Construction Is On The Cusp Of Tech Transformation. How Could It Be Reimagined?

Walking around any major construction site in India reveals a picture of hectic activity. Interestingly, chaotic nature of work being carried out is often not visible ¨C e.g. verbal commands issued to workers that are based on paper drawings printed from the structural engineers¡¯ office days or sometimes weeks ago, often employing guesswork just because the drawings are not detailed enough.

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Tracing the history of construction

The heavily manual process of actual construction on a project site goes back to several millennia. Construction has always depended on skilled supervisors or masons guiding other workers primarily through a mix of rough drawings, sketches and intuition. While the process is certainly effective - all our historical structures still standing tall provide clinching evidence - it is not efficient, certainly not for complex industrial buildings and infrastructure.

The absence of enough detail in the planned drawings and over-reliance on guesswork, plus poor communication amongst the team working on a job site and office means that work is frequently delayed or carried out incorrectly. Clashes or errors are frequently discovered after a portion is completed, necessitating demolition and rework.

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While modern technology has for long promised to address or even eliminate all of these problems by digitalising the construction processes, its adoption by engineering companies and contractors is still below what is an ideal situation. In fact, the construction industry is often seen as a laggard in tech adoption not just in India, but around the world.

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Even though the sum total of economic activities allied with the construction sector represents 13% of the global GDP, the industry is still rife with outdated systems, power structures, and business models. This is partly an outcome of the thin margins, which result in minimal investments in research and development, or in technology adoption or upgradation.

Still, perhaps the biggest barrier for a wider adoption of construction technology is unwillingness on the part of a few stakeholders in the construction process to change the established ways of working. No wonder then that productivity growth in the construction industry has only averaged 1% per year over the past 20 years, even as other industries have leapfrogged ahead with judicious adoption of technology.

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Construction at the cusp of tech disruption

In spite of these challenges, emerging trends indicate that the industry might be on the cusp of a technology-enabled disruption. In the months since the Covid-19 pandemic first spread around the world, several surveys suggest that the adoption of digital technologies and data solutions in construction industry has accelerated. Our experience at Trimble further corroborates this as we have seen a 40-50% increase in the adoption of our software since the onset of the pandemic, a sharp increase when compared to previous years.

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Further, technologies and processes like Building Information Modeling (BIM), Mixed and Augmented Reality, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence are now being actively deployed to accelerate the full digitalisation of construction workflows and processes, and to enhance the effectiveness and productivity of personnel and machinery.

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Fundamentally, these technologies have the potential to assist owners and contractors in tackling the persistent problem of cost and schedule overruns which will ultimately lead to better margins and profitability, enhanced cash flow, and increased capacity to take on new projects ¨C all crucial elements in ensuring continued growth for the business in particular and the sector in general.

For instance, Tekla Structures' advanced constructible BIM models allow engineers and contractors to visualise the entire building¡¯s structure before construction ever begins, allowing them to explore different ideas and come up with a shared vision early on. By doing this, the likelihood of having to make pricey and time-consuming changes after construction starts is negligible.

How tech can reimagine construction

Similarly, cloud-based collaboration platforms designed for the construction industry enable a centrally updated virtual model with adequate and relevant information for all parties involved in a project, including engineers, general or concrete contractors and even MEP contractors; helping them make fast and accurate decisions all the time. When digital means of collaboration are adopted, they not only help eliminate all data silos, but also help save countless hours by enabling seamless sharing of latest and updated information while removing the need for data rekeying.

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The adoption and integration of innovative technologies is also an effective means to mitigate or exercise superior control over safety and health risks for workers at project sites. The most potent of these technologies are Building Information Modeling (BIM), wearable safety technologies, and robotics and automation (R&A). These can help supervisors monitor everything important to the project remotely and without jeopardising the safety of any human worker, so they can react to potentially dangerous situations swiftly and proactively.

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Finally, it would be a willful dereliction of duty on the part of the construction industry if it failed to respond to the climate crisis in anything short of the most emphatic way. The global construction industry single-handedly accounts for 40% of worldwide energy usage. Once again, cutting-edge construction technologies promise to help us mitigate the environmental impact of construction. Using historical as well as real-time data effectively; modern project management tools can help project managers use fuel and energy more efficiently, thus making the world a better place to live.

By tracking exactly how materials are used on-site, construction technology can help companies reduce waste, optimise operations and improve sustainability. Dedicated tools like Tekla Structures¡¯ Embodied Carbon Calculator further promote this pursuit by allowing users to easily trace the carbon footprint of their design decisions. If there is any hope of building a better tomorrow, it is in observing sustainable construction practices.

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Taken altogether, the paradigm shift precipitated by these technologies is likely to catalyse the biggest disruption in the construction industry since the dawn of civilisation. We are also likely to see ¡°digitalised and connected construction¡± being seen as part of the offerings of every construction firm in the future.

Transition from analogue to more accurate and effective digital tools is just the beginning of the future. Deeper integration of technology solutions in construction has the potential to resolve persistent issues that have been plaguing the industry for decades. Problems of low profitability and productivity, cost and schedule overruns, a lack of skilled workers, and sustainability issues, all fall within this ambit.

Construction technology is still rapidly growing and highly dynamic. Unlike manufacturing, construction has yet to encounter the true technology-led disruption across the value chain. The likelihood of this status quo being changed doesn¡¯t seem unfathomable nor does it seem too far off. All signs today point to the fact that the industry is ripe for disruption.

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Disclaimer: All views and opinions expressed above are of the author, Paul Wallett, Regional Director for Trimble Middle-East and India region, and do not represent Indiatimes.