Building Resilience: Changing the approach to construction

We explore what needs to change as technology and equipment advances, and skill requirements along with demand continues to change.

It’s not just COVID-19 which is continuing to change the construction sector. Areas such as skill requirements, varying demand for different jobs and more innovative projects, and shorter time frames are all having an effect.

A report by Asite has shined a light on what we can expect for the future of industry trends which continue to shape construction.

The report also reveals the opportunities and issues the industry faces during the remainder of 2020 whilst exemplifying the virtues of a regionally engaged and globally responsive approach.

Due to the size of the construction sector across the globe, transformation and innovation will certainly take time. This usually isn’t an issue, however, the limitations of this become evident when a new threat or opportunity appears on the horizon.

In order to embrace these challenges and opportunities, the industry needs to come together and approach the situation and share its successes.

The recent report focuses on Q1 2020 and explores how the construction market has changed. It has provided an in-depth insight into trends that are thought to make a large impact.

The snapshot explores some of this years biggest innovations and technological advancements and developments so far. These include the adoption of smart building technologies in the USA in addition to the growth of modular construction which has taken India’s construction sector by storm.

The report also touches on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is impacting the construction industry both in the present and into the future.

Despite the massive effect COVID-19 had on the industry and economies worldwide, it is still expected that construction innovation and technology will continue to expand and grow.

Asite’s CEO, Nathan Doughty, said: “2020 has not been the year we imagined and planned for. The construction industry is facing a turbulent few months as we all try to deal with the current pandemic.

“Now more than ever, I believe we need to come together to prepare and safeguard our society for the future. Construction and infrastructure are vital to our ability to collectively safeguard the health of our fellow citizens, and to educate, feed and house us all. We must keep building, and inevitably we will. The question is how do we build resilience into the industry and into the fabric of the built environment itself?

“Digital engineering and remote-working technologies present opportunities for many organisations to continue with business in the face of change. Sharing innovation from colleagues around the world will help us all to advance collaboratively.

“I’ve seen first-hand how the construction industry can overcome adversity and help rebuild following times of hardship. Construction was fundamental to crisis response and in the rebuilding process in my hometown of Houston after Hurricane Harvey three years ago.

“Today, the industry has quickly geared up to deliver hospital beds for health services across the world and re-geared manufacturing for PPE and health equipment. We can build on lessons learned in difficult times. Connecting people around the world will help us learn from one another and innovate.”

In conclusion, the optimistic outlook that the report gives anticipates that the industry will continue to transform and innovate throughout the remainder of 2020 and beyond despite concerns surrounding climate change and the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

More details on the report can be found here.