Though quite a lot of progress has been made in the field of construction technologies to make job sites safer, more efficient and productive, there are still many people who continue to use the old ways of communicating, computing and documenting.
There are still many construction companies who continue to use manual data entries, spreadsheets, and believe in a world of huge paperwork. However, they need to understand that things have moved ahead in the construction industry.
Whether one is into the making of orange cones or into something more complex and complicated, we should keep in mind the changing face of engineering and construction technology.
Many believe that these engineering and construction technologies are more fad than anything else. This is absolutely not true and the following few points will certainly prove this beyond reasonable doubt.
There are many who believe that these new technologies such as software that allows you to see a construction project estimate will make companies competitive and more productive and could also help in better ways to integrate new strategies and approaches.
Use of Mobile Technology
Mobile telephony in general and smart phone mobile technology in particular is not restricted to playing games or communicating alone. Today, the world of apps has truly arrived. There are many apps that are becoming the norm as far as many construction industries are concerned.
There are obvious reasons for this. They are sought after because of convenience of use, better portability and their ability to work from almost anywhere provided there is a decent internet connectivity.
The integration of mobile telephony into construction, engineering and other such technologies can be done quite easily. It also is cost effective and the upfront investment is not huge. It does go a long way in helping boost productivity and adds more teeth and efficiency to the day-to-day construction and related engineering activities.
If you are into construction activities and would like to start investing in the most modern technology, mobile telephony is certainly a good place to start.
Drones
Drones for long have been considered as showpieces and have been mostly used for gaming and other purposes. They are, however, used extensively in the army for surveillance and many of the drones are also used as unmanned aircrafts to target enemy aircraft, installation and infrastructure.
However, drones are also being used regularly today in the construction and engineering industry for a number of reasons. They are capable of conducting surveys that are accurate and the surveys can also be done speedily and efficiently.
This may not be possible for those surveyors who work from the ground. They are also cheaper than aerial imaging. The high resolution cameras that are used and the data and information that is collected can help in creating interactive 3D or even for creation of topographical models and maps. They are also capable of taking volume measurements.
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
BIM also is comparable to CAD or computer aided design. However, there are some areas of differences that one should bear in mind. BIM is basically software based 3D design that can be used as a digital model of the construction that is being planned.
It does much more than creating a visually appealing 3D model as far as the building is concerned. It is capable of creating a number of layers of metadata. It would be pertinent to mention here that almost 32.7% of builders have now started using BIM and CAD as a combination.
In fact the UK Government has mandated the use of BIM software as far as government funded projects are concerned. Hence, this could be a big area of change as far as new technologies are concerned.
3D Printing
3D printing is another construction technology and it has the potential to completely change material sourcing. It can be used for prefabrication purposes where the materials that are required for a project can be printed and after printing the same can be transported to the job site.
This makes a prototype that is ready for use immediately. This also can allow material to get to sites faster and the whole process can also be streamlined especially when developing technology for traditional traffic equipment like orange cones for roadwork.
Conclusion
It is clear from the above that absorption of new technologies in building and engineering fields is no longer a choice but is becoming a reality because of a number of reasons.