Construction Innovations That Make Building Breezier

Building is a stressful endeavor, whether you're building a new home or an office building. One thing that makes the process easier and improves the overall building structure is implementing new technological innovations wherever practical and affordable.

Here are some construction innovations that are transforming the efficiency of building projects.

1. Virtual Reality

Virtual reality grows in popularity from year to year and has made its way into mainstream activities, including construction. 4D virtual reality models allow planners to walk through a property before construction begins and make changes to the functionality and aesthetics of the planned project.

Have you ever built a house or an office, and after spending time in the structure, realized there are things you’d like to change? 4D virtual reality allows you to experience a model of the space and make the appropriate changes to the building plans. That ensures the building or room meets your needs perfectly.

2. Fluid Analysis

Construction companies lose money when equipment in their fleet breaks down, forcing them to replace it before they are ready for that expense. Fortunately, advances in technology allow for ongoing fluid analysis to test the health of equipment and vehicles.

The process works by testing a sample from a machine, which then generates a report showing component wear rate, oil contamination and identifies the issues so they can fix them promptly. Early detection potentially saves thousands on repairs, as you can identify and fix problems before they break down your machines. For instance, identifying a coolant leak with fluid analysis before it causes an engine to fail can save about $74,000 on a single machine — and keep the project moving swiftly along.

3. Laser Scanning

Laser scanning allows companies to track what is happening at a job site so they can catch and fix any mistakes before they become costly errors. The increase in productivity from laser scanning saves as much as 85 cents per square foot. The ability to check each aspect of a project is far more efficient than checking off items on a piece of paper.

4. Wearables

Worker safety should be one of the most critical priorities construction companies place on projects. Not only is there the factor of keeping your employees safe, but worker compensation costs add up. If workers get injured and become unable to work, you also have hiring and training costs to replace those workers.

Fortunately, technology has introduced wearables that help track workers and inform a supervisor if someone gets hurt on the job. They allow management to get help to the person immediately. The trackers also report things such as how the person is lifting and twisting and what they could change to prevent injury.

5. Better Materials

Advances in manufacturing allow companies to build substantial structures more quickly. One example is the recipe for Roman concrete, which lasts longer and is more solid than modern concrete. Other materials include "self-healing" concrete that fills cracks and kinetic paving that creates electricity when people walk on it. Even though these are currently expensive, they are easy to incorporate into smaller projects, and will likely decrease in price over time.

Future Innovations

These are a few of the innovations making construction easier and more cost-effective. Adding just a few of these innovative features allows companies to save money and become more productive. Technology helps with issues as simple as better communication between the job site and trailer to something as complex as figuring out how to fix architecture before crews break ground.