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Though 2020 was a rough year, 2021 has seen significant recovery for construction, especially in infrastructure and residential. But what will next year bring? Here's a quick review of the top trends for 2022.
What construction industry trends will 2022 bring?
1. Smart, connected cities
Cities are changing to improve environmental sustainability, quality of life and improved economy. Smart cities are increasing the complexity of the construction process, from incorporating pedestrian sensors to adding WiFi-linked lighting. This requires contractors to improve technical knowledge to keep up. Take time to evaluate the skills and equipment needed for smart city development and make plans for this shift.
2. Increased efficiency pressure
Digital transformation is changing businesses to more agile, flexible entities, so in construction, net profits will continue to be slim. Combined with volatile building materials markets, optimization is the best bet for many companies. It's achievable by prioritizing cost-saving opportunities and efficiencies while considering carefully how fluctuating costs impact budgets, estimates, and bids and plan accordingly.
3. New construction materials
To improve profitability while demonstrating environmental sustainability, you'll need to use cost-effective materials that reduce your overall costs. Potential improvements to look out for include the use of recycled materials, engineered cementitious composites, engineered timer, 3D-printed materials, and similar developments. Modularization and prefabrication of assemblies allow reduction in material and shipping costs.
4. Declining workforce
Though a shortage of labor is not a new trend, the old problem is getting worse. Though construction job openings have increased by 50%, new hires is only 14%, creating a significant labor shortage that can impact customer satisfaction. Investing in your human resources department can help ensure that you're retaining good workers while finding new workers effectively. You can also economize effort using workflow automation, construction equipment investment, create apprenticeships, provide bonuses, give competitive wages, and similar approaches.
5. 3D printing grows significantly
Though we're not yet 3D printing structures on large scales yet, we're still looking at more practical uses, such as 3D printing materials, building components, and equipment parts. Though mansions and office buildings have been created using this technology, it's more practical to look at 3D printing emergencies and low-income homes. This process also reduces waste and turnaround times while printing custom-designed parts or components provides flexibility.
6. Overall trends towards construction digitalization
As these trends continue, technology will continue to meet the needs of the industry, including robotic labor, self-driving vehicles, inspection and surveying drones, AI and simulations for collaborative design, sensors for worker safety, and smart project management. This allows you to get more done more efficiently with fewer workers, so you will want to start looking into these options now so that you're aware of what they can do for your business.
It's anticipated that 2022 will see continued trends in construction tech, so staying on top of these issues is vital to your company's success in the future. By partnering with tech-savvy companies, you'll see further success.
Did you miss our previous article...
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