S06 TRME 2 2021 Construction_Layout 1 23/03/2021 13:57 Page 20
Construction Photo Credit : Adobe Stock
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Technology is transforming traditional practices.
Five disruptive technologies for construction industry
The cutting-edge technologies are drastically changing how the Gulf’s construction industry operates and how future projects will be completed. Martin Clark reports. T HAS BEEN a trying year for construction, like other industries, but one thing is clear: the technology shaping this sector continues to advance relentlessly. Virtual reality and artificial intelligence are no longer the stuff of science fiction, and are helping to drive work in other areas of the construction chain, from sustainability and environmental awareness to greater collaboration and the evolution of the circular economy. “While the pandemic has clearly caused many industries around the world to change tack,” notes Kez Taylor, chief executive of ALEC, one of the UAE’s most diversified construction groups, “the prevailing construction trends are ultimately ones that were long overdue prior to the challenges of 2020.” And the Gulf is at the forefront of many of these shifts, he adds. Today, we stand in a unique position to transform our industry into a healthy ecosystem, where all stakeholders are able to succeed by utilising the latest technology and a collaborative approach. Below, we look at some of the key areas of innovation driving change in the Gulf region’s construction sector.
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“The prevailing construction trends are ultimately ones that were long overdue prior to the challenges of 2020.” Kez Taylor, chief executive of ALEC
1. Lidar Laser technology is routinely used in the construction sector for mapping, surveying
Technical Review Middle East - Issue Two 2021
and related areas. Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure variable distance, is now well established in the Gulf, as it is elsewhere. As well as measuring distance, differences in laser return times and wavelengths can also be used to make digital 3D representations of a particular target. Airborne Lidar sensors are now being used by companies to create digital models and hydrographic surveying, with the likes of Middle East Survey Engineering (MESE) and Falcon 3D deploying the technology on drones. MESE launched its Lidarbased unmanned aerial system (UAS) at the 2019 Adipec show in the UAE. The technology looks set to play a role in the emergence of socalled ‘smart cities’ around the world. Velodyne Lidar, Inc, a US firm pioneering in this market, recently tied up with Outsight, a specialist in 3D spatial intelligence, to develop technologies for smart cities and smart machines, including mobile robots and autonomous vehicles. It builds on an earlier partnership to improve analysis and management of people flow and assets in large, crowded environments, which could emerge as a major theme in the postCovid era. Velodyne Lidar’s Ultra Puck is a device that creates highdensity, longrange images, www.technicalreview.me
