From aerial mapping to tracking the thousands of materials and pieces of equipment on a construction project, to providing total 24/7 security monitoring of a job site, drones offer many benefits to the industry. Unlike traditional aerial photography, drones provide more detailed information, are faster and less expensive. They’re especially helpful to owners with multiple projects, and virtually anyone from an operations team can learn to operate one. The information from drones is collected in an archive, from existing conditions to turnover, and is an aerial visual timeline of the project.

The big payoff with 3D printing is that it will reduce material waste by both using OnDemand material but also by optimizing the traditional structure of buildings and bridges. This will allow more recycled materials to be used in building materials as they are used for tabletop 3D printers currently. Secondly, the labor and uncertainty of placing one brick or one steel piece at a time will shift to an industry of material-based design rather than means and methods. In the end, this will allow for a fundamental change on how the built environment is designed and constructed.

Yes, you can now print out a house. Stronger, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly, 3d printed structures are gaining ground around the world, and are a total win for the global housing shortage. Look at this video to see how—and why—it’s being done more and more!

Why This 3D-Printed House Will Change the World.

The use of 360-degree cameras gives project teams and clients efficient tools to visually examine details of the project, often saving valuable time and money. Virtual reality, or VR, lets the building team and clients “walk through” the unbuilt space. They can make design decisions before pouring concrete or fabricating a single element. During preconstruction, the project team uses VR to inspect the mechanical spaces, discuss value engineering options, and annotate the model all from their remote locations, in real-time. VR technology gives all stakeholders a better understanding of the proposed designs and improves the decision-making process, which saves time and money spent on unnecessary materials.

Machine Learning is in its infancy and it’s a very broad term; the promise is that it will help us make better and faster decisions by sifting through giant data sets. Optimization of process if you will. One example of a near future adaption is a subset called Computer Vision which allows the computer to sift through huge data sets of images and find matches. There are solutions on the market that can identify safety concerns and help keep track of processes onsite. This data comes from the analysis of video or image data alone.

As a subset of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning is directed toward practical applications, such as making the design of spaces more relevant to end users—like tweaking the design of a kitchen or a meeting room to reflect how people will use it. Machine learning software can sift through data with lightning speed and provide valuable results—like flagging design flaws, construction safety issues, project risks that could indicate trouble down the line. See what a young construction professional has to say about it.

High-definition 360-degree cameras capture panoramic photographs and video. With pan and zoom capabilities, these photos can capture more content faster and with 75 percent fewer files compared to traditional panorama capture methods. This dynamic imagery can be used to create virtual job site walk-through tours, capture existing as-built conditions, and archive areas for future inspections prior to closing walls (i.e., when wall finishes, and ceilings are installed one can investigate the wall to see the systems within). The use of 360-degree cameras gives project teams and clients efficient tools to visually examine details of the project, often saving valuable time and money.