Halfway through 2019, the housing and construction market which had been facing a boom is slowing down. with news of Suraya properties being auctioned and the cracks in many investors pockets, it is time to look at the construction industry trends and predictions and see which ones are shaping up.  Keeping on top of new and emerging trends in the construction industry not only helps keep your investments and your company from falling behind, but it helps you prepare for the future. This year has been an interesting year, with many changes to supply routes and technology. With the continuing growth and evolution of the construction industry, companies must stay up-to-date if they want to remain competitive.

As we continue technology is a major industry player at this point in time, more industry trends are continuing to develop, giving us a more accurate view into the future of construction.

The construction industry has been notoriously slow to jump into technology; however, this is a construction industry trend that isn’t going away. Construction project management software is getting better and better with more features. Many project management solutions are bundling scheduling, project management, and time in order to better serve construction companies. As these programs get better, this industry trend will carry over into 2019.

Here are for of the top trends from this year:

Robots in Construction

According to an article in Tech Native, much of the construction process will be automated by 2050. Drones could be capturing site data so that 3D models can be sent to robots and unmanned machines. Robots may also specialize in hard-to-reach or unsafe places that are too risky for humans to enter. According to the article, robotics will continue to work alongside humans, eventually coexisting with them on work sites. Some construction work is way too risky for humans to do, and that is where robotics will come in handy.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality also gives workers the chance to immerse themselves in a project before spending time constructing it. Using VR not only saves time and money by catching flaws in job site planning, but it also means safety risks can be prevented and measures can be put in place. Using VR for health and safety training can also offer workers the opportunity to experience live and potentially hazardous site environments from a safe space.

Augmented Reality

Alongside VR, augmented reality (AR) also combines an individual’s physical surroundings with computer-generated information in real-time. According to the article, this offers opportunities to improve the project lifecycle. AR can help construction teams drive more efficiency, and overall confidence in their projects.

Wearable Technology

Wearable technology for construction is made of metal frameworks fitted with “motorized muscles” to multiply the wearer’s strength. According to the article, the suits can be used in construction to improve health and safety for workers operating heavy machines. Since construction workers accumulate above average overexertion injuries, these suits can help combat injury.

Sustainability

While this might seem like the same trend as green technology,  sustainability is part of the methods and business models that make the world a better place.

Sustainable construction will include the preservation of the environment, an efficient use of resources, with an eye to social progress and culture. These can include buildings with ways for natural light to reach the middle of the building, thereby reducing electrical costs or buildings that reuse water from the sinks in the toilets. These focus on making small changes to reduce the number of resources necessary to build a new building and such.

Some sustainable projects are looking to reuse original structures that were there before or recycling construction materials. A sustainable future is part of the construction industry trends that will continue into 2020.

Additional material from  Tech Native