5 Tips to Improve Construction Productivity
Even the most well-oiled construction projects can face scheduling problems, layout errors, or trade conflicts. These issues slow down productivity and make it nearly impossible to complete construction projects on time and within budget. Improving construction productivity is critical for managing costs, especially with an increasing skilled labor shortage and rising material costs. Read on to learn the 5 tips to improve construction productivity, significantly compress schedules, and reduce laborious rework.
- Utilize Technology
Many companies already invest in Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology for designing and planning construction projects. This enables architects, engineers, and contractors to collaborate on building designs in real-time and identify potential conflicts before they cause problems in the field. However, the accuracy and detail of the BIM model get lost in translation during manual chalk-line layout.
With BIM-to-field layout, companies can optimize their existing investment in BIM while maximizing the benefits of BIM data. Dusty Robotics’ FieldPrinter autonomously prints all trades’ layout directly onto the construction site floor with 100% accuracy. The robotic layout solution works seamlessly with existing CAD or Revit files, acting as a single source of truth for all trades’ data. Technology is improving the way construction is done, and using tools like Dusty’s FieldPrinter can help your company complete construction layout in half the time with fewer errors.
- Reduce Risk
Manual layout introduces risk into a construction project. Using the chalk-line method is the most physically demanding part of a foreman’s job, and manually measuring and marking reference points is prone to errors. With each trade conducting layout separately, mistakes are often not identified until the installation has already started, resulting in lengthy and expensive rework.
Using a robotic layout solution eliminates those risks and reduces rework. By automating multi-trade layout in a single pass with 100% accuracy to the BIM data, the layout reflects the exact building design. The coordinated layout on the floor enables foremen from each trade to walk the floor together and identify any potential conflicts sooner, giving them more time to resolve issues that may derail the project. For instance, Dusty’s FieldPrinter gave one of the world’s largest construction companies a 75% reduction in rework.
- Compress Schedules
Traditionally, layout typically consumes several weeks on the construction schedule per floor. Each floor of the construction site would be cleared for each trade to manually lay out their necessary points, lines, and labels. Once the installation has started, any mistakes from the manual layout would require additional time to resolve issues.
Instead, with BIM-to-field layout, multi-trade layout can be accurately printed in one pass and schedules can be compressed from weeks to days. This enables the installation to happen immediately, improving installation speed and accuracy while reducing costly rework.
- Improve Communication
With so many individuals involved in construction projects, communication can determine the overall project's success. Miscommunication throughout the design, layout or installation process threatens this success and leads to expensive and time-consuming errors. Technology is critical in improving communication at every stage of the construction project. Using BIM for the project design helps facilitate timely and clear communication between all of the architects, engineers, and trades involved. Moreover, leveraging BIM-driven layout carries that coordination into the field.
With BIM-to-field layout, collaboration is facilitated and conflict is eliminated between trades. Using Dusty’s FieldPrinter to print multi-trade layout is proven to enhance communication between trades, while the coordinated layout provides clear instructions for starting installation. As Southland Industries noted, “Dusty is helping trades communicate with each other. Everyone is on the same page.”
- Invest in Safety & Training
The construction industry is going through generational changes, with many seasoned workers retiring and fewer young workers joining the workforce. With this shortage of skilled workers, it’s imperative that new talent is trained properly on rules, safety, and compliance. Compliance is a complex but critical aspect of construction work, and the consequences of breaking compliance can be damaging to the entire company. Training helps ensure that all contractors and subcontractors in the field are aware of and able to comply with the different rules and regulations for every project.
The construction industry has the highest average of missed work days due to workplace injuries, with 36% of injuries occurring during a worker’s first year on the job. Companies can help prevent workplace injuries by implementing an effective safety program with comprehensive safety training for new and existing employees. Using technology like the autonomous FieldPrinter can also assist in improving safety by reducing the amount of arduous manual labor performed during layout.
Now is the Time to Invest in Improving Construction
The construction industry is facing some of the most significant challenges yet– skilled labor shortages, supply chain issues, rising costs, and delays. However, there are also technological breakthroughs that are helping overcome these challenges, such as Dusty’s robotic layout solution. Companies investing in this transformative technology are investing in their own success, and it pays off.
Discover how Dusty Robotics’ FieldPrinter helps the largest GCs in the world.