Elevating Construction With I&T

Technological advancement in work equipment is bringing the construction industry to the next level.

More than 30 cutting-edge products are being featured at the Construction Industry Council's new Construction Innovation & Technology Application Centre in Kowloon Bay.

Among them is the IoT (Internet of Things) Safety Helmet, which boasts sensors to help prevent accidents and to monitor a worker's body temperature and heart rate.

It caught the eye of visitor Horace Cheng, general manager of a firm which provides installation, repair and maintenance services for power plants, landfills and chemical plants.

Mr Cheng said the helmet can improve his workers' safety.

"The safety helmet will be very useful if the sensors can operate in a confined area. Sometimes our employees need to work in tight spaces and it would help us monitor the situation and take immediate action if something happens."

Custom-built

Another smart device at the exhibition Mr Cheng found attractive was a custom-built service robot that repairs exterior gas pipes and can be controlled remotely.

He said it can benefit his business.

"Our workers usually have to work at heights of five to 10 metres above the ground, sometimes even 20 to 30 metres above the ground.

"This service robot eliminates the safety risk involved with working at height and would help us cut down on manpower for repair work."

The centre also showcases smart construction products from other countries including a prefabricated bathroom unit which demonstrates the advantages of Modular Integrated Construction.

An airport hotel in Singapore was built using this method, where stand-alone modules are manufactured offsite and are transferred to a facility where they are installed.

Compared with traditional construction projects, this method can boost productivity, safety and cost effectiveness.

Polished image

The construction industry has been facing increasing costs and a labour shortage in recent years.

Construction Innovation & Technology Application Centre Chief Executive Officer Henry Fung believes adopting innovation and technology is the best solution.

"We are encouraging the industry, especially small and medium enterprises, to adopt I&T. We hope we can help them integrate new methods and expand business."

The centre changes its exhibits every six months to a year to keep up with technological advances and offers guided tours, seminars and workshops.

To attract new blood to the industry, Mr Fung said the centre is working to polish the image of the construction industry.

"In the future, construction will be an intelligent industry instead of a labour-intensive one. I believe this change will attract more young people to join the industry."

Rising needs

With major city infrastructure projects in the pipeline, the council forecasts public and private sector construction costs will be more than $250 billion annually in the next decade.

To prepare the industry for the future, the council provides Building Information Modelling (BIM) courses for students and industry practitioners.

BIM allows construction professionals to carry out design and planning in a virtual environment, which can help minimise changes during the construction process and provides a more accurate estimate of project costs.

James Chan, 29, aspires to be a quantity surveyor. He took the BIM course to keep up with future industry trends.

"BIM will become an indispensable part of the construction industry in the future. The quality of projects will also improve."

The Government is adopting BIM for the design and construction of major government projects scheduled to start this year, and will promote the use of the technology for private construction projects.

It is collaborating with the council to set BIM standards and guidelines.