Looking Back on The Innovations That Have Revolutionized Construction

Construction has come a long way since the Neolithic era, when the first form of woodworking began. In this article, Reddy Kancharla discusses game-changing innovations that have shaped the construction industry.

Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

First developed around six decades ago, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) has helped increase the efficiency of construction projects by allowing architects, engineers, and others to sketch designs in 2D or 3D. One of the most important benefits of CAD is that it provides different people involved in the projects to collaborate in real-time. Gone are the days when separate systems must compete for the same physical space in drawings or blueprints.

Mechanizations

It isn’t easy to imagine construction projects nowadays that do not involve the use of equipment with advanced functionalities and capabilities, such as cranes, power tools, cherry pickers, concrete mixers, internal combustion engines, and the like. Without such technology, large-scale projects will still require huge amounts of time and labor to complete.

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

One of the most significant innovations in the field of construction, Building Information Modeling (BIM), is a process that integrates multidisciplinary data to develop digital representations of building or construction designs that provides builders with a tool to manage information throughout a project’s life cycle. Reddy Kancharla states that BIM has significantly increased the efficiency of construction projects by allowing preconstruction parties to visualize and analyze nearly all the details of the design -- even before actual work starts on site.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Many people have deemed the construction industry as one of the most unsafe sectors. The assertion is understandable, given that 20 percent of worker deaths in the U.S. come from the industry, even though construction workers account for only 6 percent of the country’s labor force. But that number would undoubtedly be higher if it were not for the advancement of personal protective equipment (PPE.) The development of PPE has also reduced workers’ exposure to health and safety risks.

Can you think of other construction innovations that did not make this list? Share them in the comments. For more articles about the industry, follow this Reddy Kancharla Twitter page.