The Role of Big Data in Construction Data Management; 2024 Guide

There is a ton of project-related data in the construction industry. Owing to the sheer volume of data, it can occasionally become challenging to locate the necessary information. Computers are typically used to store construction project data in a variety of formats, including PDFs, videos, sheets, and documents. Physical files containing plans, drawings, estimates, tenders, bills, and other documents are also included.

The field of architecture, engineering, and construction uses a lot of data. Each day, the construction industry alone generates enormous amounts of data. A significant amount of data has been produced by the construction process since it started, including documents, files, designs, drawings, and estimations. The physical format of the information set took up a lot of space.

In actuality, handling and maintaining records of the material proved too challenging. Big data in construction data management may encourage more teams to use construction companies by making them more adaptable, safe, and efficient. Here’s a closer look at the advantages that are pushing big data in construction data management.

Table of Contents

What is Big Data in Construction?

Big data is just a lot of information kept in one location so that experts can use it to perform additional tasks as needed. Big data in construction data management gathers information and uses analysis to make sense of it. Through the use of big data in construction data management, gathered data from unstructured sources like cell phones, cameras, sensor equipment, and log files may be precisely and methodically analyzed.

Industries that rely heavily on data might gain a great deal from integrating digital tools and technology like big data in construction data management. Let’s examine the uses of big data and how the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors might benefit from it. In the construction industry, “Big data” refers to the accumulation of data from all past building projects as well as continuous input from outside sources. On construction projects, a few instances of data sources are equipment, workers, scheduling software, BIM/CIM design, and contracts.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is one example of an extra data source, depending on the size and scope of the project. Software tools can be used to load and evaluate the data gathered over time in various ways. You can gain more insights from this thorough analysis, which will help you make wiser project management decisions.

Suggested article to read: Why Construction Data Management is Crucial for Successful Projects (2024)

Big Data for AEC

One of the fundamental forces sustaining the economic expansion of many nations is the AEC industry. The data-rich sector gathers a lot of data from different unstructured sources in both digital and physical media. Projects with unstructured data end up being ineffective since it is either discarded or left unutilized.

BDO Global reports that in 2017, 98% of the data pertaining to construction megaprojects was either discarded or not gathered at all. This resulted in resource waste, unoptimized project schedules, and cost overruns for the companies. The stakeholders in building projects stand to gain a number of advantages from the application of big data analytics. Among the main advantages of big data in construction data management in the construction industry are accurate cost projections, well-organized project workflows, and resource efficiency.

Benefits of Big Data in Construction Data Management Analytics

Utilizing big data in construction data management, construction companies claim higher project expenses overall as well as increased production and efficiency. Some benefits of big data analytics in construction include the following:

1. Reducing Building Project Costs

2. Increasing AEC Industry Productivity

3. Building System Price Optimization

4. Going Up Against Big Business Companies

5. Emphasizing Regional Preference

6. Improving Sales and Reaching New Markets

7. Fostering Stakeholder and Client Loyalty

8. Hiring Skilled Personnel to Remove Possible Hazards

Suggested article to read: Data Visualizations for Construction; Ultimate Guide for 2024

How is Big Data Used in Construction?

With the design-build-operate approach in mind, big data analytics is advantageous for nearly every stage of the building process. From the project’s pre-construction phase to the handover, processed and precise information about the building design, estimates, workflows, etc., is employed. Let’s talk about how the parties involved in a building project can utilize technology to their advantage at every stage of the project.

Construction Planning and Estimation

One of the most crucial and first phases in construction projects is planning. Planning for finances, project timelines, supplies, equipment, labor, and other elements involved in building are all included. Big data in construction data management technology implementation in construction planning provides engineers and architects with aggregated data from both ongoing and completed projects. By using the data, planners can detect possible risks early in the planning process, preventing resource waste, project delays, and cost overruns.

Using artificial intelligence and smart sensors, data analytics also depicts the active and idle times. It helps the planning department make more informed judgments on the acquisition or leasing of resources. Additionally, it enables engineers to schedule.

Suggested article to read: Common Data Environment in Construction; Guide to 2024

Building Design and Modeling

Artificial intelligence, building information modeling (BIM), and construction design can all benefit from big data in construction data management analytics and technology. It assists architects and engineers in coming up with the best plan for the project, which benefits all parties involved, including the homeowners. The retrieved information is also used to identify potential dangers in the building’s design. The greatest options for a structural design that is sustainable are provided by the structured data.

Building Construction

It’s critical to adhere to the established procedure while building. Engineers and supervisors can execute numerous building procedures with ease when big data in construction data management is used for construction planning. With the use of big data and cutting-edge technologies, team members may easily coordinate and interact. In any event, the sensors notify the project team whenever any of the project’s components or construction operations stray from the intended course.

Maintenance & Facility Management

The restoration and maintenance phase concludes the construction process. Usually, it happens after construction is completed. Information is gathered and kept on file for later use during the building phase. The building information can be used by the maintenance staff to complete the structure’s upkeep and remodeling.

Suggested article to read: What is Predictive Maintenance; 2024 Ultimate Guide

11 Vital Points on Big Data in Construction Data Management Analytics

Here are 12 examples to help you better grasp where and how analytics and big data in construction data management are changing the construction industry:

1. Risk Analysis for Construction Project Management

Regretfully, construction remains one of the riskiest professions. In the US alone, about 1,000 construction workers lost their lives in 2022. The majority of deaths are caused by falls, struck-bys, caught/in-betweens, and electrocutions. Therefore, in order to lower risk and the potential for harm or death, safety remains a top priority on the job site.

Big data in construction data management can be very beneficial. Site managers keep an eye on things and keep things organized, while designers make sure everything looks as it should. Workers are busy building and doing what they do best. Big data analytics may keep an eye out for any threats on the website and notify the relevant team members when it discovers something.

Risk management encompasses not only workplace safety but also project management. Problems with project management are common in the field of construction and field services. When a project is in danger of going over budget, running behind schedule, or failing in any other way, big data in construction data management analytics can identify it. Project managers can then be notified so that any issues can be resolved before they become more serious.

2. Predictive Analytics in Construction

You should use predictive analytics as soon as possible if you’ve ever had a machine malfunction while you’re working—and who hasn’t, really? Predictive maintenance is possibly the best use case for predictive analytics. The application of AI in construction is growing daily, and one immediate advantage is that it can alert you when your machines require maintenance so you can take care of them before they break down.

Predictive analytics is also used in the more paper-based aspects of business, such as forecasting, financial reporting, and reporting. Big data in construction data management, after all, is all about utilizing the raw data that your company generates, mining it for insights, and projecting what your projects and business might look like in the future.

3. Construction Planning and Modeling

Success in the construction industry requires efficiency and effectiveness. Along with your own procedures, don’t forget about the products of your labors: the buildings and structures. Better building planning and modeling are two further benefits of integrating big data in construction data management.

Engineers and architects may design a building that better meets the needs of customers and consumers by supplying a big data in construction data management model with information on the intended use of the structure, the site, and other crucial planning and designing issues. However, a single structure is only the start. Even at the level of city-wide development, Building Information Modeling (BIM) is contributing to the creation of better construction projects.

4. Warranty Analysis, Product Quality and Reliability

Not every product is created equally. For your workforce to get the most out of the tools they use on a daily basis, your company must continuously strike a balance between quality and affordability. Selecting the appropriate tool or piece of equipment for a given task requires knowing what your warranty covers, especially for more expensive machinery and equipment like cars or specialty tools.

As an alternative, the materials you utilize to construct your projects have variable quality and dependability and also come with guarantees. By matching the appropriate hardware and materials to each job, you can assist increase job profitability, project success rates, and even customer happiness by compiling all the data and performing a cost-benefit analysis.

5. Tracking Equipment and Assets in Construction

Prevent inventory, tools, and equipment from being misplaced or lost. You can see patterns of often misplaced or stolen items by keeping tabs on who is using what and on which website. Additionally, you can more accurately determine where your tools and equipment belong for the tasks you are currently working on when you maintain track of them all. In this manner, you can expedite travel and lower the expense of shipping or delivering equipment to the locations where it is required.

6. Process Optimization and Data-driven Process Improvements

It’s likely that none of the hundreds or thousands of projects you’ve worked on in your career have gone according to plan. However, where did each of those obstacles occur? How might you have prevented those difficulties in the future? While it may be simpler to just declare, “We’ll do better next time,” big data in construction data management may help cut through the confusion and identify specific process changes based on all the work you’ve already done. (Your client also requires job management software for this reason.)

Using data to inform decisions and processes can significantly improve your organization, from faster and more effective travel routes to staff assignments. As a result, expenses go down and you take home more money.

7. Optimizing Contractor Performance

Efficiency and performance from contractors are crucial, particularly in smaller residential projects where there may be a lot of travel between sites and single buildings. However, even with larger projects, you don’t want your contractors squandering time due to inadequate planning or mismatched skill sets. You can keep track of specific contractors, the projects they’re working on, success rates, deadlines, and more with operations management software.

After that, you may examine all of the data to have a deeper understanding of what is and isn’t working properly, and you can adjust as necessary to maximize efficiency. Provide additional instruction. Assign employees to positions that better suit their skill set. Overall, because of their improved performance, your contractors are more successful and you save money.

8. Accurate Budgeting and Planning to Prevent Overruns

If you’re like most business owners, you probably think about keeping your firm profitable every day. Budgeting is a critical component of that endeavor’s success. But maintaining your desired profit margins is a never-ending battle due to fluctuating supplier costs, erratic contractors, and a plethora of other external variables.

However, the way the construction sector manages its finances is changing due to the use of big data in construction data management and analytics. Software like field service management systems may calculate your profit and loss for you and even project your future numbers, saving you the trouble of pulling out a calculator and manually adding up all of the payments that come into and go out of your organization.

Additionally, they are able to predict and display your company’s trend throughout projects, not just at the conclusion of the month or quarter. Thus, you can quickly verify that your project for suburban apartments is under budget, while your business highrise is probably going to go a touch over. This makes it easier for you to change direction and address issues before they become too big to handle.

Suggested article to read: Tips for Effective Construction Budget Management; Guide to 2024

9. Construction Robotics in Modern Construction

If you’ve ever considered printing a house using 3D technology, several are now formally available in the US and other nations. However, there are other robots in the construction industry besides those that build houses one layer of cement at a time. The sector is rapidly adopting robotics: for example, masonry robots can build bricks and perform heavy lifting significantly more quickly than human counterparts.

However, beyond homes, robotics may be able to expedite tasks like surveying and scanning construction sites, removing the need for people to walk across hazardous areas. In addition, AI-enhanced forklifts and loaders are beginning to appear in the market alongside autonomous trucks and cars.

These robots have the ability to gather information about their building sites while they work. After that, you can examine it to continuously enhance worker and site productivity as well as safety, in addition to the robots’ performance.

10. Construction Product Development

The construction industry itself adapts to changes in building materials and procedures, whether those changes are driven by building rules or are only intended to increase efficiency or better design. To be sure, we don’t construct things the way we used to. The businesses spearheading these shifts frequently employ analytics, big data in construction data management, and technology to determine what these developments need to be.

To understand what we mean, have a look at the most avant-garde structures of the last few years. Everything from drastically altering the building’s integration of sustainability to enhancing a structure’s resilience to earthquakes and hurricanes. Our current state of progress is entirely dependent on the information gathered from earlier efforts.

11. Environmental Impact Assessment

In a lot of sectors other than building, sustainability is key. The “Point of no return” for climate change is getting closer, as scientists and even the UN have warned. The significance of accurately comprehending how development projects affect the environment will only grow.

In the face of increasingly extreme weather conditions, such as wildfires, temperature extremes, and other natural disasters, construction today needs to lower the risk of failure. Similarly, advancements need to offer avenues for mitigating their carbon footprints and empower their clientele to follow suit. The information from earlier efforts can be analyzed using big data in construction data management and analytics to show the way forward for a more sustainable future.

How Big Data in Construction Data Management Is Transforming the Industry

More quickly than most people think, the construction industry is going through a data transformation. In the future, big data in construction data management will play a major role in every new construction project. around the coming years, we anticipate that data will become more and more important in construction projects all around the world. It will be impossible to escape the big data in construction data management revolution, whether you work in construction or architecture.

You’ll lose out on several chances to take use of resources if your company isn’t receptive to using data in its operations. These are now connected to comprehending and interpreting data rather than “Counting and collecting” it. In certain cases, the information alone would be worth more than the tangible item.

If you want to stay competitive, you cannot escape the big data in construction data management revolution, whether you are a builder or an architect. Some pertinent use cases to begin investigating, in addition to our earlier articles on AI and Field Robotics, are:

Planning & Budgeting
Generative Design
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Smart Construction Management (SCM)
Operations & Maintenance (O&M)
Trends & Analytics
Efficiency Improvements
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Cross-Collaboration
Improved Working Conditions on site.

Conclusion

As the construction sector develops, we are seeing a rise in dissatisfaction with methods that keep businesses from reaching their maximum potential. Data analytics and construction technologies are becoming more popular as more professionals realize how important they are in a market that is becoming more and more competitive. For our construction companies to survive, data technology must therefore become more sophisticated. Big data in construction data management is a broad field that can assist businesses in realizing value across numerous domains.

Digital technology is being gradually incorporated by architects and engineers into their firms as more construction companies realize the potential of big data in construction data management. Companies are gradually but steadily starting to reap the benefits of their capacity to gather and analyze vast quantities of data with the use of sensors, measurement instruments, and cameras, as well as their ease of real-time data sharing via the internet.

The civil engineering industry can reap numerous benefits by integrating big data engineering into architecture and construction. By using big data in construction data management architects, designers, engineers, planners, and contractors have huge prospects in every aspect of building. The ability of the building experts to work efficiently leads to effective outcomes. Big data in construction data management can fully optimize a construction project, therefore it can solve any issue from the design phase to the maintenance phase.