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Writer's pictureJen Lemen
Oct 228 min read

Hot Topic Highlight - Trends in Digital Construction





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What is this blog about?


In this week’s blog, Babatunji Adegoke BSc MSc MRICS, Project Manager at Paragon Holdings Ltd and consultant at Property Elite, writes about trends in digital construction.


You can email him to find out more about his work in this and other fields using babatunjiadegoke@gmail.com.


Babatunji has extensive hands-on experience in project delivery and management in a variety of sectors, including complex projects in the property, construction, and civil engineering industries.


He also has quality experience working with top-tier rated Clients, Contractors, and Consultants in Nigeria and Ghana, having earned a first degree in Civil Engineering and a second degree in Construction Management from the prestigious University of Lagos.


Babatunji is a highly regarded multidisciplinary professional with memberships in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (MNIQS), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE), and the Project Management Institute (PMP). He is an RICS APC Assessor and Counsellor.


How does this link to my APC?


This article is closely linked to the RICS Rules of Conduct.


Rule 3 states that members and firms must provide quality and diligent service. An example of behaviour expected under sub-section 3.11 is that members and firms understand the risks and benefits of using relevant technology.


Hence RICS APC candidates and chartered surveyors need to know about emerging technologies and how they may affect their work.


The article is also linked to Construction Technology and Environmental Services competency where RICS APC candidates are expected to have knowledge of the construction solutions relevant to their projects.


Introduction


Technology has been used for the advancement of the activities of humans from times past.


The advancement in technology has also been applied in different industries for the

maximum benefit of these industries.


In the construction industry (CI), the application of technology to advance construction operations has been brought to the limelight as a result of the pandemics that the world has experienced recently such as COVID-19.


However, despite that the CI is one of the oldest; it is still considered one of the most conservative in the world where the adoption of technology is still at a low ebb. The approach, techniques and tools applied for its operations are often traditional.


New methods and technologies are often not embraced as rapidly as in other industries. Technological advancement and the adoption of digital tools applied for the enhancement of construction operations and processes are often neglected.


This article, therefore, looks at the current digital trends in the construction industry to keep readers informed.


I. Artificial Intelligence (AI)


Copeland (no date), defined AI as;

'the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings'.

In other words, AI enables machines to think like humans.


According to the Great Learning Team (2022), AI is the simulation of natural intelligence in machines in such a way that they are programmed to learn and copy the actions of humans.


The use of AI in construction is enormous and it has been used over time. For example, it can be used to address safety concerns, labour shortages, cost and time overruns on construction projects, design a building better, risk mitigation, project planning, increase productivity, and use in post-construction (Rao, 2022).


II. Virtual Reality (VR)


VR is the use of wearable devices, usually on the eyes to access a virtual world that seems real to the wearer of the device.

The University of Toronto (2021) defined VR as;

'the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment that can be explored in 360 degrees and places the user inside the virtual environment to give an immersive experience'.

Brooks (2022) opined that VR is useful as an effective tool for training, safety and avoiding costly overruns on construction projects.


Furthermore, VR enables project stakeholders to have an overview of what to expect early at the design stage of construction before the execution of the project, therefore, allowing changes to be made early enough to adjust the scope and budget of the project to meet the expected reality. VR use for training and enhancement of safety is useful during pandemics such as COVID-19 when movement was restricted.


III. Drones


The Imperial War Museum (2022) reported that the earliest use of Drones was in the Vietnam War where Reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), later known as Drones, were first deployed on a large scale. Its use has, however, surpassed wars alone.


For example, Drones have been used to take aerial photographs and videos to report the status of construction projects. Their use can, however, be extended to monitoring site activities remotely and promoting safe construction. Some drones have sensors that can alert project managers of potential hazards.


Drones can also be used to monitor construction, especially in dangerously high-rise structures and very risky areas.


Wingtra, stated the benefits of drones as fast in producing images on sites, producing accurate data, assisting in cost and time saving, remote access to sites, and increased safety.


IV. 3-Dimensional Printing


This is also commonly referred to as 3D printing.


Designing Buildings (2022) described 3D printing, sometimes referred to as Additive Manufacturing (AM) as;

'the computer-controlled sequential layering of materials to create three-dimensional shapes'.

Its application has been widely used in the manufacturing industry to produce replacement parts for machines. Its popularity and application in the CI have, however, been recent.


Automated machines are programmed to produce buildings at a speed and accuracy much faster than that of using manual labour. It has been reported that the use of 3D printing in homes saves time, reduces waste, promotes sustainability, and reduces construction costs.


V. Robotics


Robots have been used in construction in recent times. Its use has been, for example, in the inspection of sewer systems, underground tunnels and inspection at dangerous heights.


Robots have proven to be effective in providing safe and sustainable construction while assisting to make up for labour shortages in some countries.


ABB, a major player in the automation industry, stated that Robotic automation provides huge potential to enhance productivity, efficiency and manufacturing flexibility throughout the CI.


For example, automating the fabrication of modular homes and building components off site, robotic welding and material handling on building sites and robot 3D printing of houses (ABB, 2021).


VI. Smart Buildings


Digitilisation in the CI cannot be discussed without mentioning the current trend in the development of smart buildings.


Zhou & Yang (2018) affirmed that a smart building is a type of building with a reasonable investment in efficient energy management, and a comfortable and convenient environment, designed by considering the optimised relationship between structure, system, service, and management.


The level of smartness of a building varies and it is not a measure of how much technology is deployed in the building but how the deployed technology is maximised.


VIII. Digital Twin


Digital Twin is a relatively new concept in the digital world.


It is the creation of a digital image for example of a building or structure that enables it to interact with the environment as though the building or structure is real.


In other words, it is easy to predict the outcome of the usage of such buildings and structures digitally.


According to IBM (no date); '

a digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle, is updated from real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to help decision-making'.

IBM further described a digital twin as a virtual model designed to accurately reflect a physical object. The advantages of using a digital twin is that it helps in research and development, improved efficiency, and prediction of the end life of the product (IBM, no date).


IX. Metaverse


The Metaverse is perhaps one of the most recent, interesting but yet confusing digital innovations whose popularity is gaining traction recently.


The simplest explanation is that Metaverse is a virtual world where people come to interact just like they do in the real world.


There has been a report of major organisations setting up their stores in the virtual world.


For instance, Lee (2022) reported that Gucci, a well-known brand, just bought a plot of digital land in the metaverse.


This alludes to the fact that in the near future, more organisations will establish their presence in the virtual world. This portends a paradigm shift for real estate practitioners, who are familiar with operating in the real world. To confirm that real estate in the metaverse will thrive in the near future,


Finn (2022) observed that visionary real estate practitioners believe that in a digital future are already accumulating digital land in the same way they do with traditional real estate. It was further observed that brokers are already selling luxury real estate plots in the metaverse.


References


1. Copeland, B.J. (no date) Artificial Intelligence. Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence (Accessed: 8th June 2022).


2. Great Learning Team. (2022) What is Artificial Intelligence. How does AI work, Types, trends and Future of it? Artificial Intelligence - An Overview. Great Learning Blog. Available at: https://www.mygreatlearning.com/blog/what-is-artificial-intelligence/ (Accessed: 8th June 2022).


3. Rao, S. (2022)The Benefits of AI in Construction. Constructible. Trimble. Available at:


4. University of Toronto/Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (2021). Virtual Reality in the Classroom. What is Virtual Reality? Available at: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=607624&p=4938314 (Accessed: 11th June 2022).


5. Brooks, C. (2020) How Virtual Reality is Changing Construction. Available at:


6. Imperial War Museum. (2022) A Brief History of Drones. Available at:


7. Wingtra. (no date) Six benefits of using drones for construction and infrastructure projects. Available at: https://wingtra.com/drone-mapping-applications/drones-in-construction-and-infrastructure/. (Accessed: 11th June 2022).


8. Designing buildings (no date). 3D printing in construction. The Construction Wiki. Available at https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/3D_printing_in_construction# (Accessed: 4th June 2022).


9. ABB. (2021) ABB Robotics advances construction industry automation to enable safer and sustainable building. Available at: https://new.abb.com/news/detail/78359/abb-robotics-advances-construction-industry-automation-to-enable-safer-andsustainable-building# (Accessed: 11th June 2022).


10. Zhou, K. and Yang, S. (2018) Comprehensive Energy Systems, Science Direct.


11. IBM. (no date) Advantages and benefits of digital twins. Available at:


12. IBM. (no date) Applications of digital twins. Available at: https://www.ibm.com/topics/what-is-a-digital-twin# (Accessed: 12th June 2022).


13. Lee, I. (2022). Gucci just bought a plot of virtual land in The Sandbox to create themed experiences in the metaverse. Market Insider. Available at:


14. Finn, s. (2022). Real Estate and the Metaverse: The Value of Virtual Land. Recent Investments in the Metaverse. Available at:

 

 

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N.b. Nothing in this article constitutes legal, professional or financial advice.


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