Construction Productivity 2017
Technology transforms the Singapore construction industry as we enter a new phase of national growth and expansion.
The Singapore construction market was a $26.1 billion industry last year. As it moves out of the economic downturn of 2016, analysts anticipate industry growth in 2017.
Managing that growth comes down to improvements in construction productivity technologies.
Singapore Construction Productivity improves year over year with government officials setting a lofty but attainable goal of 3% increase through 2020.
Let’s look at the 5 most promising productivity technologies for 2017.
Automated Equipment & Robotics
The first two transformative technologies go hand in hand and would be automated equipment and robotics.
The Ministry of State of Manpower recently visited Japan to study lean technologies to enhance efficiencies in the construction productivity sector in Singapore.
Their goal is to leverage more automated equipment and robotics technology in order to enhance productivity and reduce needed manpower.
They envision a future in which humans are no longer needed for monotonous and often hazardous work. They can be trained for higher skilled and higher value jobs in better working conditions.
Among the solutions explored were robotics solutions that can reduce an entire room of laborers down to about 7 operators.
The 19-panel team will discuss their finding and then develop a plan to create a manpower-lean construction industry in Singapore using these technologies.
Building Information Modeling
Continued advancements in BIM technologies will streamline how we get from concept to completion.
BIM or Building Information Modeling is a 3D model that facilitates the design, construction, and operation of a complete building, community or even an entire region in a virtual setting.
The technology helps professionals quickly design and modify plans. It allows teams and key players to better understand the big picture and in turn their own roles in the projects.
This technology increases construction productivity while cutting costs across the whole construction process:
- Analysis
- Documentation/Permits
- Fabrication
- 3D/5D Construction
- Logistics
- Operations and maintenance
3D printing
As the technology becomes more affordable and accessible, industry leaders and government officials see 3D printing as the productivity technology of the future.
They don’t currently plan to 3D-print entire buildings. Instead, they look toward more practical efficiencies like:
- Electrical sockets
- Girder brackets
As the technology proves its worth, more companies will move toward larger-scale materials like:
- Floor panels
- Entire walls
We can expect 3D printing to completely disrupt the industry this year and into the future.
Civil Engineering
As the public and private sectors put greater focus on increasing construction productivity, there is a heightened focus on how projects are managed and designed to work within the whole of city planning.
True productivity gains arise from streamlining entire processes from start to finish, considering all moving pieces and key players.
This will take improvements in education and civil engineering department rethinking how they work together and with others to complete construction projects, including a focus on sustainability.
Construction Productivity Technologies of the Future
What technologies do you believe will most impact productivity in construction? What would you add to this?
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