Insights What’s the impact of data on construction?
From saving costs to boosting productivity, the construction industry faces constant pressure to continually improve and adapt to changing needs. One concept helping the construction industry realise benefits is data utilisation.
At AtkinsRéalis, we have long seen the benefits of harnessing data throughout the construction sector. So much so, AtkinsRéalis publishes an annual Data By Design report that shares how we harness data and analysis for a wealth of sustainability-focused projects, including cities and development, utilities and railways.
Using data in construction
As recently as 2017, 95% of construction data was either not collected
or not used. However, construction firms are now seeing how data can bring
competitive advantages through intelligent and AI-driven software. To work
successfully, data works best when collected into a single source.
Professionals can analyse and tap into this data to not only help remedy
the construction issues of the past but also create new advantages that can
transform the industry.
The impact of data on construction
Improving safety and eliminating high-risk activities
Data can be a vital tool for minimising risks and reporting safety
concerns. Using predictive analytics, it’s possible to prevent accidents
and injuries as well as their associated costs and impact. With data
providing regular reminders and reports, it’s possible, for example, to
schedule preventative maintenance for construction machinery, which can
reduce the risk of malfunction and breakdowns.
Data can also help to provide information on the likelihood, location and probable incidents. This can help companies better understand where and when safety incidents are likely to occur and who may be impacted. With this, organisations can better understand their environments and put in place the processes, tools, safety training and equipment needed to prevent further incidents and improve worker wellbeing.
As technology advances, data can come from new developments. For example, construction wearables can help monitor when workers are tired, which could impact safety. Similarly, weather trackers can help assess the situation and environment and whether it’s safe for construction activities. As data collection increases, more precise data will come through, creating even more accurate predictions.
Increase sustainability
Creating sustainable infrastructure is an important trend in the construction industry. For example, Saudi Arabia is focusing on Vision 2030 – an ambition to accelerate sustainability and energy efficiency through the rapid redesign and redevelopment of the built environment. Similarly, AtkinsRéalis is supporting several building services clients looking to develop more sustainable, energy-efficient buildings to help combat climate change.
By collating construction data from past projects, it makes it easier to predict the material requirements for future projects accurately. Past analysis can also help designers and planners to map out energy-efficient alternatives and understand the solutions that are successful or need revising for upcoming projects.
With advanced construction technology, it is possible to create ‘digital twins’ for construction projects. These can show how an asset will perform and allow planners to develop changes to improve environmental performance digitally before implementing the changes during the build phase. For increased success, retaining data throughout project lifecycles helps to empower better decision-making for future projects but also for energy-efficient repairs and maintenance.
Construction management and decision making
From cost breakdowns for stakeholder approval to checking subcontractor
bids for accuracy, construction project managers face a range of decisions.
However, automatically generated reports and real-time data can help
construction project managers make decisions
for even the most complex projects.
Data sources make monitoring operations and pinpointing friction areas easier in real-time. With this, construction managers can make fast but well-founded decisions and mitigate the risk of problems before they escalate. Furthermore, the real-time data can also create real-time alerts. These alerts can be vital for improving communication across multiple teams and subcontractors to ensure changes are implemented quickly, and alerts can be actioned immediately.
With cost and profitability being key decision factors for clients and stakeholders, project managers can use construction analytics to drill into the costs, value and return on investment. All of these can help keep projects within budget and improve profitability for future designs.
Harnessing data in your construction management career
From designing urban developments to creating communities or delivering
mission-critical solutions, your cities and development career can be
enhanced with emerging data technologies. From smart safety equipment to
digital modelling, AtkinsRéalis harnesses the latest construction trends to
help our teams solve the biggest challenges in development and
construction.
We’re an organisation at the forefront of innovation and we’re always seeking the best talent to support us on client projects. If you’re looking to drive innovation and sustainability to improve existing developments and create future concepts through data and smart technologies, AtkinsRéalis offers a wide range of exciting opportunities to make an impact in cities and development.
Find your next built environment role, or create a personalised job alerts for regular, relevant construction management career opportunities.
Interested? Find out more about life at AtkinsRéalis
Sign up to receive the latest content tailored to your interests
Our articles
Preview
CanadaContent type
BlogsPublish date
12/09/2024
Summary
Explore Kevin’s day-to-day as a bridge and engineering structure inspector at AtkinsRéalis. Learn about his journey, his milestone projects and the importance of collaboration and diversity in ci
Preview
CanadaContent type
BlogsPublish date
12/09/2024
Summary
Canada’s nuclear industry is growing at pace. Its nuclear workforce has grown by 17% in the last five years, opening the doors for a wide variety of roles and opportunities. As the nation looks
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
12/09/2024
Summary
The Indian government is dedicated to expanding its nuclear power capacity as a key component of its extensive infrastructure development program. This expansion and ambition are paving the way for nu
Preview
CanadaContent type
BlogsPublish date
12/04/2024
Summary
Mining is a powerhouse of the Canadian economy. Alongside quarrying and oil and gas extraction, it makes up 7.8% of Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP). This rapidly expanding industry is power
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
12/04/2024
Summary
The Middle East is home to some of the most ambitious infrastructure and development projects in the world. Between megaprojects like NEOM and the UAE’s Centennial Plan 2071, the ambitious visio
Preview
Middle EastContent type
BlogsPublish date
12/04/2024
Summary
NEOM is redefining the future of both living and working. A transformative, high-tech megaproject, this groundbreaking development is drawing in talented professionals from all over the world. Fuel
Preview
GeneralContent type
BlogsPublish date
12/03/2024
Summary
Hi, I'm Zoe, Client Director in the Buildings and Places team at AtkinsRéalis in the UK. Welcome to Part 2 of my story in the #MakeItBrilliant blog series. If you haven't read Part 1, check it ou
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
11/29/2024
Summary
India has set a world record with 40 % enrolment of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. India is said to have reached a ‘watershed’ moment both for STEM (scie
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
11/29/2024
Summary
At just shy of 100 miles from the chaos of Mumbai, Pune and its 7.3 million residents are worlds apart. Pune is known for its relaxed pace of life, peaceful energy, lower cost of living, and focus on
Preview
AsiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
11/29/2024
Summary
The 1992 Rio Earth Summit was one of the modern world’s most prominent moments where the need for change in global development practices was starkly brought to light. ‘Sustainable development’ became
Preview
IndiaContent type
BlogsPublish date
11/29/2024
Summary
The engineering sector in India is thriving, and Bangalore is at the helm of many groundbreaking, large-scale projects. However, to get these projects over the line, the city needs civil engineering j
Preview
AustraliaContent type
BlogsPublish date
11/29/2024
Summary
Are you thinking about moving to Australia from the UK? If you're seeking new career opportunities, relocating to Australia offers an exciting change of scenery. At AtkinsRéalis, we’re committed to s
Related jobs
Salary
Location
Raleigh
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Cities & development
Category
Permanent
Location
Charlotte
Raleigh
Description
Why join us? We are hiring! AtkinsRéalis is seeking an energetic and highly motivated Senior Resident Engineer as an integral part of our Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) Team. This posit
Reference
R-124002
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Raleigh
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Cities & development
Category
Permanent
Location
Laval
Charlotte
Raleigh
Description
Why join us? We are hiring! AtkinsRéalis is seeking a Senior Technical Manager to join our Raleigh, NC office.About Us AtkinsRéalis is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering, and projec
Reference
R-123997
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
UK
Job Type
Flexible Working
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Transportation
Category
Permanent
Location
United Kingdom
Description
Shape a faster, smarter, safer future.Are you ready to take up a vital role in shaping some of our exciting projects? How about joining our talented team, where everyone has a voice, and together we f
Reference
R-122381
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Author
Vinayak DaddiAuthor
Vinayak DaddiSalary
Location
Denver
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Cities & development
Category
Permanent
Location
Denver
Description
Why join us? It’s an exciting time at AtkinsRéalis! We are rapidly growing in the US. Our company purpose is to build a better world for our planet and its people. We recognize the importance of makin
Reference
R-121939
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Montréal
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Cities & development
Category
Permanent
Location
Montréal
Description
AtkinsRéalis possède une expertise sans égale lorsqu’il est question d’ingénierie, de consultation et d’intégration des systèmes de télécommunication et de technologies de l’information et des communi
Reference
R-121823
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
New Albany
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Project, programme & cost management
Category
Permanent
Location
New Albany
Description
Why join us? We are hiring! AtkinsRéalis is seeking a Construction Managers (Mechanical & HVAC, Electrical, CSA) to join our Jeffersonville, OH office. About Us AtkinsRéalis is one of the world’s mo
Reference
R-120691
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Greenville
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Project, programme & cost management
Category
Permanent
Location
Greenville
Description
Why join us? We are hiring! AtkinsRéalis is seeking a Construction Manager to join our Greenville, SC office. About Us:AtkinsRéalis is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering, and proj
Reference
R-120675
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Denver
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Cities & development
Category
Permanent
Location
Denver
Description
Why join us? We are hiring! AtkinsRéalis is seeking a Construction Project Engineer to join our growing Construction Management Team of high-energy, motivated professionals. This position is based out
Reference
R-120591
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Miami
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Transportation
Category
Permanent
Location
Miami
Description
Why join us? It’s an exciting time at AtkinsRéalis! We are rapidly growing in the US. Our company purpose is to build a better world for our planet and its people. We recognize the importance of makin
Reference
R-119809
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Salary
Location
Austin
Job Type
Full Time
Career Area
Construction
Market
Cities & development
Category
Permanent
Location
Austin
Description
Why join us? We are hiring! AtkinsRéalis is seeking a Senior Field Representative to join our Austin, TX. office.About Us AtkinsRéalis is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering, and pro
Reference
R-119573
Expiry Date
01/01/0001
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We’re devoted to growing the diversity of our people, promoting an inclusive culture, providing everyone with an equal voice because simply put, it’s the right thing to do. Click to learn more.
Find out more