10 construction industry trends to watch in 2016

What are the 10 construction industry trends to watch in 2016?

The New Year always brings new trends and new opportunities, so the construction industry, like any other, is now looking ahead towards the new challenges. According to some analysis this year is expected to be very strong for those into the construction business as the estimated growth is around 6%, which would mean a value of around $712 billion for the construction professionals

1. Lack of experienced professionals

The previous year already announced the shortage of qualified staff for the construction industry. This trend is expected to continue in 2016 as many of the workers who left the industry during the recession period never returned to their jobs. The baby boomers have already retired and the young and tech savvy people are not interested in this industry. In addition, the workers who returned to their country during the economy crisis are not planning on coming back and continuing work.

2. New methods in the construction industry – prefab or offsite construction

This new method of construction is taking a lift in 2016, as most people are starting to see the benefits of this type of construction. The offsite construction offers people faster completion time, and it provides less work for the construction industry. The construction professionals will no longer have to deal with the vast amount of waste and try to combine schedules to be able to finish the construction. Win – win situation for all parties involved.

3. Construction companies will choose projects more carefully

We have already tackled the issue of lack of workforce and this is where we can see the results from it. In the year ahead, the construction professionals will be pickier when it comes to the projects they decide to work on, as they won’t have the capacity to satisfy the growing demand. They will limit the number of new projects they undertake to avoid the risk of being overwhelmed and not being able to deliver the expected results.

4. BIM will become a necessity rather than a luxury

In the past few years we could see an expansion in the usage of the Building Information Modeling. However, if a few years back only the big companies could afford the luxury of using BMI, today this advanced technology is turning into a necessity that every company must have. It cuts time on document preparation and it can be a miracle maker when it comes to bigger projects. In addition, more and more people ask their contractors to use this technology so the construction professionals are left with not much choice.

5. Increase of the demand for green construction

Building green constructions is not something new, especially when it comes to commercial facilities.  What is surprising is the fact that now the residential sector is showing interest in the ecofriendly designs. These constructions are not only good for the environment but they also provide better quality and higher savings on the long run. Moreover, this will not only affect the newly made constructions but it will also cover the older constructions that are due for remodeling.

6. Higher numbers of untrained construction workers, increase of fines for the construction companies

The lack of skillful professionals is causing problems on so many levels that it is almost impossible to avoid mentioning them in the trends for the new year. The high demand for on-site workers will increase the number of untrained professionals which will lead to higher numbers of accidents. The authorities will be on the field tracking down any improper behavior and giving enormous fines for the companies in order to protect the welfare of the workforce.

7. Single-family sector on the rise, multifamily sector slowing down

The single-family sector is slowly going back to what was considered as normal level prior to the economy crisis. It is expected to increase for 20%, although it still has a long way to go before it fully recovers. The multifamily sector will see an increase of only 7%, which is a lot less than any previous year. The forecast is that this sector will slow down in the next two years and by the end of 2017 it will be on a level that is only 9% higher than the one considered as normal.

8. Laser scanning technology on the rise

Since we live in an era of modern technology the construction companies are not planning on falling behind. The usage of laser scanning that enables creation of digital image of the dimensions and positions of the objects will dramatically increase as many companies will see the benefits of making the technology work for them.

9. Remodeling is taking a lift

This year people will be willing to invest in their homes, adjusting them to the new trends and needs. This refers mostly on people who have a lot of money to spend on remodeling, which is a good news for the construction industry that will not only be building new homes, but will also have to respond to the needs for refurbishments of the well-off population.

10. Homebuyers will seek convenience over comfort

Homebuyers will look for homes that are close to public transportation and useful facilities. They will focus more on convenient solutions, rather than on luxury and look for homes in the urban areas.