The construction industry has become increasingly competitive since the pandemic. According to the American Institute of Architects, spending on construction is expected to slow to 2% in 2025 from 7% in 2024. This spending slowdown means that firms must take a progressive approach to cutting costs and aligning with client demand.
Smart construction is chief among progressive approaches to building. It utilizes advancing technology and materials to improve efficiency, safety, and overall project outcomes. This approach uses smart materials to optimize building resources with features like self-repair, temperature regulation, and energy optimization. Smart materials are useful for building more energy-efficient homes and reducing clients’ long-term costs.
By taking an efficient approach to building materials and projects, smart construction supports sustainable initiatives by reducing waste in the form of energy, materials, and labor. In this way, smart construction saves contractors unnecessary costs and supports a more sustainable future. It’s truly a win-win for the booming construction industry.
Sustainable Construction Trends
Smart construction is taking off across the nation. Businesses and homeowners alike are looking for ways to minimize construction waste and want to partner with firms that can offer sustainable, cost-effective solutions.
As a contractor, you can pivot towards more energy-efficient builds by adopting smart construction technologies, including:
- Software: Leveraging the right software can unlock hidden data and aid your efforts to leverage Building Information Modeling (BIM).
- Mobile apps: Mobile software is easy to access, user-friendly, and connects your entire team. It can mitigate waste and offer unique insights.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI in modern architecture is advancing a new wave of automation, sustainable design, and resource allocation in urban planning. It enhances BIM by looking for design flaws and improves the accuracy of three-dimensional models. It can help you intermix the goals of building function and form.
- Data analytics: Next-generation analytics is a subset of AI that seeks to improve data availability and decision-making. Allowing for advanced preventative action against emissions and resource waste while supporting more sustainable builds in the long run.
These technologies provide advanced solutions to common construction headaches with the added benefit of precision. This precision can reduce wasted time, materials, and costs while supporting sustainable initiatives.
To go the extra mile in embracing smart construction trends and technologies, as a contractor, you should not only adopt smart construction technologies but ensure they are powered by clean energy. Partnering with technologies powered by renewable energy drives industry-wide innovation. Sustainable energy solutions, like solar power, enhance public image, support corporate responsibility goals, improve compliance, and set you apart from competitors.
Energy Efficient Materials
Switching to environmentally friendly materials is the easiest way to support sustainability in energy-efficient builds. By ordering recycled materials, you can rest easy in the knowledge that materials will reduce waste while providing clients with quality builds for years to come. Some of the best sustainable and smart building materials today include:
- Recycled steel: Steel is the most recycled product on the planet. It’s easily re-used in new building projects and can be the ideal material when constructing sheds, garages, or temporary worksites.
- Insulated concrete: Insulated concrete forms (ICF) are poured between concrete walls to minimize heat loss and improve insulation. It’s a relatively simple solution and can be easily implemented in your next major project.
- Bamboo plywood: Bamboo is a self-regenerating wood that can be used in humid conditions where wood may not be viable. It generally costs a little more than most lumber, but it is high quality and innately repels pests.
- Wood wool: Wood wool, known as excelsior, is finely shredded wood fibers. Its natural, energy-efficient makeup makes it a sustainable choice for construction. The material can be used to insulate walls, floors, and ceilings and is favored for its ability to regulate humidity and resist mold.
Pivoting to eco-friendly materials can reduce your emissions, cut down on waste, and aid your efforts to build a sustainable contracting brand. You should also consider extending the life of your equipment to support energy efficiency and sustainability.
With climate change’s effects, existing tools and equipment can take a beating. Part of moving forward with sustainable construction is increasing the longevity of infrastructure and heavy machinery by preventing machines from freezing or overheating in extreme temperatures, warding off static electricity buildup, shielding equipment from heavy winds, and using proper lighting while working with equipment. These efforts will save you money on maintenance, extend the life of your equipment, and further reduce the amount of waste created by construction work.
Pros and Cons of Smart Materials
The demand for more sustainable construction is growing. Clients have identified their buildings as a major source of carbon emissions and are taking dramatic action to mitigate their waste and support sustainability. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should suddenly pivot to a fleet of advanced building materials. Instead, strive to understand the pros and cons of smart materials so you can make informed business decisions. The benefits of smart building materials include:
- Increased energy efficiency thanks to features like thermochromic glass and real-time sensors;
- Reduced maintenance costs due to smart coating and self-cleaning surfaces;
- Enhanced structural integrity and durability in the face of extreme weather events.
While these benefits are tough to overlook, you must properly appraise the “cons” associated with utilizing smart construction materials. Some common drawbacks associated with these materials include:
- Higher costs due to the use of piezoelectric materials, sensors, and polymer-reinforced aerogels;
- Difficulty estimating due to the emergent nature of advanced technology and tools;
- Shifting regulations that could derail existing projects and plans.
Accounting for these challenges is crucial to making the most of smart materials. Even simple projects can become complicated quickly if regulations change or suppliers go bust. By appreciating the difficulties associated with these materials, you can avoid disaster and set yourself up for contracting success.
Conclusion
Energy-efficient buildings are booming. Clients want to cut down energy waste associated with new builds and additions and will pay a premium to contractors who offer smart materials and sustainable construction solutions. As a contractor, you can get ahead of the competition by investing in smart construction technologies and materials to reduce wasted resources, cut costs, and improve building energy efficiency — all while supporting industry-wide sustainability.
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