Technologies That Enable Remote Construction

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Construction technology is a term used to define the different technologies used to enable remote construction within the industry.

The world is rapidly changing, and factors like a pandemic, high labor costs, etc., all acted as a pioneer in the need for remote construction.

Contrary to popular belief, construction sites are one of the most innovative areas of profession out there. The construction industry has always come up with the most viable options for adjusting to the economic, political, and environmental factors.

Technologies that Enable Remote Construction

We’ll talk about the leading technologies that enable remote construction. These technologies are a good option for the unavailability of resources, labor, time, etc.
Incorporating construction technology for remote projects is the quickest way to reduce risk, maximize efficiency and meet milestones quicker. Here’s a list of the top technologies that enable remote construction.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

One of the most significant scientific breakthroughs in the past decade is virtual reality (VR). The technology coupled with Augmented Reality (AR) has allowed people to accomplish much more than additional design options.

Following are some of the most common tasks that the VR and AR technologies can help with the isolated construction projects:

Eliminate bottlenecks

A bottleneck is congestion in the production process of any niche. Bottlenecks in remote construction projects are a significant problem because it impacts the project timeline collectively. There’s a wide range of negative impacts on remote construction projects that you may face.

For instance, you may have to pay more costs for the project, bear a more extended milestone completion than the initial estimation, and much more.

Using the VR and AR technologies in these construction projects makes it easier to assess the projected trajectory and remove possible project obstacles before initiating the line.

Improve Collaboration

Remote construction requires higher collaboration between various construction departments. The VR and AR technology allow members to allocate resources for maximized collaboration. The increased collaboration also enhances the outcome of the remote construction projects by maximizing operational efficiency.

Virtual Inspections

Virtual site inspections are one of the biggest obstacles for remote locations. There are many risks, resources, and time involved, but the VR and AR projects provide on-time site updates virtually.

The technologies have become a must for the construction and design industries to ensure better results. Even simple components like a 3D camera allow the creation of the most detailed outline and progress of the project through 360 o real-time video streaming.

3D Printing

3D printing is another popular technology that has helped revolutionize the world of remote construction. 3D printing provides a layer-by-layer method of creating 3D models of construction sites. There’s a wide range of benefits that using 3D-printing technology in construction can provide. Following is a list of the most common ones you will identify in the construction process.

Reduces Material Consumption
Decreases Construction Time
Improves Sustainability
Lowers Labor Requirements
Minimizes Logistical Demand
Optimizes Design
Reduces Costs for Conventional Construction

3D printing ensures that the remote construction processes work efficiently and the project sustainability improves. It can also help assess and recalculate the labor costs and allocate resources accordingly. There’s a high chance of design flaws, which might increase the overall design costs and time frame.
However, testing the site model with a 3D design ensures that project owners reduce costs for conventional construction projects by reducing the construction time on each project. You can also reduce the material consumption for the construction project and increase the profits and design efficiency reaped.
These benefits make 3D printing the best option for isolated or expeditionary environments where one cannot use the conventional methods for construction. Assembling a property or construction project through 3D printing can take a few hours rather than full-fletched months to complete.

Drones and Aerial Data

Drones are an excellent option to infuse in many industries, but the construction industry has shown the best results. These drones provide access to the most remote locations in construction sites and allow aerial data collection through different resources. There’s a wide range of options.

Increase Safety

The drones can perform a site inspection to identify possible safety hazards for the labor before the project begins. Managers can easily map out their sites and take necessary safety steps to ensure on-time project completion.
Increasing safety measures ensures safeguarding lives and avoiding unnecessary legal complications such as lawsuits and construction code violations.

Save Time and Resources

Assessing the construction site with a drone allows for mapping out the most suitable methods for the project completion. It helps allocate the right amount of time and resources for maximized efficiency and profits. Remote construction managers can even use drones to monitor the construction progress.

Fast-Track Surveying

Surveys can help update the project management plans on time and achieve milestones in a shorter period. There’s a wide range of fast-track surveying options that you can choose from. Quicker surveys ensure real-time aerial data updates for accurate outcomes.

Radio Satellite Technology

Radio satellite technology in construction ensures that all remote projects run through structured communication. The biggest obstacle for remote construction projects is maintaining contact between the on-site and off-site resources.

For instance, a remote construction manager may need real-time on-field updates from laborers or other workers. In other cases, the project managers may need to warn the workers about an imminent construction threat because of a geographical threat.

It allows consistent communication between site-based and office-based project members for better collaboration. It can also aid camp communication, distress calls, encrypted communication, durable device protection, etc.

It is the most viable method of communication in these remote construction projects and keeping a check on the group and individual resources at all times.

It can also help with the more dangerous project. For example, professionals working on a remote (a skyscraper project or a desert-based) project may not have excellent communication. These devices provide global connection and communication projects to keep a consistent check on workers, managers, and on-site members.

ICOM IC SAT100 PTT Satellite Radio

One of the most important parts of maintaining a hazard-free construction environment is effective communication. This construction industry case study shares how communication plays a vital role in a construction project getting done correctly and safely within the expected timeframe.
Icom IC is essential for effective communication in collaborative work such as construction. However, many construction sites are out of cellular range. In this case, it’s imperative that workers have access to satellite devices to stay in contact. A satellite phone with push-to-talk capability is ideal and some sites may need a device that provides satellite internet, as well.

Features of ICOM IC SAT100 PTT Satellite Radio

One-to-Many Communication
Wide Area Global Communications
Real-Time, Low-Latency Communication
Built-in Emergency Key
Safety and Durability
Water Proof and Dust Tight
Long-Lasting Battery Life
Conversation Privacy
Robotics

Like drones and aerial data, using robots in remote construction is another increasingly popular trend globally. These robots can help accomplish several simple tasks such as:
Bricklaying
Bulldozing
LoadingPainting

These robots make the remote construction process safer as well. Many scientific and research facilities are working on prototypes for remote robot construction workers. Experts believe robots might replace humans as resources in the industry if the testing is successful.

However, more development is required for robots to take charge of remote construction projects fully. Most of these robots still require a lot of human programming, input, and monitoring for long-running projects.

Bottom Line

A wide range of construction technologies can make the process quicker, faster, easier, affordable, and ideal for long-term use. However, most remote construction projects need consistent planning, monitoring, and supervision for quicker project completion.