Construction activity is complex, requiring huge amounts of coordination and cooperation. Pre-construction defect inspections are part of this process, ensuring that the groundwork – literally – for success is being done properly.
Traditional building products such as steel and concrete are construction’s ‘tried and tested’ materials, yet they come with a significant environmental cost. Can ‘hempcrete,’ a concrete-like product made from the hemp plant, help the industry elevate its sustainability efforts?
The virtual metaverse is set to make a significant impact on the construction industry, particularly among architects and designers, who will relish the opportunity to collaborate with ease, see the limits of design pushed further than ever and take clients on a journey through a project before its groundbreaking.
It’s expected that by 2050 cities will be home to 68% of the world’s population, up from 54% in 2016. As our towns and cities expand at a phenomenal rate, what can the built environment do to cater for such rapid urbanisation and its challenges, making these good places to live and work, where people can live healthy, fulfilled lives?
From keeping onsite equipment secure and productive to helping map out land and terrain for projects, Global Positioning System (GPS) technology offers the construction industry a dimension of information that was simply unthinkable a few decades ago.
The advent of virtual and augmented reality technology enables architects to walk clients through their designs well before a spade hits the ground, while contractors can overlay images of an existing site with a digital plan of things like pipework to determine what will work and what won’t
The advent of drones has given the construction industry the opportunity to get a unique view of a building project as it rises from the ground. But as well as checking that a structure has been built properly and collecting and imparting data, a drone-mounted camera can monitor a site’s safety and security, while it can also be used in a maintenance program, assessing wear and tear on a long-finished building or infrastructure asset.
Companies across the construction industry approach their activities differently, depending on the products and services they offer. Business models vary, from general construction offerings to specialisms. What is important is the ability to adapt and change as economic circumstances dictate.
Business information modelling (BIM) revolutionised the construction industry when it first came on the scene, enabling designers and contractors to get a unique digital view of their projects. Can openBIM, which promises users better access to digital files, better management of data and improved interoperability, do the same?
Contributing more than one-third of the world’s carbon emissions, the built environment urgently needs to find new and cleaner ways to deliver the homes and other buildings we need. Might newly developed technologies such as ‘living building materials’ be the answer?
Bluebeam is increasingly being used by public sector organisations in the U.S. Built UK spoke to the supervising building inspector for plan reviews for Merced County in California about why his team made the switch to Bluebeam and what the software has done to transform the way his team can respond to the needs of local people.
The word ‘backlog’ summons up images of work being held up, delays and pressure. But in construction a backlog can be a good thing because it can show a potential client that a contractor is in demand. However, it’s not always simple.
The construction industry is constantly looking for new ways to improve, whether that’s in terms of productivity, efficiency, safety or profitability. Would increased use of artificial intelligence and machine learning be the way to deliver these enhanced efficiencies?
The safety of workers on building sites is paramount. Protective clothing has moved on from basic boots, hard hats and gloves to garments featuring high-spec technology.
Bridging the gap between reality and the virtual world is the job of the metaverse. Can construction harness this latest development in digital technology?
