Six construction trends

Construction remains big business; in this article we take a look at some of the top trends ready to hit our skylines in 2020.

New technology on site

VR, AR and MR

Or, in plain English, virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality; these technologies are having a big impact on the construction industry as a whole, allowing the simplification of what has become a very complicated and technical business. Such tech also harnesses the ability to explore new ideas and environments.

3D printing

It may sound odd but with today’s tech, it is possible to 3D print an entire house in under a 24 hour period! And this technology looks set for further advancement in 2020. The ability to be able to prefabricate both on and offsite has labour and cost savings and that is just the start. This is also likely to be of real interest to architects and those interested in building their own home; indeed, construction companies Manchester based or in Melton Mowbray have all been quick to show interest in this emerging trend.

A robot for 2020

It may sound a bit high tech, but robotics look set to make their mark in the industry this year. Although slower than manual labour, workforce robots are safer, and interestingly, cheaper on some construction sites.

Sustainability and modular building

Environmental impact

There is an ongoing trend regarding the sustainability of building design on the environment and this is only going to increase in importance in the next 12 months and beyond. You’ll find many construction firms – check out construction companies Manchester – are building sustainable building practices into their business models.

The return of the prefab

An eyesore to many and certainly not new to the building industry, the humble prefab is making somewhat of a comeback for many construction companies Manchester to Matlock; this is in part to quicker on site assembly and the promise of better quality homes – gone are the post war era prefabs to combat the nation’s housing crisis.

Digital modelling with BIM

BIM

BIM – or Building Information Modelling – is a 3D process that helps manage information from start to finish and a system that is widely used by architects and engineers and likely to continue in popularity in 2020. Indeed, many firms utilise BIM as a standard approach to each and every construction project.

Summary

This article looks at trends shaping construction, including virtual, augmented and mixed reality tools that simplify complex technical work, 3D printing that can build a house in under 24 hours, and construction robots that are safer and sometimes cheaper than manual labour. It also covers a growing focus on sustainable building, the return of prefabricated housing, and wider use of Building Information Modelling.

Questions this article raises

• How is 3D printing changing the speed of house building?
• What advantages do construction robots offer over manual labour?
• Why is prefabricated housing making a comeback?