Trend #1: Using Robots to Address Labor Shortages
What was once thought of as an unrealistic possibility is now a real possibility: robots at construction sites. The shortfall of workers with the right skills has led the industry to seek ways to increase productivity using the existing resources. In addition to worker effort, the use of construction robots has proven to be to be a worthy investment.
A robot pet called “Dave” is improving safety efficiency, efficacy, and accuracy in a renovation initiative located at Heathrow Airport. The robot was created in partnership with Boston Dynamics and equipped with the Trimble X7 scanner; the four-legged robot retrieves data from the site and scans. It also reduces “slips, trips, and falls” accidents and improves precision for 3D models.
Although construction robots may not replace construction workers, they may soon replace those boring, tedious, lengthy tasks. For instance, TyBot, a rebar-tying robot made by Advanced Construction Robotics, recently tied 11,044 rebar junctions in the Florida Department for Transportation’s Gateway Expressway project, setting records for 2022. This kind of output can replace four to five workers in 10 hours of work.
The investment in robotics for construction is projected to rise from 99.7 million U.S. dollars in 2022 to 113.1 million by 2023 and up to 242.4 million in 2030, According to Next Move Strategy Consulting.
What to Watch Out For:
- Trimble and H.P. team up to offer an autonomous workflow for site layout
- Civ Dot performs site layout on surfaces with irregular shapes, and information is easily incorporated from Trimble equipment
- Semi-autonomous machines, like Hilti’s drilling robot, offer relief from the difficult chores.
Trend #2 Moving Beyond Point Solutions to Integrated Platforms
Based on feedback from end-users Based on feedback from end-users, the construction technology vendors are becoming aware of the limitations of a variety of point solutions and shifting their focus to building strong integrated platforms. Point solutions are hard to implement and difficult to scale, which makes them unsuitable for many businesses. Furthermore, the COVID-19 disease has increased the pressure to simplify and digitalize workflows so that teams can work together from multiple places without losing productivity.
Integrated platforms provide a single solution that improves workflows and can support many or all of the day-to-day processes. Based on McKinsey & Company, 20 percent of companies in the field of construction technology currently offer solutions that cover over five different operational instances, compared to 13 percent in the year 2017.
New integrated platforms that are emerging include Trimble Construction One. This integrated solution suite provides customers access to over 40 Trimble applications that can be used in all phases of construction. There is a single login, a single subscription contract that has a single agreement on terms and conditions, linked workflows that connect multiple products, and dashboards that assist users in making better decisions for business.
What to Watch Out For:
- Trimble Construction One offers numerous workflows that are connected, with many more to come in 2023.
- Autodesk, Procore, Bentley, and Hexagon are also looking to create integrated construction solutions as alternatives to points solutions.
- Hilti ON! Track Asset Management System combines with Trimble to provide an all-in-one source of truth to assist in monitoring and managing equipment and tools.
- Watch industry experts employ modern integrated devices and software in real-world settings that range from 3D scanning to digital constructability as part of The Great Library documentary series.
Trend #3: Investing in Digital Processes
AECO (architecture engineering construction, architecture, and owner) companies are expected to continue investing in technologies that will improve workflows and digitize them by 2023. For some businesses, it is the initial investment into their digital transformation, moving the processes away from paper and moving them to digital. For others, it will be a second investment to improve already digital strategies for managing documents, designing processes, field operations, and gathering crucial data that will inform business decisions.
About two-thirds of owners intend to invest in further developing and improving the digital workflows they already have in accordance with Dodge Data & Analytics Smart Market Brief: Connected Construction series. Seventy-eight percent of owners are planning to invest in the development of new workflows for digital, with a focus on digital workflows that allow design reviews, bid proposals, and submissions to procurement, as well as field inspections and daily reports.
The report also revealed that the majority of architects intend to invest in both new and existing workflows that are digital. The most lucrative areas to invest in are design documentation, construction documentation, conceptual design, and schematic design. The majority of engineers are planning to put their money into the three workflow areas as architects.
Contractors are keen to digitalize across a broad range of work processes. Sixty-four percent of G.C.s/C.M.s who are currently employing digital workflows intend to invest additional funds in project costing/job costing, document management, as well as WIP costing analysis and job costing. Eighty percent of G.C.s/C.M.s that do not currently utilize digital workflows intend to make substantial investments in job costing/projections, job costs/WIP analysis and reporting, subcontractor management, and project document management. The top areas of investment for contractors in the specialty trades include document management for project jobs, projecting and costing job costs, inventory/materials management, and management of labor.
What to Watch Out For:
- Digitalizing the construction supply chain will help reduce procurement costs and reduce the impact of delays in shipping and production
- Businesses that have invested in their internal digital processes are able to make educated decisions, improve efficiency, and identify the root causes. Digital workflows that simplify processes that involve multiple external stakeholder groups are the next frontier most companies are focusing on conquering, according to the Dodge Data & Analytics Connected Construction report series.
Trend #4: Integrating BIM and GIS Data for Asset Management
In the past, BIM (building information modeling)and GIS (geographic information system) lived separately–BIM for creating 3D infrastructure and building assets, and GIS to display the geospatial shape and support of the environment. Technologists, like veteran software engineer Chris Andrews, are realizing the benefits of connecting BIM with GIS data in order to create rich information models and improved designs.
The integration enables designers to analyze design concepts and visualize the terrain, facilities around as well as nearby infrastructure. Alongside the detection of clashes, Integration of BIM into GIS enhances the accuracy of design and provides a complete understanding of design and existing conditions.
The most technologically advanced operators in Nordics, as well as the U.S., are leveraging common data environments (CDEs) such as Trimble’s quadri and the Connect platforms to improve the efficiency of the field process that depends heavily on BIM as well as GIS design data. Field users such as surveyors, inspectors, contractors, and others can cut down on time for data prep and troubleshooting and reduce the risk of the integrity of data using connectors and APIs -which is much more efficient than the present import and export of files using file-based technology.
Furthermore, the combination of BIM with GIS is a huge benefit for owners of assets. Utilizing the CDE that incorporates GIS and BIM data provides a repository for all construction as-built, survey, and progress information required to manage the lifecycle of an asset. The field BIM, along with GIS data, is combined from various devices such as survey tablets, LIDAR scanning devices, drones, and earth-moving machines and then transferred to the CDE. This data is then used to automate and integrate processes like asset updates, payment validation, and optimization.
Mixing BIM with GIS data allows teams to look at the built environment in conjunction with assets, supplying more data for emergency maintenance or operational improvement. Tools like City Engine allow advanced 3D modeling using real-world GIS data to view massive-scale holdings in urban areas.
What to Watch Out For:
- Other GIS developments, like real-time GIS data and machine learning models of spatial predictions
- Integration of BIM-GIS is a crucial function in delivering sustainable and energy-efficient constructed infrastructure
- Caltrans’ CalTrans CALMS (CalTrans Asset Lifecycle Management Systems) program has been developing standards for data exchange and interoperability with the partners Trimble, Autodesk, ESRI, SAFE, and TopoDOT
Trend #5: Increasing Use of Digital Twins
Another market that is expected to see significant expansion in the coming years is the world’s digital twin market. Allied Market Research expects the value to rise by $6.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and reach nearly $125 billion in 2030. Digital twins are digital representations of an actual object. In construction, a twin can be described as an electronic replica of a physical structure or municipal asset like roads or highways. Owners of all kinds are looking for digital twins of their assets in order to improve operations, maintenance, and plan methods.
Digital reality firm Hexagon recently started offering digital twins for the whole city. City governments can make use of the data, from analyzing assets to evaluating potential dangers to planning initiatives, all within an online environment. A.I. company Cityzenith has just completed the digital twin to city officials in the City of Las Vegas. The city plans to use the model to help support its transition to zero carbon. Vancouver’s Canada Line commuter train will also be getting an electronic twin, including sensors that give real-time data on performance.
Asset owners aren’t alone in getting involved with the digital twin technology. Digital twin developments are emerging and suggest that software providers are increasing capabilities for digital twins and improving interfaces, speeding up simulation times, and making significant advancements.
One issue that the industry faces when digital twins concerns the massive quantity of data produced or collected by the owners and their partners in the project. Owners are turning to companies that offer solutions to assist them in managing and utilizing these massive data sets. Common Data Environments (CDEs) such as Trimble’s Quadri and Connect platforms help owners in standardizing and making huge amounts of data accessible to various systems and users within their business environments.
What to Watch Out For:
- Microsoft unveils digital twin technology for the construction and building management industries
- The U.S. Bipartisan infrastructure law specifically requires investment into digital tools for construction, which includes digital twin technology.
- Norway Road Authorities plan to manage assets digitally through the twin Integration of construction and field survey data through a common data environment.
Trend #6: Employing Technology to Advance Sustainability
Each year, sustainability has become more of a priority when it comes to construction and is now earning an opportunity to sit at the top table. The inherent nature of carbon embodied, expensive energy costs, and a limited supply of resources require it. Autodesk reports that 82 percent of AEC firms employ a committed sustainability group with a sustainability team in place, and 74 percent of AEC companies invest in technology to enhance sustainability.
Tech companies are responding and have $4.5 billion of investment into greener construction techniques over the last five years. $2.2 billion was spent in 2022 alone. Plug-ins such as the brand new Embodied Carbon Assessment Tool by Trimble and One Click LCA help engineers assess a building’s carbon footprint. In Tekla’s Structural Designer, designers can analyze the embodied carbon value and help make decisions to minimize the environmental impact of buildings. Carbon Clean provides out-of-the-box Carbon capture options for construction sites. Converge utilizes AI-poweredA.I. sensors to assist contractors in designing more eco-friendly concrete mixes as well as reduce the waste of concrete.
Additionally, construction management systems can be leveraged to support sustainability–effective use of these tools arms construction companies with valuable information about resource usage. According to Trimble’s The Ultimate Handbook of Sustainable Construction Technology, “project management tools give construction teams more control over risks that often cause waste and inefficiency. … A better visibility also means that sustainable solutions and materials are actually implemented.”
What to Watch Out For:
- McKinsey says that the construction sector is set to move towards sustainability post-COVID.
- 2021 and 2022 witnessed the introduction of several electric machines (including large equipment) to the market. While the numbers currently used aren’t that high, as battery life and costs improve and potential financial and regulatory incentives encourage manufacturers, we’ll see more of this type of technology.
Trend #7: Embracing Autonomous Machinery
Construction is gradually but steadily getting used to the benefits of autonomous machines. The mining industry has been an early adopter of the technology–Caterpillar began its first autonomy program more than 30 years ago and just recently exceeded 5.5 billion tonnes of construction material that is autonomously transported. Construction companies are likely to be able to see similar efficiency and productivity improvements by fully adopting autonomous machines.
Alongside Caterpillar, as well as other technology and equipment manufacturers, Trimble has developed autonomic vehicle technology that is ready to go to the construction site. Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform is the industry’s first automated steering control solution designed for soil compactors.
Certain things are hindering the widespread adoption of autonomous cars within the construction. Wireless networks cannot upload data, coverage isn’t always accessible or reliable, and various other equipment can interfere with an internet connection. Jobsite networks that address these coverage, capacity, and connectivity issues should first be developed to allow autonomy.
What to Watch Out For:
- The market is predicted to invest 4 billion dollars in artificial intelligence by 2026, which will likely increase the safety of autonomous machinery as well as accuracy.
- Industry firms will join forces or buy to improve autonomy, for example, Caterpillar’s acquisition of Marble Robot or Mortenson’s collaboration with Build Robotics.
Trend #8: Continuing Shifts to Cloud-Based Software
While a majority part of the building industry has taken the switch to cloud computing in the past, coming years are likely to see the remaining stragglers. The 2017 Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) study found an average of 85 percent of construction professionals are using or planning to utilize cloud-based solutions. In addition, the number is expected to rise, particularly after COVID’s expiration, which is where real-time updates and virtual collaboration are crucial.