siliconindia | | April 20208T he Diffusion of Innovation Theory states that every tech-nology goes through five phases in its journey of adoption by users. The first 2.5 percent are the innovators; the next 13.5 percent are early adopters; followed by 34 percent who are `early majority'; 34 percent of late majority; and finally, 16 percent laggards. Globally, the construction industry is seeing significant shifts in adoption of technology, resulting in increasingly `smarter' and more efficient outcomes. Some of the key milestones in this journey towards a smart, data-driven and responsible ecosystem are listed below.VR&AR: Virtual Reality (VR) has been an emerging trend over the past few years and represents the ability to transport the user to an alterna-tive real-world scenario, though there is a cost involved. VR offers immersive solutions for the building industry, enabling stakeholders to collaborate in the design process. For those companies who start using it now, it will transform how they project and build. In fact, many stakeholders believe that there will soon come a day when, instead of using safety goggles, the planning and plotting of sites will begin even before breaking ground.Construction companies have begun using VR and AR (Aug-mented Reality) technology to enhance worker safety training. This allows construction workers to visualize what they're learning, instead of just reading about it. Firms also use apps that connect VR/AR technology to their BIM (Building Information Modelling) software. This enables virtual walkthroughs of a structure, which in turn facilitates informed design decisions earlier in the construction process, thus saving time and cutting costs.By Deepak Suvarna, Chief Projects Officer, Mahindra Lifespace DevelopersIN MYOPINIONLATESTCONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY TRENDSDeepak boasts of a 15-year long career, during which he was associated with Laing O'Rourke and Lodha Group, prior to joining Mahindra in 2018.CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE AND DATA ECOSYSTEM: Real-time, data-driven collaboration software is already an essential component of the development process. However, its impact on the construction industry is expected to increase substantially in the near future.Integrating existing processes and systems into a single, fully-connected platform enhances project efficiency. Software solutions for different functions and disciplines in the course of construc-tion of a project can now be easily combined, thus minimising delay, rework and communication gaps. A reliable, real-time collaboration software can serve as the digital backbone of the construc-tion process from start to finish.BIM:BIM is one of the hottest construction technology trends. BIM technology is considered as the cata-lyst for fundamental change in how we manage, design and develop a construction project. There are many different levels of programming enabled through BIM, with 4D and 5D BIM as key exam-ples.BIM improves accuracy in the building pro-cess and facilitates the exchange of key project information between stakeholders. As it evolves, BIM will make construction projects more pro-ductive and affordable by including sustainabili-ty and safety as first principles. BIM proffers a detailed depiction of the project development in an open and collaborative environment. It helps designers produce 3D mock-ups of a planned structure that also incorporates cost and time in-formation. Variables such as construction methods and materials can be fed into the software to com-pare the costs over time of differing techniques or materials used.PREFABRICATION:Prefabrication has come a long way and is gaining in popularity in response to increasing pressure on project budgets and timelines. Prefabrication helps to build the base elements in a controlled environ-ment. It eliminates significant portions of in-site influence that potentially contribute to delays in the construction cycle. The quality of the devel-
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