The year 2022 will see the construction industry reemerge and thrive after a difficult time of modifying predictions and altering expectations. In the face of rising building prices, labor shortages, and harsher regulations, the construction sector is challenged to come up with fresh, competitive concepts.
SINCE LAST YEAR, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the construction industry, affecting everything from project scheduling and closing to hiring personnel to meet with clients. The pandemic’s impact will be felt in several industry trends in the years to come. In the construction industry, new technology is always changing the landscape, enhancing the company’s capacity to secure new contracts, and increasing profits. There is a shift in the roles of industry professionals and front-line workers due to current trends and movements.
These trends will prove useful for any construction company as the business gets increasingly competitive and the market transforms. Here are ten construction industry trends to watch in 2022 to stay ahead of the curve.
Construction Technology trends in 2022:
- Protective Equipment:
The COVID-19 epidemic has significantly influenced the construction sector, with new state legislation requiring building sites to be clean and safe. This also includes a rise in the influence of labor unions on projects, which could increase project costs and duration.
Additionally, the business is witnessing a surge in the machines that can identify and eliminate certain common dangers to safety. Wearable technology makes its way to the workplace with work boots that can connect to Wi-Fi and send an alert if someone falls. Tasked robots build scaffolding or lay bricks on their own, while material-moving “mules” move heavy or hazardous goods. Increasing the level of environmental awareness among employees is one way to improve safety while benefiting from headsets’ noise reduction capabilities.
Jobs’ protective gear aside, we’re already seeing robots take the place of some human workers. Instead of “displacing” humans, robots are reshaping the roles that humans perform, allowing for more high-level positions to be filled by humans who are more suited to the tasks at hand.
Environmental sensors that detect noise, heat, and wind at construction sites provide warnings to evacuate construction workers and move costly construction equipment in an emergency or natural disaster. Reliance on 3D printing continues to increase, resulting in reduced transportation risks.
- Efficient Technology:
One of the most important differentiators in construction this year will be technology, particularly advances that might improve productivity. COVID-19 has led to an increase in the utilization of building technology as a result of the pandemic. From now until 2022 and beyond, these are some of the technologies that will continue to gain in popularity:
Smart Contract:
In the construction business, experts believe that blockchain technology is a valuable tool for enhancing connections and offering a more secure and fast-moving workflow that benefits all parties involved.
Smart contracts provide a centralized method for purchasing, tracking, and paying for services to all participating organizations in a project. By using smart contacts as a single tracking system, organizations may avoid dealing with numerous vendors and instead rely on the blockchain to enforce regulations and deadlines. Faster closeouts, improved security, better project tracking, and an automated supply chain are all advantages of this technology.
Construction Drones:
Drones are one of the fastest-growing developments in the construction industry, which has increased by 239% year over year. In addition to real estate and commercial photography, the technology has a wide range of applications.
As a result of drone technology, it is now possible to rapidly map large areas across great distances, resulting in useful aerial heat maps and thermal images. Drone software advances provide real-time, actionable data for rapid decision-making, expediting the entire construction process even more.
- Need for Labours:
It seems unlikely that these robots will be able to handle all of the data created by modern technology on their own. It’s positive that more women are taking on more competitive roles. From 2007 to 2018, female-owned businesses in the construction industry grew by 94 percent, and 30 percent of construction enterprises elevated women to senior positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Between the ages of 1995 and 2010, Generation Z was born, is the target demographic for recruitment attempts in this industry. Negative perceptions about them have hitherto stymied trade schools. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted perceptions about alternative education options, raising positive sentiments toward trade schools and allowing construction companies to showcase the industry’s career growth potential and abundance of opportunities to experiment with new technology.
- Mobile Access/Remote work Sites:
Real-time inspections, on-site accountability, and precise measurements collected with a mobile phone camera are all possible thanks to construction sector mobile applications.
COVID-19 required teams to continue working together even if they did not have physical access to supplies, places, or other teammates. Technology developed by AECOM makes it possible to have virtual public approval meetings for public projects, which otherwise would necessitate in-person events. In addition to AirMeasure and Infotycoon, several other smartphone apps are available on the market. Businesses that do not have complete mobile connectivity will suffer in the future in terms of productivity and sales.
- Rising Material Costs:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: the Producer Price Index for construction goods increased by 17% in 2021. A rise in interest rates is anticipated to pressure the building industry. Drones, augmented reality, and 3D modeling, among other emerging technologies, will be critical in keeping project volumes high while also reducing project costs.
Even if they ultimately result in greater savings for users, cutting-edge living materials and technology may raise expenses even higher. Some examples of these cutting-edge materials are:
Concrete that repairs itself
A 3D graphene
Aluminum that appears to be transparent.
Concrete that emits light
Solar cells that are concealed from the naked eye
- Green Building:
Green development is the norm for homebuyers, renters, and commercial tenants. Unfortunately, many sustainable and eco-friendly elements remain a luxury, but this will change in the coming decade as Ecotech and sustainable construction become more commonplace.
Currently, renewable energy sources account for 11 percent of the total energy market, and this figure is likely to rise as their accessibility improves. Because buildings still account for 40% of US energy use and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, this is a large industry.
A green building’s carbon footprint can be reduced by the use of technology, as well as by reducing the number of resources and building models used. The ability to demonstrate the advantages of green construction to the building’s tenants is maybe an even more important motivator. Green buildings have been shown to positively affect people’s mental and physical health.
- Offsite Construction:
The surge in modular and prefabricated construction, which has been going on for several years, shows no abating. It is estimated that by 2025, the modular construction market, which is mostly driven by the residential sector, will reach a value of about $110 billion.
Prefabricated and modular structures can now be built at unprecedented scales thanks to advancements in technology. Modular construction is now being used to build the United States’ tallest hotel, the 21-story CitizenM Bowery Hotel, which opened in downtown Manhattan in 2019. In addition, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development has been working on an East New York affordable housing project with a modular developer since 2015. According to some of the world’s largest builders, prefab building is expected to replace 25 percent of on-site construction by 2025.
- Construction Management Software:
With the right construction management software, you can keep up with the competition, grow your business, and improve your operational efficiency.
Each software solution has a somewhat different set of features and capabilities. Still, the top ones handle everything from RFIs to gathering data, sharing files with mobile employees, budgeting to document storage to payroll to HR to inventory monitoring and tracking.
The purchase of construction management software requires careful consideration. Consider the simplicity of use and compatibility with other systems when developing your product and other programs before moving on to more complex features. Look for software that can grow with your business as it expands so that your demands may be met today and in the future. Check for available support, training, customization options, upgrades, and new features.
- Focusing on Residential Projects:
Construction corporations, such as Skanska, have indicated that they will no longer pursue huge transit public-private projects, preferring to focus on more risk-averse agreements.
There has already been a rise in interest in private sector projects as a result of the slump in large-scale projects. In 2021, residential construction investment increased by about 25%, and starts are forecast to rise by 7% in 2022, according to the ICSC.
- Smart Cities:
Global tech giants IBM, Microsoft, and Cisco, are making significant investments in large-scale initiatives aimed at creating smart, sustainable cities. Much more has to be done before construction can begin on these cities because they are intricate and intertwined. There will be a 20.5 percent increase in the worldwide smart city market by 2025, to $2.5 trillion.
Most noteworthy worldwide mega projects under development include Masdar City (UAE), Songdo International Business District (S Korea), Hudson Yards (NYC), and India’s Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (India). From the tens of billions to over $100 billion, these initiatives are expected to impact the economy, improve the infrastructure, and improve the environmental health of our nation’s capital region.