4 trends in the construction industry: how do you get ahead as a builder?

With the housing shortage in the Netherlands, developments such as prefabricated construction and BIM are becoming increasingly important. To be well prepared as a builder for the latest trends, WEBO recently published the article '4 trends in the construction industry'. WEBO is a producer of wooden frames and prefabricated HSB elements. The company has been working with BIM for more than 10 years and has a fully automated production process.

The trends are briefly explained below:

1. Prefabricated construction

The government's goal is to build 100,000 new housing units annually. This goal is not achievable in the short term. This is partly because the preparatory phase of new construction takes a long time. In addition, we are increasingly opting for inner-city construction, which involves greater complexity. As a result, we are increasingly relying on prefabricated construction to build enough new homes and optimize the construction process. Prefab systems such as complete Scaffoldless^® facade elements can significantly reduce construction time and provide a solution for high-rise inner-city construction projects.

Project: Mariskwartier, Vlaardingen   

• Modular construction

Modular construction is mainly used for temporary housing. In the realization of temporary housing, less time-consuming procedures are required, allowing construction to start faster. Modular construction also leads to a huge production acceleration and less environmental pollution. Various parties are increasingly turning to long-term partnerships to realize modular homes.

Project: Eisenhowerstraat, Hoogeveen

• Renovation and transformation

The Netherlands has 7 million homes in need of renovation. Smart prefab solutions offer the solution to take a building aesthetically to a higher level and meet energy performance requirements.

In addition to renovation, efforts are being made to transform vacant utility buildings. Annually, this could provide up to 15,000 additional homes.

Project: sea buckthorn flat, Groningen

• BIM and digitization

Digitization and BIM play a major role in optimizing the construction process and preventing failure costs. Yet only 32% of construction companies are currently working in BIM. Working in BIM ensures that we avoid design errors, construction mistakes and failure costs. However, proper implementation of BIM takes a long time and requires a thoughtful strategy. Committing to BIM now is important to future-proof your business.

Project: City Hall, Sint-Niklaas

Curious about the entire article?

The construction industry is changing due to both short-term and long-term challenges. WEBO believes that collaboration and innovation are essential to stay ahead. The full in-depth article is published on WEBO's website. You can request it for free:

Full Article: 4 trends in the construction industry