INTERSTATE HEAVY EQUIPMENT - ELGIN

If there is a positive recovery from the pandemic, it is that the construction technology adaption is starting to keep its projects and business going. With the onset of the pandemic, something strange, such as a virtual pre-offer meeting or a site visit, became commonplace.

While the industry as a whole is for slowly adopting and investing in technology, companies are benefiting. Construction technology will continue to evolve to address some of the sector's biggest challenges: security, productivity and unemployment.

We saw robots, drones and autonomous construction equipment in the workplace. They perform the tasks required of previously qualified workers and help reduce the number of workers placed in hazardous conditions.

The drones conducted a field survey and inspected the bridges. The autonomous device is great for moving on the ground and working in the field. The robots handle tedious, repetitive tasks, such as laying bricks, tying fittings and hanging plaster on the wall.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other building software are integrated with virtual and augmented reality to visualize projects, perform pre-construction collision detection, increase productivity, and improve communication and collaboration. VR simulators are also used to train heavy equipment manufacturers.

Devices to monitor the vitality and movement of workers to keep them safe and to warn them of possible danger. This technology can also be efficient to track their movement on the desktop to improve overall productivity.

Jobsite Safety

Workplace safety has always been a hot topic in construction. The mortality rate of construction workers is the highest of all industries year after year and year after year. Construction is also often at the top of the rankings with one of the highest injuries.

The fatality rate in construction in 2020 will be 10.2 compare to 9.7 in 2019. For all workers, the fatal accident rate will fall from 3.5 in 2019 to 3.4 in 2020. The fatal accident rate is same as the number of fatal accidents at work per 100,000 full-time equivalents (FTEs).

Not all construction accidents end in tragedy, but many immortal injuries result in lost staff time at work. By 2020, the average number of working days will be 11 days. That's a lot of lost productivity for construction companies.

As already mentioned, the construction industry has a bad reputation, which is honest, as risky. The only way to change that is to start reducing the number of fatalities and immortals. It starts with any company for which security is a top priority.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, we have also seen that many companies place greater emphasis on the mental health and overall well-being of employees. In order for construction companies to compete to attract the highest levels of talent, it will focus on safety and physical and mental health in 2022 and beyond.