What is the state of the construction industry in 2023? Much has changed in the past two decades, like the widespread use of drones and computerized job scheduling software. But many aspects remain as they have been for decades.
Every project relies on truck transport for a steady supply of raw materials. Consider the following little-known facts that reveal the industry as it is today.
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Drones Are Everywhere
Children flocked to sidewalks a generation ago to watch builders use bulldozers, cranes, and other equipment. Now, youngsters come to ogle at the many flying drones that are used to take aerial photos of every phase of a project.
The units have become a mainstay of the industry and do an excellent job of getting birds-eye views from high above the ground.
Trucks: The Secret Ingredient Of Every Project
Spend a few minutes observing a construction site, and you won’t have to guess the importance of trucks to the success of a project. On any given day, the flow of large vehicles to and from the site is almost constant.
Because on-time delivery of goods is an essential component of the process, fleet managers use GPS tracking to keep tabs on every shipment from start to finish. In fact, transport fleet supervisors use GPS technology for multiple purposes.
Detailed tracking data is crucial for fleet managers who need to keep costs as low as possible, create routes that offer the most efficient delivery methods, and monitor the real-time location of each load of cargo on its way to the job site.
For high-rise office buildings, single-family homes, and everything in between, the building industry relies on trucks to bring raw materials and supplies and carry away unneeded materials daily.
There’s a Major Worker Shortage
One of the most striking facts about the building industry is that the 2020s have been a time of rampant worker shortages.
Today’s college grads are not seeking work in the field as frequently as they did just a generation ago, and with the rise of the tech sector, telecommuting, and non-physical occupations, it’s understandable that firms would have a hard time finding enough qualified candidates for construction-related jobs.
However, for college-educated young adults who want to build a career in construction, there are openings on both the office side of the business as well as the building side. Several top US universities offer majors in the field and train undergrads in all aspects of the trade. Students who want to pursue this path should work with a professional resume writer experienced in the building trades.
Egypt’s Pyramids Would Cost $1 Billion to Replicate
Based on current labor and material costs, the Egyptian pyramids would cost more than $1 billion dollars each to build. While no one knows for sure how ancient people assembled the monolithic structures, it is easy to assess how many giant blocks it took to erect them.
Estimators can make an accurate guess about the price of obtaining the stone, transporting it all to the job site, and using cranes to put everything in place. It’s no small feat for modern builders and was indeed an astounding achievement for those who did the work thousands of years ago.
KSU (King Saud University)
Saudi Arabia’s largest university was the costliest building project in the world when it went up in the early 1980s. Under the auspices of former US Postmaster General Winton Blount’s Alabama-based firm, the $5 billion job took more than a year to build and occupied thousands of workers, most of whom were flown to the Middle Eastern job site directly from the United States.
Today, the structure houses the region’s leading educational institution, where more than 50,000 students and professionals take classes that are taught in both English and Arabic. KSU is a testament to why it makes sense to use quality materials and highly-skilled workers. The facility has stood the test of time.
