Construction Disrupted

Welcome to Construction Disrupted, the ultimate podcast for the construction industry exploring the limitless possibilities at the dynamic intersection of construction and technology. Delve into the latest topics, news, events, expert insights and marketing that are shaping the industry right now and in the future and hopefully sprinkle a little humour in there.

I’m your guide Peter Sumpton and I run a Marketing Consultancy, buildDifferent. If you're ready to embrace disruption and the unlocked potential building different brings, keep on listening and be part of the conversation that is reshaping the future of construction.

Whether you're a construction technology professional, engineer, architect, contractor, or investor, this podcast is your go-to resource for staying informed, inspired, and connected.

The construction industry has, until recently, been remarkably consistent in its approach. The actual building process has been so consistent that large-scale builds can be traced back to Ancient Egypt, Iraq, Greece, Rome, and China right through to the Industrial Revolution and the large-scale projects we are so used to seeing today.

Raw materials are delivered to Manufacturers who subsequently make the products and components that are required.

Procurement on both sides organises the logistics - distribution to site.

Materials such as bricks, blocks, and timber which in themselves haven’t changed much are brought to the construction site.

Once on-site assembly commences. Contractors and subcontractors (typically) perform the work while inspections from formal bodies, associations and regulators r visit the in-progress building to oversee quality and compliance.

With so many sectors and subsectors along this fragmented supply chain, it’s long been seen as an industry primed for disruption. And now with the added pressures and issues the industry as a whole faces - skill shortages, increasing prices, data overload, waste implications, sustainability factors and tighter regulations, it’s unlikely that any one particular technology will disrupt construction on its own. It will take a collaborative effort across multiple workflows for that to happen.

But what we are seeing now is new techniques and technologies invalidating long-held assumptions about how the construction industry (especially the build) should be done.

A confluence of technologies and tools, including digital twins, building information management (BIM) systems, parametric modelling, smart building materials, sustainable construction practices, robotics, automation, drones, VR, AR, IoT, modular construction, artificial intelligence and many more tech innovations are helping to streamline projects, enhance safety measures and optimise productivity.

Put another way, it’s the technology and exploring the tech-driven transformation of the built environment we must turn to if the construction industry is going to thrive into the future and for now, for many, simply survive!

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy day and giving this a read.