Emerging technology in the construction industry: Perceptions from construction industry professionals

Abstract

Although historically the construction industry has been a slow adopter of technology, in recent years the technology available to increase productivity and thus profit margins has seen rapid adoption and advancement. As these advances have taken hold the need for students to be exposed to this technology, to better prepare them for their careers has arisen. Project management, estimating and building information modeling (BIM) technologies are now commonly found in construction higher education. However, as technology in the construction industry continues to advance educators must be aware of what the "cutting edge" of technology in construction is, so they can expose their students to it, and more thoroughly prepare them for what they will interact with in their careers. This study utilized a survey of construction industry professionals to learn about advances in technology and where they are being used. The internet based survey netted more than 1,000 responses and produced a sample for each question that ranged from n = 116 to n = 1,014. Specifically this study sought to learn about the use of augmented and virtual reality technology, the technology that industry professionals have seen and hope to see used in future projects, and the barriers to technology adoption. The study provides recommendations for technologies that should be introduced to students beyond computer applications for estimating, scheduling and BIM. Further this study provides construction educators and professionals alike an idea of the direction technology is going in the industry.