Creating social value when delivering a construction project can lead to new jobs, training and education opportunities. But essential to successfully harnessing a scheme’s social value is establishing its aims and goals from the beginning of a project’s development.
Construction has been somewhat behind on things like technology and remote working. But the COVID-19 pandemic forced the sector to revisit how it did things; now it is embracing fresh ways of working that could lead to gains in productivity and worker well-being.
Digital plan review software is speeding up the review process for urban planning agencies. Learn how one city cut plan review times with Bluebeam Revu.
Construction activity is complex, requiring huge amounts of coordination and cooperation. Pre-construction site inspections are part of this process, ensuring that the groundwork—literally—for success is being done properly.
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.
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?
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?
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.
As the construction industry seeks to lower carbon emissions and join the fight against climate change, it is trying to use locally sourced building materials as much as it can.
Experts argue that relationships across the construction industry are more vital than ever in today’s challenging markets. Contractors who establish a good relationship with their suppliers can hope to rise to meet and surpass these challenges.
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
Climate change is increasing the threat of flooding across many parts of the world, so engineers and others in the built environment are turning to alternative methods to tackle water flow and drainage issues than the traditional pipework and sewer networks.
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.
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?
