By Nathan Patton, Product Marketing Manager, Trimble

Nathan Patton

Construction Technology 2024 Outlook

While uncertainty around labor, supply chains and economic conditions persist, the global construction industry continues to work its way through economic instability – and the outlook for 2024 remains mostly optimistic. Spending should improve, in large part due to the realization of federal programs such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). In a recent press release, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) noted that profit margins and staffing levels remain high, factors that suggest growth over the next six months.

As we look ahead to 2024, we have identified six key areas that we think will help shape the construction industry, both for the coming year and into the future.

1)    Expanded Focus on Sustainability

According to Deloitte’s 2024 Engineering and Construction Industry Outlook, sustainability continues to be a business imperative for the construction industry. We expect this to remain the case both in 2024 and well into the future.

Engineering and construction companies face a multidimensional challenge on this front as they adapt to evolving market trends, environmental regulations and meeting customer demands for greener buildings, while also preventing construction costs from accelerating too rapidly.

For years, sustainable construction focused primarily on reducing energy consumption during the operations phase of assets, with less emphasis on the construction process itself. While operational carbon emissions are of primary focus, the importance of more sustainable design methodologies and material considerations. As we look at the next year, we expect to see more manufacturers, producers and construction firms putting these principles to work, through advancements in concrete, cement and carbon capture, as an example.

Sustainable actions are making the way onto jobsites as well. This year, Saunders Construction, working closely with Trimble, demonstrated and dramatically improved its concrete cast-in-place practices while delivering sustainable outcomes for its One River North project in Denver, Colorado. With a progressive virtual design and construction approach, the Saunders team realized enhanced project predictability and operating margins, reduced rework and material waste and delivered better environmental outcomes for an ROI that is as eye-opening as the exterior walls of this impressive structure. The ROI of the entire virtual design and construction process was estimated at 1,164% for this project, with a total project cost savings of $505,000 and a total CO2 savings of 144,221 kg.

We expect sustainability to remain a top priority for the entire industry – from materials producers to subcontractors – throughout 2024 and for decades to come.

Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2024 – Trimble

By Jay Vaishnav, COO, QECAD

Jay Vaishnav

Trending Technological Gazing & Predictions in AEC

2023 has kick-started with digital innovation in many industries, and the AEC industry reflects the continued intersection of this digital transformation in the built world. The Digital Revolution is gaining momentum in the AEC sector by introducing advanced technologies and techniques and improvising how we design, construct and renovate the built structures.

Considering CAD and BIM services that have completely reshaped the industry with improved efficiency in the traditional designing and drafting process, there has been the introduction of many other tools and technology for scanning, surveying, mapping, modeling, and manufacturing. It is difficult to jot down everything among many, but a few major AEC trends can be embraced in 2023.

Read the rest of The AEC World Ahead in 2023 – QECAD

By Luc Wing, Architecture Solution Specialist, Microdesk

Automation, AI, Sustainability and Information Play Vital Roles for AEC in 2023

Luc Wing

As we enter 2023, the architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing (AEC+MFG) industries are undergoing significant changes as they adopt new technologies and practices to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and meet the increasing demand for sustainable buildings and products. The three key trends driving these changes are automation and artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability, and the realization of the “I” in Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Companies are looking for ways to optimize processes, eliminate manual and labor-intensive tasks, improve data precision, and increase control over the project delivery lifecycle. Automation and AI are growing best practices in AEC to help meet those objectives. The adoption of automation technologies can bring benefits ranging from cost savings and improved quality to greater accuracy and increased competitiveness in the global market. Development of automation tools that are usable and “out-of-the-box” create advantages over software that requires specialized knowledge to create and utilize them. With easily understood automation tools, everyday users will have simplified access to software applications and other technologies that allow them to take advantage of the automation’s capabilities. Ultimately, automation technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way buildings, products, and systems are designed, built, and maintained, bringing significant benefits to businesses and consumers alike.

Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Microdesk

BY David Mitchell, Founder & CEO, XYZ Reality

David Mitchell

2022 was a tough year for construction, rising energy and material costs alongside labor shortages have thrown the industry into turmoil. This challenging period has prompted a refreshed focus on efficiency and productivity. In an industry with traditionally low-profit margins, now faced with recession and the ongoing climate crisis, leading contractors are turning their eyes to advanced technology as a savior in 2023.

We have seen a growth in the adoption of cutting-edge construction technology, such as Augmented Reality (AR), in recent years to revamp building methods. Importantly, continuously evolving BIM techniques and digital twin technology are improving the capabilities of AR and vice versa in a maturing digital ecosystem, upgrading conventional monitoring methods. We anticipate this is a key trend that will continue and grow in the year to come.

Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – XYZ Reality

By Todd Johnstone, CEO, Allbridge

Todd Johnstone

New Survey: The Top PropTech Considerations to Integrate into Hotel Construction and Renovation

The US hospitality industry is making a slow but steady comeback from the pandemic, but it’s having to meet the new expectations of today’s clientele. As guests return, they do so with expectations that hotels have changed. The bar has been set higher–particularly when it comes to the technology available to them when and where they stay. In response, the AEC industry is working with hoteliers to integrate PropTech into new hotel builds and renovations.

It is critical to understand how travelers’ demands are driving changes in hospitality infrastructure. The following conclusions are drawn from a survey of decision-makers in the hospitality industry to better understand priorities that sit at the intersection of PropTech and customer satisfaction.

1. Convenience and Smart Tech are Top Priorities

Respondents signaled that tech amenities were among their highest priorities–particularly due to the rise in contactless technology necessitated by the pandemic, and the increasing integration of smart devices in our daily lives.

Guests expect convenience technologies to be present throughout their travel experiences. For example, guests expect ease of movement–aided by mobile keys, keyless entry, or concierge kiosks. They also expect access to seamless WiFi connectivity throughout hotel properties. Not only do these types of technologies help save guests’ time and increase their satisfaction, but they can also add a layer of security to properties.

Integrating contactless connection points throughout a hotel not only streamlines guests’ experiences on-site but also increases peace of mind for COVID-weary travelers and employees alike. Driven by the ubiquity of home smart devices and homesharing platforms, like Airbnb and VRBO, hoteliers are finding that guests are seeking the comforts of home during their stays. Providing in-room smart devices or home assistants can further help guests move comfortably through their daily activities.

Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Allbridge

By Ro Bhatia, CEO, PlanHub

Ro Bhatia

2023: The Year Technology Takes Over Construction

Across all industries and sectors, 2022 brought some of the most complicated challenges businesses have had to face. As we head into 2023, several of those same challenges and complications still need to be resolved and will continue into the new year. One industry that will continue to face prolonged difficulties into and throughout 2023 is the construction industry. While it was able to weather the economic pandemic slowdown, it is not immune to the issues of labor demand, volatile pricing, and inflation. Thankfully, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel, and the construction industry can build the road to it, given the right tools and technology.

Lack of Skilled Labor

The story of labor shortages in the construction industry is not new. It is a tale as old as the hammer and nail. According to a survey completed by PlanHub, both general contractors and subcontractors responded that their top concern in 2023 will be the difficulty in finding skilled workers to hire. These labor complications don’t just end there. Labor shortages can create a wave of adverse ripple effects, including delays in accepted projects, price increases on future or ongoing projects, or, even worse, contractors or subcontractors having to turn down projects because they lack the workforce to see them through.

Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Planhub

By Jad Jarroush, Founder and CTO, Datumate

Towards a full AI & ML cloud-based platform for construction data analytics in infrastructure construction projects

Dr. Jad Jarroush

The current status of the construction industry

It’s 2023 and even though there has been some major progress in this arena, the construction industry is still plagued with major complexities. These include labor shortages, changing timelines, multiple teams and plans, delays, cost overruns, uncertain project planning and management, lack of professional experts and engineers and more. With the adoption of digital tools and automation, contractors and project owners are slowly finding ways to overcome these challenges. But as promising as these new technologies are, will they make as big an impact as expected on engineering and construction and what’s standing in the way of their adoption?

The challenges of adoption and implementation

There are multiple challenges on the way to adopting and successfully implementing digital construction tools. The first is the basic need to break the habit of using manual methods such as pen and paper and the initial daily disruptive impact that comes with changing existing business processes. This is often exacerbated by the lack of communication around these processes and their long-term benefits, as well as a lack of confidence in the accuracy of the data. Organization complexity also plays a role in making adoption and implementation challenging and often fragmented, and this can also lead to ownership issues. Another factor that often affects adoption is the lack of skill challenges required for new technologies, especially as the average age of professionals is increasing all the time. Finally, and probably the most obvious of these challenges, is a lack of budget for digital adoption.

Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Datumate

By Shanthi Rajan, CEO, Linarc

2023 is poised to be a dynamic year for the construction industry. Given numerous large-scale economic factors there are many ways the construction industry is expected to change in the coming year.

While no one has a crystal ball, some projections can be made with reasonable confidence. Here are ours.

Less spending on office buildings.

With much of the workforce working from home and office space vacancies skyrocketing, the demand for more office space is low. Existing resources provide plenty of space for current and future needs. Downtowns across the nation are sparsely populated and are but a shadow of what they were before the shutdown. Employees have grown accustomed to working from home and employers have relinquished their offices to save costs. The need to start new office space projects is relatively low in many areas and that’s expected to continue throughout 2023.

Per a recent SFGate article, “Today San Francisco has what is perhaps the most deserted major downtown in America.” It has a 24% office vacancy rate. Various sources including Statista cite the national average at 16.3% in Oct 2022, with pre-pandemic levels at 8.6%.

Read the rest of AECCafe Industry Predictions for 2023 – Linarc

By David Ward, CEO, Safe Site Check In

David Ward

The combination of digital transformation, the Infrastructure Bill, and the potential of a recession will impact the industry in the following three ways next year:

1. Development projects will continue yet profitability will remain flat due to rising prices, labor shortages and supply chain challenges.
2. Infrastructures will continue to improve – this is long overdue – as a result of recent legislation. This will create more opportunities in AEC but only for general contractors (GCs) that can successfully navigate labor and pricing challenges. In turn, strategic GCs will invest in technologies including virtual design and construction, digital jobsite management tools and BIM to address these issues.
3. Despite 95% of construction workers reporting higher productivity by using digital technologies on jobsites, these tools will be under greater scrutiny next year. They’ll only be adopted if they deliver immediate payback or if they’re required by the project owner, local regulations or insurers. In fact, don’t be surprised to see insurers start requiring digital tools on jobsites in order to create more efficient records on workers and projects and align premiums based on the data.”