INGENIEUR
NEW MATERIALS . Investing in advanced building material technology is helping companies to stay a step ahead in the digital competition . Traditionally , concrete is used as the main component in the construction sector due to its low cost and ease to produce despite being associated with various drawbacks ( Makul 2020 ). The advancement of technologies has offered new materials to improve the functionality of these traditional cement-based materials . One example is the application of advanced concrete technologies such as nanomaterial ( Bautista-Gutierrez et al . 2019 ) in modern methods of concrete structures production . Addition of such an advanced material enhances the mechanical strength and reduces the environmental impact ( Makul 2020 ). Apart from that , it offers opportunities to deliver buildings and infrastructure that are both resilient and intelligent . After all , the potential of advanced building material is enormous and as long as construction players are willing to combine traditional materials with modern materials , then smarter and more sustainable buildings will soon emerge .
BLOCKCHAIN . Blockchain is one of the groundbreaking technologies that could potentially impact every sector and not just the construction sector . It is predicted to completely overhaul the digital economy ( Perera et al . 2020 ). The hypothesis behind blockchain is blocks of information like a chain which can substantially improve the data integrity and data reliability ( Kim , Lee , and Kim 2020 ). This technology focuses on decentralised , transparent , open source , autonomy , immutable , and anonymity ( Niranjanamurthy , Nithya , and Jagannatha 2019 ). Remarkable applications of blockchain in construction are smart contracts , construction coins , blockchain-based BIM , securities , digital currency , and record keeping ( Kim et al . 2020 ). Among advantages served by blockchain are enhancing security , reducing construction costs , and excellent transparency ( Kim et al . 2020 ). To conclude , the adoption of blockchain concept could address several problems and improve project delivery processes .
AI . These past years , artificial intelligence ( AI ) has provided benefits to construction projects especially in overcoming some of the toughest work . Generally , AI is defined as the science and engineering of making intelligent machines , especially intelligent computer programmes ( Cioffi et al . 2020 ). To simplify , AI is a simulation of computer science to make machines act like humans ( Abduljabbar et al . 2019 ). The subset of AI such as machine learning , deep learning , and robotics are profoundly important too . There are many uncertainties and problems within the data that cannot be solved by human or traditional approaches . Basically , AI helps to solve those uncertainties by using the available data and producing better analysis . This will create a safer , smarter , and more productive construction environment . However , without appropriate policies and strategies for adoption , AI in construction may depend largely on the motivation of construction players themselves .
At the heart of this paper is a realisation that we are living in a period of adaption . Construction 4.0 transformation is necessitated by the aforementioned disruptive technologies . A step closer to the transformation can only be achieved through the active participation and engagement from four major actors of a quadruple helix . It can be concluded that creating collaboration and integrating these technologies offers significant opportunities to improve construction productivity and to meet other potential challenges of the future . At the present time , Governments need to focus on strengthening collaboration and technology adoption through developing policies and strategies that cultivate innovative actions .
Vision , Goals , Core Values , and Strategic Thrust for Construction 4.0
Transformation of construction towards the current wave of digitalisation seems vital among construction players . However , a holistic approach and planning are needed to successfully transform all the construction phases . The 12 emerging technologies listed in Construction 4.0 strategic plan act as the main catalyst . In summary , their roles are aligning the digital data , twinning with real-world conditions , besides enriching the construction layout with accurate data and measurement . Acceptance of the construction supply chain
14 VOL 88 OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2021