Are you still performing your takeoffs manually? If so, you probably spend more time shuffling through papers and plans than putting together your estimates and bids. Chances are you aren’t alone. While construction takeoff software has been around for decades, there are still many in the industry who perform their material takeoffs and estimates by hand. 

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1555

Construction industry statistics and data are increasingly important as they help accelerate decision-making on and off the construction site.

Seventy-five percent of global construction industry stakeholders agree or strongly agree that the need for real-time decision-making is increasing at the project level. Data is the secret sauce to making those decisions quickly and strategically. It provides contextual information needed to move projects forward in the short term while offering a competitive advantage long-term.

And while project data is ideal for decisions in the present, relevant industry statistics can light a path in the dark for future decisions. Industry trends, both near and farsighted, are likely to impact your approach to preconstruction, technology investments, sustainability, risk analysis, workforce planning, budgeting, operational efficiency, and the list goes on. Add to that the compounding effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has served as both a significant challenge and powerful catalyst for growth in digital collaboration.

With these factors in mind, we’ve compiled a list of essential EMEA construction industry stats to help you better understand the landscape. These data points portray the current state of affairs while also forecasting what’s to come. We cover a several major themes, and if you’d like to dive deeper, we’ve also included to each of our sources so you can explore further.

These construction industry stats provide insight into:

• The current state of the industry at the global and EMEA-specific levels
• The fastest-growing sectors and areas of demand
• Current supply chain constraints, sustainability efforts, and workforce outlooks
• How a formal data strategy fits into addressing the listed challenges and opportunities

 

See statistics by topic:

General Outlook

• State of the industry
• Growth opportunities

Operational Challenges

• Supply chain
• Material costs

Sustainability Efforts

• Commitments and challenges
• Impact of technology on sustainability

Workforce Statistics

• Labor shortages and the impact of Brexit 
• New approaches create new jobs

Rise of Technology

• The growing market for digitalisation
• Data strategy brings a competitive edge

 

State of the industry

• €11.6/£9.9* trillion estimated in global construction output by 2025. [Oxford Economics]
• Spending on construction accounted for 13% of the global GDP in 2020; it’s expected to reach over 13.5% in 2030. [Oxford Economics]
• The European Union’s (EU) total investment in construction in 2020 was €1.4 trillion or 10.7% of the EU’s GDP (€13.2 trillion). [FIEC]
• The European construction industry is expected to record a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.8% to reach €2.4/£2* trillion by 2024. [Cision]
• The United Kingdom (UK) is predicted to overtake Germany in 2023 in global output. The UK will remain the sixth-largest market after being overtaken by Indonesia in 2024.  [Oxford Economics]

 

Growth opportunities

• The fastest-growing sector between 2020 and 2025 is forecasted to be infrastructure. The annual growth is expected to be 5.1% due to unprecedented levels of government stimulus driving medium-term growth. [Oxford Economics]
• Excess household savings (due to the pandemic) have led to an EU GDP expansion by an 8.5% annualized rate. [Oxford Economics]
• The demand for residential property is strong in Germany as a result of lowered mortgage interest rates due to COVID-19. As of Q2 2021, German banks have seen sales growth up to 30% compared to 2019. [ConsTrack360]
• The residential sector is the largest subsector driving short-term growth. It accounted for 44% of total global construction in 2020. [Oxford Economics]

 

Supply chain constraints and disruptions

• Fifteen percent of EU contractors indicate lower production due to a lack or delayed delivery of building materials. [ING]
• As of 12 November 2021, the average cost of shipping a 40-ft container across major trade routes year-to-date (04/11/21) is €6,373/ £5,436* per 40-ft container. This figure is €4,108/£3504* higher than the five-year average of €2,265/£1,932* per 40-ft container. Peak costs exceeded €8,738/£7,454* per 40-ft container (as of November 2021).  [Drewry]
• Forty-four percent of construction companies in Germany reported problems procuring materials on time, up from less than 6% in March (as surveyed by the Ifo Institute in May). [Financial Times]
• Production in the German construction industry fell 4.3% in April from the previous month, despite companies in the sector reporting a record order backlog of €62 billion in March. [Financial Times]

 

Material costs

• In Q1 2021, the cost of construction materials in Europe rose by the fastest rate since 2004. In July 2021, 40% of concrete, cement, and brick suppliers said they expected to raise their prices even higher. [ING]
• Concrete rebar (59% higher than a year ago), fabricated steel (65% higher), and imported plywood (82% higher) show the strongest price growth in September 2021 compared to 12 months prior. [BEIS via Euroconstruct]

 

Sustainability commitments and challenges

• ESG-related capital growth in 2020 was 28%, largely due to a flow of fundraising into sustainability-related strategies. [Oxford Economics]
• Construction and demolition waste (CDW) produced in Europe accounts for 850 million tonnes. This is equivalent to approximately 60% of the total waste produced by Europe. [Oxford Economics]
• The built environment is responsible for around 40% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. [Oxford Economics]
• The European Commission announced in July 2021 that it will commit to a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) from 1990 levels by 2030. [Oxford Economics]

 

Impact of technology on sustainability

• European construction businesses plan to invest an average of €900,000 in the next five years to become more sustainable, with seven out of 10 investing in construction. [Autodesk]
• Building Information Modeling (BIM) software offers possibilities to optimize the design phase and to deliver up to 15% less CDW. [Chalmers]
• BIM is one of the most common tools used in sustainability initiatives (36%), enabling owners and project teams to make more data-driven decisions. [Autodesk]
• Fifty-three percent of construction professionals say prefabrication has the greatest potential to reduce the industry’s carbon emissions. [Autodesk]

 

Labor shortages and the impact of Brexit

• Fourteen percent: the increase in average pay packet for UK construction workers compared to the first half of 2020. [Construction News]
• In 2021, 26% of EU contractors reported problems with labor shortages. [ING]
• Employment in the UK construction sector fell from 2.3 million in 2017 to 2.1 million at the end of 2020. This represents a 4% fall in UK-born workers and a 42% fall in EU workers. [Office for National Statistics]
• More than 500,000 UK-born construction workers are expected to retire in the next 10 to 15 years.  [Financial Times]
• Official data from the Office for National Statistics reports that UK construction vacancies hit a 20-year high in August. [Construction News]

 

New approaches create new jobs

• 100,000: the number of direct jobs the commercial drones market growth is projected to create in the next 20 years. [ECSO]

 

The growing market for digitalisation

• €1 trillion: potential EU industry savings from a full-scale digitalisation in non-residential construction. [ESCO]
• In 2019, it was expected that the European BIM market would grow by 13% from 2016 to 2023, accounting for €2.1 billion of spend. [ESCO]

 

Data strategy brings a competitive edge

• Eighty-two percent: the percentage of European construction professionals collecting more data from construction technology today than three years ago. Still, 39% say that less than half of that data is usable. [FMI + Autodesk]
• Only 9% of businesses always incorporate project data into their decision making while 64% do this sometimes, rarely, or never. [FMI + Autodesk]
• On average, bad project data results in poor decisions 41% of the time. [FMI + Autodesk]
• €7.1 million: the amount of waste a €1 billion contractor could avoid by making decisions using accurate data [FMI + Autodesk]

*currency conversions provided by Morningstar via Google on 12 November, 2021

 

Get more insights into the industry

As these 30+ statistics have demonstrated, the industry will continue to experience big changes and developments. It’s the perfect time for construction firms to tap into that momentum and reap the benefits of taking a more strategic approach to data. To begin, benchmark your current construction process with our free assessment.

MEASURE NOW

 

 

The post 30+ Construction Industry Statistics for EMEA appeared first on Digital Builder.

An Excess of U.S. Retail Demand

Consumer spending is about 70% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the United States and 55% in Canada. (The lower percentage in Canada is due to foreign trade being relatively more prominent in overall economic activity north of the border.)

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1526

Fewer cost overruns, fewer missed schedules, fewer safety incidents – the benefits of using quality data to inform decisions in construction projects are many. 

“We are using project data to alert us to things before a problem arises,” one BIM coordinator surveyed for Autodesk Construction Cloud’s recently released global report Harnessing The Data Advantage In Construction told us. 

“For example, we can track the number of encountered defects. We know once they exceed a certain number the schedule is going to be delayed. Having these insights allows us to address things when we can still do something about them.” 

Our research found the construction industry is collecting more data than ever before but many are struggling to translate raw data into actionable insight. 

In many cases, what is missing is the clear overarching data strategy, encompassing how data is collected, analysed and acted on. 

Bad data has clear costs – our research found it caused 40% of the average construction firm’s poor decisions. Despite this, many of the more than 3,900 construction industry professionals we interviewed listed multiple roadblocks to establishing a formal data strategy. 

Of those without one, the chief reasons why were: 

• Not knowing where to start 
• Lack of leadership and organisational support
• The cost and resources required. 

So, how can the motivation and momentum needed to  better harness data be built? 

 

Opening the black box

As useful as knowing where your destination is, it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t also know where you currently are. That’s why a good place to start is with a software audit.  

When we speak with potential clients and ask what they’re doing with their current software and why, they often don’t know. It’s a ‘black box’, they tell us.  

It’s difficult to compare what benefits a new approach would bring if it’s not clear how the current approach is functioning. 

A basic software audit can give decision makers a better understanding of where they are at right now including what their systems are capable of doing, and how they’re being used. That, in itself, can be a revelation to many organisations as they start to map a smarter way forward. 

Once an audit has been completed, processes can be benchmarked and compared against the concrete benefits of making a switch. 

 

Engage the right stakeholders

Next, a broad and diverse group of people from within and around the organisation should be convened to help guide the process. This group should represent all stakeholders and potential data users – including major suppliers and contractors. 

Their first job is to come together with decision makers to discuss how they currently make decisions and where their frustrations lie. 

• Where can manual, repetitive and time-consuming tasks be automated? 
• What is it that slows decision-making down? 
• Where are each department’s blind spots in terms of data? 
• Where is data held and who can see it? 
• What should be defined as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ data? 
• In what situations are people relying on ‘experience’ and ‘know-how’ rather than accurate, real-time data to make decisions or implement changes? 
• This can be an eye-opening process as there are always frustrations. Staff have been using technology in their private lives for long enough to know when the systems they’re using at work are inefficient. 

It’s important to consider even the little things that can introduce errors. One CIO, during the research for the Harnessing The Data Advantage In Construction report, told us, “When we started to review the quality of our data, we encountered no fewer than 20 different spellings for the same supplier.”  

All of this gets in the way of developing data you can trust and base important decisions on. 

At this stage, the group is in a discovery period, learning from each other the benefits to be had from a smart data strategy.  

The outcome here should be a clear understanding and prioritisation of the data categories and data capabilities that could alleviate the issues identified. 

 

Imagine the future

It’s normal for a project manager to understand where a specific project is at. But it’s rare for a business executive to have the confidence to say they know for sure that a specific project is on schedule, on budget, has particular challenges that need to be solved, etc. 

Executives in businesses that have smart data strategies can say this, and much more. 

Data-driven systems offer such powerful insights that it can be quite a mental leap to imagine their business uses. Many organisations continue to discover new and exciting use cases for their data years after the system has been implemented. 

First and foremost, it’s vital to develop buy-in. This means teams and individuals at all levels should be able to fully appreciate how a data strategy will make their jobs better, and make them better at their jobs. 

“You have to take a human-centric approach,” a Senior Digital Delivery Manager told us. “You have to show them that you are reducing the amount of time wasted for them personally. 

“If you are cutting down on their work by reducing time spent on administrative tasks, people are more likely to make the transformation.”  

 

Take small steps

Building a wall begins with putting a single brick in place, not placing all the bricks in a single movement. The same principle applies to instituting a successful data strategy. A successful pilot project will demonstrate the benefits better than any PowerPoint deck.  

By focusing on the project data that you know can bring the most value to the business, you will be able to demonstrate results and return on investment quickly. And good data platforms are modular and easy to integrate, meaning elements can be introduced one at a time.  

Best practice is not to change anything mid-project. Start with a new project and compare results with another project that is still using traditional methods. The more clearly you can quantify the benefits, the smoother the introduction of a full data strategy will be. 

 

Ready for what comes next

It is vital for the future of many organisations that a strong business case is created.  

Up against challenges such as the labour shortage, ever more aggressive schedules, greater quality assurance expectations, more competitive bidding processes, sustainability pressures and more, the insight offered by a strong data strategy is a powerful driver of performance. 

To learn more about how your competitors are making use of data, download the Autodesk/FMI Harnessing The Data Advantage In Construction report. 

The post How to Build a Business Case for a Better Data Strategy appeared first on Digital Builder.

Based in Holland and founded in 1990, Alkondor engineers and produces façades, windows and doors, particularly for large and complex projects. The team work on a host of construction projects from residential to non-residential buildings, like hotels and cinemas, and have specialist expertise with complex architecture programmes.

 

Digitalising to reduce risk

With their own production facility in the Netherlands, 150 employees support Alkondor’s activity including Chris Schoneveld, BIM Manager and Bram Kotter, CEO. When Chris joined the team five years ago, his remit was to focus on all of Alkondor’s digital processes, including how the team can use digital solutions for better insights and modernise their ways of working.

At the time, the team used many time-consuming processes which included printing physical copies of PDF documents and delivering them between departments and to the factory manually. This meant that there was a layer of risk added to projects – working in such manual ways mean newer versions of drawings were again hand-delivered to production teams in the factory. “It was very easy for things to go wrong,” reflects Chris. “We were working in a way that was open for errors and meant there was a lot of work for everyone; we used Excel forms, handwritten notes, PDFs and spent a lot of time transferring and tracking documents.”

With all documents stored on local servers, soon the team recognised they began to have issues with different naming conventions on drawings and poor practices led to miscommunication and confusion. “It would be difficult to search between different documents,” says Chris. Alkondor decided that they needed to change the way they in which they managed their documents and knew that investment in their digital processes would help them be more efficient and collaborative when it came to working on their projects.

 

A step change in ways of working

“We were already using some digital products such as Revit,” reflects Bram. “We were working with ITANNEX (Arkance systems), an Autodesk reseller, who introduced us to Autodesk Construction Cloud’s BIM 360 platform.” Alkondor began trialling BIM 360 to see how the functionality could support the team with their document management activities as well as supporting version controlling and issues management.

To start with, Alkondor undertook a pilot project with a small group who trialled using BIM 360. The pilot group tested how the team could share documents and data from Autodesk’s Revit platform straight into BIM 360, but they also tested other functionality like quality control and issues management.

After an initial trial, Alkondor decided that they wanted to roll out BIM 360 across all of the organisation and provide dedicated training to their team to ensure this investment was firmly embedded in the company’s ways of working. Bram introduced the solution during learning sessions for all employees, with Chris taking colleagues through the features and functionality. Chris also ensured he was available on site so the team using the solution were able to ask questions and troubleshoot collaboratively.

“I think the best features we have found in BIM 360 is the quality elements we can derive. We can document and freeze elements at certain points during construction,” says Chris. “This means we can complete extra quality checks which avoid extra costs that could be incurred to our products we install on site.”

The team use Ipads on construction sites and in the factory where they can access BIM 360. They use digital checklists for quality checks, and this also means they reduce the amount of paper used, ensuring Alkondor’s carbon footprint remains as low as possible.

Having digital document management practices means that all Alkondor team members can find documents quickly and easily using Autodesk Construction Cloud’s BIM 360 platform. “Being able to search and find documents easily saves a lot of time,” says Chris. “We can also see version history and there is a clear audit trail when it comes to changes.”

 

Capturing learnings for greater insights

When it comes to learnings on each project, Alkondor use BIM 360 to capture insights on the progress of their projects to provide greater certainty. Chris remarks: “We have integrated PowerBI with BIM 360 so we can visualise our data and improve outcomes. We use PowerBI and BIM 360 to provide detailed information about the project’s progress. Sometimes we adjust production and engineering processes where necessary to ensure there is no disruption to our projects.” For project managers at Alkondor, this provides them with an overview of each project helping them to make more informed decisions.

For Alkondor, quality is underpinned by their use of BIM 360. “All of our windows and doors are digital assets within the BIM 360 asset module,” says Bram. The team use this module to track the progress from their factory to project handover. “We add quality checks during the different stages of production and element mounting,” says Bram. “We can visualise our asset progress again using PowerBI dashboard updates with the help of Autodesk’s data connector. This updates every two hours and provides valuable information to our managers,” says Bram.

The team managers in the production area can review both data and issues using this functionality. This means that communication between the production and preparation departments are much more streamlined.

“Things are much quicker and time isn’t lost waiting on information,” – Chris Schoneveld, BIM Manager, Alkondor

“For example, colleagues in the production areas can attach issues to drawings to ensure the right materials are being ordered. This can all happen in BIM 360 with ease.”

This also means the teams have much more insight into what is going wrong and what can be done to change it. When it comes to Alkondor’s use of BIM 360, the company are embedding its use more and more. The team have used BIM 360 on 197 projects, documented 13810 issues and created 17500 checklists as well as 10500 assets.

 

Data, data and more data

For Alkondor, having meaningful data available to analyse is significant. Chris reflects: “We have data and dashboards to make it immediately visible. Previously, we couldn’t analyse anything, but now we can use BIM 360 to analyse everything.” When it comes to using this data, it is invaluable to be able to document and capture the quality of products at a moment in time. “In the past, we were unable to confirm with our clients that there weren’t any scratches on door panes, broken glass or concrete stripes. So if there was a defect afterwards, customers could blame us and ask to front the costs for solving it,” says Chris. Now, Alkondor has evidence of the quality of their outputs on a set date. Which is stored in BIM 360. Depending on the project, that could save somewhere between 10,000 euros to 100,000 euros.

In the future, the team is looking to add in sensor data, so that the business can offer services like predictive maintenance. As an example, they could use this functionality to identify that one door opens once a year, while another opens a thousand times a year. They could use that data to inform predictive maintenance schedules.

For Alkondor, embracing technology of the future like the use of robotics in their factories means they will enable their workforce to focus on higher value and complex work. Being able to offer data to their customers also means that they can be more transparent and provide information that will help their customer to better manage the asset in the future.

“We are committed to embracing technology today so that we can use it for the better in the future,” says Bram. “This also means we can be more flexible as a company – for example pivoting our market offering from projects to ongoing services which will provide us with more revenue streams to explore. And at the heart of all of this for Alkondor is using their data for the better.

The post Data-Driven Insights Improving Quality With Alkondor appeared first on Digital Builder.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1507

Record ‘Goods’ Trade Deficit & Deterioration in ‘Services’ Surplus

In discussions about gross domestic product (GDP), foreign trade receives the attention it deserves in Canada, but it’s undervalued in the United States. The reason undoubtedly has to do with the shares of GDP contributed by exports in the two countries.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1492

From building materials to tools to heavy equipment, construction site theft is an industry-wide epidemic. In addition to the direct costs of replacing the stolen goods, there is also the indirect cost due to increased insurance premiums, rental costs to replace stolen equipment, and lost productivity.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1484

Jobsites aren’t the only loud places in construction; the ecosystem of construction technology produces a lot of noise too. It can be difficult to cut through what’s real, what’s hype, and what can actually help you improve how your team gets their work done. That’s partly why we decided to launch Autodesk’s Digital Builder podcast and share stories from ambitious leaders from across the construction industry. 

On our podcast, we get into the corners of what works, what doesn’t, and what the future for the industry holds. To wrap up the year, I wanted to look back (in no particular order) at a few particularly interesting episodes from 2021.

 

Episode 17: Diving Deep on Communication & Collaboration in Construction w/ Eddie & Tyler Campbell

Working across upwards of twenty companies during a project is typical in the AEC industry. Each company usually has multiple people involved as stakeholders, each with their own prescriptions and priorities. The only way for a project to run smoothly is to prioritize communication and collaboration. For the best project outcomes, everyone must be on the same page. 

Eddie Campbell, COO at ABSI (Accelerated Building Solutions, Inc.) and Tyler Campbell, Vice President, also at ABSI, are no strangers to the highs and lows of construction collaboration. The co-hosts of the Construction Brothers Podcast joined us to share best practices for increasing cooperation within projects. 

You’ll learn actionable tips for:

• empowering subcontractors for better collaboration
• navigating contract disputes
• improving the bidding process 
• enhancing management styles 

Listen here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen.

 

Episode 20: Uncovering Actionable Insights from Construction Data with a Platform

Spend any time listening to thought leaders discuss construction technology and you’ll undoubtedly hear the term “platform” come up. Understanding what to expect from a construction platform is the first step to getting the most out of the technology you use. A true platform should provide a single location for designers, engineers, and builders to harness data and tools from anywhere, at any time. 

In the twentieth episode of the Digital Builder podcast, you’ll hear from Jim Lynch, Senior Vice President & General Manager, and Sid Haksar, Head of Construction Strategy, both with Autodesk, on what defines a true platform and how to make sure you select the right one. Jim and Sid share their most tried and true tips for evaluating construction platforms and technology. 

You’ll also discover:

• the top five considerations for evaluating construction platforms and technology
• what to expect from data and digitization in the future, and the importance of platforms in modern construction

Listen here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen.

 

Episode 14: Demystifying Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning in Construction: Buzzwords or Essential Tools?

What comes to mind first when you think of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)? It isn’t uncommon to think of super-skilled robots and a loss of human touch in the workplace. But as you’ll discover in this episode of the Digital Builder podcast, AI and ML are key to improving the safety of jobsites, the productivity of teams, and institutional knowledge for construction firms. 

Here to demystify the realm of AI & ML in construction are Josh Kanner, Founder and CEO of Newmetrix (formerly Smartvid.io) and Pat Keaney, Director of Product Management, Intelligence at Autodesk Construction R&D. Josh and Pat break down the two innovative technologies in an accessible way while sharing real-world examples of their practice. 

You’ll walk away with a greater understanding of:

• what machine learning and artificial intelligence really are 
• how these technologies can benefit construction
• what’s next for AI and ML in the industry
• the common misconceptions about this type of technology 

Listen here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen.

 

Episode 10: Global BIM Adoption: Where We’re At & Where We’re Going w/ Ariel Castillo & Steve Rollo

The adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) at an international level has as many opportunities as it does challenges. Many in the industry wonder when—if ever—we’ll reach a global standard for the process. 

Ariel Castillo, Strategic Process & VDC Specialist at Miller-Davis Company, and Steve Rollo, National BIM/VDC Manager at Graham, explore these big ideas on episode 10 of the Digital Builder. As Ariel and Steve discuss the future of global BIM standardization, they’ll also share what BIM and Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) really mean. Expect to hear lots about the biggest challenges with rolling out new construction technologies as well. 

Other points of conversation include:

• the state of BIM adoption and standardization in Latin America and Canada
• predictions for BIM globally over the next decade
• expectations for changing terminology

Listen here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen.

 

Episode 21: Data Strategy in Construction: Finding a Competitive Edge

Making better decisions in modern construction often comes down to having the right data. Leading firms have fine-tuned strategies for data management so they can rapidly harness insights and leverage more advanced technologies further down the line.

Jay Bowman, Managing Director of Research & Analytics at FMI, and Andy Leek, Vice President – Technology & Innovation at PARIC Corporation, break down the benefits of strong data strategies in the twenty-first episode of the Digital Builder. If you’ve always wondered how to get started on building a robust data strategy, you won’t want to miss their gems of wisdom. 

Learn from Jay and Andy about:

• how to make sure you’re capturing useful data
• how a baseline of data strategy leads to more advanced technologies
• how to improve data literacy in construction
• the future of data in construction

Listen here: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, and anywhere else you listen.

 

Share with your team

While we’ve highlighted five popular episodes to begin your listening journey with Autodesk’s Digital Builder podcast, feel free to binge the rest on your rides to and from work or the jobsite. Each episode is carefully curated to provide insights into the modern construction industry you just won’t find anywhere else. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes and discuss with your team. A new episode drops every two weeks and you can subscribe on:

• Apple Podcasts 
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• Google Podcasts
• or wherever you listen to podcasts

The post 5 Must-Hear Construction Podcast Episodes from 2021 appeared first on Digital Builder.

• Sustainability is a key part of 66% of ANZ strategies, in comparison with 53% of company strategies across APAC 
• 92% of APAC companies are embracing sustainability due to regulation and market forces 
• Digital adoption is a critical enabler for sustainability, but is significantly underleveraged 

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND, November 24, 2021 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today launches its newest research report in collaboration with Frost & Sullivan, Enabling a Sustainable Future through Digitalisation: Trends driving the Design & Manufacturing and Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industries in APAC. The report surveys companies across architecture, engineering, construction, design and manufacturing (AEC and D&M) industries to determine current factors driving sustainability across Asia Pacific. 

Across the region, more than half (53%) of companies surveyed indicated sustainability was an important part or cornerstone of their business strategy. In Australia and New Zealand the market is more mature, with 66% of companies surveyed mentioning sustainability is an important part of the strategy or even a cornerstone. The findings also show sustainability initiatives are gathering pace in the region, with the key drivers being regulation and market forces (92%), investor relations (87%), and competitive advantage (80%). 

APAC is a significant contributor to climate change 

The massive impact on climate change, driven by the increasing consumption in energy and materials, is accelerating the demand for sustainability across the AEC and D&M sectors. APAC now contributes 53% of global GHG emissions, producing 18.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020 – more than the cumulative emissions from the rest of the world. Manufacturing and construction, and the building industry account for 17% and 4% GHG emissions in APAC respectively. According to research released at the recent COP26 climate summit, Australia leads the world in GHG emissions from coal per capita. In addition, about 28% of electricity production in Australia in 2020 was from renewable energy sources, far below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s average of 40%. For the world to progress towards the net zero goal, it is necessary for these sectors in APAC to change how they approach sustainability. 

Governments across the region are pledging to contribute to sustainability while balancing the imperative of economic growth. Initiatives such as the Green Building Council of Australia’s voluntary sustainability rating system for green buildings in Australian fit-outs and communities is also a growing trend. In Australia, waste products like construction debris, slag from steel plants, etc. are being utilised for building roads. Australia’s waste policy 2018 has been developed for managing trends across states and territories. However, progress has been uneven with the region struggling to suppress the increase of GHG emissions driven by high economic growth. 

Digital adoption is a critical enabler for sustainability 

Increasing requirements for compliance with mandates and regulations related to energy consumption and emissions reductions requires increased monitoring, measuring, reporting and verification – which data can provide. 

According to Andy Cunningham, Regional Director, Autodesk Australia & New Zealand, efficient and structured management of data is important to achieving sustainability goals, highlighting the need for increased digital adoption. Technology can support businesses to reduce GHG emissions and waste, and accelerate the design and make of safer, healthier and more resilient products and places. 

“Digital technologies are providing a bridge to approach sustainability challenges in a new way. For example, key environmental issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and environmental protection are being addressed through digital solutions such as digital twin and lean construction – major trends that are driving sustainability in Australia and New Zealand.” 

“Two major challenges organisations face in their journey towards sustainability is the lack of skills and resources, which are being compounded by the ageing of assets. Digital adoption is the key to overcoming these challenges and is a critical enabler for sustainability, but it is still massively underleveraged,” said Mr Cunningham. 

According to Mr Cunningham, APAC presents a massive growth potential but is also the region with the least technology adoption. “In order to sustain the growth and the scale, it is now imperative for the public and the private sector in the region to be more aggressive in adopting technologies to capitalise on the potential and also achieve the common sustainability goals,” he said. 

Large economies in the region have already committed more than US$250 billion in investment towards sustainability, and indicated timelines to become carbon neutral. Yet, only two countries from the region appear in the top 25 in the Global Sustainability Index 2021. 

According to Ravi Krishnaswamy, Senior Vice President, Energy & Environment, Industrial, APAC, Frost & Sullivan, “With increasing focus on adopting sustainable development goals and gaining a competitive advantage, digital technologies are driving the convergence necessary for achieving a balanced growth between business and environment. Digitalisation has emerged as one of the top strategy agendas for many corporations worldwide. 

“As a result companies are increasingly adopting digital solutions for compliance related data measurement and reporting, easy collaboration with supply-chain partners, data on low-carbon materials, and machine-learning and artificial-intelligence capabilities for improving their sustainability quotient.” 

Action must now be taken to embrace digitalisation as an enabling pillar and increase the commitment towards sustainability, contributing to the global cause while upholding often divergent stakeholder interests. To download the report visit https://construction.autodesk.com/go/apac/acs-sustainability-report.

The post Sustainability initiatives gather pace in ANZ: key to 66% of corporate businesses’ strategies appeared first on Digital Builder.

The accompanying tables show the top 10 major upcoming Water Treatment Plant and Manufacturing & Warehousing construction projects in the U.S. They are all in the planning stage and are mainly new projects, but may also involve additions and/or alterations.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.arizonasolarsociety.com/?p=1464