New technology and what it means for the Construction Sector

Technology has changed the World in the last decade or so. The technology we use in our everyday lives has transformed the way we interact with the World around us and the pace of evolution is speeding up as the newly available technologies allow ever greater projects to be undertaken. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how technology will impact the construction sector and the people that work within it and also consider how staffing needs will change.

There are already good examples of technology in action and how they change the game. For example Drones, commercial drones controlled by professional operators can survey a site in a fraction of the time the traditional methods would, in addition they can provide 3D imaging and thermal patterns which can be fed into our second innovation- ground condition surveys. Projects are often held up by differences in the substrates or subterranean problems, with 3D footage, laser scanning and ground penetrating radar many problems can be foreseen and budgeted into the project. Monitoring and analytics also provide real time data and costs much more quickly and cheaply than ever before.

5D BIM

All of the above data points lead to 5D Building Information Modelling (BIM) this system collates all of the data and can parse the details of how the project will look, what the projected issues will be, the best solutions to logistical, labour or other problems will be. BIM is working in real time to make sure all aspects of the project are performing as expected, within budget and on time. Integrating Augmented Reality into BIM allows the project directors to step inside the project and see how it’s developing, view problems and possible solutions then implement them. BIM also will allow the team to monitor the most advantageous and lowest carbon embedded materials to be used in the construction as it can model not just the production CO2 value but also the transportation CO2 value and many other factors, an increasingly important value in our World.

So how does this effect staffing requirements? In order to benefit from these advances in technology the construction sector has to bring in trained personnel who already understand how to operate these systems. The sector also has to commit to training it’s existing personnel so they can be upskilled into the required positions. These technologies are changing the way we all work, but as when we moved from flip phones to Blackberries then to iPhones we have to learn to embrace it in order to profit from it’s exponential functional advantages.

GTEK can help you find the trained staff you need today and the trainers for your staff of tomorrow, please reach out either to- russell@gtekindustrial.com or go to our website- www.gtekindustrial.com

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