All the time the construction industry required a strict sequence and coordinated actions of all participants. It is very important that everything happens on time: all the work should start and finish on time, necessary materials and equipment should be supplied on time, workers should come and leave the construction area on time.

A modern human learned to handle all these tasks not so bad. It has secured new construction speeds. Many countries, like China for example, has constructed already so many houses, that there are not enough inhabitants to live there. But there are on contrary many places on the Earth where there is an acute shortage of residential buildings. There are also other issues like corruption, weak quality control, design mistakes and so on.

Advanced technologies have already found a solution for these and many other issues.

BIM is a technological control and synchronization of all construction departments.

BIM means building information modeling, or in other words information model of the building. It is an information in 3D and other formats. Finland, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, France, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong use BIM the most actively.

BIM technologies allow to:

  • control the design and estimate documentation and the process of building construction;
  • track supply of construction materials;
  • control construction of engineering communications;
  • run tests and equipment diagnostics.

Generally this technology allows to create a detailed and precise information description of the object under construction.

Let’s assume we have to build a school which has three floors. An architect has provided with a project. It was approved after all the approvals and discussions, but during the construction it became clear that some changes are needed. For example, there is a need for a fourth floor.

All the changes are to be included in BIM project. So all the parties involved in the project will immediately learn about this: plumbers, electricians, foremen. An accounting department makes changes in the estimated budget. As a result, all processes proceed transparently, beside that they are faster than normal, therefore, the corruption component is completely excluded.

So, if it's suddenly decided to equip the school not with branded air conditioners, but with cheaper versions, this decision will be known to all project participants.

The technology is beneficial not only for the construction industry. Let’s assume, there is a need to fix one of the inner columns and it got known during the operation of the building. The BIM database has all the information, including what material it was made from, where it was purchased, and all other parameters. So it will be only needed to buy the same material and make the repair.

This technology makes the whole life of the building absolutely transparent.

Specialized platforms and design systems

So-called project banks are internet platforms used for faster and more productive cooperation with customers and partners. It is very easy to exchange drawing with their assistance: the drawings are uploaded on the platform so the parties can exchange links to them. Any drawing can be printed if needed.

Digital tenders are internet portals used for communication between customers and service providers in order to conduct to agreement on the mutually beneficial conditions.

The most popular computer-aided design (CAD) system in the world is the AutoCAD program. In 1982 Autodesk developed and demonstrated its first version, which has been constantly and successfully improved. The program can draw 2D and 3D models. With its help you can design any building object, make changes to it when needed, virtually create the desired shapes and surfaces that can be viewed from different angles. AutoCAD can exchange information via the Internet and link data to sites. There is also a nice bonus from Autodesk to students and teachers: you can download the version of the program for educational purposes for free.

Microsoft Project is another program actively used in the construction. It’s a multifunctional planner able to handle any project starting from residential buildings to warehouses. Project documentation preparation, budget calculation, as well as the timing of installation and finishing works, the distribution of materials, resources and labor, the preparation of a report on the work performed - all this can be done with the help of the program. MS Project enables you to cooperate with partners and customers in a global network.

3D printers are now used in different industries, and construction is not an exception.

The world's first building created within 19 days with the help of the new technology is an office building with an area of 250 m² located in Dubai. It costed two times cheaper than a traditional construction of such a building.

The printer used to build the building was 6 m high, 37 m long and 12 m wide. It was an international project: construction materials testing was conducted in China and the UK, cement mix and other materials were developed and manufactured in the UAE and the USA. It is assumed that a quarter of Dubai buildings will be created using a 3D printer.

In other words new information technologies quickly take over the construction industry and are already being used practically at any stage, from project preparation to testing and equipment diagnostics. And, according to experts, it is the new technologies that will radically change the whole process of construction of any object in the near future.

By the way today you can study and get a profession that will allow you to work on construction sites of the future. These are such specialties like BIM-manager-designer, architect of energetically autonomous houses, designers of 3D-printing in construction, accessible environment, intermodal transport hubs, infrastructure for aeronautics and others.