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To the outsider, the construction industry may at first appear somewhat slower-paced and stale. And, to be quite honest, aside from refining some of its procedures and technologies, this sector wasn’t really seen as a polygon for some great innovations.
This situation started changing quite rapidly over the last couple of years when the arrival of digital tech and new trends like the greater focus on requirements like sustainability. These changes reshaped the entire construction industry, from massive commercial and infrastructure projects down to much simpler tasks like home improvement.
So, the arrival of the new year definitely leaves us curious about the trends that will shape the construction sector in 2023 and beyond. Let us take a look at some of the most important mentions.
Rise of remote working
Remote work can hardly be considered a hot, new trend especially after the outbreak of COVID-19 completely changed the paste of the entire business landscape. Until recently, however, remote and hybrid work models were mostly reserved for office work. Well, it turned out that a substantial number of construction activities can be performed remotely as well. Some of the most important mentions include the likes of project management, design, but also prefabrication, running building tools online, and performing real-time modeling.
Modular design becoming mainstream
This issue is very closely connected to the topic we have just covered above, but boiling down the benefits of prefabrication and modular design wouldn't be entirely fair. The modular design also puts construction into a very efficient and low-waste industrial framework, radically reduces the environmental impact of the on-site construction work, optimizes the labor necessary for performing projects, and, quite simply, presents a much simpler and nimbler way of putting buildings together. So, its newfound popularity shouldn’t really surprise anyone.
Construction getting a digital overhaul
Any sort of construction activity includes a great deal of human input and human labor. Be that as it may, putting all these efforts, even the simple home improvement chores under AI supervision or using digital tools to make them more streamlined can make the whole affair much simpler. It is good to know that the selection of such tools is quite robust and is growing larger with each passing day. So, if you, for instance, need construction management software for contractors you will be able to easily find a product that fits the description.
Automated, cloud-based reporting
Paper documents and other analog assets are gradually going out of existence. Of course, we will need to wait for quite some time before these technologies become entirely obsolete. But, the first signs of the change are present even at this moment, and as time goes by a growing number of smaller-scale building projects will start relying on digital building models, cloud-based collaborative tools, and online communication channels. Moving these processes into the digital realm will also usher in a good dose of automation to the benefit of all parties involved.
Ongoing labor shortage
It is not that big of a secret that the United States is currently experiencing one of the worst worker shortages in recent history. This problem is especially present in sectors that rely on manual labor like the construction industry. Some estimates say that, at the moment, approximately 25% of building positions are vacant. This crisis won't last forever, and adjustments in salaries and bonuses, flexible work hours, generational shifts, and greater reliance on female workers will put an end to it. But, at the moment, the lack of workers needs to be taken into account.
Construction industry going green
We already touched upon this topic in the introduction but still, it’s worth underlining that green construction and sustainability are rapidly growing from novelty to an absolute industry requirement. Keeping in mind the crises we had to deal with in recent years and the ones we still need to put an end to, this trend will only keep getting momentum in the future period. Expect to see then sustainable practices show their face in a whole slew of different areas ranging from building processes and waste disposal to new eco-friendly building materials. Construction companies are paying close attention to each piece of equipment, even soil anchors.
So, there you have it – the top six trends that will shape the future of the construction industry in 2023 and beyond. Sure, some of the mentions we have covered above may seem too out there and futuristic but the same thing could be said about countless other technologies we now use on daily basis. Even if you need to perform smaller-scale home improvement projects, sooner than later, these are going to become the things you will need to take into very serious account.