Commercial Construction Trends That Are Changing the Industry

Even though it may seem as something inflexible, the commercial construction industry is affected by various outside factors. We are talking about issues like economic fluctuations, climate changes, new technologies and job markets. This being said, here are a few commercial construction trends that will continue to shape the industry in 2017.

Green practices are the next big thing

While some people still deny the impact human behaviour has on our climate, going green is still one of the most important trends in the construction business. We are talking about the use of power-saving techniques, low-power machinery and even the increased use of eco-friendly materials in the process. Overall, the three greatest trends here are the so-called LEED certification, eco-friendly building materials and, of course, net-zero energy building. Each of these represents a massive leap forward in raising environmental awareness and boosting commercial construction.

The labor shortage is a huge problem

One of the greatest problems construction industry is currently facing is the imminent labor shortage. Even with the unstable job market, millennials still remain mostly uninterested in this field. One of the reasons this is so is due to the fact that there is a lack of technical training in schools. The problems are even greater with the skilled labor force, because they are getting more and more valuable by the minute. In the end, all of this mostly results in longer project schedules and heftier payrolls for those who do decide to try their hand in this industry. Unfortunately, with the current state of the economy, this particular problem isn’t likely to go away anytime soon.

The Internet of Things is slowly entering the market

In 2017 almost everyone knows with the Internet of Things is, but what exactly does this entail in the construction business? First of all, it allows for a better landscape survey, aided with drone technology, employee tracking and various other high-tech means of collecting information. One of the greatest boosts this can give to the industry is that of increased safety. You see, not every area of the construction site can be considered a safe zone, which means that various forms of wearables may increase the personal safety of construction workers. Finally, all the information gathered this way might, over time, become invaluable data that will elevate the industry to a whole new level.

VR and AR are ready for their grand entrance

With the help of VR and AR gadgets, architects and designers might get a better insight in their project in its planning stage. Imagine a situation where an architect can ‘walk’ through their building long before its construction starts. This way, many hidden flaws may be discovered in time which can save a fortune. Seeing how the shortage of labor and necessity for using eco-friendly materials may raise the overall cost of construction, this might help level the field.

3D printers

Finally, one of the things everyone keeps talking about these days is the impact of 3D printers on the construction industry. Namely, in a recent experiment, a huge 3D printer was able to build a house in under 24 hours. To make things even more astonishing, it did so at a cost of under $10,000. This being said, it is more than clear that these devices have a huge potential of both completely revolutionizing the commercial construction industry and solving a mortgage crisis. Nonetheless, whether or not it lives up to its full potential in the future remains to be seen.

While each of these trends may be vital to the commercial construction business as we know it, not every one of them is about to play an equal part in its development. At this point, we can only speculate which trends are going to take lead in the next several years.