TECHNOLOGY is having an ever-greater impact on the construction sector. Many ideas that were once thought of as gimmicks – or even the stuff of science-fiction – are now being steadily incorporated into the mainstream industry, with new and practical applications for technology being developed at a rapid pace. Here we’ve shortlisted the 8 construction technology trends to keep your eyes on in 2018. AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES With a drive to improve efficiency and safety on construction sites, autonomous vehicles are gaining traction and could be seen on some projects in 2018. Just as driverless cars promise to revolutionise the way in which we travel, autonomous vehicles could transform our building site environments – helping to address a shortage of skilled labour and enhancing productivity. Above: Autonomous vehicles could transform construction sites and address shortages of skilled labour (image courtesy of Built Robotics) Several developers have already created prototypes of autonomous construction vehicles ranging from bulldozers and tractors, to cranes and excavators. While entry costs and regulations remain serious barriers to adoption, several observers believe that we may see self-driving vehicles on construction sites before we see them on roads – particularly as sites are highly controlled environments. VIRTUAL + AUGMENTED REALITY Next up is a technology area that has been on construction’s radar for several years, and indeed made it onto our 2017 tech roundup; virtual and augmented reality. These visual technologies continue to be “one to watch” in 2018 as they gain greater traction within the construction industry and become valuable tools for project teams and end users alike. Above: Enveloping 360 pop-up tents or rooms allow designers to step inside their buildings (image courtesy of Igloo Vision) Virtual Reality – or VR – creates an immersive environment in a headset or cardboard viewer, or even an enveloping 360 pop-up tent or room – enabling contractors, designers and end users to step into their buildings in the future – either during key stages of construction, or in their completed states. Prominent examples of this in practice include London’s 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper and the impressive “Tomorrowland” at the Shanghai Disney Resort. Augmented Reality – or AR – is also finding its feet, providing a graphic layer to our real-world view and offering a wide array of data to site personnel – from design information and specifications, to statistics on productivity and health and safety warnings. Whilst VR and AR have long been touted for their future potential, they are now being used in anger and are set to drive clear benefits for project teams in 2018. EXOSKELETONS Exoskeletons are a technology that has been long-touted for its potential to make construction more efficient. Like many of the technologies on this list, they might sound more like the stuff of science fiction, than a credible real-world application. However, the wearable mechanical suits – that are worn outside clothing to help with lifting heavy equipment, machinery, or supplies – are now becoming a reality. Above: Exoskeletons have been specifically developed for the construction industry (image courtesy of Lockheed Martin). Designed to “augment with humans” and help them overcome physical weaknesses, these suits could aid construction workers with everyday mundane, repetitive tasks, supporting better physical health and helping to combat conditions such as arthritis and hand-arm vibration. Around 40 companies are now manufacturing exoskeletons worldwide, so you may well see them on a site near you in 2018. ADVANCED MATERIALS The world of construction materials is advancing at an incredible rate as new technologies enter the construction sector, enabling further research and development. In the last 12 months we’ve reported on many innovations including “Self-healing concrete” – which contains calcite-precipitating bacteria which germinate when water enters the cracks in decaying concrete, filling the emerging air gaps. We have also seen “Kinetic paving” which harvests energy from the footsteps of pedestrians to generate electricity, “4D-printed structures” that have the ability to re-shape or self-assemble over time by virtue of how they are formed and how different elements of their composition respond in differing conditions and “smog-eating buildings” coated in photocatalytic titanium dioxide that reacts with light to neutralise pollutants in the air of the some of the world’s most congested cities. UAVs Above: Drones are becoming widely used in the construction industry (image courtesy of Aibotix). The rise of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the construction industry – often referred to as drones – was featured on our 2017 list and is set to significantly pick-up pace in 2018. UAVs are now being used for health and safety inspections, progress reporting and most-prominently in site surveying; capturing accurate data on large areas of land in just a few minutes and accessing potentially hazardous zones with ease, keeping surveyors themselves save. While there has been much publicity about the potential for drones to carry out deliveries, it is the construction industry that is predicted to be the biggest user of commercial drones in the coming years. “The construction industry is predicted to be the biggest user of commercial drones in the coming years” Regulation of UAVs remains a hot-topic, particularly as the rate of technology advancement often pulls ahead of legislation and its enforcement. Falling entry costs and the availability of UAVs to a mass market has only served to compound this issue. ROBOTICS The successful application of robotics in the construction sector could enhance efficiency, productivity and safety in many instances, making it a highly-attractive prize for those that see its value. Above: An “in-situ fabricator” developed at the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Digital Fabrication in Zurich ( image courtesy of NCCR Digital Fabrication). The last 12 months has seen further iterations of brick and track-laying robots and even a machine capable of tying rebar unveiled – the latter being part of a series of in-situ fabricators. The challenge for this area again remains the entry-cost and its credibility. Many struggle to recognise and accept the application of robots, seeing the concept as science fiction. 3D PRINTING Above: 3D printing

With the development of technology, more and more work is going in to exploring digital construction and what the best strategy is to implement offsite construction strategy. Explore Offsite Outlooks has been developed by BRE and Explore Offsite and looks into how best to integrate digital solutions into their business operations. The pace of which technological change it taking place shows no signs of letting up. Because of this it is though that the introduction of technology needs to be embraced. A range of other industries have taken the digital step earlier, however the construction digital revolution is thought to be now well underway. With the more widespread adoption of BIM as well as a range of other technological solutions, the combination of offsite manufacturing and digital construction technology offers a powerful new prospect for the industry. On the 28th February 2018 at BRE in Watford, Explore Offsite Solutions will be looking at the road ahead as the roles and disciplines begin to merge and a new role is created with the creation of a new generation of digital natives who feel BIM is simply business as usual and fully understand the reals meaning of integration, interoperability and design for the manufacture and assembly of construction projects. At this event in February next year, guests will also hear from John Eynon, who is the Engagement Lead at BIM Alliance and who will give a presentation on the topic of ’Digital procurement, standardisation and transformation’. Duri9ng this presentation, John will discuss digital transformation and standardisation as well as drivers for change, a range of case study examples, the place for the UK BIM alliance and the upcoming implementation of BIM Level 2 in industry. Explore Offsite Outlooks is a one-day conference and exhibition that will work to create a space for clients and their professional advisers, contractors, project managers and offsite technology suppliers to network while also discuss with industry experts the latest developments in the digital construction and offsite sector.

The government’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority has set out more plans to increase efficiency of the industry in a 43-page document entitled Transforming Infrastructure Performance published today. The document sets out plans to change the way infrastructure is planned, procured and delivered. It follows a commitment in last month’s Budget and Sector Deal agreement to favour offsite construction on major public projects from 2019. At the heart of the plan is to use “digital technology and innovation to improve the way we deliver and extract maximum whole-life value from infrastructure, including through supporting effective delivery of the Digital Built Britain programme and building on examples of good practice such as smart motorways”. The document also sets out how the IPA will join the Infrastructure Industry Innovation Platform (i3P), and continue to engage with other innovation initiatives, to strengthen its role in identifying and championing good practice. Alongside these papers, the government confirmed a new £600bn pipeline of UK infrastructure projects covering the next 10 years. The productivity plans include creating a new Infrastructure and Projects Authority benchmarking team to “define cost and performance benchmarks” and a focus on procuring projects based on whole-life cost, rather than capital costs. The IPA also vowed to help drive the uptake of offsite construction by identifying “obstacles to faster uptake”. The industry has broadly welcomed the plans. Cast’s Mark Farmer, and author of the Modernise or Die report, said: “This is an important document which if successfully played out by government in partnership with industry will modernise construction in a way we have not seen before. It addresses two major linchpins of change – the physical delivery model and the way we procure In the foreword to the document Andrew Jones MP, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, said: “Transforming Infrastructure Performance is the government’s long-term plan to change the way infrastructure is planned, procured, delivered and operated so we can make the most out of our increased investment. “Through interventions including benchmarking projects and accelerating the use of modern methods of construction like offsite manufacturing, our programme will help us to support economic growth and exploit a £15bn productivity opportunity in construction every year.” The IPA said that the “programme will, over time, change the ways in which infrastructure is planned, procured and delivered. To drive whole-life value from assets, the IPA will look at how whole-life performance of assets can be assessed between sectors.” “Focusing solely on the upfront capital costs of delivering an asset, and not how to deliver best value over its whole operational lifetime, can lead to missed opportunities to deliver better value for money and benefits to consumers and society.” “The government is taking immediate steps to support the Sector Deal objectives. Firstly, it will use its substantial pipeline of construction projects to drive innovation and increase the adoption of modern methods of construction.” Across the Department for Transport, the Department of Health, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Defence, this currently represents a potential pipeline for modern methods of construction of around £20bn a year.

Research supported by the Danish government shows cost reductions of up to 7% by using a digital communications platform on large-scale construction projects. A six-month research project by the Danish Building Research Institute, initiated by a government fund, shows significant cost reductions if stakeholders in a construction project report their progress every day through a shared communications platform. Three large-scale construction projects, the Maersk Tower (pictured above), the Niels Bohr Building and the Danish Defence’s Property Agency, have been the basis of the research, where the effects of GenieBelt – the platform used in all three construction projects – have been analysed. “In addition to the immediate cost reductions, it will improve project planning, and everyone involved can prioritise based on a better knowledge base. If we assume that the efficiency through the project is consistent, with a small decrease in the last months, the potential savings could be as much as 7%,” said Jan Fuglsig Lambrecht, researcher at the Danish Building Research Institute. A large construction company in Denmark, Juul & Nielsen, started using GenieBelt a few months after the construction activities at The Maersk Tower began, and they confirm the positive results. Currently, they are developing a “lean” process to initiate before each project begins to further increase the value of the tool. “We did not measure the effects ourselves, but we noticed cost reductions of 2-3% on the construction project, and we experienced great dynamics and fast communication across all units, which contributed with an overview of emerging problems and the necessary knowledge to take action when needed,” said Martin van der Watt, project director at Juul & Nielsen. Ulrik Branner: savings recorded “In addition, there’s more transparency for reporting at construction meetings and the obstacles we encounter.” The contractor of the Niels Bohr Building, The Danish Building and Property Agency, also followed the results closely and sees a potential in better retail and lean planning as a result of using digital communications platforms. “The Danish Building and Property Agency is very aware of the opportunities that digitalisation implies in connection with construction projects. By using a shared digital communications platform, the retail planning of tasks on the construction sites gets strengthened,” said Signe Primdal Lyndrup, deputy director of the Danish Building and Property Agency. “The communications platform is also a valuable tool for lean planning, which we encourage in general. For that reason, we are continuously reviewing the potential with using digital platforms and IT tools in our construction projects.” “No one else in the world has documented financial savings on construction projects this large. And that’s just the immediate savings without including reduced waste, a decrease in bankruptcies, less arbitrations or increase in invested capital that is released,” said Ulrik Branner, CEO of GenieBelt. GenieBelt is used in 43 countries, and in Denmark, several municipalities are using the platform to keep up with the developments in construction projects.