In today’s construction world, the ways in which projects get done are developing at an efficient rate.  Workers today are able to build 40-storyskyscrapers in a matter of a couple months compared to the technology in the1980’s, where it would take over half a year. With the industry expanding and developing, we are starting to see common trends across the board.  In this article, we highlight the top 5 trends we have noticed in the construction industry over the past year.

1. Robotics

The construction industry has proven to be one of the most labor-intensive industries out there. Many tasks such as bricklaying, welding, rebar tying and painting involve repetitive movements that can easily induce fatigue in humans after a long period of time.  Thankfully, technology has advanced to robotics that can perform these same tasks with no error or fatigue.  Heavy machinery is also transitioning from human to robot operated. Because of this, the risk of human injuries is significantly decreased.

2. Project Management  

Digital project management has been on the back of many project super’s minds for the past few months. Project management has a very specific role in that its goals are to plan and make sure the project goes smoothly and on time.  Digital project management uses cloud-based software to achieve these same goals. Artificial intelligence is used to understand the project feasibility.  Managers can use this software to track expected and actual outcomes of each goal.  This type of approach reduces time wasted, increases efficiency and ensures project completion by the specified deadline.

3. Advanced Building Materials

The old ways of building are out.  New and improved materials are developing quickly and industry shifts are heading towards a greener approach.  Many innovative, sustainable and efficient materials are replacing older ones.  Materials made from mycelium composites, bioplastics and bio-foam form a part of this trend.  Other materials include aerogel, graphene, spider silk, carbon composites, hydro-ceramics and nanomaterials.  Most of these materials are lighter and have a higher water holding capacity.

4. Offsite Construction

For many years, onsite construction has been the norm.  Today, we’re seeing more and more construction companies doing offsite construction work.  This trend allows more efficient designing, manufacturing and fabricating for projects. There are typically two phases to this process: volumetric and panelized construction.  Volumetric construction allows for prefabrication of heavy 3D structures.  Panelized construction is the development of flat panels for use in walls and floors.

5. 3D Printing

3D printing is nothing new to the construction world.  However, more and more firms are starting to utilize this as one of their main sources of building protocols.  3D printing has proven to be more sustainable and efficient due to the simplicity and reduced number of materials needed to use it.  This robotic approach prints the design layer by layer with advanced materials. There are multiple different methods to the production of 3D printing that includes extrusion, power bonding and additive welding.  

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