The construction industry’s fourth industrial revolution is referred to as “Construction 4.0.” It discusses how the sector is increasingly digitalised, altering how real estate, infrastructure, and other built assets are planned, created, run, and maintained.Â
The primary drivers are the 12 cutting-edge technologies outlined in the Construction 4.0 Strategic Plan (2021–2025):
Building Information Modelling (BIM), Prefabrication and Modular Construction; Autonomous Construction, Augmented Reality and Virtualisation (AR & VR), Cloud and Realtime Collaboration; 3D Scanning and Photogrammetry, Big Data and Predictive Analysis; the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing; Advanced building materials, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
By deploying the 12 technologies, many game changers become accessible, such as the modular factory, which can distribute and automate production in terms of scalability and flexibility of design and manufacturing processes. With this change, more valuable products can be offered, involving many organisations administered by various plant owners. Standardised business interfaces enable automated brokers to negotiate and agree on contracts in a timely and efficient manner using smart contracts powered by blockchain technology. To fulfil consumer demand and support, mimicking and optimising processes before altering production methods utilising the BIM platform, which consists of various production units, is preferable.
Goals for the smart construction industry:
- Rapid decision-making and support for humans and machines in the construction business.
- Enable ‘to do’ decisions based on enormous data from many sources.
- Improve machine learning and artificial intelligence to assist in monitoring production processes, making automated decisions, performing predictive maintenance, and responding faster to cybersecurity threats.Â
- Develop methods and tools to facilitate the adoption, use, and evolution of innovative technology in the processing industries.
As Malaysia embarks on ambitious infrastructure projects, embracing these technological advancements will be key to achieving greater efficiency and resilience in the construction sector.
Source: The Ingenieur
