Builders! Grab your hard hats and take note. The construction business is changing in a hurry.
From smart tech and sustainability to new materials, methods, and business models, today’s contractors are a far cry from their hard-hat-wearing, high-visibility-vest sporting forebears of yesteryear.
That’s not a bad thing either. Smart construction, green building, modular methods, digital marketing, and reimagined equipment like custom extruders aren’t just buzzy construction industry phrases—they’re the building blocks of tomorrow’s construction industry, which is already being built today.
Whether you’re an industry veteran, a first-time building contractor, or an interested observer, you’ve gotta ask yourself: what will construction look like tomorrow?
Smart Construction Technologies
Construction technology is catching up fast.
Walkie-talkies, clipboard data, and two-dimensional blueprints are being replaced by smart helmets, drones, cloud project management tools, and more.
Drones give workers and stakeholders real-time aerial views of job sites to track progress, inspect hard-to-reach areas, and provide volume calculations, to name a few benefits.
Smart wearables can track worker movements, flag fatigue, and monitor environmental conditions to keep construction workers safe.
Meanwhile, 3D BIM technology is making it possible for contractors and architects to visualize projects in three dimensions before breaking ground on the building site.
All of which is to say: the good ol’ days of construction were sometimes good…but also not great for saving money, reducing waste, and ensuring on-site safety.
Modular and Prefabricated Construction
We’ve talked about modular construction before and we’ll likely keep talking about it as one of the hottest new trends in the construction business.
Modular construction means building “sections” of a project (walls, rooms, modules, apartments, or entire buildings) offsite in a factory and then delivering them to a project site for final assembly.
Done right, modular and prefabricated building methods are faster and often cheaper than traditional building methods.
They also result in quieter and less trafficked building sites, which is especially attractive to municipalities and densely populated urban areas.
Construction inside controlled factory settings is also less likely to face weather delays or quality control problems.
And custom extruders are helping builders make unique parts for modular and even traditional construction projects, too.
Sustainable Building Practices
Here’s the truth: the construction business has a huge carbon footprint.
Builders now have an opportunity and responsibility to cut back on environmental impact by changing the way we build, and that starts with materials.
Sustainable materials like recycled steel, cross-laminated timber, and other repurposed, upcycled, and/or responsibly sourced products and resources are more popular than ever.
Solar panels, green roofs, and smart glass are other environmentally friendly options to consider.
Builders can also work toward sustainability by aiming for LEED certification and taking other steps to reduce waste, source locally, and plan for the environmental impact of their work over time.
Heavy equipment makers are also getting on board. Electric and hybrid backhoes, excavators, loaders, and other machines are being developed to help contractors reduce emissions on site, too.
Robotics and Automation
No, robots aren’t going to take everyone’s jobs. Phew.
Robotics and automation will help with some construction tasks (even entire jobs like bricklaying, 3D printing, and robotic arm assistance) but machines can’t replicate human intuition, communication skills, or adaptability.
Don’t believe us? Check out these stories of automated building tech.
Bricklaying robots can lay up to 3,000 bricks a day, 3D printers are printing entire homes and office buildings with precision, and robotics arms are being used to assist with high-risk and/or repetitive tasks.
Automated custom extruders are already a part of many industrial 3D printers, giving builders the option to make new, one-of-a-kind parts on demand.
Automation and robotics not only speed up work, it also allows builders to tackle one of the industry’s current biggest problems: the skilled worker shortage.
Skilled Worker Shortage
Builders and contractors across the globe are dealing with a shortage of skilled workers.
As a result, it’s forcing people in the construction business to be more creative when it comes to making sure they have people to do the job.
The biggies: apprenticeship and training programs to bring new blood into the trades, tech to automate or streamline certain processes, and smart tools and machines that are easier to use with less training.
Automation and robotics can help.
So can custom 3D printed parts like our custom extruders and other extrusion-specific parts.
Data-Driven Building
Talk about a game changer.
With sensors, software, apps, and other tech tools, builders can now collect data on everything from the local weather to equipment downtime.
And with real-time tracking and analytics, the data they collect is only getting better and bigger.
The more data contractors have, the better the decisions they can make. (Predict delays, manage resources, prevent costly mistakes before they happen, etc.)
A data-driven future for construction sounds good, right? So good, in fact, that building contractors have an opportunity to get on the data-driven bandwagon before their competition.
Domestic Sourcing
Global supply chain issues during the pandemic taught the construction business a hard lesson: reliance on overseas suppliers and manufacturers has a whole lot of risk baked into it.
In fact, more builders are turning to American-made lathes, machinery, and materials to ensure reliability, support local jobs, and avoid delays
Builders and their clients like knowing they’re supporting jobs and building with tools that are just as good for the environment, project timelines, and budgets.
It also feels good to build local. But we already knew that.
Digital Marketing and B2B Branding
Who needs a Facebook page, Instagram profile, or a Twitter handle these days? Everyone—even construction companies.
Especially construction companies.
Construction firms compete against each other via digital requests for proposals (RFPs) and tenders now. Add to that how more companies are bidding on building projects from home offices around the world and you’ve got yourself a situation where branding really does matter.
This is where a business-to-business public relations agency and agencies are helping construction companies step up their branding game.
Communicating your brand story, showcasing your capabilities, and building trust with developers, investors, partners, clients, and talent isn’t a luxury for construction companies today. It’s a must.
Safety and Mental Health
A not-so-secret secret that is finally getting some well-deserved attention: the well-being of construction workers is just as important as how they’re doing their job.
Construction sites and work are inherently risky. While physical safety is (thankfully) a priority for most contractors and builders, mental health is starting to become part of the conversation.
We’re seeing construction companies invest in mental health resources, stress management workshops, and other tools and policies that make workers feel safe and supported on the job.
Technology is also stepping in to help. Wearable technology can flag certain workers when they’re exhibiting signs of fatigue or heat exhaustion.
Giving employees mental and physical breathing room when they need it not only protects their health and safety, it also helps workers perform better and stay with their companies longer.
It’s just good for business.
Infrastructure and Government Spending
Want to know what could really move the needle in the construction business?
A whole lot of money.
Major infrastructure bills and stimulus packages (billions upon billions of dollars) are headed to public works, roads, bridges, broadband, and housing construction in the U.S. and around the world.
Meaning billions of construction jobs and a boom in public works.
Builders with experience or capacity to work in public-private partnerships are also well-positioned to help with what’s to come.
For similar reasons, the smart infrastructure construction trend is heating up, too. (Roads with embedded sensors, self-healing concrete, and design for future-forward climate resilience.)
Both of these trends aren’t just impressive. They’re needed.
Wrapping it Up
The construction business is changing and it’s not going back.
Slowly but surely, today’s builders are making the case for a reimagined construction industry: one that makes better use of smart technology, new materials, alternative building methods, and even new business models to not only build structures…but build a better world.
Today’s construction business leaders have the opportunity to define the industry for the next decade and beyond.
Whether they’re designing with BIM, laying bricks with robots, investing in mental health resources, or sourcing American-made tools for their next project, tomorrow’s industry is being built one smart move, one strong foundation, and one innovative idea at a time.
