Construction World November 2022

Technology is changing the shape of the global construction industry, and some of the most exciting trends have already taken root in South Africa. By Bongani Dladla, CEO of the cidb. VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY EXPANDS THE FRONTIERS OF CONSTRUCTION

A t the cutt ing edge of development i s the ut i l i sat ion of vi rtual real i ty and augmented real i ty to reduce the costs of projects , enhance the qual i ty of del iver y and rai se product ivi ty levels . The appl icat ion of 4 th Industrial Revolut ion (4IR) technologies i s no longer on the f ringes of the construct ion sector. Many companies are ut i l i s ing laser scanning, 3D print ing, on-s i te robots and smal l drones to del iver more cost-ef fect ive projects . Big data i s transforming the industr y by reducing costs and increas ing access to informat ion. The sector becomes more product ive and ef ficient wi th each advance. Vi rtual real i ty and augmented real i ty take these evolving technologies a few steps further. Both technologies are al ready extens ively used in the entertainment and gaming industries , in aerospace and defence, and in medicine and heal thcare sectors . I t also has the potent ial to transform the construct ion and engineering fields and expand the edges of poss ibi l i t ies . Vi rtual real i ty uses computer technology to create a s imulated envi ronment . I t enables users to relate both phys ical ly and vi rtual ly wi th thi s envi ronment . Augmented real i ty bui lds on thi s technology by overlaying informat ion as vi sual content into a real - t ime experience. The user may sur vey the phys ical envi ronment through smartphones or tablets whi le computer-generated s imulat ions of fer views of what a future structure could and should look l ike. Potent ial flaws and chal lenges are ident i fied on the spot . The immense opportuni t ies which these technologies of fer to the construct ion sector are obvious . I t enables owners and contractors to vi sual i se what a bui lding wi l l look l ike before construct ion starts , and subsequent ly tracks the bui lding processes through al l thei r stages to the point of final del iver y. Construct ion i s , by defini t ion, a highly col laborat ive sector which requi res high levels of teamwork between contractors f rom various di scipl ines . On-s i te meet ings consume cost ly t ime and resources , and of ten contribute to fai lure of meet ing deadl ines and late del iver y of projects . Many of these processes can now be streaml ined through the appl icat ion of new technology. These factors alone wi l l prompt many construct ion companies to invest in vi rtual and augmented real i ty appl icat ions which are st i l l ver y expens ive. But thi s wi l l not be an ent i rely major leap for the local industries . COVID-19 requi rements have al ready introduced a shi f t towards vi rtual planning and electronic meet ings . The new generat ion of leadership wi thin engineering and construct ion are al l early adapters of technology and have the curios i ty and ski l ls to

embrace the next generat ion of appl icat ions . The obvious quest ion i s whether these technologies are appl icable wi thin the current South Af rican envi ronment in which there are st i l l huge di spari t ies in the resources avai lable to large primar y contractors and smal l and medium enterpri ses , predominant ly owned by women and Black people. Wi l l these technologies only be found in the toolboxes of establ i shed conglomerates or wi l l emerging contractors also be able to funct ion wi thin thi s space? The costs of programmes and appl icat ions are st i l l premium, but wi l l , inevi tably, become access ible to medium-s i zed and niche contractors who want to expand thei r bus inesses . These are i ssues which need to be addressed wi thin the broader construct ion and engineering sectors as the indicat ions are that construct ion act ivi ty i s picking up and government ’s expans ive inf rastructure programme wi l l be a major driver of future growth. The Construct ion Industr y Development Board (cidb) in South Af rica, i s strategical ly placed to provide leadership and industr y experience in thi s field. Our primar y mandates are to transform the industr y, to faci l i tate access to publ ic sector construct ion opportuni t ies , and to champion the part icipat ion of emerging contractors . In addi t ion, we need to col laborate wi th al l industr y partners to achieve these strategic inter vent ions l inked to i ts legi slat ive mandate, funct ions , and respons ibi l i t ies We are al ready ass i st ing emerging contractors wi th support programmes to grow thei r ski l ls and improve thei r capaci ty to move up through the contractor levels . As wi l l the introduct ion of vi rtual technologies . Examples of these are sof tware developers who produce appl icat ions which are tai lor made for South Af rican condi t ions and of fer the requi s i te training. Such solut ions are al ready on the market in the property, sur veying and planning envi ronments . Moreover, the cidb can play a catalyt ic role to provide sof tware developers and the research communi ty wi th valuable ins ights into the nature of the local construct ion sector. Vi rtual and augmented real i ty appl icat ions are becoming agi le and more intui t ive dai ly and are increas ingly being integrated into standard construct ion sof tware. As the technology becomes mature and gain acceptance, i t wi l l become more cost ef fect ive and del iver better returns on investment . Thi s presents exci t ing new opportuni t ies for the South Af rican construct ion industr y. The Construct ion Industr y Development Board i s establ i shed in terms of the CIDB Act 38 of 2000 to lead transformat ion and development of the construct ion industr y. 

9 CONSTRUCTION WORLD NOVEMBER 2022