Trends in Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering has been an important industry for centuries and is continuing to evolve today.
While change and adoption to new technologies in the industry may have been slower than others, adoption of new technologies is becoming more and more important than ever before.
In this post, we explore this and some of the other major trends impacting Civil Engineering.
1. Sustainability
Like all industries, civil engineering is grappling with sustainability, and how the buildings and structures can be built more sustainably. This includes the use of sustainable building materials, reusing existing material and incorporating sustainable design elements.
2. Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is also known as the fourth industrial revolution and mostly refers to adoption of automated manufacturing processes.
Technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, advanced robotics, IOT, drones, BIM, augmented reality and cloud technologies are all being adopted by other more advanced industries and civil engineering will no doubt need to consider where these can play a major role.
3. Increased investment in infrastructure
The COVID-19 pandemic has created chaos across the world and global economies have not escaped unscathed. Lockdowns, workforce stand downs, reduced consumer spending and disruptions to supply chains have hit economies hard, plunging many into recession. The silver bullet many countries are using to alleviate this is increased investment in infrastructure. With its high employment numbers, large overall economic impact, and impact to the urban environment, infrastructure has always been a key industry in any economy.
However this also means increased scrutiny in how the money is spent, leading to increased accountability for construction companies and civil engineers
4. Skills Gap
With the increasing use of technology across the industry, civil engineering companies are continuing to experience a skills gap in employees who are proficient at using these technologies. While historically they have largely recruited from the engineering space, it is becoming more evident that the industry will need to look further afield to bridge the skills gap while also increasing in-house training and engaging in a far-reaching talent engagement system.
5. Pressure on margins
Margins are continuing to be squeezed and with further industry disruptions likely, costs can spiral. The ability to utilise technology to improve short- and long-term efficiencies and invest in alternate and advanced constructions materials will be key in maintain margins.
