The Future of the Construction Industry

The future of the construction industry is in constant fluctuation. Even with the definitive construction industry trends in 2019, the construction industry outlook in 2020 is vastly different from what was expected even from a few months ago. The construction market has felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and business shutdowns thrust economic uncertainty as a key contributor to a starkly different construction industry overview and construction outlook for 2020 and beyond.

The construction industry statistics in 2019 indicated new construction in the South Atlantic and Pacific regions in the U.S was among the highest in part due to a resurgence in construction projects after the recession. Now, the construction industry in 2020 brings a host of new challenges professionals couldn’t have predicted. With new building materials in 2020 steadily rising and the likelihood of an increasing labor shortage, modern technology in construction is a hopeful solution for many industry members. The positive impact of technology on the construction industry and technological advancements in construction can help this challenging construction industry overview. 

Trends in Construction

Commercial Construction: Efficiency improving technology was a large contributor to the building trends for 2020. In addition, commercial construction trends of 2020 include scrutiny into the existing structural processes and planning to help ensure there are fewer catastrophes. The example of 2018’s Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse encouraged contractors, designers, and consultants as well as insurers to zero in on additional safety measures in design as well as implementing safer and more rigorous planning. Other construction market trends for 2020 include modular buildings in the commercial construction space as well as automation continuing to make headway in the construction space in areas of autonomy, semi-autonomy, and remote operation to support rather than replace human-help jobs.

Residential Construction: The residential construction industry trends in 2019 showed things like home prices rising linking to gains in home improvement and remodeling. Some new construction trends in 2019 included new trends in construction materials, the advancement of codes and air sealing, and a push for materials like 3D cementitious sandwich panels and 3D printed molds. Residential construction trends in 2020 while similar to 2019 are more in-line with combating the pandemic. New residential construction trends include environmentally conscious designs, including eco-houses or homes. Overall, a majority if the focus for construction trends leads to technological advancements.

Construction Technology Trends

Construction technology trends transcend both commercial and residential construction projects and have been the source of focus for the last few years. New construction technology in 2020 has improved significantly and evolved tremendously over the last year. Looking back at new construction technology in 2018, the industry was just beginning to adopt tech resources for prefabrication, 3D printing, green & innovative materials, wearables & mobility, augmented and virtual reality, robotics, and cloud-based collaboration tools. In 2020, the growth of these sectors, as well as the maturity of the tools, is something that most firms are not only aware of, but eager to use.

The future construction technology tools embrace digital trends of the past with the understanding that new technology 2020 in construction needs to address the impact of COVID-19. Recently developed technologies in construction that are becoming more standard are as follows:

• Augmented Reality (AR)

This technology is quickly taking over in the construction industry, helping the construction team visualize issues with the equipment and other components in real-time to address them immediately.

• Building Information Modeling (BIM)

With BIM, resource management is more accessible, enhancing collaboration and communication. This technology is also leading the way in addressing challenges like budget overspend, quality control issues, and project delays.

• Robotics

Robots offer more precision and accuracy to assist with tasks that require a little bit more effort.

• More Prefabrication, Eco-Friendliness, and Modularization

Multi-trade prefabrication and modularization save time, delivering higher quality and faster construction times.

• Self-Healing Concrete

This new innovation will be used on roads and in buildings as well as homes. This technology is designed to work on areas of concern such as building cracks and structural deterioration.

• Cloud and Mobile Technology

Large amounts of data can be stored and accessed by the people who need it. Additionally, it will be secure in a remote location and able to be used in the field. Touchplan bases its application in the Cloud to allow for easy access at all times while deploying a mobile application to encourage regular in-field updates to strengthen data and communication.

• Cloud-based Collaborations in Construction Projects

Cloud-based collaboration like Touchplan works well fostering strong connections between crews of designers, engineers, contractors, trades, owners, and beyond to integrate and manage plans and processes through a single platform. This not only promotes real-time conversations but provides instant and accurate data to eliminate manual tasks to increase productivity, efficiency, and profitability. Tools like Touchplan go beyond acting as a collaborative tool and put the insights garnered into action as well as alerts - letting team members know what activities need attention, now.

The Benefits of Construction Technology

Its no question that the benefits of technology in construction have helped reshape an industry, adding positive outcomes that are clear. Some of the below detail the results and what you could expect when implementing these supportive solutions:

• Efficient daily operations

Traditionally, the sketches and other outlines were done by hand. With construction technology, designers, illustrators, and project managers are able to coordinate projects, make quick changes, share sketches, and immediately receive feedback. This helps save money while streamlining operations.

• Smarter and More Resilient Structures

Construction technology helps when designing new structures, and by retrofitting existing structures for increased durability.

• Better tools

The construction industry has some of the most high-tech tools on the market, with the ability to generate 3D models and imaging for interactivity and a realistic picture of what’s working and what’s not. These tools are one of the main aspects of how technology is changing the construction industry.

• Better outcomes

Technology has made it easier to communicate with clients without them having to continuously visit the site. Everything is able to be done in real-time, with the client being able to see progress, make changes, and approve from wherever they are.

• Innovation and competitive advantage

Technological advancements are continuously being made in the industry, promoting safer structures and more positive outcomes in the future. Additionally, teams that have adopted tools like Touchplan wholly have experienced a differentiation factor when bidding on new projects. Learning to use new tools that are intended to be adopted by the entire crew swiftly while providing outstanding outcomes leads to more reliable delivery, trust and ultimately future bids won.

For more information, search for the impact of technology on the construction industry - PDF files and check out additional resources from Touchplan like the blog.

Technology for Residential Construction

When it comes to tech in residential construction, it’s very similar to the general construction technology theme -  the last few years collectively have been focused on awareness and adoption of tools to support outcomes. Though interestingly enough, the new home construction ideas for 2018 as far as actual features are vastly different from the new home construction trends of 2020. (To be noted: the features to consider that some call must-haves when building a new home in 2019 are similar to the new home construction ideas of 2020.) The new home must-haves of 2020, construction industry trends in 2020, and new home construction ideas in 2020 include elements like open floor plans, customization, smarter technology are all elements that benefit from clear communication among crews to produce the swiftest, best possible outcomes. Technology like Touchplan - though largely considered for commercial construction projects - can help with the planning, replanning and total job site awareness.