Technology has always been a part of effective construction and with new gadgets, systems, and materials, there's almost nothing that can't be built. The human imagination is vast and some ideas can't apply to physics, but, new technology has made it possible for unbelievable ideas to come to life. In this article, we will bring up a few new construction systems and materials that are not so much as new, but will be implemented much more due to their necessity in construction and remodeling.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been around since the 1970's, but has never been as advanced as it is now. Imagine a system that can digitally build a home or building, having a complete view of inside spaces, wiring, plumbing, lighting, everything in 3D. Now, not only can you view your entire project from the inside-out, but you can now also have complete analytics of the whole construction throughout the structures lifetime. Many properties of a construction project may be monitored such as the thermal levels of each section of the structure, the amount and size of materials needed, the costs that will accumulate with each addition on the structure and the cost of maintaining the property throughout its entire lifetime.
The TERMES project is a futuristic method of construction that involves termite inspired climbing robots building 3D structures in a fast and efficient manner. These tiny robots are capable of building, installing, and preparing just as human tradesmen do. They simultaneously work together autonomously and are able to manipulate blocks to make complex structures. This project, made in Harvard University, revolutionizes the future of construction in an unprecedented manner, making large structures in a timely and cost-effective process..
With new building systems and programs, also come new types of building materials such as self-healing concrete. The use of this material eliminates concrete cracks and expensive concrete maintenance by using mixed bacteria spores which feed on calcium lactate to produce lactite, a primary component of limestone. A foam, made from plant materials like bamboo, hemp, and kelp will be hard enough to use to make furniture, insulation, turbine blades, etc. This special foam, manufactured by Malama Composites provides high resistance to heat and high moisture; it is also resistant to mold. Just another green approach to construction.
Talking about the green approach, South Florida is an ideal location for the use of Photovoltaic Glazing Panels. These building integrated glass panels help buildings generate their own electricity... Yes, high-tech solar panel windows. The panels consist of transparent photovoltaic glass that is used as structural building material such as windows, facades, and roofs. This technology, from Polysolar, is efficient at producing energy even on the shaded side of a building. The price is just above the price for tempered glass and it comes with tint to provide shading.
Wearable technology is now being used to assess the way workers move through-out their work-day and to make quicker data-driven decisions. What sport athletes and trainers use for on-field performance, safety and operation managers use to monitor health risks on a construction site. This helps reduce common work injuries, such as back pain, and increases work morale, thus, having employees use less sick days due to pain, increase work efficiency, and decrease medical costs. This innovative wearable sensor technology helps construction businesses verify new methods of working that will be safer and more efficient. The types of analytics that can be attained from these gadgets are priceless and can mean the success of a business.
These new technologies of the future make way for a more efficient and energy-conscience construction mapping. Safety, time, money, ROI, Green-Wise techniques and employee morale with retention will all be improved with these state-of-the-art programs and materials. The future possibilities of construction are endless; making every step of building more automatic, safer, efficient, and cost effective. Most of these new construction technologies are useful for commercial buildings and industrial warehouses, but miniature versions will be available for homes in the near future,.
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