20-Year Plan
Future's
bright for evolving industry
By
Mark Kass
Anyone
who has ever walked into a job-site trailer knows its anything
but glamorous.
That,
however, will continue to change. Over the next 20 years, construction
trailers will become high-tech centers, complete with computers
that allow construction superintendents to be in constant communication
with architects and designers through e-mail, chat rooms or video
conferencing, techniques that used to be reserved for corporate
offices.
"Some
day soon, there is going to be a computer next to the mason on
the job telling him exactly how he should build a project,"
said David Raysich, managing partner of Plunkett Raysich Architects,
Milwaukee. "From 3,000 miles away, an architect or designer
will be able to tell him which way to turn a brick."
Raysich
said the common sight of architects and construction superintendents
carrying around huge sets of blueprints is also becoming a thing
of the past. Computers are replacing those blueprints, and most
predict that over the next 15 years all building plans will be
done in 3-D and full-scale holograms.
Already,
owners of new buildings are able to see how the buildings will
look and even get a 360-degree perspective using Autocad and other
computer technology. Most construction superintendents are now
"computer literate," and most construction trailers
have at least one computer.
"It
is really easier for everyone to see exactly what the building
is going to look like," Raysich said. "It helps people
envision things and see issues or problems even before construction
starts."
Changing
techniques
Another
growing computer use is the project Web site, which allows all
members of the construction team to check progress, read meeting
minutes and see pictures from the site.
"You
can be anywhere in the world and can access the Web site, even
if you're in Brazil and its 3 a.m. and you want to look at meeting
minutes or the latest construction pictures," said Greg Uhen,
president of Eppstein Uhen Architects Inc., Milwaukee.
Techniques
used in construction are also changing, said Dan Davis, vice president
and project principal for CG Schmidt Inc., a Milwaukee construction
firm. Recently, Schmidt crews used a plasma cutter to cut the
forms for the building of the Milwaukee Art Museum expansion.
The saw uses an electric beam to perform precise cuts.
"It
is not a jigsaw blade," Davis said. "There have been
a lot of changes in technology over the past 20 years, and I expect
we'll see a lot more in the next 20."
Market
outlook
Over
the past 20 years, the major markets for construction have been
health-care facilities, schools and office buildings.
During
the next 20 years, several construction and architectural officials
predicted that health care will remain a hot area, along with
senior housing and sports and entertainment complexes.
Raysich
said that with baby boomers getting older and being the country's
largest population group, there is going to be a need for facilities
to serve them. In addition, with baby boomers' children reaching
college age, many predicted a boom in the construction of new
facilities for colleges and universities.
John
Hunzinger, president of Hunzinger Construction Co., Milwaukee,
said demographics will drive the move toward more senior housing
and assisted-living facilities. He said in 1950, 12 percent of
the population of the United States was over the age of 60. By
comparison, in 2030, 25 percent of the population will be over
the age of 60.
"It's
hard to argue with the numbers," he said. "This is going
to be a growing market for the construction industry."
Uhen
said entertainment facilities will also be prevalent because "baby
boomers have money to spend on themselves."
Material
world
In
today's fast-paced world, business owners want buildings built
faster and more efficiently. That is leading to more premanufacturing
of building components, which are then brought to the site. Uhen
said that is being done in Milwaukee on the construction of the
209,000-square-foot 875 East at 875 E. Wisconsin Ave., which is
being developed by Wauwatosa developer Mark Irgens.
Uhen
said a large glass and brick exterior panel for the building was
built in a factory and then installed on the site recently. The
days of seeing construction workers laying a wall brick by brick
may be a thing of the past.
"With
labor being so expensive, construction companies are looking for
ways to save money but still build a quality product," Uhen
said.
The
issue of mold and indoor air quality is also driving the use of
premanufactured products, said Davis.
"Owners
want you to meet a very aggressive schedule and get the building
closed and a roof on very quickly to help lessen the possibilities
of these problems in the future," he said. "We've had
to look at exterior materials for buildings that we can install
faster and that are less susceptible to weather conditions."
Different
and better products are also going to be used in construction.
Construction executives pointed to high performance steel and
longer-lasting concrete as two areas that will change over the
next 20 years.
Uhen
said there is also a move to use more sustainable products through
green building and green architecture.
"This
was never even discussed 20 years ago, but today it is a big part
of the conversation," he said. "People want to use materials
that are recyclable."
