What do you think of when you hear the word “construction”? A crew of hardworking people swinging hammers, using their muscles to lift heavy objects off the ground? Perhaps a group of individuals surrounded by construction cones, working side by side with large machinery to push the dirt around and create magnificent buildings that everyone will admire for years to come.
What comes to mind may be nothing more than pure fiction, but there is no denying that technology has made its way into this industry. Technology allows for greater efficiency between workers, creates higher quality results in less time, and helps us become more mindful about our environment.
The construction industry has been one of the slowest moving areas, but it’s finally starting to see the benefits of adopting new technologies.
From 3D printing to factory-made homes, this industry has come a long way. Here are just some of the ways that technology is transforming the construction world.
The Internet: The Construction Industry’s Best Friend
Construction workers and managers alike can benefit significantly from having access to the internet while at work. The internet allows you to share blueprints, communicate with other workers on your site, and keep up with all of your day’s essential tasks.
It’s also an easy way for everyone to stay connected not only onsite but also virtually. It gives people instant access to weather conditions or equipment updates instead of waiting until they get home each night to see what happened during the day.
Not only does it save time, but it also saves money by removing the need for bulky printed documents.
Construction sites typically have a large amount of machinery and other equipment, sometimes making it difficult to get from one place to another. For example, if a worker falls behind on their work due to an injury or another reason, it can be challenging to get around quickly while trying to catch up with the rest of the team.
With today’s technology, companies can buy equipment that doesn’t require a driver’s license because all you have to do is use your phone or computer screen as a remote control. This allows everyone in different locations to select where they want the machine to go and avoid obstacles along its path, so there isn’t any damage done from collisions.
3D Printing: The Next Big Thing
The construction industry has been using 3D printers now, but this technology is still relatively new. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s an incredible way to make objects onsite without having to send them away for printing.
The technology can be used onsite or offsite with equal effectiveness and results in an object that fits perfectly the first time around.
“Additive manufacturing” is the proper term for 3D printing because you are adding material together rather than taking it away until you have what you want, which can be easier said than done with older techniques.
While more expensive upfront, these machines are typically more cost-effective over time because they require less wasted materials and provide better quality results compared to traditional manufacturing methods.
Printing out tools and replacement parts that aren’t available locally saves everyone time and money because they don’t have to ship them from other places, which can take days or weeks depending on where it’s coming from.
Typically, you need to pour liquid metal into a mold to create objects the size of a hammer or construction cones, for example. 3D printers allow you to print tools such as this without needing molds or any liquid material at all.
This process is quick and easy but has its problems because the material used must be strong enough not to break under stress or cause damage if there are any defects in the part.
For this reason, larger companies often prefer to use metal molds when possible because they can create more complex objects that are finished better than what’s printed in the shop.
Space Travelers: The Drones Are Coming!
Drones have been around for decades, but it wasn’t until recently that people started using them for commercial purposes such as photography and aerial footage. Today, drones are used to inspect construction sites without sending a person up high or having someone drive by onsite with an expensive truck-mounted camera system.
This is cost-effective and gets the job done faster, which frees up workers to do other tasks while their daily progress is recorded with little effort on their part. There are countless ways drones could be used in this field, but most companies are only starting to take advantage of this technology.
New drones come with infrared thermal imaging cameras that can pick up on things that a regular camera cannot, such as standing water or areas where the ground has been disturbed without being repaired. This is extremely useful because it saves time and money troubleshooting why something isn’t working correctly.
Otherwise, managers would have to wait until the end of the day when everyone goes home and inspects their work from a computer screen to find out what went wrong.
In addition, drone footage can be used for presentation purposes when showing off projects to management or other interested parties. Depending on how technologically advanced these drones are, they could help make reports for all aspects of your company.
This could mean a better return on investment for shareholders because you can show them exactly what the company is doing with their money, which leads to higher profits.
Conclusion
With all these benefits in mind, managers do not have an excuse to keep doing things the old-fashioned way because technology has become too affordable and efficient to ignore, which means it’s just a matter of time before everyone integrates it into their work routine so they can spend less time worrying about how to stay afloat and more time focused on improving productivity.
The only thing left for you is to figure out where exactly you will start saving money and boosting growth once this change takes place.