DECEMBER 2021CONSTRUCTIONBUSINESSREVIEW.COM9than focusing on new ways of delivering information more efficiently.The second theme is BIM. The UK government led the way during the early part of the decade, producing a raft of standards and a great deal of noise to pull the industry from the inefficiencies of 2D workflow into the new world of structured, coordinated, data-rich information. Many of the outputs from this initiative have successfully filtered into the industry. For instance, federated models linked to a common data environment have now become the norm. In addition, clash detection software are enabling the resolution of elements clashing. The third theme is designing for manufacture and assembly, commonly coined as DFMA. Various initiatives, from the rise of volumetric solutions in residential projects to the increase in building services sub-assemblies, are moving construction away from site into factories where buildings can be made faster, smarter, and better. While these three topics have shaped the foundations for an exciting decade ahead; there is still much to be done if the construction industry is to accelerate towards a paradigm shift in the way buildings are designed and made. It is also vital that productivity stays a key priority. It is fair to say the last decade ended with a rise in construction technology, including robotics and additive manufacturing with Boston Dynamic's robot, which made regular appearances at tech conferences to underline the type of innovation that could be coming our way. However, several technologies that have recently been introduced are yet to mature to the point where they can be confidently used and scaled beyond pilot projects.At AECOM, we believe the below five trends will enable the industry to accelerate further and enable us to transform the way we design by the end of the decade:No More DrawingsFor whatever reason, BIM has resulted in the same old 2D outputs. It is believed that this decade will see drawings disappear. 2D views will be possible where necessary; however, by leveraging the 3D model more effectively, post-production workflow will be eliminated. Crucially, by bringing the whole project team into the 3D environment, using new user interfaces, including the uptake of VR, our digital assets will add value by transforming design reviews. In addition to this, it will improve the way information is viewed on-site and allow seamless flows into digital twins, enabling better building performance.Convergence of Manufacturing and ConstructionAt present, manufacturing information is created at the end of a project. It is believed that this decade will see manufacturing information from digital libraries being integrated seamlessly with more traditional design information at the start of a project. As a result, designs will be more accurate and faster to produce. This convergence will see the rise of bills of materials (BOM's) and project lifecycle management (PLM) tools which are more familiar to the car industry than construction, Automated InformationFor a majority of buildings, the time frame for producing construction information is significant. By leveraging digital libraries and manufacture ready objects, it will be possible to automate this phase of a project with new interfaces pushing information directly into the world of manufacturing. For instance, ordering of products or the queuing of information into CAD-CAM machinery occurring in frictionless ways significantly reduces waste and is speeding up the whole design- making process. Rise of UI and UXNew processes will not result in the standardized or commoditized design. However, by the end of the decade, the absence of 2D information will see new ways of clients engaging with the design process. The tools used by designers will see ways of customizable designs enabled by a new generation of manufacturing equipment, including additive technologies. Smart ProcurementProcurement models are yet to adjust to the benefits of better digital information. The current decade will also see the rise of software solutions that plug more efficiently into the design process. Not only will this allow clients to make more informed decisions on what they are buying, but also allow the supply chain to regain and forge closer relationships with designers and the construction team. This will also influence ways of manufacturing and constructing buildings more efficiently with the clients seeing models that drive down and better predict costs. Several technologies that have recently been introduced are yet to mature to the point where they can be confidently used and scaled beyond pilot projects
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