Augmented Reality (AR)
Digital Twin
Building Information Model (BIM)
3D Printers and Prefab Homes
Self Healing Concrete
Energy-efficient Structures
Drone Technology
Virtual reality, 3D printing, smart home devices and whatnot — we live in a world surrounded by the most advanced and disruptive innovations of the 21st century so far. The field of technology is changing the way we think, function and live our lives.
Besides improving our education and healthcare systems, technology is also playing a major role in reshaping the construction industry. There is a growing use of software, cutting-edge gadgets and smart devices to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of some of the most common construction practices.
Well, it is pretty evident that the technology of the modern age has become the holy grail of sustainable infrastructure development — helping us plan, shape and build greener and more self-sufficient urban landscapes for our future cities.
In this blog, we are going to talk about the latest technology trends in the construction industry, which are helping us adopt the most precisely evaluated and calculated engineering and building solutions to put the available resources to the best use.
A Look into the Future: Top Technology Trends in the Construction Industry
Propelling the construction industry towards practices that are safer, more efficient, and result-oriented, here are some prominent technological innovations in today’s world.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Augmented Reality (AR) is a more advanced form of Virtual Reality (VR). AR is about creating a digital copy of a real-world environment, where some elements and actions are supplemented by computer-generated sensory input. In the construction industry, Augmented Reality is starting to be used for taking snapshots of real-world project sites and relaying critical information about the project.
This helps developers or builders describe their projects to the customers in a vivid and more immersive manner. Moreover, Augmented Reality is also used to create walkthroughs of buildings. The entire project can be virtually overlaid on the project site to help customers get an idea of what the final project would look like. This helps buyers visualise the project in a better way.
Builders can also use this technology during the construction process – from the design to the construction phase, inspection, maintenance, and any renovation tasks – AR can play a vital role at every touchpoint of the construction process.
The Emerging Trend of Digital Twin
Technology really has no boundaries. You’d be surprised to know how Augmented Reality (AR) is now infused with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create digital twins (visual or digital replicas of real-life objects). Well, the technique of working with digital twins has turned out to be a remarkable step forward for the construction industry.
Associated with countless advantages, these virtual creations are getting more and more popular in the field of engineering and design. The benefits of using AI-powered digital twins are not only limited to the construction process, in fact, the technology can also be used to make a building or an entire infrastructure project environmentally friendly.
The concept of a digital twin is based on the seamless integration of automation and technological connections — all of which are powered by the Internet of Things (IoT). Different types of sensors, gauges and utility metres of the physical building are looped into its digital twin.
The collected data is then analysed by an advanced AI system to identify the pattern of building usage, which helps it automatically regulate air conditioning and energy needs. The advancements being made in the development of digital twins are allowing us to achieve the impossible. Architecture and engineering experts from around the world are now working on virtual replicas of entire cities to create urban infrastructures that are truly self-sustained.
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Business Information Modeling (BIM) is one of the most cutting-edge technology trends in the construction industry. It allows architects to use building models to assess how the building materials used in the project will hold up over time. Moreover, a contractor or builder can visualise the project and in doing so, can also gauge how much building material would be required to complete the project. This will help get a more precise estimate of the construction costs involved and the amount of construction material needed for the build.
The ability to visualise a project through Business Information Modeling helps minimise the time it takes to develop a structure, labour and construction expenses, and the cost and amount of building materials.
The Concept of 3D Printers and Prefab Homes
Keeping in view the extraordinary benefits and features of using a 3D printer in the field of construction, it seems like the future is already here. As the name suggests, 3D printers have pretty much the same functionality as ordinary printers. Instead of printing on paper, this device is equipped with a robotic arm that is programmed to build anything having a three-dimensional shape. It is truly an ultramodern technology that helps you build faster and in a more accurate manner, which naturally brings down production costs and material wastage.
Prefabricated houses, which are also referred to as “modular homes” or “prefab homes”, have different sections and parts constructed in a factory, which are then transported to the project’s actual location where they are put together with the help of heavy construction equipment.
Countries like China have taken the lead in terms of the production of prefab homes. To cater to the ever-increasing demand for housing nationwide, they are manufacturing 3D printed houses at a large scale and then distributing them in different parts of the country, saving a lot of time and useful resources.
Self-healing Concrete
This may sound like another crazy idea from a sci-fi book but it is actually real. This type of concrete offers many practical uses. Self-healing concrete is a new technological innovation that can revolutionise a building’s maintenance. By using self-healing concrete, simple cracks may go away without any fixing. It is a product that will embed self-activated limestone-producing bacteria in the building material, which, when needed, will be activated and fix the cracks in walls, roads, and buildings – practically anywhere this self-healing concrete is used.
This will decrease the amount of dependence on producing more concrete, and will, therefore, lower the maintenance costs and reduce our carbon footprint as well.
Green and Energy-efficient Designs
The trend of building sustainable and eco-friendly complexes is gaining traction among all the key stakeholders in the construction industry. People are adopting eco-friendly ways to reshape the urban infrastructure around them. Such construction methods emphasise green and eco-friendly solutions, which means using resources efficiently while renovating or building from scratch.
From conserving water with the help of dual-flush toilets to installing state-of-the-art louver systems and insulating materials on the exterior of a building to naturally control temperatures, there is a myriad of environment-friendly construction practices that have become a norm these days. The energy-efficient approach in the field of construction is focused on cost-cutting and reducing carbon footprint to preserve the natural environment.
Drone Technology
Drones have turned out to be among the most useful inventions in the modern world. Used for aerial photography, live monitoring of particular premises, and disaster response operations among other purposes, drones have a plethora of practical applications that make them relevant in almost all walks of life.
As far as construction activities are concerned, flying a drone across a project’s site to get its wide-angle photos and videos is the easiest and most cost-effective way to gather precise visual data about its actual development status. Zameen Property Tours is a prime example of the usage of drones in the real estate and construction industry.
It is a platform that allows the prospective investors and buyers of a particular property project to take an up-close look at it without visiting in person. Significantly increasing the visibility of the real estate developments in the online world, these professionally organised drone tours have greatly benefited project owners and developers as well as their clients.
Allowing anyone to explore multiple projects simultaneously, the usage of drone technology could evidently save time, manpower, and money. To learn more about the scope, applications and laws regarding drone technology in Pakistan, click here.
Do you actually think these new technology trends in the construction industry actually help us make our future cities greener and more self-sustaining? Please share your thoughts at blog@zameen.com, we’d love to hear from you.
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