Digital Transformation in the Construction Industry

Digital Transformation in the Construction Industry
Construction industry consists of bricks, metals and hardware, heavily dependent on manual labour and huge machinery. Subsequently, the digital realmtranslates into codes, software and automation interplaying to ensureleast manual intervention. Until a few years ago, these two seemed to be quite incompatible.
But innovations are now getting more aligned to the core requirements from construction industry.A wide range of cutting-age technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) etc. has started to revolutionise the very essence of infrastructure development projects.
Interested to know more? Read on for details of the primary trends reshaping the construction industry today.

• IoT in construction: IoT applications at the worksite are:
  • Smart wearables equipped with safety apps,
  • Real-time data feeding for continuous improvement and reporting,
  • Better cost management and tracking of resources through sensors and ID tags etc.

 

• Big Data and Cloud Computing advantages: Big Data analytics along with Cloud Computing are steadily making project management and enhancement more efficientin construction industry. These’re contributing by uncovering great potentials hidden in the data cloudsin areas like:
  • Identifying data patters for most utilitarian value of a project/site,
  • Envisioning Green designs,
  • Finding out the most suitable combination of materials,
  • More accurate budget/planning for a profitable project etc.

 

• AI and ML benefits: More than 7% of the world’s manual labour force is employed in the construction industry. With the additional power of AI, the efficiency of this vast force can literally scale newer heights every day! AI is directly influencing the construction industry today by:
  • Using autonomous or semi-autonomous machinery and offsite constructions for faster progress,
  • Mitigating risks and enabling safety protocols for better operation
  • Identifying/resolving several post construction issues even before they become problems

 

• BIM contributions: This is a specialised application of AI in construction industry. Latest innovations like 3D digital modelling and Generative 5D BIM etc., make it possible to accurately plan, design and construct an entire project in the virtual domain, with ample scope for modifications and enhancements. Thus, the projects can be handled with minimal loss of time, labour and other resources due to incorrect designs or unforeseen risks.

Each of these technologies in conjunction with the others is steadily the very idea of a construction at every phase of the project. The benefits are simply abundant:

• Accurate planning, designing, budget and risk mitigation even before the start of the projects
• Better tracking, managing and utilising materials and resources including manual labour during projects
• Faster execution, smoother collaboration and flawless completion of sustainable projects through autonomous and semi-autonomous machinery
• More efficiency in predicting, handling and managing different pre and post construction issues with marginal impacts

The successful use cases of implementing these technology cluster solutions to construction industry problems are leading to more key technologies and tools. Supportive initiativesfrom the Government are also paving the way for a grand transformation in construction industry in digital India.
As a key player in India’s construction sector, Adhunik encourages customers and stakeholders to embrace the trends of digital progress today to ensure a more productive, collaborative and smarter construction industry of tomorrow
NOTE: Image courtesy- Google