when it comes to building structures.

6. Exoskeleton

Capitalizing on superhuman strength is also the future of construction. As a sector largely dependent on manual labor, the exoskeleton technology will help normal workers do more. 

This allows laborers to carry more and therefore, reducing the risk of injuries that will improve the safety requirements on site. Continuous improvements to the user performance of exoskeleton will make it into a 2.6 million-dollar industry by 2025. 

7. Building Information Modeling 

BIM system allows the creation and management of information for a construction project. This maps out the project through a highly intelligent 3D model that is widely adopted by architects, engineers, and other professionals. 

This helps stakeholders efficiently plan, design, construct and manage infrastructure. Other technologies such as Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can be integrated into the system, which will make it more useful in the future.