Although the construction sector isn’t really a technological niche, the progress of technology in recent decades has certainly had an impact on it. Construction businesses all over the world are adopting more and more sophisticated tech, ensuring that their projects can be completed with greater safety, precision and efficiency. If you find you’re lagging behind some of your close competitors, then it may be down to your negligence of beneficial tech. In recent years, there have been many new pieces of tech which have sprung up and made things easier for higher-ups in the construction industry. Here are a few of the big ones you should be utilizing.
Wearable Smart Sensors
Wearable tech is one of the hottest topics in the world of modern tech, and aside from the massive consumer popularity it’s also been used in various business applications. Many innovative construction firms have started to use wearable sensors for greater job site security. More and more construction companies have been putting mart sensors in their workers’ watches, boots, hardhats, rooftop harnesses and other pieces of standard gear. By monitoring them, foremen can keep better track of the physical condition of workers on their sites. For example, the sensors in a hardhat can set off an alert after receiving impact, and watch sensors can monitor a person’s body temperature to ensure no one’s suffering from heat exhaustion. Boot sensors too can be used to track how long laborers are spending on their feet, and when their next break should be.
Construction Cameras
CCTV on jobsites is pretty much a standard these days. If your site has some valuable equipment or materials, and the local area is known for industrial theft, then you’re obviously not going to leave it without proper surveillance. However, there are now many businesses which are supplying cameras with a little more functionality, designed specifically for applications in the construction sector. There are a wide range of benefits which your business can reap by implementing a system of construction cameras. You’ll be able to give your whole project team an instant, live feed to the site, and see how the project is coming along. You’ll also have improved documentation, with access to clear, timestamped pictures. It’s now pretty common for project managers to use construction cameras with time-lapse capabilities to update clients and investors on how everything’s coming along. These time lapse videos can also be used as powerful marketing materials for showing prospective clients your previous work. There’s a world of possibility in these specialized camera systems, so make sure you’re not missing out!
Tool Tracking
Misplaced and stolen tools cost construction companies millions of dollars every year. You probably knew that already, and hopefully didn’t learn the hard way! Aside from the monetary side, having equipment and tools left lying carelessly around is a serious safety hazard, one which you can’t afford to ignore with the modern suing culture we live in. One great tool that’s stemming the tide of this issue is tool barcode readers. Over the past few decades, more and more construction companies have been fitting their power tools, manual tools, and other assets with reliable barcodes. This is typically integrated with a routine of scanning and logging the tools at the beginning and end of each work day. This will give foremen and project managers a clearer idea of where everything is, and who’s responsible if a tool or piece of equipment goes missing.
Drones
Drones are absolutely everywhere these days. There’s now a whole consumer subculture of people who modify and fly drones for a hobby, but they’re also being applied in various business models as well. The construction companies at the forefront of this change are regularly hiring professional drone pilots to survey construction sites, both in built-up urban areas and notably remote locations. Foremen all over the world are also using drones to actively monitor their project sites. When applied in the right way, drones are fantastic for monitoring workers, tracking progress, and seeing potential problems before they strike.
Tablets and Wi-Fi
Mobile tech has changed the construction industry in a similar way to pretty much every other niche: helping it go paperless. It’s no longer necessary for foremen and managers to carry around rolls of blueprints and other kinds of paperwork. Now, it can all be contained easily on a reliable and portable device. Tablets are capable of storing masses of detailed data, which can be accesses with a few taps of the screen, and carried to anywhere you might need them.