The Challenge in the US Construction Industry

The greatest challenge in the US construction industry, from an economic standpoint, is the increased construction cost and the slim profit margin that is associated with the traditional methods of design and construction which has not been completely phased out.. With an expanding population and economic growth, the US has a driving need for more facilities which requires more design and construction services. Amid this increasing demand for more facilities, the concerns over some of the industry’s problems still linger. These concerns, which sometimes push clients or developers into outsourcing construction services to overseas companies, positions the construction industry on a tight spot. In view of these problems, the industry has been left with no option than to implement massive reforms in other not to suffer the fate of some of the U.S. industries: automobile, textile, electronic, and steel industries.

 

An independent research, carried out in the industry, indicates that most quality related problems result from design and construction deviation; this usually accounts for 12.4% of the total project cost. It is caused by poor communication or collaboration between project team members. This highlights the importance of improving the design and construction quality in the industry. The vehicle for initiating this change is a management style that fosters innovation and teamwork. Considering the different causes of these deviations, the construction industry has recently begun implementing an innovative process known as Building Information Modeling [BIM] which eliminates or reduces design and construction deviations while encouraging early collaboration between all participants in the project design and construction team. In retrospect, the business of construction will tremendously change in the near future. This change was born by the implementation of innovative design and construction methods together with the use of advanced technological tools.