by Babatunji Adegoke, MRICS, MNIQS PMP,MNSE
INTRODUCTION
Technology has been used for the advancement of the activities of humans from times past. The advancement in technology has also been applied in different industries for the maximum benefit of these industries. In the construction industry (CI), the application of technology to advance construction operations has been brought to the limelight as a result of the epidemics and pandemics that the world has experienced recently, ranging from Ebola to Covid19 and most recently Monkeypox.
However, despite that the CI is one of the oldest, it is still considered one of the most conservative in the world where the adoption of technology is still at a low ebb. The approach, techniques, and tools applied for its operations are often traditional. New methods and technologies are often not embraced as rapidly as in other industries. Technological advancement and the adoption of digital tools applied for the enhancement of construction operations and processes are often neglected. Digitalisation of the CI is therefore slow and not as popular as it should especially in Africa, despite its adoption in other countries of the world especially such as Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, China, and Canada.
The popularisation of digitalisation in manufacturing, information technology, financial services entertainment, and the media has also not been reflected in the CI. Africa is therefore not benefiting from the opportunities the digital world brings to the CI despite being the second biggest continent in the world with an area covering about a 30.3millionKm2 and a population of about 1.216 billion (Wikipedia, no date).
Most African countries are considered developing compared to countries of other continents, especially in Europe and Asia. Europe, for instance, is described as the most developed continent in the world (Shvili, 2021) with all the countries within Europe classified as developed while most African countries are classified as least developed countries (LDC) (Pariona, 2019). Furthermore and within Africa, some countries are considered more developed than others with Mauritius, Seychelles, Algeria, Tunisia, Botswana, Libya, South Africa, Egypt, Gabon, and Morocco listed as the top ten most developed countries in Africa (World Population Review, 2022).
However, Nigeria, despite having a population of about a 216million (Worldometer, no date) and ranked the second-largest economy in Africa with a GDP of $1.14trillion (Egscholars, 2022) is still a developing country alongside others including Ghana, Benin, Cameroun, Togo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania (Worlddata, no date).
Several definitions have been given to “digitalisation”. (Gartner, 2022) defined digitalisation as “the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities; it is the process of moving to a digital business”. It is the process of changing data into a digital form that can be easily read and processed by a computer (Oxford learner’s dictionary). Similarly, (Veldhuizen et. al, 2019) went further to define digital construction (DC) as “utilising digital technologies to construct more efficiently with higher quality”.
Digitalisation in the CI can therefore be described as the application of digital tools to enhance construction processes and operations. Irrespective of the definition given to digitalisation, it can be said that it makes the construction process easier, faster, safer, sustainable, and efficient. This offers a lot of opportunities for the future of the youth in Africa whose interest lies in the use of digital technologies.
The United Nations asserted that “Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. Such a high number of young people is an opportunity for the continent’s growth – but only if these new generations are fully empowered to realise their best potential” (no date). The African Youth with their high number in the continent is an advantage to the CI if they have the right training to explore the opportunities that DC brings.
TRENDS IN DIGITILISATION
I. Artificial Intelligence (AI). (Copeland, no date) defined AI as “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings”. In order words AI enables machines to think like humans. According to (Great Learning Team, 2022) AI is the simulation of natural intelligence in machines in such a way that they are programmed to learn and copy the actions of humans. The use of AI in construction is enormous and it has been used over time, for example, it can be used to address safety concerns, labour shortages, and cost and time overruns on construction projects, design a building better, risk mitigation, project planning, increasing productivity, and use in post-construction (Rao, 2022).
II. Virtual Reality (VR): VR is the use of wearable devices, usually on the eyes to access a virtual world that seems real to the wearer of the device. (University of Toronto, 2021) defined VR as the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment that can be explored in 360 degrees and places the user inside the virtual environment to give an immersive experience. VR has become increasingly popular in Africa, its popularity is only limited to shopping centers and malls, for the purpose of recreation and games only. Its awareness, benefits, and application in the CI in solving problems are far being explored. VR is seen as a game and not a tool to enhance construction operations or learn new techniques in construction technology.
(Brooks, 2022) opined that VR is useful as an effective tool for training, safety, and avoiding costly overruns on construction projects. Furthermore, VR enables project stakeholders to have an overview of what to expect early at the design stage of construction before the execution of the project, therefore allowing changes to be made early enough to adjust the scope and budget of the project to meet the expected reality. VR use for training and enhancement of safety is useful during pandemics such as Covid19 when movement was restricted.
III. Drones: (Imperial War Museum, 2022) reported that the earliest use of Drones was in the Vietnam War where Reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which were later known as Drones were first deployed on a large scale. Its use has however surpassed wars alone, for example, in the African construction industry, Drones have been used to take aerial photographs and videos to report the status of construction projects. Its use can, however, be extended to monitoring site activities remotely and promoting safe, construction. Some drones have sensors that can alert project managers of potential hazards. Drones can also be used to monitor construction, especially in dangerously high-rise structures and very risky areas. (Wingtra, no date) stated the benefits of drones as fast in producing images on sites, producing accurate data, assisting in cost and time saving, remote access to sites, and increased safety.
IV. 3-Dimensional Printing: This is also commonly referred to as 3D printing. (Designing buildings, 2022) described 3D printing, sometimes referred to as Additive Manufacturing (AM)) as the computer-controlled sequential layering of materials to create three-dimensional shapes. Its application has been widely used in the manufacturing industry to produce replacement parts for machines. Its popularity and application in the CI have however been recent. Automated machines are programmed to produce buildings at a speed and accuracy much faster than that of using manual labour. It has been reported that the use of 3D printing in homes saves time, reduces waste, promotes sustainability, and reduces construction costs. This was buttressed by (Ennomotive, 2021) who confirmed that a Shanghai-based Decoration Design Engineering Winsun built ten 3D printed houses in under 24 hours with each of the houses costing only about $5000 to build. (Ennomotive, 2021) also stated that 3D printing has been applied in the printing of bridges and canals.
There has also been evidence of 3D printed homes in Africa, with the first 3D affordable printed in Malawi, costing $10000 and walls completed in twelve hours (Fleming, 2021). 3D printing application in Africa where there is an abundance of human resources and a high unemployment rate is subject to the argument of whether its application is best for the continent or not.
V. Robotics: Robots have been used in construction in recent times, its use has been for example, in the inspection of sewers systems, underground tunnels, and inspection at dangerous heights. Robots have proven to be effective in providing safe and sustainable construction whilst assisting to make up for labour shortages in some countries. ABB, a major player in the automation industry stated that Robotic automation provides huge potential to enhance productivity, efficiency, and, manufacturing flexibility throughout the CI, for example, automating the fabrication of modular homes and building components off-site, robotic welding and material handling on building sites and robot 3D printing of houses (ABB, 2021). They further stated that it will make the industry safer and cost cost-effective and will in turn promote sustainability because less waste will be generated throughout the automated process of the construction which employs the use of Robots.
Japan has experimented the use of Robot for construction to help in replacing the declining labour shortage in the country, for example, a type of robot called Humanoid is being experimented to carry out the works humans would ordinarily do. Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has developed a prototype of a humanoid robot (HRP-5P) designed to operate autonomously for use in construction sites and environments hazardous to humans (METI, 2019).
This use of this Humanoid can be conveniently applied in Africa, especially where dangerous construction activities are to be undertaken and where construction hazards are enormous. It also offers a lot of opportunities for Africa where the majority of the youthful population is not interested in working directly in the CI. In Nigeria for instance, it is difficult to find skilled labour for construction, most of the skilled labour comes from neighbouring countries such as the Benin Republic and Togo.
VI. Smart Buildings: Digitilisation in the CI cannot be discussed without mentioning the current trend in the development of smart buildings. (Zhou & Yang, 2018) affirmed that a smart building is a type of building with a reasonable investment in efficient energy management, and a comfortable and convenient environment, designed by considering the optimised relationship between structure, system, service, and management. The level of smartness of a building varies and it is not a measure of how much technology is deployed in the building but how the deployed technology is maximised.
Hence it is not uncommon to find a few smart buildings in Africa although the level of smartness of the buildings in Africa cannot be compared to that obtained in other continents such as Europe, Asia and North America. Some of the smartest buildings are in the world are located in Singapore, Netherlands, China and Malaysia. Africa countries are again missing in the list of countries with the smartest buildings. However, some minimal smart technologies have been known to be deployed in some buildings in Africa. These technologies include smart security systems, smoke and fire detection system, and smart energy consumption systems.
VII. Smart Cities: the concept of smart cities depicts a city which has incorporated some smart technology to run efficiently and sustainably. Lagos, Nigeria was once celebrated as a smart city. The smart technology deployed in Lagos was however limited and not of many benefits to the residents of the state. The smart technology could have used to solve been the endemic traffic problems experienced by the residents of Lagos state. They can also apply to other cities in Africa where smart technology could address waste disposal, crime detection and prevention and environmental management including flooding.
VIII. Digital Twins: Digital Twin is a relatively new concept in digital world. It is the creation of a digital image for example of a building or structure that enables it to interact with the environment as though the building or structure is real. In order words, it is easy to predict the outcome of the usage of such building and structure digitally. According to (IBM, no date), “A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle, is updated from real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning, and reasoning to help decision-making”. (IBM, no date) further described digital twin as a virtual model designed to accurately reflect a physical object.
The advantages of using digital twin are that it helps in research and development, improved efficiency, and prediction of the end life of the product (IBM, no date). Other advantages of digital twins are that they can help in cost reduction, improve schedules and estimate performance and contract negotiation of infrastructure projects (Africa Surveyors News, 2022). Similar to other digital technologies, its application has been in the manufacturing industry long before its recent adoption in the CI. (IBM, no date) alluded to the fact that digital twins can be applied to massive structures such as buildings which enables the improvement in the systems, especially during the design stage. Furthermore, (IBM, no date) stated that digital twins can be applied to urban planning by Civil engineers and professionals in the CI planning activities because digital twins can show 3D and 4D spatial data in real-time whilst incorporating augmented reality systems into the built environment.
IX. Metaverse: The Metaverse is perhaps one of the most recent, interesting but yet confusing digital innovation whose popularity is gaining traction recently. The simplest explanation is that Metaverse is a virtual world where people come to interact just like they do in the real world. There has been a report of major organisations setting up their stores in the virtual world. For instance (Lee, 2022) reported that Gucci, a well know brand just bought a plot of digital land in the metaverse. This alludes to the fact that in the nearest future, more organisations will establish their presence in the virtual world. This portends a paradigm shift for real estate practitioners who are familiar with operating in the real world. To confirm that real estate in the metaverse will thrive the nearest future, (Finn, 2022) observed that visionary real estate practitioners that believe in a digital future are already accumulating digital land in the same way they do with traditional real estate. It was further observed that brokers are already selling luxury real estate plots in the metaverse.
FACTORS AFFECTING DIGITALISATION IN THE AFRICAN CI
“African countries need to strengthen their digital readiness to benefit fully from digitalisation” (UNCTAD, 2017). It does however not appear that Africa is prepared for this revolution in the digital world. For example (UNCTAD, 2017) affirmed that only 32 million people use the Internet between 2012 and 2015 in Nigeria, Furthermore, it was stated that in other African countries such as the Central African, Republic, Eritrea, and South Sudan, mobile cellular services reach is still less than a third of the population. Access to the internet coupled with some other factors has affected the effective adoption of digitalisation in Africa. Many factors which have been alluded to as affecting digitalisation are similar across most African countries because most still fall among the least developed countries (LDC) and experience the same developmental challenges with the major factors are highlighted below affecting digitalisation of the CI.
I. Lack of awareness of digitalisation: There is limited awareness of digitalisation in the continent. Apart from the use of mobile devices such as smartphones, smart watches, tabs, and laptops, the majority in the continent do not have an understanding of digital technological advancements. This has also been reflected in the African CI. Although digital currencies is gaining popularity in the African continent, their popularity is only due to the commercial benefits. Apart trading in the digital currencies, the awareness of the application of digital technologies to solve the myriads of problems facing the continent, especially in the CI is minimal. To confirm that awareness of digitalisation is still low in the continent, the government of Nigeria for instance banned cryptocurrencies (a digital currency) in the country in 2022 (Adeshina, 2022). This can be attributed to the fact that they are less aware of the fact the world is going digital and that cryptocurrencies will be the legal tender of the digital world. Another confirmation that Africa is less aware of digitalisation is that Egypt is the only African country with a national strategy on artificial intelligence (Abimbola, Aggad & Ndzendze, 2021). This portends danger for the continent which is being left behind in the digital world.
II. Poor power supply: Some major cities in the African continent such as Accra, Cairo, and Johannesburg enjoy a stable power supply. Many others do not enjoy a stable power supply. Reports of epileptic power supply in major parts of the African continent is regular. For example, in Lagos which is one of the most populous cities in Nigeria, poor power supply remains a major issue that is yet to be addressed. (Adegoke, 2018) reported that “World Bank says countries in sub-Saharan Africa have annual outages from 50 hours to 4,600 hours”. This was further reported to be more than half the year with an epileptic power supply”. (Adegoke, 2018) further reported that this may not be surprising to residents of Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many residents of the cities rely on alternative sources of power supply such as the use of generators. The digital world relies on a reliable power supply for it to operate effectively. Data centers also require power for effective cooling of the systems to operate at a maximum capacity. The absence of reliable supply of power would render the digital world less interesting, effective, and efficient.
III. Lack of adequate digital training resources: Training resources for digital technologies in Africa are not adequate to meet up with the technological advancement of the continent. Most of the digital technology resources needed for Africa are exported from abroad, especially from India. The few indigenous experts available have sought greener pastures elsewhere outside the country due to the poor remuneration obtainable at home. Although there have been a few training facilities interventions by some international organisations such as the German government’s digital training facility for youths in Ethiopia (The African Courier, 2021), Africa will require more to meet up with the digital technology needs of the continents. Furthermore, in Africa, there are not enough training facilities for those interested in digital technology. Only a few of these facilities exist and are probably located in the major cities only. They are also not affordable for most Africans who according to (Aguilar et. al, 2019) earn an average of less than $5.50 per day.
IV. High cost of digital infrastructures: Most of the infrastructures required in the digital environment are very expensive and require huge capital investment. These digital infrastructures are not manufactured in Africa and have to be imported though some of the raw materials are sourced from Africa. For example, (Lotzof, 2020) reported that Cobalt a mineral available in the Democratic Republic of Congo is used for rechargeable batteries, circuits and electrical components. It was further reported that Manganese also used for circuits boards and dry cell batteries are sourced from Gabon and South Africa. This should provide a lot of foreign exchange for these African countries instead it further complicates the problems faced by African countries because their scarce foreign exchange earned from the sale of their natural resources is being depleted to import these infrastructures. Funding of digital infrastructure is difficult for most indigenous organisations in Africa to achieve due to their poor economy. The government of most African countries do not also provide enough support in form of grants and loans for the advancement of digitalisation in the continent. The continent is therefore left in the hand of foreigners for it execution of is projects. The government of most African countries has little knowledge of the importance of digitalisation hence they are not committed to contributing major resources to it.
V. Lack of research for digitalisation in the CI: There are only a few reports of African countries’ commitment to research on digitalisation. Much of the research has been conducted in South Africa. Other African countries have only conducted a few such research. Whilst there has been a focus on other research areas in the African CI such as health and safety, cost, and schedule of construction projects, little emphasis has been placed on digitalisation whereas digitalisation has been known to improve these project performance indicators. There are therefore only a few empirical pieces of evidence in Africa to convince stakeholders of the benefits of digitalisation to the African continent.
CONSEQUENCE OF DC
Despite the numerous benefits that digitalisation offers the CI and the African continent, there are concerns that it might lead to job loss, less active lifestyles and also pose security threats. For example, there have been concerns that robots will take over some of the jobs that have been traditionally done by humans. Similarly, reservations have been expressed that the use of AI in machines to make decisions on projects might reduce reliance on construction professionals. This suppossedly possess a danger to the CI, however, it has been reported that more jobs will be created than job losses if digitalisation is adopted. (Magwentshu et.al, 2019) reported that the adoption of digital technologies in South Africa can result in a net gain of 1.2 million jobs by 2030.
The health implication for professionals is also a concern if digitalisation is adopted. For example, there is a concern that the CI professionals will not be as active as they used to be physically because digital tools will reduce these physical activities. There is also the risk of bullying in the metaverse. Furthermore, there are the risks of hacking digital tools to commit acts that are at risk to the CI. This are the concerns posed to the use of digital technologies in the African CI.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIGITALISATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
There is a direct relationship between digitalisation and the CI. Digitalisation promotes the principles of sustainability which are to meet and create a balance amongst the social, economic and, environmental needs of the people. For instance, operating in the metaverse, a virtual world will reduce the daily commute of people, especially from home to work. This will in turn reduce the carbon footprint on the environment, increase worker’s productivity and promote a better work life balance. Furthermore, although the initial cost of purchasing the tools required for digitalisation can be high, the long-term benefit to the African continents in promoting a better sustainable environment will justify the cost in the long run. Additionally, the application of digitalisation for example in smart buildings and cities will reduce energy consumption, construction running cost, and noise pollution. It will promote energy efficiency and improve the overall health and safety of the African populace. The waste generated in the CI will be managed more efficiently with the adoption of digitalisation.
CONCLUSION
Digitalisation is not just a mere term. Its application, effectiveness and efficiency though still evolving have been tested overtime and in different countries. African countries will therefore not be an exception in benefiting from digitalisation. The efforts spent on construction projects to achieve good project outcomes will be minimal whilst producing a maximum result if digitalisation is adopted. The factors which affects digitalisation must be must be addressed for Africa to meet up with the pace of adoption in other continents such as Asia and Europe. In order for Africa to meet up with the rest of the world and not be left behind in the digital revolution which is fast evolving, it is important that it acts now because the future is now.
RECOMMENDATION
For the African continent to benefit maximally from digitlisation of the CI, the poor power supply in the continent has to be addressed by the Government. Extensive awareness and research has to be conducted on digitilisation with a focus on the CI. Similarly government has to provide infrastructures that will enhance the smooth running of digital technologies. Regulations have to be put in place to control the digital world. Furthermore, Institutions, professional bodies, and stakeholders in the CI need to promote digitalisation through awareness. This can be done by conducting training, workshops, and seminars regularly in order to keep all stakeholders informed that the future of the CI lies in its digitalisation.
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