The construction industry is known for its innovation. The industry leverages technology to not just manage projects and site operations but also to innovate. The past few years witnessed construction trends such as BIM, construction robotics and green building technology. The global pandemic crisis created the need for advanced construction technology that focused on on-site safety, regulations and worker health. The growing demand leads to the construction startups and scaleups to curate innovations for site and worker safety.

Here are the top 5 construction technology trends for 2022 that improve connectivity between man and machine.

LiDAR

LiDAR technology is used for measuring distances on construction sites. The technology calculates the distance by illuminating the target with laser light and also measures the reflection with a sensor that is mounted on a range of construction site equipment. LiDAR enables workers to scan the surrounding worksite and produce high-resolution 3D images. The 3D images produced help workers perform site works from distance thus reducing the health and safety hazards of other workers. LiDar technology is also used for several other purposes including:

• 3D Printing
• Shadow analysis
• Land Classification
• Tunnel Surveying
• Structural Flaw detection
• Drone mapping
• Elevation modelling
• Urban assessment
• Optic fibre and sewer passage analysis

Smart Infrastructure

The pandemic taught us about the need for the creation of smart infrastructure that has structural monitoring systems. The building monitoring systems make use of sensors to monitor the strengths and weaknesses of the building structures. The system also checks for thermostatic heating. The technology also is used during the construction phase to detect building flaws, cracks, and rock falls and also helps to assess the integrity of a site. The technology reduces worker risk exposure and also helps to inform the team of hazardous conditions.

Exoskeletons

Exoskeletons refer to wearable devices that allow site workers to carry out heavy tasks effortlessly. The technology minimizes the strain and injury on the worker’s body while helping to boost productivity. The technology makes the workers appear less fatigued.

Robot Swarms

The robot swarms in comparison to humanoid robots look vaguely like humans. The robotic swarms comprise hundreds of small individual robots that work together to perform site tasks like laying bricks or shifting materials. The robotic swarm enable construction companies to safely repair infrastructure in hard-to-reach locations that seem dangerous to human workers.

Advanced Building Materials

The construction industry has witnessed a radical shift from modular and green construction to advanced building materials. The use of innovative and sustainable materials has replaced traditional materials. Sustainable materials like mycelium composites, bioplastics and bio foam have emerged as an important part of this construction technology trend. Innovative materials such as aerogel, graphene, spider silk, carbon composites hydrodynamics and nanomaterials being lighter and having higher water holding capacity have also become part of the trend. Other advanced building materials include bamboo, cross-laminated timber, transparent timber, transparent wood and aluminium foam having higher strength and biodegradability are also sought after.

All these technologies need to be connected or to a central server to be controlled, monitored and managed. The connectivity enables the technologies to function effectively. The possibilities of advanced construction technology are endless and if used accordingly it has the power of changing the future of the construction industry.