A weekly round up of news for digital construction professionals
RMIT University researchers have shown how recycled cigarette stubs can be manufactured into bricks, saving energy during their manufacture and improving insulation. The construction materials research found that clay bricks containing 1% recycled cigarette butts were as strong as normal bricks and had potential use for sustainable builds.
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As the value of projects in the GCC fall and the pipeline of new schemes shrinks, digitalisation has become more important for the construction sector. Technology such as drones, robotic construction processes and AI deliver advantages in terms of optimising costs and reduces risks associated with any second wave of Covid-19 or future pandemics,” according to Cynthia Corby, Partner and Regional Construction Industry Leader at Deloitte Middle East.
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Artificial Intelligence will in future run cities, automatically route traffic to reduce congestion and become a fundamental part of the construction process. It will be part of different tools and interfaces, powering a new generation of software, improving efficiency and the building process.
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Meanwhile, in the UK, the HS2 rail scheme is trialling AI to help the infrastructure project reduce carbon emissions and costs. It is being used on sites run by Skanska Costain Strabag to automate BIM processes.
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The pandemic has highlighted the importance of construction methods such as offsite. Plastic pipes used extensively in buildings are also an important part of the supply chain, with manufacturers developing offsite, bespoke fabricated systems to reduce the need for complex on-site assembly.
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