Tech could clear many of the construction industry’s current stumbling blocks, but not without considerable investment and commitment to sourcing and developing the right talent. John Miles, Business Development Director at Assent Building Control, discusses the current state of technology in construction and building control
The construction sector has traditionally been slow to embrace technology. However, the trend appears to be reversing, with a 2021 Deloitte report revealing that 76% of engineering and construction executives planned to invest in digital technology in the next year. Within the building control profession, change has started with adopting audit apps, remote site visits and drone inspections of difficult-to-access areas.
The overarching goal is to drive better building practices – across productivity, health and safety and sustainability – through digitisation, data capture, analytics and advanced tools.
Despite an appetite for progress, issues such as labour and skills shortages, supply chain problems and prohibitive costs are slowing the sector’s pace. Recent statistics from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found that skills gaps hamper aims to upgrade construction processes.
Among the RICS’s 2,500 members responses, nine out of 10 believed a lack of suitably skilled professionals was a medium or high level ‘blocker’ to moving to a more tech-led approach. According to the survey, the skills shortfall was the second biggest hurdle to transformation behind the cost of technology.
Kickstarting change during the Covid-19 pandemic
Covid-19 accelerated technology used for building control professionals and opened the industry’s eyes to existing digital tools. Office-based surveyors adopted home and hybrid working, held meetings on MS Teams and conducted site inspections via mobile phone – often for the first time.
These minor changes marked an important shift within the sector. More than ever, surveyors are using tech to cut admin, transform productivity and sharpen customer support. A day spent travelling to a single site can now be filled with several virtual inspections and targeted client one-to-ones.
Face-to-face interactions will always be critical in building control, but trimming time and money spent on unnecessary travel allows funds to be reinvested in vital service improvements, including tech-driven tools.
While old-school habits die hard, the move to modernise is gaining pace, and the building control sector is steadily exploring advanced solutions to boost service. These include:
- Drone inspections for buildings with height or accessibility issues.
- Augmented reality glasses, which allow building control teams to visualise digital designs in 3D, record their virtual journeys and pinpoint potential compliance issues.
- Collaborative portals for surveyors and clients to submit applications, store and edit documents, view inspection videos and track project progress.
- Building information ‘passports’ that digitally hold fire safety details, materials information, plans and survey records for emergency services access, compliance checks and performance analysis.
Achieving compliance through technology in construction
Technology is key to meeting the exacting demands of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA). Created in response to the Grenfell tragedy, the landmark legislation makes dutyholders accountable for fire safety and structural stability at every stage of a building’s lifespan.
For the building control profession, the new laws introduce a raft of new competency requirements. Every person practising within the public and private sectors must sign up to a national competency register and undergo assessments to define their level of responsibility. These details will appear in an online directory of qualifications, focus areas and experience, driving a new level of transparency for providers and clients.
BSA compliance also relies on upholding a golden thread of information that begins before building work starts and carries through to design, build, maintenance and management.
The Government describes the golden thread as both:
- The information about a building that allows someone to understand it and keep it safe.
- The information management to ensure the information is accurate, easily understandable, can be accessed by those who need it and is up to date.
It’s up to construction and building control companies to create their own information management systems. The goal is an accessible digital profile for each new building, cataloguing everything from layouts to fire statements to occupancy capacity. Dutyholders must work together to ensure content stays current – and software stays compatible.
While the lack of an industry-wide approach could cause integration issues down the line, it could also fuel much-needed innovation. Shared portals to support the golden thread are just the beginning.
Going forward, surveyors will be expected to geotag photos and videos, digitally capture conversation and meeting outcomes, instantly access site records and more. Now’s the time to seize the benefits of technology to shape a more robust service. In a sector with very few disruptors, we need to turn BSA obligations into opportunities.
Creating a culture of innovation
Construction is a hands-on industry built on high volume and low cost. Even during a recession, the sector remains focused on non-stop delivery – leaving little room to rethink materials, reshape business models and take potentially expensive risks.
The widespread adoption of business information modelling (BIM), which was used by 73% of construction professionals in 2020, shows it’s possible to push forward. But to tackle the industry’s key concerns – from skills shortages to ambitious sustainability targets – we need to increase our pace.
The options are out there. Innovative approaches like digital twins, automated workflows and environmentally friendly modular building are already delivering cost-saving benefits to companies willing to invest in future-facing tools.
Modular construction projects, for example, are up to 40% faster than traditional builds because most of the work is completed and approved offsite. Elements are delivered and fitted only when needed, reducing waste, storage costs and carbon emissions. Meanwhile, technology joins the dots to ensure the finished product performs onsite. Data-driven project management systems track efficiency and spend, while augmented reality tools give site managers and investors a realistic view of the final structure.
Can technology save us from skills shortages and an ageing demographic?
First, technology enables a limited workforce to do more – more inspections, speedier approvals, and quicker completions. With the right approach, it also attracts fresh talent into building control and construction careers. This means encouraging digital natives to pursue tech-led ideas, offering meaningful R&D opportunities and always being willing to listen and learn.
We’ve watched the automotive industry break with tradition to champion hybrid and electric vehicles – now it’s our turn to pivot into better practices. Innovation isn’t about abandoning bricks and mortar and face-to-face relationships. It’s about delivering a smarter, faster, greener service at considerably less cost. The pandemic opened the door to the possibilities of technology in building control and construction. We now need to embrace what’s on the other side.
