USEFULNESS OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

BABATUNJI ADEGOKE

ABSTRACT

The use of digital technology to enhance construction processes and operations has become popular all over the world. Only few countries including South Africa are at the forefront of its adoption in Africa while countries like China and Saudi Arabia, Canada, Brazil and Turkey are leading in adopting digital technologies in construction in other parts of the world. Despite the popularisation of digitalised technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual Reality, drones, 3D printing, robotics, smart buildings, smart cities, digital twins, and the metaverse, Africa is yet to up with this new concept due to major factors such as lack of awareness of digitalisation, poor power supply, lack of adequate digital training facilities, high  cost of digital infrastructure and lack of research in digitalisation. To improve the effectiveness of construction operations and project performance through the adoption of digital technologies, poor power supply has to be addressed by the government, professionals need to be trained on digital tools, regulations should be put inplace for the digital technology industry, professional bodies need to create awareness of the benefits of digitalization and built environment stakeholders should organise conferences and seminars to encourage their members to adopt digitalisation.

Keywords: Digitalisation, Construction Industry, Technology, Africa

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 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 asit should especially in Africa, despite its adoption in other countries of the world especially 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 benefitting 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 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 10 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(World data, no date).

Several definitions have been given to “digitalisation”. (Gartner, 2022) defined digitalization 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 thatcan 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 canbe said that it makes the construction process easier, faster, safer, sustainable and efficient. This offers a lot of opportunities for the future ofthe youths 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 per cent of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. Such a highnumber 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 Youths 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 Indigitilisation

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI). (Copeland, no date) defined AI as “the ability of a digital computeror computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated withintelligent 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 andcopy the actions of humans. The use of AI in construction is enormous and ithas been used over time. For example, it can be used to address safety concerns, labour shortages, cost and time overruns on construction projects,design a building better, risk mitigation, project planning, increasing productivity, and use in post-construction (Rao,2022).
2. 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 360degrees 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 designstage of construction before the execution of the project, therefore, allowing changes to be made early enough to adjust the scope and budget of the projectto meet the expected reality. VR use for training and enhancement of safety is useful during pandemics such as COVID-19 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), 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, producingaccurate data, assisting in cost and time saving, remote access to sites, and increased safety.

IV.3-Dimensional Printing: This is also commonly referred toas 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 useof 3D printing in homes saves time, reduces waste, and promotes sustainability, and reduces construction costs. This was buttressed by Ennomotive, 2021, whoconfirmed that a Shanghai-based Decoration Design Engineering Winsun built 103D printed houses in under 24 hours with each of the houses costing only about$5,000 to build. Ennomotive, 2021 also stated that 3D printing has been appliedin the printing of bridges and canals. There has also been evidence of 3Dprinted homes in Africa, with the first 3D affordable printed in Malawi, costing $10,000 and walls completed in 12 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.

1. 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 while 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 would make the industry safer and cost-effective andwill 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 whereconstruction hazards are enormous. It also offers a lot of opportunities for Africa where the majority of the youthful population is not interested inworking 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.
2. 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 optimized 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 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 acity 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 tothe residents of the state. The smart technology could have used to solve beenthe endemic traffic problems experienced by the residents of Lagos state. Theycan 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 ofa 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 orsystem that spans its lifecycle, is updated from real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning and reasoning to help decision-making”. IBM 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 stated that digital twins can be applied to urban planning by Civil engineers and professionals in the CI planning activities because digital twins can show3D and 4D spatial data in real-time while incorporating augmented reality systems into the built environment.

1. Metaverse: The Metaverse is perhaps one of the most recent, interesting but yet confusing digital innovations whose popularity isgaining traction recently. The simplest explanation is that Metaverse is avirtual world where people come to interact just like they do in the realworld. There has been a report of major organisations setting up their storesin the virtual world. For instance, Lee (2022) reported that Gucci, a well-known brand just bought a plot of digital land in the metaverse. This alludes to thefact 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 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 CentralAfrican, Republic, Eritrea, and South Sudan, mobile cellular services reach isstill less than a third of the population. Access to the internet coupled withsome other factors, has affected the effective adoption of digitalisation inAfrica. 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 highlighted below affect ing digitalisation of the CI.

1. Lack of awareness of digitalisation: There is limited awareness of digitalisation in the continent. Apart from the use of mobile devices such as smart phones, smart watches, tabs and laptops, the majority inthe continent do not have an understanding of digital technological advancements. This has also been reflected in the African CI. Although digital currencies are gaining popularity in the African continent, their popularity is only due to the commercial benefits. Apart trading in the digital currencies, theawareness of the application of digital technologies to solve the myriads of problems facing the continent, especially in the CI is minimal. To confirm thatawareness of digitalization is still low in the continent, the government of Nigeria for instance, banned crypto currencies (a digital currency) in thecountry 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 crypto currencies will be the legal tender of the digital world. Another confirmation that Africa is less aware ofdigitalisation 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 isbeing left behind in the digital world.
2. Poor power supply: Some major cities in the Africancontinent such as Accra, Cairo and Johannesburg enjoy a stable power supply.Many others do not enjoy a stable power supply. Reports of epileptic powersupply in major parts of the African continent are regular. For example, inLagos, which is one of the most populous cities in Nigeria, poor power supplyremains a major issue yet to be addressed. Adegoke, 2018 reported that “World Bank says countries in sub-Saharan Africa have annual outages from 50 hours to4,600 hours”. This was further reported to be more than half the year with anepileptic power supply”. Adegoke further reported that this may not besurprising to residents of Nigeria, Niger, and the Democratic Republic ofCongo. Many residents of the cities relyon alternative sources of power supply such as the use of generators. Thedigital world relies on reliable power supply for it to operate effectively. Datacenters also require power for effective cooling of the systems to operate at a maximum capacity. The absence of reliable supply of power would render thedigital 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 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 (TheAfrican 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 few of these facilities exist and are probably located in the major cities only. They are also not affordable formost Africans, who according to Aguilar et. al, 2019, earn an average of lessthan $5.50 per day.

1. 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 governments of most African countries do not also provide enough support in form of grantsand loans for the advancement of digitalisation in the continent. The continentis, therefore, left in the hand of foreigners to execute the projects. The governments of most African countries have little knowledge of the importance of digitalisation hence; they are not committed to contributing major resourcesto it.
2. Lack of research for digitalisation in the CI: There areonly 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 few of such researches. While there has been afocus 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 few empirical pieces of evidence in Africa to convince stakeholders of the benefits of digitalization to the African continent.

Consequence of DC

Despite the numerous benefits that digitalisation offers theCI and the African continent, there are concerns that it might lead to job loss, less active lifestyles and also pose security threats. For example, therehave been concerns that robots will take over some of the jobs that have beentraditionally 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 supposedly possesses 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 ofdigital technologies in South Africa can result in a net gain of 1.2 millionjobs by 2030.The health implication for professionals is also a concern ifdigitalisation is adopted. For example, there is a concern that the CIprofessionals will not be as active as they used to be physically becausedigital tools will reduce these physical activities. There is also the risk ofbullying in the metaverse. Furthermore, there are the risks of hacking digitaltools to commit acts that are at risk to the CI. These are the concerns posed to the use of digital technologies in the African CI.

Relationship Between digitalisation andsSustainability

There is a direct relationship between digitalisation and the CI. Digitalisation promotes the principles of sustainability which are to meet and create a balance among the social, economic and environmental needs ofthe 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 theinitial 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 digitalization, 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 benefitting from digitalisation. The efforts spent on construction projects to achieve good project outcomes will be minimal while producing amaximum result if digitalisation is adopted. The factors affecting digitalisation 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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Babatunji graduated from the University of Lagos with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in and a master’s degree in construction management in. Babatunji is a project management professional (PMP) certified by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the United States, a Chartered Member (MRICS) of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (UK), a Corporate Member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE), a Professional Member of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (MNIQS), a Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and a Registered Quantity Surveyor with the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN). Babatunji’s skills have been polished for over a decade by active engagement in a variety of projects within and outside Nigeria and he has delivered presentations on various Engineering related topics. Babatunji is currently volunteering as the Technical Secretary of the Nigerian Society of Engineers Victoria Island Branch, He is a member of the Committee on International Affairs for the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors. He is also an Ambassador for LionheartRICS.babatunjiadegoke.com @babatunjiadegoke

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