CESC White paper - Future Tech

Digitalising The Construction Sector Dr Anas Bataw

Director, Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, UAE

Dr Marwan AbuEbeid

Digital transformation Lead at Turner Construction International Dubai, UAE

Maged Elhawary

Group Chief Information Officer at ASGC Dubai, UAE

With disruption and innovation changing the way we think and operate across sectors, we started to see this more in the past year with COVID-19 pushing most sector out of their comfort zone and into digitally enabled environments, the construction sector is certainly no exception. The Pandemic has undoubtedly fast-tracked digital transformation and showcased the possibilities that technology can offer to enhance and support the future of the construction sector. However, lack of sector-wide collaboration, shortage of competencies and difficulties of keeping pace with technological advancements is imperative for the construction sector to advance and continue flourishing. Against this backdrop, construction Technology experts and senior government representatives gathered at The Big 5 2021 FutureTech Construction Summit to discuss the latest technologies and trends in the industry, government and academics can address challenges and opportunities to adopt technology in construction.

‘On behalf of dmg events, we are extremely proud to have hosted the third FutureTech Construction Summit at The Big 5, 13 September 2021, Dubai World Trade Centre. With the new wave of technology and digitalisation adoption, the construction industry is moving in the right direction to increase its contribution to a circular economy, improving workforce health and safety and increase collaboration to support the delivery of the National Visions. Through our partnership with the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction, Heriot-Watt University, we are honoured to present the Summit findings through this White Paper and look forward to seeing the industry again at The Big 5 from 5-8 December 2022 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.’

Josine Heijmans, Vice President-Construction, dmg events

Prior to COVID-19, digital practices in construction have evolved at a glacial pace despite global and national efforts to drive initiatives for digital transformation. According to the MGI’s digitisation index in 2016, the construction sector was among the least digitised sectors in the world, in the United States, construction comes second to last, and in Europe it is in last position on the index, while other sectors such as Retail and Manufacturing have transformed themselves and utilised technology to drive productivity, enhance performance and address sustainability challenges.

According to McKinsey in 2019, if the construction sectors utilizes technological and digital practices to enhance its productivity to catch up with the total economy—and it can—this would boost the sector’s value, adding an estimated $1.6 trillion, about 2 percent to the global economy.

It is agreed that the Construction sector is a key player in the global economy and nations’ Gross Domestic Products. Nevertheless, the sector is often criticised for lack of performance and adoption of disruptive innovations. However, it is apparent that the Construction sector made bold moves towards digitalisation and innovation in the last decade.

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Digitalising The Construction Sector

Latest Technology Trends Technology can not only increase collaboration but also create transparency within the industry, a much-needed factor in these times of uncertainty and ever-evolving landscape. Driving digitisation and leveraging technologies such as Cloud BIM, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, 3D printing, Drones, Laser scanning and Blockchain has become exceedingly important. The following developments were demonstrated at The Big 5 FutureTech Summit as the latest trends in the Construction sector: Data Management: Data Management technology is becoming essential in the work-flow to support the shift to remote working and to increase collaboration, better manage risks and better plan for coordination.

Collaborative approaches such as BIM, GIS and EDMS enable data management and data to be shared globally in a virtual environment thereby facilitating a smarter more enhanced way to work together despite of geographical or other constraints. The Dubai Road and Transportation Authority (RTA) demonstrated

how they managed to efficiently deploy these technologies to coordinate design, collaboratively evaluate various scenarios and support decision-making on their 11 Billion AED Route 2020 metro line development project achieving 95% clashfree designs saving time, costs and rework on site. Also, from a developer prespective, The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) demonstrated another success story for efficient technology deployment in the region where collaboration tools reduced the design review duration from 3 weeks to 2 days.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation: Adopting advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation can also prove beneficial as it introduces transparency and real time updates. Specifically, when it comes to designing, the AI technology can be truly leveraged as it uses big data and complex algorithms to enhance designs and provide advanced scenarios for quicker informed decisions. These designs can be experienced and tested virtually to confirm their feasibility and cost implications. The Dubai Municipality (DM) demonstrated the recently launched automated E- submission and checking system for building permits that entirely rely on building information modelling and Geospatial Information Systems to provide accurate assessments of buildings and cutting response time to 24 hours.

Robotics and intelligent machines: On similar lines, robotics too is making its presence felt.

Although the idea seems like it has many years to embed itself into the sector, some construction companies globally have begun to introduce autonomous machinery and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to enhance productivity on sites. Some of the different examples of how robotics can be applied within the construction sector are 3D printing and the ability to build large-scale projects through pre-programmed instructions.

Panellists discussed elaborated on the growth of 3D printing and how it has already offered contractors an innovative way to set themselves apart from their competitors especially with Decree No. 24 of 2021 regulating the use of 3D printing in the construction sector in Dubai.

Data Capturing and Monitoring: The improving hardware, and growth of mobile device connectivity via 5G have increasingly allowed smartphones and tablets to be used on construction sites for data capture and other monitoring/measuring tasks. The panel discussions demonstrated how the introduction of technologies such as handheld devices, drones, IoT Sensors and Laser Scanners on sites allowed project teams to capture live accurate information

to enhance project management, monitoring and reporting as well as providing respite to workers from dangerous tasks.

Panellists discussed how demonstrated how these technologies can survey and record data of locations that could be harmful or hazardous for workers to recce. Discussions also elaborated on how it can allow project leads and supervisors to keep up with projects in real time thereby facilitating stronger oversight and more efficient surveillance Augmented reality: Augmented reality has grown widely in the construction sector, with designs being developed digitally, construction teams can overlay the 3D models with the physical space to experience information in situ, and visualise the space in a way that anyone can understand and appreciate. Exhibitors at The Big 5 included a variety of Augmented reality solution providers indicating a growth in the market and increased project demands.

Digital Twinning: While the construction industry has been adopting technology rapidly, one such advancement that is gaining prominence is the digital twin concept. Speakers showcased their plans to develop virtual replicas of their assets to help aggregate, analyse, and visualise data that allows smart decision-making to manage and operate their assets in the most productive and sustainable way. As well as contributing towards optimising real estate developments and identifying potential issues in advance.

Modern Methods of Construction: MMC is a collective term to describe alternative construction practices such as Off-site construction, Modular pods and factory production of the component parts of properties. Panel discussions emphasizing the importance of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) as one of the key initiatives to transform the construction sector and therefore adoption is vastly growing.

MMC is based on harmonising, digitising and rationalising demand therefore key recommendations were discussed to drive the adoption of MMC such as developing organisational strategies to aggregate and standardise demand, engaging the supply chain to set realistic targets, and collaborating to build better capabilities and knowhow.

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Challenges While it is understood that any disruption comes with challenges, the speakers and attendees at The Big 5 FutureTech Summit emphasised the challenges of adopting futuristic trends in the construction sector. One of these challenges is the lack of standardisation, as it would limit small and midsize organisations to adopt efficient deployment processes of technologies. According to the UK Construction PlayBook 2021 “standardisation must be in place to create a more resilient pipeline and drive the sector’s efficiencies, innovation, and productivity”.

Another challenge addressed by the speakers is the lack of collaboration between government, industry and academia, limiting clear directions and thus the potential for the growth of technology use in the construction sector. Speakers highlighted that the gap between government, industry and academia is one of the factors limiting the ability to adopt innovations in the construction sector. “We believe that there is a vital need for a triple helix approach to bridge the gap between academia, industry and government towards mutual excellence and lead to economical growth” said Dr. Anas Bataw – Director of Center of Excellence in Smart Construction at Heriot-Watt University.

Additionally, speakers discussed the lack of expertise and qualified people in the sector as one of the critical barriers to utilising technology. Before focusing on technology limitations for the construction industry, it is imperative to look at the workforce and their willingness towards digitisation. If they are not equipped with the right resources, mindset and solutions to adopt technology then any strategy involving a digital shift is bound to fail. Complexity of new processes can bring the need to reskill at the forefront. Therefore, whilst digital transformation is crucial, workforce upskilling must be considered in parallel.

Many organisations aim to achieve this by providing development programmes for employees, however, this doesn’t provide a long-term solution. Industry and Academia must collaborate to design and deliver educational and work based programmes to equip the future generation of professionals to drive a more innovative, digital driven industry.

Panellists discussed about other challenges such as the high expectations by decision-makers for early ROI, adding additional barriers for technology adoption therefore there is a great need for appropriate regional studies for return on investment to encourage organisations to adopt and invest in technology with long term visions. Furthermore, it was highlighted that the construction sector is one of the sectors with least investment in R & D, creating a challenging environment for innovation and disruption.

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Digitalising The Construction Sector

It is noted that the deployment of technology among construction projects commonly happen as a response and reaction to the client’s requirements. Moreover, participants at the Summit agreed that emerging technology in the construction sector would need the engagement of the whole supply chain, with a bottom-top approach as well as a top-bottom approach.

Despite challenges facing technology adoption in the construction sector, it is agreed that light is at the end of the tunnel. There are several initiatives led by governments to drive best practice and utilise digital solutions to enhance and improve the way we design, build and operate assets.

The UAE government has always been at the forefront of digitalisation and specifically in the construction sector the country has taken considerable strides in transforming it. Most recently, the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure unveiled the ‘National Guide for Smart Construction’ in an aim to develop the basic drivers of flexible policies, elements and targets that stimulate the development of the construction industry, to drive innovations and best practice to meet the UAE’s aspirations for the next 50 years and enhance its global leadership in Smart Construction.

The National Guide for Smart Construction contains key elements for smart construction which are essential for all parties to improve the construction lifecycle and ways to adopt advanced digital solutions. It includes chapters on technologies such as BIM, Digital Twinning, Blockchain, AI, RPA, DMS, DfMA, Robotics, 3D printing and much more. As well as benchmarking of capabilities and cooperation between all stakeholders to improve the overall industry and provide a unified smart building index.

UAE Municipalities have also been leading efforts to drive digitisation initiatives such as BIM-to-GIS integration, digitisation of assets, e-submission platforms, automated checking systems and standardisation of construction data.

Conclusion Challenges such as project complexity and high competition, especially during the pandemic, accelerated the need for more technology adoption and embraced the willingness to adopt digitalisation and innovations. However, digital transformation is not limited to IT solutions, it is a cultural and organizational change. Building a culture open for innovation is now becoming necessary as companies now are required to create an agile environment that copes with continued transformation and developments. Therefore cultural transformation, organisational changes, and new business processes to improve agility, customer centricity and supply ecosystem are vital to improve productivity and efficiency.

Underpinning the above is the need to keep up with the new normal for a resilient future. With investment in next generation technology, not only will key players create a sustainable work-flow but also be ready to face future disruptions. These major changes can be achieved through industry, government and academic partnerships as we also need to enhance the work-force of tomorrow. Heriot-Watt University’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction is one such initiative working towards advancing industry-led innovations in construction by collaborating with organisations and governments to lead transformation in the construction sector.

‘I think the opportunity ahead for all the construction industry at all the levels of the supply chain is incredible right now, there seems to be a commitment from all parties to bring digital focus towards what we’re doing and that means working from consultants through the designs, through to construction, to the authorities and approvals. And I think that collaboration is the opportunity that we need. We need to work together; each part of infrastructure and its part of ecosystem needs to be consistent and apply the same rules and same opportunity.’

Nicholas Reynolds, Director of Construction, AMAALA

Acknowledgements The Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction and The Big 5 would like to acknowledge all who participated in the FutureTech Construction Summit and contributed to the delivery of the white paper.

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