The Future of Construction

Construction has come a very long way. From the early New Stone Age up until now, the methods, designs, and materials we use have been evolving through the ages. As we enter an era where technological advancement has been rapidly evolving, new methods and materials are now being used in daily construction projects. 

It’s exciting to see how these new methods and materials are being applied to fortified structures and even to our everyday homes. Though not all new materials are being utilized since they are still pretty expensive. Once it becomes more mainstream, we will be able to enjoy the benefits.

Here are some of the futuristic methods and materials that we are all excited to see and be implemented in the near future.

 

3D Printed Buildings

3D printing started as early as the 1980s, but it was only recently that it was used for large-scale buildings and is planned to be a cheaper alternative for residential homes. 

It is inexpensive and fast. It also reduces waste that is normally a concern in construction. Another advantage of 3d printed building is that it requires fewer on-site workers which is a concern in this pandemic.

Self-Healing Concrete

You heard it right, it’s not a sci-fi story. It’s now possible to extend the life expectancy of concrete. As it is the most widely used building construction material today, it’s no wonder that innovating how we can prolong its usage is being sought after. 

The self-healing concrete is capable of repairing any cracks it sustains with the help of a bacteria that was mixed in during the construction process. When it mixes with water, these bacteria form limestone in the cracks and thus sealing them.

Augmented Reality in Construction

Augmented Reality (AR) uses the real-world environment and uses 3d digital copies of objects and adds them to a simulated reality. It helps architects, developers, and designers to have an idea of how the building, and parts of it, would look once it’s completed. 

Not only is it advantageous before the building process, but it can also be used for planning zones, traffic, and more.

Transparent Aluminum

It’s a metal that has glass-like features which would be perfect to be used as windows and space vehicles. A material that is four times stronger than glass, as strong as steel, and also bullet-proof. 

As it is quite a new material, production of it is very expensive and isn’t widely used yet. Though it is being considered to be a replacement for the International Space Station’s (ISS) laminated glass windows.

Robots in the Work Site

Robots aren’t new in today’s society, they are being utilized in mass-producing materials and components and currently slowly being realized for construction. Although there are already bricklaying and painting robots on construction sites, there is news that there will be a new type of construction. 

Utilizing construction robots for locations that are otherwise dangerous to send human personnel, they are being considered for danger-prone areas and space.

The above might not be available to your area yet, but as these become more affordable and available to builders they may become the new normal. 

There’s a lot of new advances to construction that everyone is hyped about. Construction will become easier and buildings will become much more effective in shielding us from disasters.