The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the U.S. construction industry to adopt new technologies to maintain social distancing and monitor job sites remotely, according to www.constructiondive.com.
The connection between the job site and office has been made more crucial by the outbreak as most office workers now are working from home. Scott Crozier, general manager of civil engineering and construction for software company Trimble, said shared data and digital connectivity is becoming the norm. Crozier noted inspectors are beginning to allow the use of technology for virtual inspections, which can speed up the process because no one needs to physically visit the site.
Crozier said the lower costs of labor has been keeping the U.S. construction industry from adopting technology; cheaper labor, despite a lack of skilled workers, means less demand for tech. In Europe and Australia, the higher cost of labor means contractors need to innovate rapidly, which often attracts young Americans with construction and tech backgrounds.
As construction was deemed essential and allowed to continue in nearly all 50 states, tech firms and safety app developers introduced or expanded various applications that some construction leaders say will become the norm. Applications include using image data or wearables to track workers, ensure they maintain social distancing and reduce social density on job sites; providing questionnaires for workers before allowing them on-site to ensure the low risk of them having and spreading COVID-19; and allowing for virtual walkthroughs so stakeholders in their homes can have up-to-date imagery of work in progress.
During a recent webinar, Anita Woolley Nelson, chief strategy officer of Skanska USA Building, did not seem to think things would return to the status quo when the pandemic ends.
“People always say you can’t take a job site home with you,” she said, “[but] maybe you can.”
