If you are in the construction industry, you have been party to the shifts and changes experienced in the last couple of years. While the standards prevail, there seems to be changes in everything else around construction.
These will be central to your operations in the new year, as adopting and evolving is what will keep determining your competitiveness and, indeed, success.
Here are the more notable Construction Trends to keep your eyes on this coming year.
1. Safety
Aside from the regular industry safety standards, 2021 will come with an additional challenge; Covid-19.
Until the country gets a good grasp of this pandemic, safety protocols will have to be adhered to the latter. Enhanced equipment, separation of workers, and site cleanliness and sanitation protocols will feature prominently.
Staggered shifts and smaller crews are worthwhile considerations as well. Drones will also be a lot more common as they support the idea of smaller work teams on site.
2. 3-D Printing
If there is a technology that lessens worksite density, 3-D printing is it.
A US startup recently made a huge step by printing the first-ever 3-D neighbourhood in Mexico. This method is now in commercial use and is expected to grow in leaps and bounds as the concept is starched and explored further.
This is the same concept used for creating smaller components in an assembly line. 3D printing will become commonplace in construction, allowing investors to make significant cash and time savings. If you want to build your career in construction, this is one thing you should have a good grasp of.
3. Green Construction
With most industries thinking and creating sustainably, it was only a matter of time before the construction industry caught up.
Take prefabrication, for one. Building parts within a factory setting allows extra materials and cutoffs to be recycled. Traditional on-site construction sees most of these wind up in landfills.
Other aspects of green construction include the installation of green spaces within both residential and commercial buildings.
Lighting is also a big one. Expect more building designs that allow maximum natural lighting during the day to cut down on energy consumption and costs. Solar energy, which has been big in recent years, is expected to remain popular, albeit with better design integration.
4. Construction with Living Materials
This exciting construction trend is expected to make waves this coming year. While these won’t see full production just as yet, expect more experiments as concept leaders test to see how far they can go with this.
Building with living materials means using biological compounds that grow themselves once installed.
An example of this is self-mending concrete. These are saturated with bacteria, which bind material around them to create new structural material. This bacteria can grow into pores and fissures on concrete, filing them and essentially repairing them.
5. Robotics and IoT
Robotics have been adopted in a wide array of industries, healthcare being at the forefront. As these become increasingly intelligent and accurate, so will their dominance in the industry.
This year should see more testing on robotics. This will outline what they can do in construction, as well as find cheaper ways of creating functional robots.
Internet of Things (IoT) is about internet connectivity and how devices can communicate without external prompts. This is yet another area you can expect massive testing and growth in come the new year.
6. VR and AR
Virtual and augmented reality was once a preserve of the gaming industry. Not so anymore. Expect to see more of this in construction in 2021. Walkthroughs and virtual tours will be important in allowing all parties to see what to expect from a finished construction project.
Final Thoughts
The next twelve months will be quite interesting for the construction industry. Unfortunately, some players will be thrown off-balance because there will be major shifts. The only way to survive is to see the changes coming and swim with the tide.
