
Top Trends to be observed in construction industry after COVID-19
The social distancing necessities for construction companies differs depending on the regions, yet in many countries only fundamental and essential projects & activities are permitted. The construction industry will eventually return to some sort of new normal as the pandemic progresses and new guidelines are established. Even when the pandemic comes to an end there are some changes and advancements which will end up significantly impacting how the construction industry works.
1. Increased use of prefabrication for upcoming projects:
The speed that we can achieve by using prefabrication could be clearly seen when the hospitals and medical facilities were built overnight due to coronavirus pandemic. After everything settles, engineers who had their projects delayed can utilize prefabrication to recuperate some time. Another benefit of prefabrication is taking construction to a closed factory environment, improving quality, and maintaining social distancing among groups.
With prefabrication, most construction processes are moved from the building site to a off site production plant. This decreases development waste and building components can be manufactured irrespective of the weather and climate conditions. Moreover various construction activities can take place at the same time. As compared conventional construction methods which involves rigorous manual work social distancing and worker safety can be observed more effectively in a production line environment.
A key test when utilizing prefabrication is adjusting the design specifications for part components. The margin of error is less: modules have components of many structure frameworks and changing them can be troublesome and costly. However, design problems can be resolved by utilizing BIM in the preconstruction phase. Virtual Construction Process is valuable when used for prefabrication, since the whole building structure and its components can be recreated before modules are sent for manufacturing or installation. BIM Coordination Services enables easy detection and resolution of any hard or soft clash which can happen prefabricated components. BIM can help avoid costly change orders and reduce waste of time and resources also.
2. Using aerial drones for site survey and supervision:
Visiting a construction site includes dangers. One can stumble on loose materials, be struck by moving gear, or fall from places without any guardrails. COVID-19 has been presently added to the list of dangers, particularly when numerous groups are working on the same construction site. Here, monitoring not just the progress but also whether the social distancing protocols are observed and there is not gathering of many workers etc. needs to be vigilantly monitored.
A large number of these dangers can be wiped out or alleviated by just utilizing serial drones. Rather than strolling through a territory where accidents can occur, managers can basically fly a drone to focal points. Likewise, keeping social distance with another site worker is simpler when utilizing a drone. Also, drone can assess construction work from edges that are out of reach by foot, recognizing issues that would remain unknown otherwise.
The challenge of using a drone is its investment and training to be given to the construction supervisors. In any case, aerial drones cause practically no interruption in project sites. The workers on the construction site ought to be educated and informed about the use of drones at the site to abstain from frightening somebody and causing a mishap.
3. Improving Indoor Air Quality in the Built Environment
The construction business has become more aware and concerned about water conservation and energy efficiency. These measures incredibly diminish the ownership cost of structures during their lifetime, while bringing down their ecological impression on environment. With the coronavirus outbreak, the industry could turn out to be extremely keen on making structures healthier.
Indoor air quality is basic for a healthy structure. The US Environmental Protection Agency verified that indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than open air, and that we invest 90% of our time inside the house. Low air quality has been connected with heart and respiratory problems, along with other medical problems, and coronavirus cases tends to be more in areas with poor air quality.
Each building is unique, and the best measures to improve air quality will change for each situation. In any case, HVAC engineers follow three fundamental techniques:Eliminating the sources of air contamination.Utilizing appropriate ventilation to keep air pollutants at safe level for people.Air filtration and purification methods to be used
You can get a certification for the building assuring that the inside air is of good quality and you can score more points under air quality requirement
4. Avoiding Paperwork When Resuming Construction
After the COVID-19 crisis, real estate developers and contractors can anticipate long lines and wating time for paperwork approvals. This incorporates design approval with the local building office, and credit applications with financial institutions. However, since most of the construction professionals are working remotely, applications for approvals and paperwork can be completed with online submissions and applications. Thus, with modern IT innovations and processes there is no compelling reason to wait till the lockdowns will end.
The whole preconstruction phase of a project can be finished remotely, from planning and design plan, to getting the work permissions from the local building authorities. One can avail Architectural, Structural and MEP BIM Services from an experienced firm to complete the plans so that the construction can commence once the pandemic ends. Designers can likewise utilize the lockdown to request for proposals (RFP) and agreements. Because of the Covid-19 outbreak, it might be important to change viewpoints like specifications, spending plans and cutoff times.
Conclusion
The coronavirus pandemic has driven numerous organizations to utilize teleworking, otherwise called work from home (WFH). For organizations who were doubtful about the idea, remote work presently gives an approach to remain operational during lockdowns. Significant changes can be observed in the working of many industrials and especially the construction segment.