It’s undeniable that technological advancements are essentially taking part in all aspects of our daily lives at home and work. Today, rapid advancements in the home construction industry have brought more efficient and safer job sites, faster project completion, reduced costs and increased profits. As such, the construction market is experiencing a huge paradigm shift thanks to different technologies.
Here are the most noteworthy trends that experts believe will continue shaping the home construction industry in the next five years:
1. Augmented Reality (AR)
Though virtual reality has been an excellent emerging trend over the last five years, it’s starting to grow outdated. On the other hand, AR delivers the ability to see the real worth through your camera lens, and it’s bound to open many opportunities in the construction industry. However, some home construction companies may not afford the cost.
For those who can afford it, augmented reality will revolutionalize how they plan for projects and build homes. In fact, experts believe that companies will have the power to start planning and plot sites before breaking ground.
2. Effective Scanning Solutions
While you may not need a scanning solution for building patio covers, it can create a cost-effective solution for different home construction projects. That can help the construction industry to understand the stages that different projects have reached.
3. Self-Healing Concrete
Many Industry experts believe that self-healing concrete will become the norm when building roads, homes, and skyscrapers. Concrete is the most popular and largely produced material in the construction industry, and experts believe that we’ll be consuming about 5 billion metric tons every year by 2030.
Unlike regular concrete, it contains bacteria known as Bacillus pasteurii and a starch form that bond with the concrete to seal up cracks. That not only boosts the longevity of a house, but it also ensures that homeowners don’t need to spend money repairing cracks.
4. BIM is Still Growing
For the last few years, BIM has remained among the hottest construction technologies in the industry. That’s not a surprise considering the emergence of open and collaborative data ecosystem is underway. As such, BIM could fundamentally change how we design, manage and develop home construction projects.
From a general viewpoint, BIM brings more accuracy in the building process. It also empowers the exchange of vital information about a project between numerous stakeholders, making construction projects more affordable and productive by using revolutionary sustainable safety measures.
5. Wearable Technology
Though not everyone will be quick to admit it, wearable technology like 3D glasses, Fitbits, armbands, and Google Glass will become essential in safeguarding workers. That will allow workers to avoid constantly looking down to read their instructions as they talk to each other using this technology. It can also track the worker’s whereabouts in case of an accident. As such, you can expect to see home construction companies making them mandatory for their workers.
6. Rugged Job Site Devices
While job site wearables have existed for several years, they haven’t quite taken over mobile devices. That’s because most of them can’t handle several tasks that handheld devices can, though that’s quickly changing. Unlike your normal smartphone or tablet, rugged worksite devices are dustproof, waterproof and built with heavy-duty materials. Additionally, most rugged devices boast of industry-specific features like barcode scanners that come in handle in tracking shipments.
7. Robotics
While some companies may have overlooked robotics in the past, it’s becoming harder than ever to ignore this emerging trend. Industries like healthcare have already started investing heavily in this technology, helping to finance the technology’s accuracy and preciseness. Robotics is also becoming a driving force in construction, though the initial cost is a bit high at the moment.
In the future, expect to see robots handling mundane tasks like laying bricks and tying rebars. You can also expect to see them completing most man-operated projects in the construction industry to cut costs and improve the quality of buildings and homes.
8. Drones
Today, many home construction companies are heavily investing in drones. These crewless aerial vehicles are very beneficial as they save a lot of time in tasks such as surveying, allowing the surveyor to inspect a site within minutes instead of days, weeks or months. That will save construction companies a lot of money, as they continue improving in terms of precision and accuracy in their readings.
9. Advanced GPS Use
While GPS tracking isn’t new in the construction industry, construction experts are now using it in other creative and resourceful ways. Here are a few ways GPS is being incorporated in home construction:
- Thanks to GPS, surveying has significantly improved since crews are starting to let go of traditional surveying equipment.
- Tracing building materials is also easy as project managers can generate maps and pinpoint the location of any item.
- Data Ecosystem and Construction Software
Real-time collaboration software is an important component of the whole home building process. However, its impact on the industry is expected to continue rising significantly in the next five years. Data ecosystems are also a key part of the paradigm shift in the home construction industry as all the players can come together to share experience, project knowledge and data.
Bottom Line
Without a doubt, a lot of technologies are shaping the home construction market today to create a better future. As a result, you can expect a data-driven sector emphasizing real-time communication and collaboration. That will lead to higher productivity rates and minimize project delays.
