ConstructConnect Blog

“The robots are coming to take our construction jobs!” There’s been a lot of media coverage over the past couple of years about how workers in many industries, construction included, will soon be replaced by robots and artificial intelligence (AI). A recent study by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute (MEPI) estimates that by 2057 robots could replace or displace 2.7 million jobs in construction.

A few months ago, The Economist referred to data as the oil of the modern times, underlining its immense importance for every aspect of society both on a professional and personal level.

If the construction industry is anything—it’s consistent. For roughly 20 straight years, the industry has racked up the “least improved” award for having the lowest annual productivity gains globally of any industry. This means construction is still way less productive now than it was in 1995, according to a 2017 McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) study.

Whether in the concrete or walls and ceilings trade, most small contractors are on the hunt for their next project. With razor-thin profit margins and competitors popping up overnight, it’s easy for contractors to lose sleep as they struggle to stay in the game and grow their business.

3D printing technology, also known as additive manufacturing, has been making impressive advancements in a number of industries from manufacturing to medicine over the past few years. The construction industry hasn’t been immune to the potential benefits that 3D printing technology promises.

Netflix and Apple are not media companies. Tesla isn’t known as a manufacturer. They are tech companies.

“I can pull up by the curb. I can make it on the road. Goin' mobile. I can stop in any street and talk with people that we meet. Goin' mobile. Keep me movin'.” – The Who

Construction projects create a lot of data. In the past, much of that data was unstructured and siloed. Data was collected, often on paper, and filed away once a project was completed. That’s been changing over the past several years as construction companies are realizing the benefits and insights that big data, predictive analytics and real-time data sharing can unlock.

If you’re a construction project manager, you’ve probably heard about the great benefits of virtual design and construction (VDC) and how fantastic it is to be able to construct a three-dimensional, visual model of your project before you ever break ground. The trouble with new technology isn’t always finding the benefits though – it’s making the business case for why your company should be going after those benefits and answering questions like “How does this help us make more profit?” and “How will this add more value?”

According to a recent post, the construction industry as a whole has seen little to no improvement in productivity over the past eight decades. While productivity plateaus and construction projects become more complex and time-intensive, construction companies also face tedious day-to-day management and inaccuracies that can tank a project’s profitability.