Why doesn’t the construction industry make more use of technology?

Building techniques have not changed much since the early 1900s.

The actual construction of buildings still relies heavily on manual labour.

However, there have been technological advances that the industry could benefit from.

Among them are 3D printing. It can be used for extruding concrete or other materials to build up the walls of a house.

However, 3D printing of homes tends to be expensive, to have extremely thick walls, and are hard to construct on anything other than an open, flat site.

Modular construction is another innovative technology where parts of the building are manufactured in a factory then transported to the site and lifted into place.

Neither option has really taken off according to the UK Home Builders Federation.

Problems with planning policy delays are apparently part of the problem.

Developers need a certain amount of confidence that they’ll be able to sell their houses quickly once complete, and often need to alter plans as a project continues as the market changes.