The construction industry plays a significant role in the infrastructure development of the country and is often considered as a barometer of economic development. It is necessary to emphasise the importance of ensuring sustainability in the construction process as smart construction has become the way forward for the industry, Chairman, National Construction Association of Sri Lanka, Susantha Liyanarachchi said.
“Smart construction is building design, construction and operation which through collaborative partnerships to make full use of digital technologies and industrialised manufacturing techniques to improve productivity, minimise cost, improve sustainability and maximise user benefits, he said at the inauguration of the 19th edition of the Construct 2019 exhibition under the theme ‘Build Smart Live Smart’ in Colombo last week.
“Smart living is a trend encompassing advancement that gives people the opportunity to benefit from new ways of living across the globe.
As cities become smarter and more intelligent, so do its infrastructure and buildings.
Smart living as a current trend in the world evolves with improved standards in several aspects of day-to-day life, ranging from residence, workplaces, leisure places, shopping malls and the way people are transported within the country. Within the context of construction of buildings, the trend can be identified through the growing existence of innovative, quicker, affordable and more efficient and effective construction concepts, technologies, material and processes, he said.
The construction industry worldwide is forecast to be worth US $ 12 trillion by 2020, according to the Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics.
The global growth of residential construction is expected to be 4.4 percent during the period 2015 to 2020. According to trading economic data, GDP from construction in Sri Lanka increased to Rs. 177,851 million in the first quarter of 2019 from Rs. 171,094 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. In the long term the Sri Lanka GDP from construction is projected to reach around Rs. 190,794 million in 2020 according to the country’s econometric models.
New technologies provide several benefits such as reduced costs, lower carbon emission during construction, multiple functions and added value on materials used in buildings with qualities of better attributes and durability of buildings, lower manufacturing cost and improved quality of life for users.
The companies driving the smart trend provide solutions related to the aspects of construction such as innovative concepts, advanced materials, improved processes and energy efficiency.
This can be reflected through the technologies used such as wireless monitoring of infrastructure, replacement of traditional construction materials, designer mobile homes, a waste to energy technology and the market’s most strict green concepts of buildings. A number of drivers have been facilitating the end users and constructors to adapt to this new trend. The market demand for better, stronger smarter and cheaper solutions as well as the environmental agenda, driving possibly the largest share of innovation in the industry, he said. The theme ‘build smart live smart’ is expected to have a long journey in the future in the construction industry with the changes in the life style of people.
Construct 2019 concludes today.