skm c55819061815250 · digitalisation … “is changing the role of digital technologies. these...

Univ.Prof. DI Dr.techn. Gerald Goger 1

The Domestic and International Impact of Digitalisation on

Workers on Building Sites

Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Gerald Goger

Hon.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Wilhelm Reismann

Dipl.-Ing. Karina Breitwieser, MScInstitute for Interdisciplinary Construction Process Management

Field of research: construction process and construction methods

Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Gerald Goger 2

Technical University of Vienna

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kuppelsaal_TU_Wien_DSC_8691w.jpg

Kuppelsaal TU Wien


Contents of the study

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AVql_eQOGDgAsw6QZHt15fBLL

• Digitalisation – general

aspects

• Digitalisation in Building –

Technological Developments

and Digital Collaboration

• Changes in job profiles

• Recommendations for action


To investigate…

Targets of the study

• the impact of digitalisation on the working environment of

building sites

• the impact on the roles of worker / foreperson / supervisor

• the challenges and opportunities for those roles

• the social & socio-political environment for this transformation

process

• potential spheres of activities

…and to work out subsequent recommendations


Methods of the study

• studies of available literature

• interviews, discussions, events with management and workers

from exemplary companies of the construction business

• ‘imagine the future’ - workshops in cooperation with experts in

the construction business

• discussions with representatives of trade unions in a number

of countries


The core questions

• Which developments of technology and digitalisation

will lead to changes of production and building?

• Which job profiles will change as a result, and how?

• What are the resulting recommendations for action?


The starting point

Digitalisation … “is changing the role of digital technologies.

These are no longer purely supportive tools but will

fundamentally change the way in which we do business.

And in doing so, digitalisation will affect all areas of companies.

It will affect large groups and medium-sized companies,

generalists and specialists.”

study “Digitalisation in the Building Industry”, dated June 2016 Roland Berger


Impact on all phases & processes

• will be used by all building partners - client, architects &

engineers, contractor, subcontractor, supplier

• underlie the entire value chain throughout the entire lifecycle -

design, build, operate

• will support all processes – plan, procure, fabricate, install,

build, check, report

Data and digitalised processes …

DesignDevelop Build Operate


Economic influence and implementation level

Sarah Buchner, Dissertation 2019, disruptive innovations in the filed of construction

Kuppelsaal TU Wien


Developments of technology & digitalisation

• BIM - Building Information Modelling

• Digitalisation of contracting & procurement

• Big Data Analysis

• The Interoperable iT Landscape

• The ‘Common virtual work space’

• Digital twin

The virtual reality inside the computer (overview) …



New technologies out on the construction site…

https://www.google.com/search?q=drohnen&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi6g56Kj-PiAhUIzqQKHYrZAA8Q_AUIECgB&biw=1104&bih=770&dpr=2#imgrc=ivGqZgCjLDUNAM:



• Mobile end devices

• Augmented reality

• ,Internet of Things’

• Sensors

• RFID

• Laser scans

• CAFM

Linking the digital world & the actual reality …

https://www.museumsreport.de/2015/09/3d-laserscan-des-brandenburger-tors-zum-jahrestag-

der-wiedervereinigung/



Automated “robotic” production

Source: http://gramaziokohler.arch.ethz.ch

• Brick laying robots

• Ability to pick up bricks, apply mortar

and lay them

• Research at ETH Zürich

• Wienerberger Hadrian X / SAM

transfer of

functions from

humans to

artificial

systems



Additive Manufacturing (AM) 3D Printing

• computer-controlled sequential layering

of materials to create 3D shapes

• geometrically complex components of various

material (powder-based material / aluminium

/metal / plastic, bound in a matrixSource: 3dprint-com

Concrete printing

- mixing concrete

and glass fibres

on-site


New working equipment

• Smart textiles with in-built sensors adapting

their characteristics to the environment

• E-gloves:

• for temperature adjustment

• for touch-screen conductivity

• with sensors detecting damaging levels

of vibrationsSource: smart-textiles_advancedtextilessources-com

Smart working

clothes will help

working in all

ambient

conditions



Augmented Reality

• Hard hats with in-built augmented -

reality hardware, connected to AR –

eye – wear

• Controlled by gestures & moving your

head

• Use cases: show |scan | model |guideSource: constructible-trimble.com

additional

information in

your field of

vision



Robotic equipment

Source: arch2o.com

• robotic arms, that can be manipulated

by software, up to humanoid robots

• Equipped with ‘Artificial Intelligence – AI’

• supervised | controlled | guided by

human workers

Hard and

repetitive work

can be executed

by robots



Partially augmenting exoskeleton

Source: shoulderX

• enhance strength, mobility and endurance of

workers

• intelligently powered exoskeleton devices that

can be strapped on as wearable robots

• shoulder unit takes the load - the worker only

needs to manoeuvre the tools.”

industrial arm

exoskeleton

reducing gravity-

induced forces



Smart, mobile devices

Source: Pinterest.com

Source: videoblocks.com

Workers retrieve

information by

themselves from

the ‘common

digital work space’

• No drawings on site any longer but

direct access to the 3D model

• ‘real-time information’ in the ‘common

digital works space’



Digital progress trackingTaylor made

Apps

with user-friendly,

clear menus

• ‚Actual Status‘ scanned and transferred into

database (digital ID: bar / QR-code or RFID)

• Apps designed to the needs of the site team

running on mobile devices like smart phones

and tablets

• Input by the supervisors directly on the field

Slide 20



Potentials for new roles



The supervisor and foreperson as planner


Source: karina_waagner-biro

expertise of ‘the

man from the

field’ is needed


• Working steps will be planned in detail

• adjustment of the details on a regular basis

• daily coordination meetings with the site

manager and planner to adjust the planning

scenario


• Planned actions / planned

progress is available in the

‘common digital work space’

• The supervisor / foreman scans

the actual status and checks for

deviationssource©Sablono

Source: learning-layers.com

The supervisor and foreperson as progress checker

Slide 23

Comparison:

planned vs

actual



Supervisor and foreperson as pre-risk checkers

• with his practical experience the

supervisor / foremen can assess

risky situations and decide how to

adapt to changing ambient

conditions

• the supervisor / foreman will

prepare in advance a manual with

procedures for tricky operations

Slide 24


Source: karina_waagner-biro


Supervisor and foreperson as “firefighters”

• to analyse damage

• to decide upon repair measures

• to define remedial measures

• to assess time impact in case of

changes to the as-planned scenario

• The ‘Emergency Manual’ will be the

guideline and can be used as a

basis for decisions in the actual

situationSource: karina_waagner-biro


The men with

practical

experience is

needed….


The worker as key staff between built and virtual reality

• the supervisor / foreman / worker will

have direct and easy access to

reliable information in the ‘common

digital workspace‘ - previously only

available to managers

• certain standard processes are

available in the system as a ‘blue-

print’ and can directly be initiated by

the supervisor / foreman

Slide 26


Source: thedroidguy.com


Social and political aspects



social & socio-political aspects

• Consider freedom, responsibility and sustainability for the

implementation of digitalisation

• Balance the ‘imbalance’ potentially caused by digitalisation

• Impact of digitalisation is not primarily influenced by

technology

• There is an interaction between technology and user behaviour

• make use of the leeway for socio-political decisions

The society and digitalisation…



• There are various sources for recording of personal data –

equipment sensors | site entrance scans | digital tracking | data

processed for HR

• Critical usage of data is asked for

• anxiety of ‘loss of control’ when personal data are used

• Individuals need to be able to determine what happens with their

data

• Future misuse must be avoided

Data protection and personal rights



Demographic and socio-political developments

• Solidarity and attitude towards ‘the other’ is currently in a

transformation process

• Workforce will become more mobile

• We will see more women in the building industry and on sites

• We will work longer but most probably different

• nevertheless skills shortage will increase



Work and salary

https://www.google.com/search?q=gehalt&client=firefox-b-

d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiSorLEkuPiAhUKU1AKHcHxBDgQ_AUIECgB&biw=1104&bih=770#imgrc=6A76rkA7rn795M:



Interaction man | machine

https://www.google.com/search?q=mensch+maschine&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi10O_-

kuPiAhWGKFAKHa_TDCIQ_AUIECgB&biw=1104&bih=770#imgrc=POnav4Z0cr0TnM:


Recommendations



recommendations

• Socio-political & legal developments

• Processes in companies and projects

• Tendering | contracting |settlement

• Interoperability of software solutions

• Research and development

• Further education and training

Key topics


Political, social & legal developments

recommendations

• In general: Topics need to have a positive connotation

• Concentrating energies on national, European and international

level

• Collaboration between work and economy to create progress

• A new social consensus needs to be found

• A new form of cooperation between the generations has to be

developed

• Interdisciplinary exchange will help to control disruptive processes


Socio-political & legal developments

recommendations

• Create social nets for the ones that cannot come along

• Find fair and more effective salary and tax models

• Create a considerate and reliable handling ethic for personal

data

• To deal with skills shortage a set of measures has to be

developed

• Further sociological studies need to analyse the impact and

potential developments in depth


Corporate and project processes

recommendations

• Building needs to be positioned as high-tech sector

• Process need to feature interdisciplinary collaboration

• Decentralized and medium-sized enterprises need to be

fostered as the backbone of economy

• Digitalisation needs to be made affordable

• A Social partnership thinktank and Future - Workshop

needs to be set up in a common effort


Processes in companies and projects

recommendations

https://www.google.com/search?q=prozesse&client=firefox-b-

d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwickemgluPiAhWJKVAKHQefChAQ_AUIECgB&biw=1104&bih=770#imgrc=cYtD_a-yx1ZbkM:


ProCS – Procurement |Contracts |Settlements

recommendations

• A fair process for contract awards needs to be

established

• Lifecycle models need to be politically facilitated

• Successful projects should be promoted to improve the

image and to create role models


Interoperability of Software

recommendations

https://www.google.com/search?q=software&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxzfTzlePiAhWMYVAKHV-

ICXcQ_AUIECgB&biw=1104&bih=770#imgrc=vRdI3QCQLhraQM:


Research and Development

recommendations

• Cooperations between universities, similar research

institutions and economy and enterprises should be initiated

and regarded as long-term investement

• Developments in the individual sectors of building

industry

• Studies on the impact of digitalisation on the individual

building professions

• Transregional studies to cope with skills shortage


recommandations

Research and Development

• National and international research plans

• Pilot projects

• Interaction between science and entrepreneurial world


recommendations

https://www.google.com/search?q=ausbildung&client=firefox-b-

d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjTkJrblOPiAhWMalAKHShkA_8Q_AUIECgB&biw=1104&bih=770#imgrc=2cCUykzof0R_pM:

Education and Training


recommendations

Education and Training

• Analysis of the current education and training offers –

regional and international – to learn from best practise

examples

• Set up apprenticeship for digital building know-how

• Develop models for on-the-job-training in cooperation with

industry and academia

• Set-up a working group to develop a training concept for the

worker as the ‘manager of the robot’


Richard David Precht (german philosoph)

„However, an optimist whose expactations are not fulfilled has

always led a more meaningful life than a pessimist who sees

himself confirmed.

Pessimism is not a solution!“

skm c55819061815250 · digitalisation … “is changing the role of digital technologies. these...

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