Digitalized Construction: Industry 4.0

This article is for those that are enthusiastic about Construction and the digitalization of the construction sector.

It is no secret that the applicability of industry 4.0 has been a topic of discussion in Germany. In fact, in the German government’s Digital Agenda, the idea of digitalization in the construction industry is described as a high priority. In order to ensure that the relevant parties understand what digitalization actually means, i.e. what concrete opportunities and threats are involved, our study has attempted to clarify this matter.

The idea of implementing construction 4.0 involves digitizing production processes with a view to improving quality, efficiency and safety and making the construction sector more competitive in fields such as building information modelling (BIM), virtual reality (VR) and the supply of products with a digital twin (produce digital replica products or assemblies). The aim is to improve communication among all stakeholders involved in the construction process, whether they be within companies or outside them.

The construction industry is one of the oldest industries in the world. It has been marked by a great amount of change leading to a healthy maturity. Building on a foundation of centuries-old craftsmanship. The construction industry has benefited greatly from the innovations of modernity and industrialization.

The construction industry is like a hard-working man who values order and quality in his work, he is always in search of more modern tools that can help him achieve his dream house better, faster and cheaper.

Work has become faster by reducing the time lost on its move from one place to another and on its stocking before applying it. Production costs are reduced by reducing mistakes and improving quality. And now, the fourth industrial revolution offers us new opportunities to continue this progress, accelerating it and making it more profitable thanks to information technology and new materials.

Assume that our hard-working man owns an old toolbox where he has his hammer, his saw, his wrench and trowel. The advent of digitalize construction doesn’t mean he has to do away with his old toolbox, but instead, technologies that comes with the digitalized construction will provide ways in which he can use his old tools more efficiently and effectively.

Construction stands on the verge of the greatest overhaul since the Industrial Revolution. Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution, comes with a host of new technologies and possibilities. But what will it mean for infrastructure investors, construction companies and their clients?

The upcoming future promises a digitalized and automated construction industry, but what will its impact be on energy consumption, e-commerce in construction and robotics? An expert in industry 4.0 gave a talk at the Nordic Investment Bank's seminar series about the possibilities and challenges ahead for construction companies in a digitalized world.

The future looks promising for industry 4.0, with numerous benefits to be reaped from digitalization and automation. He told his audience that parallel production lines will produce a higher quality of products at lower cost per unit produced.

Digitalization has already had a significant impact on the global industry. The implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies may also have a great impact on the construction industry. This technology helps to improve processes and use resources more efficiently. At the same time, Industry 4.0 will influence the planning, construction and management of buildings in many ways. The digitalization of the construction industry can have many positive effects, including improved productivity and better opportunities for trade.

The digitalization of the construction industry can have many positive effects such as improved productivity and better opportunities for trades. In order to identify these benefits, companies must first understand the basics of Industry 4.0 so that they can apply their knowledge to their specific industries and more effectively make use of available technologies.

With industry 4.0, digitalization is almost ubiquitous in production and service processes. Nevertheless, digitalization has not yet been widely applied to the construction industry - one of the largest industrial sectors in Europe. Digitalization increases the quality of construction. Digitalization reduces costs. Digitalization improves information flow. Digitalization provides transparency.

As IoT-enabled devices become more prevalent, the current digitalization of construction can be summarized as follows:

• Sensors and wireless data receivers are used in all sub-sectors, so that individual units can be monitored and controlled.

• Instrumentation and control technology is used to monitor progress.

• Resilient communications technology is used to ensure continuous process control.

Since this digitalization of construction is already significantly underway, the next logical step would likely be the development of artificial intelligence to determine the best scenario for production in a digital system. But how capable are ever-changing construction requirements of establishing a standard process? And could eventual standardization be implemented with timely, flexible response? These questions remain unanswered. "Construction processes must now converge with those from other industries. The only question that remains is how quickly." It seems that without additional investment in research, the development of smart construction will not have lasting success.