As the world bounces back from the recent economic downturn and the US housing and construction market rises from its ashes, companies are not only looking for sound strategies that will allow them to be more efficient, but for more sound structures as well. Technology in the world of civil engineering is evolving at speed and new innovations are set to completely transform the way we build in the future.
Here are some of the main innovations to keep an eye on in the world of construction and civil engineering.
Mobile Devices and Applications
A wide variety of mobile applications are being developed especially for construction and project teams in this day and age are more interconnected than ever. Also, apps that allow teams to track multiple projects in real time make safety, communication, and efficiency easier on the worksite. We can expect future civil engineers to be even more interconnected than this generation with wearable technology and more wireless applications being introduced. More versions of desktop software should also become available through mobile devices, which makes them that much more powerful on the field.
The Internet of Things
The internet of things refers to a variety of increasingly interconnected devices with a connection to the internet. The implications of the internet of things are huge, especially in the construction and civil engineering industry. The internet of things allows instant communication between parties and also allows team members to access crucial information in real time. Sensors will eventually be even more present and the internet of things, coupled with big data, will allow engineers to gather more advanced real-time information when conducting a variety of tests.
Permanent Modular Structures
Modular construction has gained a lot of traction in the last few years. Modular structures are assembled in a separate off-site facility and are then assembled on the construction site. While modular structures were restricted to only a few types of constructions not too long ago, we can expect modular construction to be used in a variety of ways in the future.
One of the applications of modular construction in the world of civil engineering is prefabricated roads. A Dutch company is already working on plastic roads that will be completely made out of recyclable materials and created by modules. As a matter of fact, many accredited online civil engineering programs have started integrating modular structures as part of their curriculum and future online MCE degree holders should have all the tools necessary to take advantage of this groundbreaking technology.
All of these technologies are set to completely transform how we view construction in the next coming years. The advent of interconnected devices and other technologies such as wearable technology and sensors, mobile applications and devices, as well as innovations in the world of modular technology, will not only affect how fast and efficient future constructions will be, but will have a significant effect on the amount of money spent on infrastructure. This could have much wider reaching consequences than we may yet imagine.
