One of the biggest challenges in construction technology today is building on-time, high-quality buildings with the most energy and cost-effective solutions possible.
But what do we mean by construction technology? Construction technology is all the work process related to construction activity, the so-called know-how of the construction process.
In addition to choosing the right technology, there are several aspects to consider:
- technical requirements and parameters of the building, such as height, load-bearing capacity, soil type
- various cost factors such as technology, materials used, labor costs, and other unexpected costs
- time requirements: here we can think of, for example, the time required to implement the chosen technology, to which is added the time of construction activity and other unexpected events
- the feasibility of the building is fundamental, here it is essential to choose the right tools and technologies for the available expertise
- equipment requirements, such as what equipment should be rented during work processes or what is readily available
- adequate training, what is the practice of the professionals, what kind of expertise do they have
When choosing a technology, you need to think carefully about the structure, tools, and choice of materials.
Important question: why do monolithic concrete structures dominate domestic constructions?
Advantages and disadvantages of monolithic structures
Construction of the structure of shopping malls, office buildings, and multi-storey buildings often uses monolithic reinforced concrete structures. Mostly because this technology comes with low construction costs and predictability, it’s easier to calculate with your investment, so there are no surprises. Its advantage is that it can be made relatively quickly, in any shape, and does not require special tools. One of the main disadvantages is that before concreting the reinforced concrete structures made on site, it is necessary to build a formwork, which must be demolished after the structure is completed.
Alternatives – what other technologies are there?
- Composites – In many fields, from aeronautics to the automotive industry, we can already find fiber-reinforced plastic composites in the construction industry. Reinforcing material can be carbon, aramid, or even fiberglass. In the construction industry, mainly to replace steel and concrete, and in high architecture compared to steel bars’ replacement in prefabricated frame walls. The disadvantage is that these materials’ physical and mechanical properties are sensitive to temperature fluctuations; they may be prone to deform at higher temperatures. Also, while concrete can be crushed and used in road construction processes after demolition, plastic is extremely polluting, and a massive amount of waste is generated after destruction.
- 3D printing – this technology is still very young and requires a lot of further development before it can be used more widely. Its advantage is more in areas where a smaller building with a unique, intricate design is needed. In the case of massive bridges or tall buildings, it is still very slow and expensive to apply.
- Lightweight steel structures – this technology is now used worldwide in high-rise buildings. Its advantage is that it provides a durable, homogeneous structure; it is waste-free, as everything can be manufactured to exact dimensions, and many additional roof and wall cladding systems can be connected to it. In Hungary, its culture has not really developed; its use has not spread. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of heat storage capacity of the structure.
- CLT technology – cross-laminated timber – in contrast to lightweight technology, these structures have heat storage capacity, heavier, more stable, but still five times lighter than concrete. This dry construction technology is extremely fast; for this reason, labor and its cost are much, much cheaper. Due to the exceptionally environmentally friendly, dry construction, there is no need for many waste containers. This technology is starting to spread more and more.
Because the use of new non-widespread technologies runs the risk of significantly increasing project costs, construction companies tend to focus more on the building’s economical construction. Therefore, most of the time, we use monolithic reinforced concrete structures. As the cost-benefit and time factors are known precisely, they do not require special training from specialists and expensive equipment.
However, if a technology spreads with the right education, trains the right workforce, the new technology will become more accessible at a much lower cost in 5-10 years.
The role of DASHCOAR – what can we offer you?
We analyze objects and building materials, including the inner structure or surface geometry, using various image acquisition techniques. We are consulting with construction, and architecture firms to help them apply the right innovative solutions in their daily progress by analyzing their generated DATA for a more efficient and satisfying work environment. We facilitate the building and strengthening of mutually beneficial relations between the municipal and the business sector. Use Big Data analysis to become a part of the digital transformation with us!
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/2020.11.30/
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