11 challenges in the construction sector for the next decade
Industrialization, digitization, sustainability and decarbonization thanks to new materials and processes are the fundamental axes to advance in the construction of this new decade.
A few days ago, the president of Rebuild, David Martínez, also CEO of Aedas Homes, announced within the framework of the Rebuild Advisory Council the trends and changes that the pandemic has accelerated and the 11 challenges of the sector on which the focus will be on the National Congress of Advanced Architecture and Construction 4.0, held within the framework of the event.
“The construction and architecture sector is going through a turning point. Digitization and industrialization were already presented as the great challenges to be addressed, and the health crisis has only accelerated the paradigm shift. In Rebuild 2020 we will give the keys so that all the agents of the value chain can give an agile and sustainable response to the 11 challenges of the sector ”, says Ignasi Pérez Arnal, director of the National Congress of Advanced Architecture and Construction 4.0.
In addition, Rebuild 2020 will have the participation of the public administration through the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and institutions such as the Housing Observatory, the Sustainable Development Council, the Housing Agency, the Catalan Land Institute. , the Green Building Council (GBCe), and with leaders from the construction and real estate sector such as Aedas Homes, Asprima, Grupo Avintia, Metrovacesa and Neinor Homes.
With the focus on digitization, industrialization and off-site construction, sustainability and decarbonization to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda, Rebuild 2020 points out the following 11 challenges as the most important challenges that the sector must respond to in the next decade.
1) The SDGs in building. The sustainable approach to buildings has become a requirement in the new building. The construction and architecture sector faces the integration of the 17 SDGs to offer more sustainable solutions.
2) Construction for health. The health crisis has shown that the building sector must be able to offer quick responses, such as increasing hospital capacity in record time. This includes preparing cities to be more resilient, as well as all the agents involved in the building process.
3) Industrialize to be more efficient. To improve responsiveness and speed up construction times, industrialization is presented as a key process. The developers are increasingly demanding this process to improve their productivity and eliminate the typical uncertainties of traditional construction.
4) Urban agenda for real problems. The management of public space in cities is one of the great areas of transformation of the sector. The digitization of administration and the optimization of processes such as licenses, permits, and planning make collaboration with public institutions key. And if it is done online it will be better.
5) Collaborative construction. The collaborative economy has also emerged in the construction sector, with collaborative contracting models that allow 20% savings in costs. Aligning and connecting all the agents involved in a project generates benefits instantly, but there is still a long way to go before they are implemented.
6) The need to digitize. Construction is one of the sectors that has least adapted to digital transformation, according to Gartner and McKinsey. It is about the great pending subject of the sector, digitizing the phases of urban planning, financial programming, design and project.
7) Towards a New Building Code and a New Contract Law. Innovation in the sector must be accompanied by legislation adapted to new processes such as collaborative construction or digitization that helps to improve project management efficiency.
8) Advanced financing mechanisms, models of housing use. The adaptation of the financial sector is another challenge that answers the questions of the granting of mortgages for modular buildings or shared spaces. Taxation is key in adapting to new social scenarios that pose new ways of living and cohabiting.
9) Digital Twin in construction. The Digital Twin allows to simulate the behavior of an infrastructure or a building to anticipate problems that may arise. Simulating the behavior of an infrastructure or a building allows us to advance to the problems that it can generate. We went from VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) to the Digital Twin for the management of a real estate asset during the 50 years of its life.
10) Training for the new building. The lack of qualified personnel in construction together with an academic, university and professional training that does not implement technological, industrial and energy vectors represents a barrier for innovation and transformation of the building sector.
11) Building decarbonization and circular economy. The reduction of CO2 emissions with electrification together with the reduction of the input of virgin materials and the production of waste are the main steps to follow to achieve circular construction.
Source: Cicconstrucción
