Top 5 Construction Trends of 2022
If you’re wondering what’s going to happen in the construction industry this year, you’re not alone. The sheer unpredictability of the industry as a whole invites conjecture so that contractors can more easily stay on top of what’s coming down the road so that they can more successfully operate their businesses. In this post, we’ll discuss the top five construction trends in 2022, giving you the low down on what to expect this year and into the future.
1. Strong Advancements in Materials
Though new materials are constantly being developed and invented, the pace of innovation brought about by digital transformation is taking the industry through a golden age of materials science. The materials you may expect to see this year or shortly in the future include transparent aluminum to reduce structural weight while improving natural lighting and visibility as well as self-healing and flexible concrete formulations.
2. Increases in Demand for Modular Construction
Both prefabricated and modular construction are seeing strong growth, partially due to the many benefits that can be realized using these technologies and building methods in construction. These benefits include reduced materials and shipping costs, reduced construction waste, higher overall quality of the finished structure, time reductions up to half of the time of traditional construction methods and reducing costs by up to 20%, causing growth expected to reach $157 billion by next year.
3. Labor Shortages
It’s not just fast-food restaurants that are short-handed these days, as labor shortages continue to plague the entire economy. For this reason, retaining good labor and hiring solid new labor is an important part of keeping your projects operating smoothly. Shortages make having skilled labor who can successfully, profitably finish your projects more difficult than ever. However, offering good benefits, training opportunities and competitive wages make the process easier, and robotic assistance is becoming much more of a reality on the construction site.
4. 3D or Additive Manufacturing
No longer the purview of computer geeks and engineers, 3D printing has come into its own in the construction industry. Known in commercial production as additive manufacturing, this production method can help you get through some supply chain issues to manufacture everything from replacement parts and components for your project to constructing modular and emergency or basic housing for a wide range of needs. They’re also useful for creating construction models featuring a high level of detail.
5. Digital Transformation
Unless you’ve been asleep at the wheel, you’ve probably heard the term digital transformation mentioned as it sweeps through every industry on Earth. It includes AI, machine learning, cloud computing, analytics, Internet of Things, pervasive networking and other technologies that work together to improve safety, efficiency, productivity and profitability on your projects. Newer technologies include robots that can handle bricklaying, cloud-based applications to improve crew communication, seamless workflows and document tracking for your company.
By staying on top of changes and trends in construction, you can more readily discover which technologies you should invest in early and which ones you should avoid to improve profitability. Check out our blog for more construction industry news!
