Cost-Saving Construction Concepts: A Construction and Contracting Blog

The effect of technological advancements is felt in nearly all spheres of life, from online shopping to agriculture and even in construction-related activities.

As a first year student of information technology, you will often be required to understand the various ways in which technology is used in different spheres of life and to understand the impact that the use of such technology may have.

With this in mind, this article discusses two ways in which technology is applied in the modern construction industry.

Thermal Imaging Building Inspections

Building inspections are used to determine the internal structural condition of various parts of a building (e.g. the interior walls) without causing damage to the external structure of the building in the process.

Infrared thermal-imaging cameras are used for this type of building inspections. The infrared cameras are able to pick out the slight differences between the thermal temperatures of various building structures (e.g. window frames and window panes). The difference in thermal temperature is often used to determine structural soundness of the structure in question.

For example, an infrared thermal-imaging camera will pick up the thermal difference between energy-efficient window panes that are in good condition and those that have lost this efficiency. Because a less-energy efficient window pane loses or gains heat at a faster rate, its thermal temperature is likely to be significantly higher or significantly lower than the average temperature of adjacent panes. That's how technology makes life simpler for building inspection contractors.

Concrete GPR Scanning

Technology also makes life easier for concrete contractors in the form of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) concrete scanning. GPR scanning is a technique that uses computer-controlled scanners to determine the exact location and the exact depth of underground utility lines located beneath a concrete surface.

The GPR scanner is designed to send energy pulses through a concrete surface. The scanner then uses its computerized programs to record how much time it takes before the energy pulses are reflected back to the surface. Analyzing the amount of time it takes allows a concrete contractor to determine whether there were obstacles (like utility lines) in the path travelled by the energy pulses.

In the absence of GPR concrete scanners, contractors would have to dig up the concrete surface in their bid to locate the position of underground utility lines.

In addition to making life easier for the concrete contractor, GPR scanning also makes life easier for the homeowner by ensuring that the location of utility underground utility lines causes minimal disruption on the residential landscape.