Construction industry must focus on green tech for sustainable growth

India's construction market will be worth $1.4 trillion by 2025, becoming the third-largest in the world

Urban development and construction is the source of almost 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. Increasingly, technology is coming to the aid of the construction industry under pressure to adopt sustainable practices.

A recent report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) explained how technology can help. “A robust system for tracking, evaluating and sharing data throughout the building value chain is imperative for collaboration and evaluating progress of decarbonisation efforts. Technologies are rapidly developing to offer more solutions for the buildings of tomorrow,” according to the report. These technologies include the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support building operations and innovative materials. It also involves the use of biogenic materials and three-dimensional (3D) production.

Green technology in construction was a market worth $104 billion in 2023 and it is expected to reach $194 billion by the end of 2030, according to a report by Verified Market. The report says the industry is applying cutting-edge methods, supplies, and design strategies meant to lessen the environmental effect of infrastructure and buildings over the course of their whole lives. “Green technology includes a range of tactics that put sustainability, energy economy, resource preservation, and the least amount of environmental disruption first,” the report says.

The steady and growing investment in infrastructure has boosted the construction industry in India. India would have the third largest construction market in the world by 2025 with a size of $1.4 trillion, according to government estimates.

With size comes greater responsibility. The industry will have to focus on green technologies to ensure that growth is underpinned by sustainable practices. Government and regulators are incentivising the sector to adopt green tech for constructing sustainable structures. The Securities and Exchange Board of India, the market regulator, has been pushing for green reporting, prompting companies to invest in sustainable practices. Many state governments and national ministries have offered fiscal incentives for green buildings.

As a result of this drive, the deployment of technologies in the construction industry is expanding rapidly. L&T has been using 3D printing in its construction sites to reduce the time taken for projects. The company plans to expand the use of emerging technologies to reduce the time and cost taken for construction, optimise energy use and curtail wastage.

Software giant Autodesk, which provides products and services for the architecture, engineering and construction industries, lists several technologies that are changing the industry. These include 3D printing, sensor data and extended reality.

Construction sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) keep an eye on the many moving parts of projects. Such tools enable companies to monitor construction site conditions, track materials through the supply chain, improve worker safety and empower better facility management, according to Autodesk. Extended reality, which includes interactive and augmented reality/ virtual reality tools, is revolutionising architectural, engineering and construction workflows with immersive experiences. Planners can immerse themselves into models to anticipate and prevent inefficient designs. They can embed themselves in 3D models to scrutinise the smallest of errors much before executing the project.

The construction sector can deploy technology in three phases for sustainable practices. Companies use technologies like extended reality for planning and designing in the first phase. In the second phase of actual construction, it is increasingly using green construction materials while also applying IoT and 3D printing technologies to build projects with the least cost and time cycles. Finally, a fully built unit is fitted with smart technologies to ensure that it uses minimum energy and generates the least waste.