The Civil Engineering Contractor May 2019 | Page 3

COMMENT Kids dig construction Eamonn Ryan - editor [email protected] S peaking at a Regenesys Business School panel discussion in March on ‘The Future of Construction in a New Digital Age’, the chairman of WBHO, Mike Wylie, struck a positive note for the struggling South African construction industry, saying: “The way you build a building will never change.” He, and a number of other speakers, suggested that new technologies would not fundamentally replace the traditional way of doing things — because of the need to create jobs in South Africa. Tommy Strydom, CEO of Swaziland-based Inyatsi Construction, for instance, said he could not foresee a time when affordable homes would be built in South Africa by 3D printing, “with the entire community standing around watching and out of work”. Wylie believes South Africa cannot get away from the fact that it has to be labour intensive. We should embrace our advantages instead of looking to technology that is being introduced in countries with exceptionally high labour costs. Wylie says that WBHO works in multiple countries, and in each one, he sees buildings being constructed in exactly the same manner, even though advanced technologies are available already. People may respond that we didn’t see mobile phones or tablets disrupting their respective industries — but that is one technology disrupting another, rather than disrupting human lives. There is the issue of human dignity that is not factored into technology. Not all technologies have been successful — they have to be accepted by people who see personal advantage in it, rather than slavery. South Africa has a world-class civil engineering and construction industry, Wylie pointed out, which in a labour-intensive manner can still erect buildings often at half the price of other countries. The Discovery building will be half the price of any comparable building in the world — “It’s a wonderful advantage this country has,” extols Wylie. Our quarries are cheaper, our scaffolding and labour both relatively inexpensive. “A lot of people might think construction is a dismal industry to be in [with all its current challenges and companies in business rescue], but the reality is that’s only from a financial point of view. What is really important is that even though we make no money, youngsters, when they come onto site, are thrilled to be in this industry.” This comment rebuts the commonly expressed view that it is a struggle to get the Millennial Generation or Generation X to enter the civil engineering industry: they want to be able to wear their Gucci shoes on site rather than safety boots, and use the latest technology to do everything remote via drone and a laptop while they sit in an air-conditioned office. This ennui does not apply to construction, according to Wylie. “They go onto a site like the Discovery building and say, ‘Gosh, am I going to be involved in a project like this?’ This is the advantage that our industry has — we build amazing projects. When he finally moves onto a site, he will be so immersed in technology and the latest programs, that he will every day be excited to go to work.” He notes that the camaraderie of working on an inspiring site is also considerable. When construction workers walk off a site, they (and their families) are immensely proud of what they have created. “It’s a fantastically exciting industry for youngsters, and along with that, they’re working with these digital tools.” These tools, due to the unique nature of civil engineering and construction, typically have to be developed in-house, and are already enabling engineers to work better and more efficiently. This will be the legacy of technology in construction — not job losses. Mike Wylie, chairman of WBHO. www.civilsonline.co.za CEC May 2019 | 1