Total Digital Transformation for a Better Future

The advent of new technologies help transform our way of work across all sectors, and the construction industry is no exception. The Construction Industry Council has recently invited Dr. Will CAVENDISH, Global Digital Services Leader of Arup to share on how these emerging technologies can help the construction sector evolve, and shared how professional bodies and industry associations could help shape the path towards digitalisation in the construction sector.

Ir Thomas HO, Chairman of the CIC, started the sharing session by outlining mega projects such as “Tomorrow Lantau,” and the Northern Metropolis, are set to reinvigourate the construction industry. But as Hong Kong’s construction sector enters its “golden era,” the traditional technologies with which the industry has relied on for years will surely be insufficient to compliment the industry’s expansion.

Emerging Technologies to Help Shape Our Future

New technologies, such as AI and machine learning, generative designs, smart sensors, digital twins and so much more, are essential in helping the construction industry adapt to a continuously developing society. These new tools can help in aspects ranging from building designs, asset management, assessing risks, to even combating crises. Dr. CAVENDISH believed that, through properly utilising these new tools, the construction industry will have no trouble meeting the needs of the people in the foreseeable future.

Modern City Requires Modern Design Methods

As sustainability has become one of the priorities of the construction industry, tools like machine learning and generative designs are in prime place to optimise designs for sustainable infrastructure.

From a building designs perspective, builders of today are now needing to conform to an increasing set of requirements, as gross floor area, along with improvements in shading, insulation and building materials are now taken into consideration. Tools like generative designs then, help by providing a series of innovative solutions that takes into account all the design criteria set out by builders.

On a larger scale, Shanghai is a prime example in how these digital tools could help maximize the use of the land, as the builders could then take the city’s natural landscape and the terrain’s “micro-features” into account when designing the city’s drainage system, in order to take advantage of the natural gradients for sewage treatment, which could then help conserve the city’s energy.

As for Hong Kong, a 3D city map for East Kowloon has allowed for future city planning, thanks to the map’s ability to integrate the various assets of such a big metropolitan area into one continuous map. These are but a snippet of examples to show how enormous is the potential of these digital tools, that could bring about a revolutionary change in how builders design cities going forward.

Project Management Revolutionised By New Tools

With these state of the art inventions, the construction industry is about to undergo a holistic transformation in managing assets. Through installing new monitoring equipment such as smart sensors, potential faults and points of failures can be anticipated and addressed ahead of time. Dr. CAVENDISH put Queensland as example, where the road networks are monitored by AI, which aimed to detect any defects on the road surface. Coupled with an intelligent repair system, complaints from road users regarding road defects have been drastically reduced.

Digital Insights Key to Realise Sustainability Goals

Sustainability and circularity often goes hand in hand with technological advancements. Dr. CAVENDISH denoted that “going green is about electrifying buildings, and then find ways to generate green energy.” And with sustainability now a major focus, these newly acquired technologies can help achieve these sustainability goals more easily than ever. By installing smart sensors that could detect and measure the actual rate of degradation amongst different structures, and analyzing the acquired data in comparison with the projected figures with machine learning, the longevity of such assets could be extended considerably. Dr. CAVENDISH pointed out that the life expectancy for bridges can be safely extended by 15-20 years based on estimates from the data acquired, which could help drive costs down, and to maximize the use of existing materials, one of the key pillars of sustainability and establishing a circular economy.

CIC Plays Vital Role in Consolidating Efforts

Dr. CAVENDISH described the construction sector as an “enduring industry,” as the industry as a whole now undergoes a transformation, and is experiencing a fundamental change in how the industry operates. Only through working with the government, can such holistic transformations in the way the industry operates be implemented. And the CIC will be pivotal in connecting the industry and speak as one voice with the government, in order to emphasise the needs and demands of the industry, and push for breakthroughs where needed.

Looking ahead to the future, Dr. CAVENDISH denoted that it would take substantial commitment and collaboration for these opportunities to bear fruit. However, with the help of entities like the CIC, the foundations with which success in digitization will build on could be set in stone. And hopefully, the industry could reap significant and fruitful rewards, whilst satisfying the people’s needs.