Construction industry is one of the oldest industries that has grown exponentially with time. Gone are the days when buildings took many years to complete. Today, thanks to advanced technologies, buildings are completed in much lesser time and in a safer manner.
The construction of Prudential Tower which is a 52-floor building in Boston, USA, started in 1960 and was completed in 1964. With an area of 1.2 million square feet and standing 749 feet tall, it took four years to complete the building. Now, let’s consider Burj Khalifa which has 163 floors and stands 2723 feet tall. It was completed in just 5 years. This shows just how gradually the industry has grown and all credit goes to technology.
Technology is used in every aspect of construction, from designing to manufacturing. Let’s have a look at how the industry has improved over the years:
3D Modelling Technology
Before starting the construction of any building, engineers draw a plan work which is sort of a blueprint. It serves as a structural model of how the building will look like, how many rooms and compartments it will have, how the sewage lines will be installed etc.
Back in the day, this was done by hand and it was a time-consuming process. Moreover, the chances of error were too high as well and edit required too much time.
Today, we have 3D technology that works on computers. With it, it has become a lot easier to craft a mathematical representation of 3 dimensional objects such as buildings. Engineers can choose from a variety of shapes and determine which design would look best. This not only saves time and effort but also reduces the chances of making errors.
Global Positioning Systems And Lasers
It’s a no-brainer that there’s a lot of measuring involved in the construction business. One slight mistake can ruin the whole project. Before the advent of laser technology, measurements were done using steel tape and strings. Not only was this a hassle, but it also included several risks, most importantly the risk of human error.
Today, laser measuring tools and global positioning systems are extensively used in the construction business for calculations and they have made the job of engineers much easier.
GPS systems help mark accurate positions, especially when contractors work on tasks that involve heavy machines. They can be installed on vehicles and machines to determine accurate locations.
3D laser scanning technology helps measure with accuracy by producing multiple high-speed scans in a selected area. This helps capture the spatial and dimensional relationships of objects by using the reflection of laser scans that are emitted.
Computers
Gone are the days when complex models, difficult calculations and entire systems were drawn on paper. Today, we have advanced computers to do that for us.
There are a plethora of construction software available which help in creating dummy models, plan foundation work and choose advanced aspects involved in the construction business.
Other than that, computers are also used to operate and handle heavy machinery such as vision systems, laser scanners etc.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is taking over a number of industries and the construction industry is no exception. There are AI programs that let designers input design criteria and get a simplified and workable solution as the end result.
Other than that, AI-based application such as Smartvid.io also let you monitor safety hazards on a site by using a visual processing algorithm. It involves taking pictures and videos of the site and the AI analyzes workers that are without safety gear, missing workers. This helps create a safe working environment.
We already use ringlocks and other such tools for added safety, but the role of AI cannot be overstated.
Drones
Drones are flying gadgets that are used for a number of purposes such as surveilling, delivering, reading measurements etc. Drones help project managers keep an eye on the entire site by displaying a 360 view of the entire area.
So, there’s no doubt about the fact that construction industry has come a long way and thanks to these advance technologies, engineers, and workers in the construction business are nailing it.
BONUS
Portable drill presses
Todays tools have a hard task to be both endurable and easy to use. Portable drill presses are one of the examples of such tools. They’re used for drilling into hard metals using a small amount of pressure. These flexible tools are used by big companies and small ones, and one of their main manufacturers is Strong Arms 5, that has supplied some of the world’s most advanced companies.