It’s almost cliché by now to say that the construction industry needs to change. It’s one of the least digitized industries, but it’s facing some of the most pressing challenges: increasing project size and complexity, growing urban population, deteriorating infrastructure.
In a comprehensive report released in May, the World Economic Forum laid out the steps construction companies can take to solve these problems. One of those steps is implementing cutting-edge technologies, and taking advantage of the great potential of innovations like augmented reality, drones, 3D scanning and printing, building information modeling (BIM), autonomous equipment and advanced building materials.
One thing all of these technologies have in common? A strong connection to 3D. It’s worth reading the whole report if you have the time, but if you’re busy (and who isn’t?), I’ve laid out some highlights below.
Here are five ways that 3D tech is bringing construction into the future.