4 Trends to Watch This Year and Beyond
While most people think of the construction industry as pretty standard and not one that evolves or changes much, recent occurrences will drive major changes this year and the next.
First and foremost, the current pandemic has brought to the forefront the need for health safety precautions, culture change, and need for new safety equipment and resources. Although the highlight on the need for improved safety measures had already started driving measures to improve safety on a broader scale across the industry. That will continue this year and going forward.
Improved Safety Practices and Equipment
Improving safety standards and making use of better safety equipment will be a major trend this year. While some major construction firms were already taking the lead, this trend will be embraced across the industry this year.
Safety trends in construction include:
Wearables and work boots connected to Wi-Fi and GPS coordinates that can alert supervisors as to the status of their employees
Moisture-wicking fabrics and cooling vests to help keep workers stay comfortable safe and productive.
Structural Process will Improve Reliability
The national spotlight last year was on a few major structural failures that resulted in several deaths, and the ensuing legal and public relations messes are likely to change how some contractors do business in 2020.
More Technology to Drive Efficiency
Many have been waiting for the industry to implement technology that can help customers save money and improve overall productivity and delivery.
Cross-technology integration that can help companies to manage all areas of the construction project more effectively and efficiently have been a long time coming and something that will make companies at the forefront more appealing.
More Prefabrication and Modular Construction
With an uncertain economy and concerns about the current pandemic, along with material prices in flux and the labor market continuing to tighten, off-site and pre-construction practices will grow in appeal and practicality for construction companies looking to cut costs, improve productivity and shorten time to delivery.
Having a controlled factory setting can easily improve construction safety by eliminating a lot of the hazards common on construction sites.
The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) reports prefabrication and modular construction projects are beginning to increase, after falling off considerably fin years past.
We hope you will stay tuned as we cover each of these trends in more detail as construction continues to ramp up in the Bay Area and across the country.
As you begin to pursue your planned construction projects, we will do our best to maintain safety in all aspects of our projects and our interaction with you.
We look forward to continuing to work with you or in partnering with you on your new projects.
Stay safe and well.