New construction technology is rapidly shifting the way construction is done, from apps on mobile devices to laser scanning and drone photogrammetry.

Few construction sites have fully escaped the onward march of technology, but many companies have really embraced it, and are reaping substantial rewards.

Virtual Reality (VR) is one new technology that is changing the construction industry by solving old problems. Virtual reality in construction is the next level in 3D modelling. Like 3D modelling, it involves a detailed virtual model of the project. Unlike 3D modelling, it places the user directly inside the virtual environment, so that the user experiences a full immersion into the virtual space.

Here are three examples of how the new age of VR technology is solving old problems.

1. Scale Up Quickly

Because every building is different and every site is unique, construction has never been an easily scaled industry. VR changes that by making it easy to share across teams and get new teams quickly up to date on relevant issues.

Creating a 3D model of a construction site used to be a complex physical process that required space, time, and materials. These miniature models were helpful in orienting the project, but by necessity contained inaccuracies and lacked detail.

3D modelling software changed the game by making it possible not only to create a detailed, accurate model more quickly and cheaply but also by making it possible to share those models across teams. VR takes it to a new level by making it possible for people to immerse themselves in the project as though they were actually there, and interact with the environment exactly as though engaged in a walk-through.

Armed with these technologies, teams on opposite sides of the country can “walk through” a site together and examine its details in real-time together.

Furthermore, lessons learned from walkthroughs can be applied across construction management teams and across projects to continually improve processes and create consistency and scale.

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