Digital technologies are electronic tools, devices, systems, and resources which generate, store or process data.
The construction industry is increasingly witnessing the application of these technologies in the design, construction, operations and maintenance of buildings and infrastructure projects.
By helping construction teams allocate resources more efficiently, automate manual repetitive tasks, increase accuracy, and reduce waste and energy consumption, these technologies are playing a key role in making the industry more sustainable and reducing its negative impacts on the natural environment.
Technologies such as 3D printing and additive manufacturing, building information modelling (BIM) and parametric design, use of robotics and drones, virtual and augmented reality, internet of things and 3D laser scanning are contributing more to revolutionising the construction industry to make it more friendly to the environment.
These technologies are discussed as follows in detail.
1. Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Building information modelling (BIM) is a digital process that involves creating and managing a 3D model of a building throughout its life cycle, from design to construction to operation to demolition. BIM can help you integrate and coordinate different aspects of building design, such as architecture, structure, systems, materials, costs, and sustainability.
Based on a digital 3D model of a proposed construction project, BIM empowers project teams to comprehensively visualise the building and all its systems, making decision-making faster, and most of the communication paperless. The move towards less use of paper contributes to the preservation and protection of our forests by collectively cutting down on paper milling demands.
Also, most BIM-supporting software is equipped with plugins, addons and add-ins for life-cycle environmental assessments, sustainability analysis and energy efficiency simulations. These help the designers to assess the environmental sustainability of the proposed project before it gets built, gather and incorporate data into their design models to make sure that the resultant design optimises energy use, and water consumption, produces less construction waste and reduces its impact on the environment by making it highly adaptable to the modelled local conditions.
Further, building information modelling assists in the production of design iterations to compare various building design alternatives and optimise building environmental performance. As this process is purely digital, it reduces the consumption of precious natural resources, reducing the strain on the natural environment.
2. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
3D printing is developing and evolving in the digital space of the architecture, engineering and construction industry globally. It refers to the use of giant 3D printers to create construction components or even entire structures layer by layer.
3D printing allows for components to be printed directly from digital models, eliminating the need for traditional manufacturing processes. This reduces the amount of energy and resources used in the production, with fewer errors and less waste in excess materials.
Further, the process accelerates construction production times. It uses the exact amount of material specified which means less material waste, and any shape can be printed. This gives designers the necessary flexibility to create complex shapes and designs, improving their work quality and efficiency. Less waste means less pollution, and consequently, the environmental impacts of the subject construction project are minimised by 3D printing.
3. Robotics and Drone Technology
Robots are used in the automation of repetitive, manual, labour-intensive tasks and work in high-risk environments where the health, safety and welfare of human workers may be compromised. This frees up human workers to focus on more complex tasks that require human intelligence to perform.
Robots and drones conduct site inspections and collect data to monitor progress, safety, and quality. Demolition robots break down structures and materials with precision and speed, minimising noise and dust, which are forms of pollution. Drones can make aerial surveys and inspections much easier, detailed inspections without erecting scaffolding or utilising teams of construction workers.
By reducing human involvement in high-risk areas, robots and drones help ensure the safety and health of construction workers are upheld. Further, due to their precision at work, the use of drones contributes to the minimisation of construction waste generated from material handling.
4. Virtual and Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are technologies that can create immersive and interactive experiences of building design, construction, and operation, by overlaying digital information on physical reality or creating a simulated reality. AR and VR can help you visualize and communicate building concepts, scenarios, and options, and test and evaluate different alternatives.
These concepts enhance the sustainability of the construction industry by using digital technologies to facilitate collaboration, prototyping, visualisation, and training. Visualisation and simulation of construction projects, before they are built, help in key decision-making. As these processes are digital, they involve less strain on natural resources.
5. Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of interconnected devices, systems, and objects that can communicate and exchange data over the Internet. IoT can enable building systems to interact with each other and with external sources of information, such as weather, traffic, or grid. By using IoT, you can create smart buildings that can adapt and respond to changing conditions, optimize performance, and provide personalized services.
6. 3D-Laser Scanning
This is high-definition surveying or reality capture. It uses a laser scanner that emits pulses of light to measure millions of data points from a physical environment to map every detail of the scanned area, collecting data in a “point cloud” that gives highly accurate information.
3D scans are used to map existing site conditions, create as-built models used in facilities management, maintain and potential dispute resolutions involving plot boundaries, and create building models for comparison with the construction progress.
It can be applied in environmental planning, management, and conservation for documenting existing forest or vegetation cover and monitoring the continuous changes over time to understand the effects of an ongoing project on the local environment. From this data, mitigation measures can be developed and applied in the project to protect the environment.