Technological advances in building material manufacturing are making construction processes easier and more efficient. These advances range from prefabricated components to 3D printing, enabling businesses to reduce costs.
New materials, such as aerogels and self-healing concrete, are gaining popularity for their eco-friendly features. Tech tools like drones and augmented reality are also helping companies save on labor.
1. Prefabricated and Modular Techniques
The construction industry is constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. One such solution is prefabricated buildings, which flip conventional construction on its head by fabricating components offsite and transporting them to the construction site for assembly. This method of building is gaining popularity among architects, engineers and contractors due to its cost-effectiveness and speed.
Prefabrication uses the same principles as an optimized production line, with repetitive operations and defined operational sequences. This allows for greater speed and accuracy, while also reducing waste. Additionally, building materials are delivered to the construction site ready to be assembled and connected onsite, saving both time and labor.
Another advantage of prefabricated buildings is that they can be easily disassembled and repurposed for different applications, unlike traditional structures which are permanent and require extensive alteration before repurposing. Furthermore, prefabricated buildings have less waste than traditional construction, with a reported 5% in comparison to 10%-13% of the total weight of the structure.
While any building component produced offsite can technically be considered prefabricated, modular construction is a specific type of prefabrication that refers to the manufacturing of standardized modules for use in various projects. These modules can range from small elements in a facade to whole factory-fitted bathrooms. The modules are assembled on-site using inter-module connections, and the result is a finished structure that can be nearly indistinguishable from an entirely site-built property.
2. 3D Printing
3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), uses an iterative process to create solid objects with layer-by-layer of material. Unlike traditional manufacturing techniques, it does not require block materials or molds and can be used to produce parts with complex geometries. This allows for a more flexible design and shorter assembly times. 3D printers can also save on energy costs by reducing the number of components and material waste.
Construction companies are using 3D printers to print a variety of building materials, including concrete. One company, CyBe Construction, claims it can print and construct buildings in less than three weeks.
While these technologies are still being tested, they could drastically cut down on the amount of time it takes to complete projects. They would also reduce the cost of construction by allowing firms to use cheaper materials. However, these technologies are not without their drawbacks. They can be difficult to scale and require specialized equipment. They are also vulnerable to cyber security issues.
Despite these drawbacks, these innovative technologies have huge potential. In construction, they can enable digitisation and industrialisation to optimise material consumption and improve workmanship. However, they should be accompanied by appropriate assessments and standards to ensure quality.
3. Smart Materials
Adaptive and responsive to environmental conditions, smart materials are becoming increasingly popular in civil engineering projects. Smart materials, also known as intelligent or active materials are a type of material that changes its properties directly in response to external stimuli like temperature, pressure, light or electricity. They are incorporated into building structures to improve performance, comfortability and energy efficiency.
These intelligent construction materials allow the structure to monitor and respond to environmental factors in real-time, reducing maintenance needs and preventing structural failures. For example, smart polymers used in structural components help to reduce vibrations during earthquakes. Another use of smart materials includes sensors that detect deterioration or potential damage to structural integrity and notify maintenance crews so that the building can be repaired before it’s too late.
Smart Materials helps engineering, procurement and construction teams work together seamlessly across project phases. Access to accurate and consistent data ensures that everyone is working with the same information and is making informed decisions. High-level reports are available for management to make strategic, timely decisions that impact the plant schedule and overall cost of a project. The result is a better quality product and a better outcome for everyone involved, including your end customer. Contact us to see how our innovative materials solution can work for you. CIMIC Group, a leading engineering and project management company established an effective materials management system using Smart Materials.
4. Artificial Intelligence
AI has been used in many different ways throughout the construction process. It is a very versatile technology, but its most significant benefits are realized in areas characterized by repetitive, known tasks with limited uncertainty, such as routing and dispatching of workers or planning and monitoring production processes.
Some companies use AI to optimize their production processes and reduce costs by making better use of production capacities, reducing the amount of raw materials required or avoiding costly errors due to machine malfunctions. It is also used to improve the quality of finished goods or to identify potential risks, e.g. by analyzing data from cameras or sensors to detect anomalies or prevent potential safety hazards.
AI is also a popular tool for facilitating communication and collaboration within teams or with clients. For example, it can analyze large amounts of data to provide intelligible text output or create a natural voice for interacting with humans. Other applications include automated processing of incoming mail or the scheduling of meetings. Furthermore, it can be used to support other overhead functions, such as the accounting of incoming payments or the evaluation of credit risk. The implementation of artificial intelligence in a company has a positive impact on the efficiency of the entire organization and offers the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage.