Now, more and more construction companies are using augmented reality technology in their projects. But what is augmented reality, and how does it benefit the construction industry? Augmented reality is a revolutionized technological innovation that incorporates visual elements into real surroundings.
Augmented reality is not to be confused with virtual reality. Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality uses virtual reality models to create exact replicas of the real world to enhance the entire project’s view. Augmented reality gives a more accurate and efficient picture of the building structure because it provides a more detailed 3-D view of the 2-D drawings.
This short description only scratches the surface of AR’s proficiency in construction. In this post, I will discuss the six benefits of AR for the construction industry.
Benefits
1. Better Project Planning
Augmented reality can visually display the environmental and social impacts of the entire building. Augmented reality gives the construction team a more in-depth understanding of the structure and can showcase the completed building on a very detailed level. Augmented reality also benefits clients as they can see the results even before the work starts. This way, clients can make their required changes even before construction begins.
2. Accurate Measurements
Accuracy is vital in any project to avoid wasting money and time due to any adjustments later. Construction workers such as architects, project managers, and engineers can use AR models to gain more accurate details, exact measurements, comprehensively view how the project will appear, and efficiently determine labor hours and materials needed.
3. On Job Site Revision
The best benefit of augmented reality is that it allows the construction team to view how everything fits on-site before materials need ordering or the amount of labor necessary for installation is determined. Workers will utilize AR’s assistance throughout the working process to discover any inconsistencies in architecture and to quickly adjust to the changes if necessary.
4. Safety and Inspection
Safety is a standard call in the construction industry. Even though a thorough manual inspection process occurs, usually by more than one person, safety concerns still arise as the project phases are complete. With the completion of one stage of the project, a safety concern can arise that was not present before that phase is complete. With augmented reality, inspectors can recognize, identify, share complicated areas and serious problems a lot easier by capturing photos on-demand or retrieve notes from location sites.
5. Cost Savings
Augmented reality can increase labor productivity, reduce costs and improve safety when used throughout the project lifecycle. It can also eliminate the need to create new expensive and time-consuming architecture plans to fit client requirements. AR can save money because it allows construction workers to modify or replace architecture plans using 3D models even before construction begins.
6. Training
The building process requires a lot of machinery usage. Construction workers will need hours of training to use these machines. If the team does not possess advanced knowledge of the equipment, they will have to call in help from an expert and wait for their arrival, which is time-consuming.
With AR, workers enjoy a safer training environment and work with large-scale machinery with no worries. Simply put, AR allows companies to train their workers more effectively while simultaneously use the machinery.
Final thoughts
Augmented reality is becoming a staple in the construction industry. This technology offers critical benefits to the construction industry as it enhances the overall quality of the delivered work. In short, augmented reality is a safe and labor-efficient utility that benefits both the construction firm and its clients.
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