The future of construction has already arrived on jobsites around the world, as artificial intelligence, smart sensors, and other advanced technologies make the smart cities of tomorrow possible — and it all begins with site setup and logistics.
Construction preliminaries are the collection of foundational tasks and associated expenses that are separate from the physical structure itself, but equally important in ensuring project success. Supporting activities ranging from the erection of scaffolding to the distribution of safety equipment are taking center stage as the digital transformation continues.
What Are Construction Preliminaries — and Why They Matter
Construction preliminaries get their name from the early phase during which they occur, and their common purpose of setting the stage for successful project outcomes. Examples of preliminaries include:
? Site setup activities, including access management, security, and signage
? Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) equipment and compliance
? Temporary works, including roadways, energy systems, and scaffolding
? Project management, administrative, and quality assurance activities
Barring a breach of security, safety incident, or temporary works failure, preliminaries often remain hidden in the background, despite their long-term impact on everything from cost and comfort to carbon emissions and public relations.
For example, utilizing a diesel generator to power temporary offices can set a bad precedent for carbon emissions and environmental responsibility, while low-cost solar panels perform the same function without expending fossil fuels or project resources.
The Case for Digital Planning at Day Zero
The days of scattered paper drawings, siloed spreadsheets, and fragmented project teams are coming to an end, yet construction preliminaries frequently continue to operate off the grid. The power of digital construction platforms — along with the smart cities, software-defined infrastructure, and net zero buildings they enable — is leading us to embrace improved ways of working.
Cloud-based software solutions make it possible to centralize project information, integrate planning from office to site, collaborate from anywhere, and instantly produce real-time cost estimates based on the latest design, material, and installation factors.
Bringing preliminaries into the fold requires a paradigm shift where project startup activities become the strategic launch phase, with the same predictive analytics and scenario modeling tools used to reduce embodied carbon and juggle complex building tasks leveraged for site setup and EHS maintenance.
How Smart Preliminaries Drive Better Projects
Activities under the umbrella of preliminaries offer countless improvement opportunities and benefits including:
? Shorter project timelines through accelerated site setup and strategic temporary works construction.
? Lower energy consumption through the strategic application of renewable sources and waste reduction systems.
? Control of site hazards and safety incidents through digital hazard modeling and risk analysis.
? Improved budget compliance using digital cost control tools for preliminary expenses.
Objectives linked to modern construction projects also go beyond cost and schedule adherence to include ESG (Environmental Social, and Governance) targets, embodied carbon accounting, community relations, and accident prevention. Project teams now realize the planning and integration needed to accomplish these goals must begin early — and include preliminaries.
What This Signals About the Future of Construction
Although it may not be obvious, the trajectory of the construction industry has mirrored that of IT (Information Technology) in recent years, with manual processes giving way to automation and cloud-orchestrated systems. In both instances, added complexity and data sources have made the manual methods of the past impractical, if not impossible.
This transformation shifts the focus of the construction stack from tools and equipment to data collection and analysis. Preliminaries must be woven into the digital infrastructure at the heart of key decisions and long-term outcomes.
As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) continue to supplement already-impressive digital construction software capabilities, the decisions required to optimize preliminaries will be increasingly automated, along with essential administrative tasks like progress reporting, site management, and payment administration.
Think Before You Build
The current trajectory tells us that construction jobsites of the future are likely to be contained within our browsers, apps, and mobile devices, with data becoming the key ingredient for all planning, safety, site setup, and administrative activities, from day one. The data poured into plans and schedules will soon outweigh the concrete poured into foundations. Preliminaries will be along for the ride as they become part of a strategic, tech- enabled phase in smart infrastructure development.
