Five Ways in Which Connected Construction is Facilitating Sustainability
In recent years, climate change has emerged as a critical concern impacting vital facets of human life such as clean air, potable water, nutritious food, and safe shelter. The detrimental effects of climate change might attenuate global health milestones achieved over decades.
As reported by the World Health Organisation, climate change is projected to cause around 250,000 deaths globally each year from 2030 to 2050. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by fossil fuel burning and extraction, is one of the leading culprits of climate change and air pollution.
By making informed decisions pertaining to transport, food, and energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution can be contained, leading to improvement in overall health and well-being.
In its journey towards sustainability, the construction industry is met with a rather unique predicament of needing to reduce carbon emissions, cost, and material waste without diminishing productivity.
The challenge at hand becomes even more substantial, considering how sustainable construction practices play a vital role in all stages of a building’s lifecycle, from construction to demolition.
Connected Construction emerges as the solution to these challenges, since it can facilitate the adoption of lifecycle sustainability planning and uncover the environmental impact of design, material, and construction choices.
By synergising innovative technologies and holistic methodologies, Connected Construction can pave the way for a sustainable revolution within the construction landscape. The adoption of a circular economy and sustainable design principles can facilitate the creation of innovative designs underpinned by future adaptability, recyclability, minimalism, and resource efficiency.
The leading construction technology provider Trimble underscores five vital methods through which Connected Construction is ushering in a greener tomorrow.
Seamless Communication
Connected Construction prioritises efficient communication among all stakeholders, which can be achieved through the use of advanced digital platforms, cloud-based tools, and Building Information Modeling (BIM). These tools empower teams to collaborate, share real-time updates, and coordinate efficiently to mitigate delays, errors, and the need for in-person meetings that can contribute to carbon emissions.
Digital Prototyping
Even before the construction process begins, architects, engineers, and designers can leverage analytical tools and software like SketchUp, PreDesign and Sefaira to digitally create eco-friendly prototypes, and assess the project’s impact on key material, water, and energy resources.
During the site preparation stage, excavators equipped with Augmented Reality (AR) features, can emulate 3D models with realistic scale, and place it within existing real-life surroundings. Such advanced integrations are bolstering the accuracy of heavy machinery, thus catalysing project completion rate, and improving fuel efficiency.
Enhance Accuracy
3D scanning technology finds vital application during the process of site surveying and field layout, by reducing errors that can lead to reworks and delays, which can result in environmental degradation and additional project costs. By improving accuracy while exporting data from a constructible model to a robotic total station, this technology eliminates errors and reduces wastage, facilitating a seamless layout process.
Facilitate Team Coordination
Project coordinators can ensure that all team members are aligned towards a common goal, by utilising cutting-edge file-sharing systems such as Trimble Connect that provide users with up-to-date information on the most recent plans. Hence, all relevant stakeholders can be equipped with the necessary tools, leaving little room for error as the construction process advances.
Reduce Wastage
Companies can harness intelligent data fuelling fabrication and offsite prefabrication to generate precise material estimates, reflecting exact project requirements to mitigate wasteful purchases of extra supplies.
In order to realise these exceptional benefits, there needs to be a collective commitment towards incorporating Connected Construction practices across all stages of the construction process. As the construction industry persists with its journey towards sustainability, Connected Construction is paving the way for a greener and more resilient tomorrow.
