The latest trends in technology have revolutionized the construction industry. Despite contrary belief, it’s not ruining the industry. The latest tech trends are vast but have the main goal of improving the way that the construction business has been taking control of their projects. Here are three major ways that the latest trends have forever changed the construction business.
1. Drones, Image Capturing, Robotics & Virtual Reality
Thanks to the latest image-capturing trends, cameras can be set up automatically at the job site. The construction industry can immediately record the ongoing progress of a project quickly and easily.
There are high-tech inventions such as OpenSpace that take a 360-degree image of the project site. This Artificial Intelligence (AI) software will then transform the video footage into a 360-degree panoramic image that’s similar to the maps used on Google Street View.
This can decrease the time it takes to walk through a construction site with a regular camera. The increased popularity of drones allows construction builders to take aerial views of the buildings. This is perfect for taking pictures of projects in progress, but also allows the user to take pictures from different angles.
Virtual reality is another technology that’s changing the construction industry. The first-ever pavilion-scale structure was created with the use of VR goggles known as the “HoloLens.” This technology combines augmented reality with CAD workflow. It creates a design model rather than a flat image or 2D drawing.
2. Cloud Applications & Software
Due to the increased use of cloud storage, massive amounts of data can be saved onto the cloud and can be accessed anywhere via smartphone or tablet. This has increased the demand for internet use on construction sites. Some examples include construction estimating software and project management software that changes the way you conduct business, write contracts, determine estimates, and manage projects from anywhere in the world.
Construction estimations can be calculated quickly thanks to this type of software. There’s no need to waste your time with crunching numbers. There is automated software that does it all for you, allowing you to focus on the project at hand.
There are also mobile apps that allow construction workers to access, document, edit, and share project information while working on the construction site. There are even devices that are built to withstand droppings, rugged conditions, and weather-related incidents.
There are also barcode scanners and RFID readers that allow you to manage your equipment and materials without exposing information to unsuspecting people. The increased use of mobile apps has improved communicating, sharing of documents, and exchanging real-time information with clients and workers.
3. Social Media
Social media has also changed the way that the construction industry markets themselves. It has allowed clients and workers to share images, news, photos, videos, and updates in real-time on an ongoing basis. Photos can be shared from your smartphone or tablet directly from the construction site to the social media channel.
Social media has also changed the way people connect with former clients, meet with potential clients, and post job listings. Construction estimations also take place on most social media channels such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
Each of these trends has motivated businesses to implement and learn about the latest software and technologies. It’s become a normal part of the construction industry. Most of these trends will change the way that your construction company will do business.
