Technology

The digital marketplace is hard to navigate, so how are construction firms ensuring they invest wisely in technology? Construction companies, faced with the need to adopt digital technologies to keep pace in a fast-changing world, will inevitably come up against a vast range of options. AI, drones, wearables… it’s a…

Are high upfront costs and a lack of clarity on work pipelines behind a recent spate of high-profile setbacks in the modular construction sector?  In the 1989 Hollywood movie Field of Dreams, a ghostly voice whispering “If you build it, they will come” inspired Kevin Costner’s character to turn his…

Rotating the UK’s biggest tunnel-borer 180 degrees is no mean feat – but it means only one machine is needed and the job will get done a lot quicker. Joshua Stein reports on the Silvertown Tunnel project Rotating the UK’s biggest tunnel-boring machine (TBM) 180 degrees may seem like a…

Early collaboration among construction-sector partners would give clients, contractors and suppliers a better chance of decarbonising their operations, a recent roundtable discussion heard. But while innovative technology can play an important part in meeting net-zero targets, getting better at the basics is crucial, too. Mike Walter reports On the panel…

David Morris is legal director and construction specialist at law firm Shakespeare Martineau Although the technology behind 3D-printed homes has been around for a number of years, there has been a recent uplift in the creation of and interest in 3D-printed developments. As the construction industry tries to keep up…

Emerging technologies are transforming asset management, leading to a digital disruption of how they are managed. These technologies are constantly changing how our world is being designed, built and supported, with asset management being radically altered by innovations that were once unimaginable. Smart asset management is the latest digital disruption,…

Lee Jones is head of manufacturing solutions at NBS and acting head of sustainability at Byggfakta Group With COP27 taking place later on 6 November, the construction industry is gearing up for the latest advice on climate change. For construction, an industry responsible for nearly 40 per cent of all…

Paul Reeve is director of CSR at engineering services body ECA We are all too aware of the energy price shock. But sometimes forgotten in the current crisis is the contribution low carbon technologies make to lowering energy bills. Business investment in such technologies can significantly reduce lighting, heating and…

Mat Lown is head of ESG and sustainability at TFT Consultants Among the biggest issues currently facing the UK construction industry are the risks associated with global supply chains. We are all aware of the contributing factors and the impact they can have on construction projects. In particular, rising development…

It is a commonly held belief that the construction industry is among the slowest to adopt new technology. To examine this, a recent survey by Foundry, in collaboration with Quickbase, examined how prevalent digital tools and workflow automation are in construction project management, and what inefficiencies exist as a result.…