Construction is considered as the backbone of the economy. More often than not good infrastructure is directly proportional to a great economy. As the needs of the general public changes, the infrastructure also has to change. This brings about new trends in the construction and building space enabled by increased productivity from technological innovation and human perseverance. These new technologies allow for faster and efficient construction. This, in turn, helps the economy thrive. This article will focus on some new trends in construction from insights of the experts on the field.
- Single-Design Model
Usually, once an engineering document has been created, it is then given to a contractor to redraw with new information. But now it is possible to save both money and time by having all of the design phases, from engineering to coordination under one roof. With this coordination, it has become possible for models to go right into the construction phase. Experts say projects that initially took thirty months can become 24-month projects effectively saving six months of time, not to mention the amount of money saved also is significant.
- Energy Efficiency
Energy consumption is always on the minds of engineers going into a project. Systems where energy is recovered from heat wheels and occupancy sensors have become vital to saving energy. For example, a conference room that does not get used all the time would need to have cooling and ventilation all the time. So an occupancy sensor that detects carbon dioxide comes into play. This system allows for proper ventilation when the room is in use and saves energy when it is not.
- Permanent Modular Construction
In a world where everything is faster, construction has to be too. Experts suggest that this will be a major trend in the near future. When big structures need to be built, instead of building the whole building, it is more advantageous to build part of it and then add onto it later. This is the idea of a modular construction system. This very useful for the military when they want to build an army barracks. For commercial use, when building under a time crunch this method extremely viable as there is no difference in the end. It looks and functions the same way a normal built structure would.
- Materials
With science evolving at the pace it is evolving at, it has become possible to create better materials at cheaper prices and this will be true going forward as well. With the advent of a better manufacturing process and new testing methods, better materials can be used that are stronger and more durable than the traditionally available ones.
- Better Engineers
History has shown us that every generation has been better than the last. This holds true in the case of engineers as well. More and more well-rounded engineers who can go beyond just calculations and are able to innovate will be invaluable in the industry. This will take the entire economy to newer and greater heights never before conceived.