Top 4 Civil Engineering Trends to Watch Out in 2021 and Beyond
With the recent pandemic impact and evaluating cope up strategies, the civil engineering sector is all set to undergo major changes in the years to come. Advancement in technology is the force that is driving huge changes in this industry sector. Some of the technologies, which once seemed too complicated to be implemented, are now creating new waves in the mainstream industry.
Over the past few years, the focus of this industry sector was heavily towards creating energy-efficient building using smart materials. However, the recent global turbulence has caused the civil engineering sector to emphasize other technologies such as computer vision, sustainability, IoT, 3D printing and Virtual Reality, which are gaining prominence.
We are provided you with a mix of all the advanced technologies being used in civil engineering, which are expected to become the latest trends.
1. Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR) Will Go Mainstream
AR and VR are two well-known technologies in civil engineering, the use of which is expected to boom like never before. While this technology is not new, the potential of its application in civil engineering and construction will be completely explored now. AR and VR are immersive media and can be used to envision the final results by both — civil engineers and end-users. Therefore, designers and stakeholders are now benefiting from this immersive and interactive experience that is created using sophisticated VR techniques.
2. Large-scale Applications Will Leverage Building Information Modeling (BIM)
BIM tops the list of innovative technologies, above Big Data and Cloud technology, when it comes to innovation in civil engineering and construction. Engineers are now leveraging intelligent 3D modelling to develop virtual models of various architectural designs. This is a futuristic technology that speeds up the overall time needed to transform the drawings of the buildings into reality. Electricity networks, superstructures and the construction of bridges are now speeding up with the availability of the virtual models of the actual designs. This opportunity to visualize the complete design at the very beginning is making the entire design process highly streamlined and cost-efficient.
3. Greater Demand for Sustainable Designs
The demand for sustainable designs is expected to shoot up significantly in the civil engineering sector, making it one of the biggest trends to watch out for. This is a trend that is enjoying great support from the government as well as organizations worldwide. The availability of intelligent electrical grids, smart materials, revolutionary technologies and smart projects with embedded sensors are providing civil engineers with the necessary push to come up with forward-looking sustainable designs.
4. Increased Drone Usage
Over the past few years, the drone market has witnessed sturdy growth. This trend is only expected to rise in 2021 and beyond. As technological advancements are making drones highly reliable, the commercial usage of drones has now reached a new milestone. Currently, drones have made their way into the civil engineering sector and are making a huge impact on the design, development as well as survey of various civil engineering projects. One of the major instrumental uses of drones in this sector is to carry out safety inspections, as drones can easily access hazardous parts of a construction project and fetch data within minutes.
Watch Out for These Trends to Get Future Ready
The ear of technological advancements in civil engineering is already here. The sooner businesses implement and leverage these technologies the higher will be their survival and subsequent success rate in this competitive industry. Support from the government and international laws for these trends is an added benefit that helps businesses in this industry sector to step up and take their business ahead.
