Skip to main content

The US Construction Industry


The US Construction Industry is a vital part of the US economy; it is a microcosm of the economic system, accounting for 8% of the GDP. It employs about 6 million people and is considered the second largest goods-producing industry in the US. The industry is highly competitive and has slim profit margins. It hasn’t reached its full potential because of its traditional or old ways which seems to still linger, irrespective of its recent, gradual, acceptance of innovation. Prior to this turn of events, industry showed a lot of reluctance in accepting innovation through technological changes, especially when it needed it most. This pushed it into facing various quality related issues. The industry lacked automation where it needs it most; building elements or components such as bricks and nails are still being fixed and laid-up, one at a time; design teams still work in silos with reduced collaboration. These issues have raised some concern which has caught the attention of various academic and professional groups.

However, things have changed lately, and technology has come to the construction industry with a vengeance, aimed at closing the existing technological gap. The industry has become more aware that they need to embrace a more collaborative approach to their design and construction processes and are now implementing various technological processes. Lately, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become the most embraced technology for both design and construction activities.  It has been known to eliminate or reduce waste and by its nature encourages early collaboration between all project team members. BIM’s documented impact shows that it improves the design and construction activities of projects, increases the return of investment [ROI] in construction projects and decreases construction cost generally. BIM research has contributed so much to the progress made so far in BIM technology.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Automation in Construction... Super Fast...

This is an awesome time saver...
1 comment
Read more

Construction Safety

Construction is one of the most hazardous industries.  It accounts for about 6% of the US workforce; 12.4 of injuries and 24.1% of fatalities. Imagine a world where for every 100,000 workers out there, 11 would have fatal injuries and 4,480 would have disabling injuries.   One of the major barriers to construction safety is the traditional method in which construction hazards are identified and managed. In most cases, this is done during the construction phase of the project.   Designers are capable of increasing site safety through proactive hazard identification and correction at the design phase. For designers to do this, it is recommended that they collaborate with all project team members, increase their knowledge of design for safety, construction site safety, construction practices and safe designs.       However, there are barriers for Construction Safety through Design.   Lack of Safety-in-design tools, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

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, i...
Post a Comment
Read more