Future ways of working
Digital tools and ways of working
Digital technology has fundamentally changed our lives. From banking and booking flights to ordering food or keeping in touch with colleagues. The way we use technology to do everyday tasks has not only become faster and more effective but has also improved access to credible information and decision-making.
The impact of digital technology evolving the ways of working and relationships with clients on business is profound. In the wake of the pandemic, rapid change is happening across all industries and whilst the construction industry has been slow to embrace the potential of digital technology – it has now awoken to the true power of digitalisation.
It was positive to find that 79 percent of our survey respondents believed there had been ‘some adoption’ of digital tools and working methods by the UAE construction market, whilst...
said they believed there had been ‘significant adoption.’
“We are seeing a greater desire, and need, for the adoption of digital solutions, and the industry is now beginning to invest a greater level of focus and investment in technology to help accelerate the digital transformation agenda. This outcome will ultimately help create smarter, more effective, and more efficient ways of working.”
Adam Ralph, UAE Country Manager and Regional Digital Transformation Lead, Turner & Townsend
The uptake in the use of known platforms, applications and systems has increased, but it’s not just about that. There is a need to innovate and create new digital ways of working, through the development of new tools and apps that capture, analyse and present data better, quicker and more easily available to our consultants, our clients and their key stakeholders. This enables us to spend more quality time as an industry collective and deliver value driven decisions from the outputs.
By no means will there be an overnight uptake in digital. This is very much a journey, one that many have been on for some time, but the key is that people appreciate the need and the benefits that come with such investments, as this will hugely assist us in our continued efforts to make a difference on our projects, supporting service excellence goals, and contributing to the successful delivery of projects and programmes around the world.
Modern methods of construction
In countries that adopt very labour-intensive approaches to construction, there is a definite need to change how developments are constructed.
Labour-intensive approaches have a consequential impact when it comes to logistical requirements and the need for off-site accommodation, more tools & equipment, and an increase in energy consumption during the construction process.
Modular builds, which could also be looked at as panelised or volumetric construction, are the most efficient class of prefabricated construction since it allows most of a building to be prefabricated in a factory before transporting it for onsite assembly. Modular construction is often sold as offering faster construction, safer manufacturing, better quality control, and lower environmental impacts compared to traditional on-site construction. These benefits can be maximised in high residential buildings, due to the modular form and the increased number of repeated modules across typical floor levels. However, current applications of modular construction in the UAE are very limited, due to the lack of strong structural systems and joining techniques to ensure structural integrity and overall stability. That said, with recent advancements in structural systems and materials, there's great potential for real-world applications of modular construction should these issues be resolved.
64 percent of our survey respondents said they believed the UAE Construction market’s adoption of off-site manufacturing and prefabricated components had stayed the same over the last 12 months, whilst 32 percent said they thought adoption had marginally increased over the same period.
of our survey respondents said they believed the UAE construction market’s adoption of off-site manufacturing and prefabricated components had stayed the same over the last 12 months,
“Whilst it's argued that modular construction can provide savings, such savings can only be realised when the factories constructing the modules are located at a reasonable distance from the developments. Since the UAE does not have the capability for mass scale developments of modules in-country, often international companies are approached. And when the costs of shipping and transportation, both of which have increased massively in recent times, are added, any cost benefit is quickly lost.”
David Griffiths, Director, Head of UAE Real Estate, Turner & Townsend
Closing thoughts
The UAE construction industry has been through its fair share of changes over the past 12 months. Fluctuation in construction costs caused by frictions in the global supply chain, remains a concern for the foreseeable future, as does ongoing economic and geopolitical unease.
Overall, current market sentiment in the UAE remains positive and the country was among a few worldwide, to report a rise in workload and an increase in profit margin expectations.
As we look ahead, construction digitalisation will become more pervasive.
Sustainable construction is now firmly on the agenda and there is a clear need for the construction industry's key players to invest in exploring the ideal path towards decarbonisation.
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