Story #8 of 10 in Haight’s series of Top Ten Stories in California Construction for 2015
The construction industry, which has been historically slow to implement technological advances, made significant forays into the high-tech arena in 2015. From the increased use of Building Information Modeling (“BIM”) and 3D printing, to emerging construction apps for smartphones and tablets, the construction industry has continued to harness available technology to increase efficiency and thereby remain competitive in a steadily recovering market.
The utilization of BIM by architects, engineers and builders continued to expand in 2015, becoming the most widely adopted new technology in the construction industry. BIM allows for the development and use of computer-generated 3D models that simulate the design, construction and operation of construction projects. A new study released by Dodge Data & Analytics illustrates the benefits of BIM, reporting that 48% of companies using this technology see a 5% or more decrease in construction costs, 51% see a 5% or more reduction in their project schedules, and 31% see a 25% improvement in labor productivity. The recent construction of the Collaborative Life Sciences Building in Portland, Oregon, exemplified these benefits, as BIM use directly translated to $10 million in savings on the project. By 2020, the BIM market is expected to more than double in size to a total of $7,946,500,000.
Closely related to the growth in BIM use, the use of apps has become prevalent on construction sites. According to a 2015 report based on studies by Texas A&M, 72% of construction professionals use smartphones at work, and 50.1% use tablets. Many use BIM apps, such as Autodesk, but newly emerging apps are changing more than just the manner in which projects are modeled. For example, available apps allow contractors to view purchase orders, floor plans and site plans, schedule appointments, submit change orders, research building codes, and track the heat index for sites. Additionally, the Rhumbix app, designed to provide a medium for interaction between project managers and construction workers, made its debut this year. This app benefits workers by allowing them to accurately clock in and out of jobs, ensuring that they will be paid appropriately for their time. It also benefits project managers by providing them with the ability to geolocate workers and track their budget and cost codes on a real-time basis. Although it is already being used on several projects, Rhumbix is still developing, and has the potential to further increase efficiency and productivity on construction sites by reducing idle time.
In addition to the aforementioned technological advances, strides have also been made this year in the field of 3D printing. 3D printing is process of constructing solid objects from a digital file, which is accomplished by compiling successive layers of material. In theory, 3D printing could be used to build entire structures at a fraction of the time and cost currently spent on projects. In 2015, a Tennessee company reportedly used a large 3D printer to construct entire walls for new homes. Going forward, 3D printing may be taken to the next level of “contour crafting,” a phrase coined by one University of Southern California engineering professor who is developing a printer which he hopes will build an entire house at once, including plumbing and electrical components, rather than layer by layer. Although such a feat appears to be far from realization, advances in 2015 show that the development of this technology may be possible.
These advances demonstrate the construction industry’s ability to adapt to doing business in a world of rapidly evolving technology. If the construction industry continues to develop and welcome such technology, it should see a considerable increase in efficiency and, as a result, profitability over the coming years.
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