What to Expect from the Construction Industry by 2030

By Nidhi DhullReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Aug 29 2024

The construction sector is set to undergo a huge transformation by 2030, leveraging emerging technologies to enhance collaboration, sustainability, and project efficiency.

Image Credit: TimeStopper69/Shutterstock.com

Over the years, the construction industry has grappled with various challenges that have made it difficult to operate efficiently and cost-effectively.  Despite significant investments in advanced project management tools and technologies, many construction projects continue to face delays and cost overruns. These persistent issues underscore the complexity and unpredictability that industry professionals encounter, even with the best resources and intentions.¹

However, the construction industry has vast potential, particularly when it comes to improving productivity and efficiency, thanks to digitalization, innovative technologies, and new construction techniques.

By 2030, the construction industry is set to undergo a huge transformation driven by the adoption of emerging technologies and a growing focus on collaboration and sustainability.² Innovations like Building Information Modeling (BIM), 3D printing, drones, smart materials, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) are set to play a major role in this shift, leading to a more efficient, modern, and environmentally friendly way of building.² 

By embracing these innovations, companies will significantly boost productivity, streamline project management and procedures, and enhance both quality and safety. Realizing this potential will demand a dedicated and coordinated effort across the industry, encompassing technology, operations, strategy, personnel, and regulation.

BIM in the Construction Industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a game-changer for the construction industry, offering a 3D model that helps professionals plan, design, build, and manage their projects more effectively. By facilitating seamless collaboration among all stakeholders throughout the building lifecycle, BIM ensures that everyone involved can work together more efficiently. BIM provides instant access to detailed and intricate digital representations of projects, offering much more than just a 3D visualization of the structure. It encompasses a range of crucial insights, making it an indispensable tool in modern construction.³

In addition to its project management benefits, BIM plays a key role in advancing sustainability. It supports sophisticated design techniques, such as parametric design, which uses algorithms to generate optimized solutions based on various inputs. BIM also facilitates life-cycle analysis, allowing for the assessment of a building’s environmental impact over time. Through resource optimization and the incorporation of smart sensors, BIM helps monitor and enhance energy performance, aiding in the achievement and maintenance of sustainability goals.³

As its benefits become increasingly recognized, many countries are mandating BIM for public projects to improve project management and outcomes.⁴ Furthermore, BIM is highly beneficial for offsite construction, where components are fabricated in controlled environments and then assembled on-site. This approach not only streamlines the construction process but also enhances communication and transparency throughout the project.

3D Printing

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is also likely to play a part in revolutionizing the construction industry by introducing efficient and sustainable methods for building structures. This technology constructs physical objects by layering materials based on digital models, making it particularly effective for creating complex geometric shapes and components. It offers the potential to produce parts directly on-site or in controlled environments, significantly reducing waste and cutting both time and costs compared to traditional construction methods.⁵

When combined with technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing further streamlines the construction process, enhancing efficiency and flexibility.⁵ It also supports a more integrated approach to construction through centralized cloud platforms, improving collaboration across various stakeholders.

Traditional construction methods tend to generate significant waste—up to 35 % of project costs—due to inaccuracies, excessive material use, and inefficient practices. In contrast, 3D printing can lower workforce costs by 25 % and material costs by 65 %, while also enhancing worker safety by reducing high-risk activities. This results in increased productivity and a reduced environmental impact.⁵ Currently, advances in 3D printing technology have enabled the construction of entire houses and intricate building components, underscoring its growing value in modern construction.

3D Printing in the Construction Industry

Drones and Aerial Surveying in Construction

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are becoming increasingly integral across various industries, including construction. Drones can carry out a number of critical tasks in the construction industry, from site surveying to monitoring, data collection, and even environmental remediation. As the industry becomes more data-driven and leverages Industry 4.0 technologies, the use of drones is predicted to grow exponentially.

By 2030, their application drones and other aerial surveying technologies are anticipated to be essential on construction sites, offering benefits such as increased efficiency, reduced expenses, improved safety standards, and enhanced data accuracy.⁶

Although regulatory challenges may affect the use of drones in certain scenarios, their increasing adoption reflects the significant investments companies are making in innovative construction technologies. As these challenges are addressed, drones are expected to become even more integral to the construction industry, evolving into essential tools for enhancing efficiency and precision on job sites.

Use of Smart Construction Materials

While durable and extensively used in construction, concrete significantly contributes to global CO₂ emissions and consumes large amounts of natural resources such as aggregates and water. To tackle these environmental concerns, the construction industry is exploring sustainable alternatives that can significantly reduce the carbon footprint, energy use, and waste generation associated with concrete construction. One such solution is smart materials.⁷

The key difference between smart materials and traditional construction materials lies in their ability to react to environmental changes. While conventional materials have remained largely unchanged for centuries, smart materials are designed to respond dynamically to various inputs, such as mechanical strain, changes in magnetic or electrical fields, temperature fluctuations, pH levels, light, and moisture. This responsive nature allows smart materials to adapt and adjust their properties in real time, offering new possibilities for innovation and efficiency in construction.

Innovations in smart materials include green concrete, which incorporates recycled materials and industrial by-products such as fly ash and slag to reduce resource consumption and lower CO₂ emissions. Regenerative bio concrete, another example, uses bacteria with self-repairing properties to minimize damage and further reduce environmental impact.⁸ Other advanced materials like ultra-high-performance concrete and permeable concrete also enhance durability and performance, contributing to reduced material use and improved environmental outcomes.⁷ 

Beyond these concrete alternatives, smart materials also include hydroceramics, which retain water to help regulate indoor temperatures, and self-cleaning paints and glasses, which reduce maintenance requirements. Additionally, shape memory alloys can absorb repeated strain without permanent damage.⁹

These innovations, together with efforts to electrify construction equipment and utilize waste-derived fuels, represent a proactive shift towards reducing the overall carbon footprint and resource intensity of construction practices.⁷

Smart Materials in Construction: Opportunities and Challenges

Automation in Construction

The construction industry is expected to see substantial advancements in robotics and AI, with robots increasingly taking on tasks that are hazardous or labor-intensive, such as bricklaying, painting, and demolition.¹⁰ The integration of these technologies will enhance safety and efficiency on job sites, reduce the reliance on manual labor, cut costs, and address ongoing labor shortages. Modern technologies like cloud computing, big data, and advanced robotics make construction automation more achievable, offering a pathway for widespread use and better project outcomes.¹⁰

The shift toward using automation might feel unconventional to those accustomed to traditional construction methods, but several areas have already embraced these technologies. For instance, robotic heat welders and remote-controlled demolition robots are being used to improve precision and safety, while AI is being utilized in modular and prefab construction to optimize planning and reduce errors.¹¹ 

Highlights and Future Prospects

By 2030, the construction industry is likely to become one of the most dynamic industrial sectors, driven by advancements in technology, sustainability, and data utilization.² 

As the global population rises and the demand for smarter, more sustainable infrastructure grows, the industry is being encouraged to embrace digital tools and modern construction methods to enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and improve adaptability.¹² BIM, 3D printing, the use of smart materials, robotics, and aerial surveying are not only transforming how buildings are designed and built but also how the entire industry approaches sustainability, collaboration, and innovation.

This shift is expected to position construction as a key driver of global development and economic growth, with professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders leveraging innovations to shape a more dynamic and effective industry. These innovations mark the beginning of a new era in construction, where technology supports and enhances the building process, ensuring projects are finished on time, and within budget in ways previously unimaginable.¹²

References and Further Reading

1. Flyvbjerg, B. (2013). Over budget, over time, over and over again: Managing major projects. The Oxford Handbook of Project Management, pp. 321-344, 2013, DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199563142.003.0014, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2278226
2. Weiland, S., Hickmann, T., Lederer, M., Marquardt, J., & Schwindenhammer, S. (2021). The 2030 agenda for sustainable development: transformative change through the sustainable development goals? Politics and Governance, 9(1), pp.90-95. DOI: 10.17645/pag.v9i1.4191, https://www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandgovernance/article/view/4191
3. Spiegelhalter, T. (2012). Achieving the net-zero-energy-buildings “2020 and 2030 targets” with the support of parametric 3-D/4-D BIM design tools. Journal of Green Building, 7(2), pp.74-86. DOI: 10.3992/jgb.7.2.74, https://meridian.allenpress.com/jgb/article/
4. Manzoor, B., Othman, I., Gardezi, S. S. S., Altan, H., & Abdalla, S. B. (2021). BIM-based research framework for sustainable building projects: a strategy for mitigating BIM implementation barriers. Applied Sciences, 11(12).       DOI: 10.3390/app11125397, https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/12/5397
5. Singh, R., Gehlot, et. al. (2021). Cloud manufacturing, internet of things-assisted manufacturing and 3D printing technology: reliable tools for sustainable construction. Sustainability, 13(13). DOI: 10.3390/su13137327, https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7327
6. Vanathi V and Radhika V. (2022). Rise of drones in Indian construction industry. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 09. p-ISSN: 2395-0072, https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net
7. Nilimaa, J. (2023). Smart materials and technologies for sustainable concrete construction. Developments in the Built Environment, 15. DOI: 10.1016/j.dibe.2023.100177, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666165923000595
8. Amran, M., Onaizi, A. M., Fediuk, R., Vatin, N. I., Muhammad Rashid, R. S., Abdelgader, H., & Ozbakkaloglu, T. (2022). Self-healing concrete as a prospective construction material: a review. Materials, 15(9).                         DOI: 10.3390/ma15093214, https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/9/3214
9. Bahl, S., Nagar, H., Singh, I., & Sehgal, S. (2020). Smart materials types, properties and applications: A review. Materials Today: Proceedings, 28, pp.1302-1306. DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.04.505, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214785320331278
10. Dindorf, R., & Wos, P. (2024). Challenges of Robotic Technology in Sustainable Construction Practice. Sustainability, 16(13). DOI: 10.3390/su16135500, https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5500
11. Pan, M., Yang, Y., Zheng, Z., & Pan, W. (2022). Artificial intelligence and robotics for prefabricated and modular construction: A systematic literature review. Journal of construction engineering and management, 148(9).             DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002324, https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0002324
12. Musarat, M. A., Irfan, M., Alaloul, W. S., Maqsoom, A., & Ghufran, M. (2023). A review on the way forward in construction through industrial revolution 5.0. Sustainability, 15(18). DOI: 10.3390/su151813862, https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/18/13862

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