The future of construction:
drones, exoskeletons and digitization
Digital technology and robotics will reduce road construction costs by 30%. And it will happen within 30 years. At least according to McKinsey research. We were so interested that we searched for other interesting research and predictions about the future of the construction industry. According to some studies, a big digital revolution awaits us in the construction industry in just a few years.
The direction of digitization will be determined by startups and big players
Construction is a conservative industry, and this applies not only here, but almost all over the world. In its research, the incubator Speedinvest reports data according to which, thanks to digitization, labor productivity has grown by leaps and bounds in all sectors except construction – for example, by 20% in manufacturing, but only by 2% in construction.
But when Speedinvest asked the largest global players in the construction industry how many processes they want to solve digitally in the coming years, 80% of the companies answered that more than half.
At the same time, these companies believe that startups will play a crucial role in the digitization of the construction industry, which will bring new technologies to the industry, the big players will start using them, and the rest of the industry will have no choice but to switch to them as well. This was also the case in logistics, for example.
Exoskeletons or what a builder, that Robocop
This special harness serves both as protection (it saves the workers' muscles and joints, for example) and at the same time increases productivity - workers in the exoskeleton strain less and get more done. The exoskeletons market is growing at a CAGR of 48.4% from 2019 and is forecast to reach $11.4 billion by 2027. For example, construction companies in Britain, which have long been struggling with a shortage of workers, are looking forward to the greater availability of exoskeletons. An exoskeleton for construction workers is currently being developed by HILTI, for example.
The golden age of drones
Drones have found use in many industries in recent years and are starting to appear in the construction industry as well. For example, they perform:
- building inspections – they are used to search for defects in places where the human eye cannot see,
- safety control at the construction site - they monitor compliance with safety processes,
- virtual tour – for example, investors can view the building from the comfort of their office chair using drones.
Drones are penetrating the construction industry more and more, and their golden era is yet to come. In its study, PwC estimates that British companies will invest £42 billion in drones by 2030 (this is roughly the same as the state budget of the Czech Republic for the entire year 2017). While drones have functioned more as passive observers and surveillance on construction sites, in the future they may also perform some of the tasks of workers.
Internet of things and smart tools
Constructions generate a large amount of data, but companies hardly work with it at all - most of it is not even captured. IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, which use sensors and wireless devices to collect data, should change this. For example, in manufacturing or agriculture, IoT devices are already a common part of operations (even in the Czech Republic) – they monitor the productivity of machines, monitor working conditions such as temperature and humidity, or detect movement and serve as security systems.
IoT has huge potential for the construction industry, and this is confirmed by KPMG research, according to which 95% of construction companies believe that IoT-related technologies will fundamentally change the construction industry in the coming years.
Thanks to IoT data, companies will realize what they need to change in order to work more efficiently and economically. At Stavari, for example, we are working on a smart sensor that monitors the use of machines and tools on the construction site. Among other things, the sensor monitors the utilization of machines and tools and sends you data from which you can easily find out
- whether you have too many machines and tools,
- if it is more convenient for you to own or rent them
- or will notify you in time of a necessary service check.
Cloud software or the future that has already arrived
One of the first swallows of digitalization in the construction industry are cloud tools that replace paper attendance systems, construction diaries or warehouse records on the construction site - they allow managing the entire agenda related to construction projects in one place, electronically and from any device. This is exactly how our Stavario works.
These instruments are already common in the West. For example, McKinsey describes in its study the construction of an American tunnel, in which over 600 contractors participated. Among other things, the cloud-based tool for construction management accelerated their reporting by 75% and the transmission of documents by 90%. As a result, thanks to this tool, they saved 110 million dollars (the total cost of the project was 5 billion dollars).
Digitization is coming
Digital transformation brings endless possibilities to overcome the limitations of human work. The described technologies will enable construction companies to work more efficiently, economically and safely. According to predictions, the digitization of the construction industry is inevitable - the biggest players like Skanska or Metrostav have already jumped into it, and the only question is when the rest will start digitizing.