As we peek into the future of the construction industry, hold onto your virtual reality hardhat because the fun is about to begin.
If you believe the forecasters who predict such things, any moment now drones will be hauling 2x4s across the skyline and sheetrock will be made of recycled styrofoam cups.
That may seem like something out of the Jetsons, but emerging technology, prefabrication and recycled materials for sustainability are three major trends you can get on top of right now.
Back in the day, “ready for work” meant having a new nail gun and a good pair of steel toe boots. Today a guy or gal out in the field may use their mobile phone to clock in, check blueprints, document job progress and even locate the crane they need.
It’s not your father’s workforce.
Looking into the Future
You may be asking, can my company grow at the pace the rest of the construction industry is growing? Or does all this new stuff mean I’m going to have to close up shop? Well, the industry is growing, and with that boom comes a lot of big changes.
Digital technologies are infiltrating the construction industry in the United States at a rapid rate, completely altering how infrastructure, housing and commercial buildings are envisioned and erected. If you want to compete, you have to jump in with both feet.
Architects, engineers, designers, contractors, building material suppliers, management, maintenance organizations and even the good ol’ boys at your average construction company will all be affected by these technological advancements. More than 100 million people worldwide who work in the industry are all having to adjust to the historical disruptions these changes will cause.
Let’s take a look at three of the major ones:
- Technology Takes All: Evolve or Evaporate
Digitization. That’s not a word typically associated with manual labor. It goes right along with artificial intelligence, integrated software, real-time GPS location tracking and autonomous construction equipment (yes, robots). That’s right, these programmable, don’t-need-breaks coworkers will be on construction sites before you can say, “Fetch me my water bottle, Watson.”
And that’s not necessarily something to be feared. Presumably, construction work will get safer and you’ll even get higher productivity when drones start drilling through concrete (see silica standard update).
Other examples: With 3D printing, workers will be able to produce materials to the exact size needed, eliminating waste. Self-driving vehicles will work around the clock to move heaven and earth, (well, earth) and reduce employee hours. Meanwhile, mobile and cloud-based applications will make the whole construction process visible to various vested interests.
At the center of all this is BIM, short for Building Information Modeling. BIM makes collaboration and communication simple, standardizing information and keeping hundreds of people in the loop throughout the entire process.
- Prefabrication and Modular Construction Will Increase
As demand for affordable housing increases, permanent modular buildings and prefabricated homes will be commonplace in the future. The profit-margin is too great to pass up and the reduction in employee costs is significant.
That doesn’t necessarily mean mass layoffs. Many construction activities will simply move from the field into the factory. Advanced mechanical processes aided by skilled labor will prefabricate modules to be assembled (by drones, perhaps) quickly and easily on-site.
- Sustainability: Playing the Green Card
Understanding the future of green building means joining the construction industry in embracing sustainable technologies and new materials to meet tough environmental regulations.
Each new generation will drive this demand for greater ecologically-minded materials and building methods. While it is still essential to find the best product for the job, industry leaders will be constantly challenged to develop and present products that are not harmful to the environment or deplete the earth’s resources.
Skilled Labor: Work With Your Workers
Technology, prefabrication and going green – these are the key issues facing modern thinkers and builders. Their answers, hopefully, are destined to make construction work safer and more sustainable. More importantly, modernization may salvage a shrinking workforce.
The need to find skilled construction workers who also understand complex digital systems software is causing big problems for the industry. More American contractors are having difficulties filling key positions, leaving behind vacancies and a talent gap that is expected to grow.
Companies are challenged with coming up with ways to reduce labor costs and still beat the construction labor shortage. While attempting to attract new talent, businesses should retain and retrain workers, providing education for the computer skills needed to perform highly technical job tasks.
I guess the lesson here is ‘learn to keep up or the future will creep up.’ You can start by introducing mobile time tracking to your team. It’s one of the first steps in adopting new technologies.
See how the busybusy free mobile app brings a digital update to payroll, project management, and equipment location. Request a free demonstration today.
