Hotter Than Ever, Construction Tech Still Has Plenty Of Flaws, Experts Say

Building information modeling, or BIM, and other construction technologies have only grown in importance to developers, architects and contractors amid the coronavirus pandemic.

But the construction industry's adoption of new construction tech isn't without its speed bumps, panelists said during Bisnow's BIM and future of construction and development webinar.

The construction industry has traditionally lagged others in productivity in a trend experts attribute to its labor-intensive nature and relatively slow adoption of new technology. Although its year-over-year productivity gains only clock in at 1%, according to McKinsey & Co., the construction industry has begun to turn a corner, experts say.

A lot of progress is left to be made when it comes to BIM, according to panelists like Lendlease Vice President Alexis McGuffin, who specializes in virtual design and construction. BIM, which takes different forms, offers a 3D representation of the construction process for architects, engineers and builders.