Working on a highway or railway construction site will one day be a thing of the past for budding engineers of the future who are still at school today, Balfour Beatty predicted this week.

 

The contracting company has launched its ‘Innovation 2050’ paper subtitled ‘A digital future for the infrastructure industry’ which says construction sites 33 years from now will be in “stark contrast” to what we see today. They are likely to be human free with work moved off site, machinery controlled remotely and new materials and techniques used to reduce cost and improve safety and efficiency.

 

While the human free construction site may seem far fetched the company points out that technology has already revolutionised contemporary life to such an extent that it is not so hard to imagine radical changes for construction.

 

Balfour Beatty’s chief executive Leo Quinn said: “We are experiencing a digital revolution, redefining how we as an industry operate; becoming faster, better and more agile. By adopting and embracing the rise of digital solutions we are more able to deliver efficient, effective and safer solutions to our clients and customers.”

 

He adds that future technology will help the industry to bridge the skills gap by creating jobs, roles and industries that don’t yet exist, attracting younger generations and leading to a more adaptable workforce with new skills. “These changes will mean we have to ensure our industry trains our current and future employees with the skills to exploit the use of new technology, new materials and new methods of working.”

 

The Innovation 2050 paper predicts that technology such as augmented and virtual reality, cloud data storage, telematics and drones will play a major part in future construction schemes.

 

One highways project currently making good use of the latest augmented reality technology is the A21 upgrade between Tonbridge and Pembury in Kent. Later this summer as a pedestrian footbridge is installed over the dual carriageway engineers and operatives will wear headsets that give them a virtual 4D overlay of the construction sequence taking shape before work begins in real life, to show them what the completed project should look like.

 

(Photo: Network Rail)