What are Digital Construction Tools?
Digital construction, or construction 4.0, is the application of digital tools and technologies to increase the productivity, quality, and efficiency of building projects. It involves integrating digital technologies into every building process, from design and planning to construction and maintenance.
The construction industry has yet to fully adopt digital technologies, although digital tools like computer-aided design (CAD), building information modelling (BIM), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) have been used for years to produce accurate models and designs of products.
Digital technology has significantly impacted numerous industries worldwide. Although it’s more apparent in some sectors, like manufacturing, retail, and agriculture, the construction industry benefits most. It’s about time that contractors and their companies fully embraced the digital age.
In this Blog, Brick & Bolt explain digital construction tools, types of digital construction construction, examples of digital construction tools and advantages of digital construction tools.
How is the Construction Sector Changing As a Result of Digital Construction?
The world is changing constantly, and different industries must adjust to these new developments. Whether we like it or not, the change is unavoidable. Accepting it immediately can have a significant impact on cost savings and efficiency.
Contractors must evaluate their established practices and acknowledge that more digital alternatives will soon replace the creation of old procedures. The rule in this circumstance is the sooner, the better, rather than the later.
Digital technology can address global trends, and the following topics primarily drive the shift.
1. Urbanisation
Urbanisation is one of the leading forces causing change. Global urban population growth is a continuous process. According to a 2016 World Economic Forum study that looked into the issue, almost 200,000 individuals are thought to be relocating from rural to urban regions every day! This indicates a greater need for infrastructure development, including roads, schools, hospitals, power and water plants, and other facilities in addition to more homes.
2. Shortage of Labor
Construction organisations need help developing ways to boost production, even by 1%, these days. A primary cause is the need for more workers. Furthermore, there is a severe talent shortage in this sector. Professionals for senior roles are getting harder and harder to come by, and there’s a greater chance than ever of a labor shortage.
3. Lack of Resources and Waste Generation
Although recycling has been practised for some time, it is now more important than ever. To stop this environmental exploitation, new solutions must be developed as the extraction of materials used in the construction sector has expanded. More trash is created as a result, which leads to severe issues. This problem might be resolved by digital technology.
4. Changes in Climate
It should come as no surprise that pollution increases as more people move into urban areas. Global climate change caused by carbon pushes the building sector to update its outdated emission-reduction strategies. Over the next few decades, the issue is predicted to worsen. Reducing one’s environmental impact is imperative, and there’s no better way to do this than by utilising digital solutions.
Types of Digital Construction
1. Project Management Software
Project management software helps digitally manage the hundreds of thousands of actions on a building site. It is sometimes referred to as progress monitoring software or on-site execution software. It facilitates the construction process, which is infamously challenging and frequently leads to expensive errors and delays.
Both project managers and tradespeople working on a project can utilise project management software. Through mobile devices, parties may stay connected, make updates in real-time from any location, and keep tabs on every aspect of the project.
The fact that this kind of technology has a history of significantly influencing projects in both the short and long term has led to a sharp expansion in investment activity.
2. BIM or Building Information Monitoring
Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become a popular topic of conversation in the building business. It uses projections and past data to plan projects more effectively, replacing traditional blueprints with three-dimensional representations of buildings. It can also be distributed to aid in visualising the project’s advancement.
3. Robots and Drones
Robots and drones are assisting in solving the significant problem of labor shortages in the construction industry by supporting the labor force. They can be applied to various tasks, including project progress monitoring, safety inspections, site walkthroughs, and site logistics. Although they won’t completely replace people, it’s anticipated that robots and drones will be utilised more frequently to assist in the building industry.
4. Virtual and Augmented Reality
Everything and anything may go wrong on a construction project. This is the reason that careful and comprehensive project planning is very important. This is the sweet spot for augmented and virtual reality.
Buildings can be virtually simulated in three dimensions (VR) using augmented reality, which combines digital data with the user’s actual surroundings in real time. While virtual reality (VR) helps train workers on best-practice mistake-prevention measures, augmented reality (AR) helps anticipate potential hazards.
5. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning use data on the construction site to identify patterns and forecast future events. This might be a game-changer in figuring out the main reason behind delays, cutting expenses, and lowering risks.
Examples of Digital Construction
The domains of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) already employ digital tools, and some are quite standard, while others are only getting started. These are some of the digital construction tools that you may already be familiar with, ranging from common programs to more advanced technology.
- Mobile technology is a common resource that facilitates communication and lessens the requirement for travel. Instantaneous project updates or critical safety alerts can be sent and received through online mobile devices. Remote project sites with poor or nonexistent network signals also benefit from offline mobile technology use. Programs can be downloaded in the morning, used on-site to capture pertinent data, and uploaded to cloud servers whenever a connection is available.
- Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are another effective tool for obtaining information. Compared to traditional surveying methods, UAVs can quickly survey areas and gather data to create topographic maps in a fraction of the time and expense. To detect and diagnose faults and concerns before they become critical, they can also produce 3D maps of worksites or carry out visual inspections of far-off or difficult-to-reach places.
- Project teams can access, manage, and exchange data in digital environments called Common Data Environments (CDEs) with the help of cloud-based software suites and filing systems. Popular tools like BIM programs, which allow plan modifications to be immediately sent to all subscribers, are made possible by CDEs. This procedure is far quicker and more effective than mailing and updating paper documents and plans.
- Real-time data from remote sensors is made available through IoT, smart sensors, and wireless networks, and these are frequently included in BIM systems. IoT systems can follow the movements of assets and resources, which can improve logistics, record inventory, and deter theft. On-site employees can wear sensors to monitor safety and receive alerts when approaching potentially hazardous places or items.
- Big Data analytics and machine learning AI can produce more precise estimates of the money, personnel, supplies, equipment, and other resources required for a given process. Machine learning can develop increasingly precise forecast curves over time by utilising historical project data, fresh data gathered from IoT devices and UAVs, and on-site labourers. These systems can then use the data analytics insights to inform new projects with comparable features, improving time estimates, productivity, equipment usage, and material requirements estimations.
- Digital twins are essential for tracking development and spotting issues because they are a virtual depiction of actual processes and operations or physical components. Digital twins provide for early problem detection and speedy resolution because they are updated continuously. For instance, a company can keep an eye on the digital twins of its construction machinery inside to ensure everything operates as it should. Additionally, digital twins can be utilised for external services, such as verifying the operation of installed systems before transferring them to a site manager for ongoing oversight.
The Advantages of Digital Construction Technology
When utilised separately or incoordination, these digital construction technologies and applications are designed to improve the creation, management, and upkeep of the built environment to be safer, more effective, and more cooperative. Using digital building tools appropriately includes:
Encourage cooperation and Communication: Through mobile devices and remote connectivity, digital technology has demonstrated its ability to provide real-time information to all stakeholders. Because all stakeholders have access to the same data at all times and locations, cloud technology creates a single source of truth.
Increase Productivity: Project delays and financial blowouts might result from mistakes, design modifications, or unanticipated issues. Two benefits of digital building projects are more adjustment flexibility and a reduction in the quantity of drawing revisions and version faults.
Automate manual tasks: Manual labor requires a lot of repetition and time. Project services automation solutions facilitate streamlining several processes, including vendor onboarding, project planning, and client data management. Supervisors can focus on other important tasks since mobile timekeeping devices eliminate the need to monitor clock-ins and clock-outs.
Improved material workflows and safety: Sensor-based safety technology can make the workplace safer by informing employees about critical safety procedures and offering real-time situational awareness. Low-code applications can be installed on mobile devices to inform and direct quality checks, punch lists, safety walks, and daily reports.
Improve forecasting and tracking of projects: Drones and handheld scanners connected to BIM models can automatically detect deviations and anticipate possible issues during 3D site scans. Artificial intelligence (AI) models and predictive algorithms can produce more precise predictions regarding the supply, demand, and shortages of money, labor, equipment, materials, and other resources when paired with real-time information. This makes better workforce planning and more precise tracking of a project’s advancement concerning key performance measures possible.
Meet the demands of sustainability and the environment: Digital technologies will offer much-needed data and insights as businesses begin to feel more pressure and legal requirements to safeguard the environment and satisfy sustainable or “green building” standards. To better comply with carbon capture rules, digital technology can assist, for instance, in tracking the carbon production of equipment. On the other hand, digital technology may monitor and measure wastewater to demonstrate that sites adhere to water safety regulations for those required to follow the stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) under the U.S. Clean Water Act.
Digital technology significantly impacts the construction sector, offering benefits such as increased production, lower costs, improved cooperation, and time efficiency. Implementing it is becoming increasingly necessary, and it is not an option. You will not be in the business if you are unwilling to adapt. Accept innovation and embrace technology to stay competitive and allow your business to grow organically.