Throwback Thursday: How Commercial Construction Has Evolved

January 7, 2016

Throwback Thursday: How Commercial Construction Has Evolved
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Just a casual pose with a front-end loader.

Just a casual pose with a front-end loader.


I’ll give you a hint. It has something to do with this crazy thing called technology.

I know I’ve told you all about how my construction-working dad used to repel technology. His company made him work on a laptop to start supervising jobs, and it was all just too much. Then he was mad when he had to get a smartphone and throw out the old flip phone. Talk about technology overload for the young lad.

But let’s take a second to think back to about 2007 when he got that laptop. He was forced to become one with technology, and he was not ready for the change. Now if that laptop had been a power circular saw with a screen and keyboard, he would have been all about it, right? He viewed technology as a foreign, unwanted change. But think about what he did when he was at work. He probably used electric drills, electric screwdrivers, power circular saws and hammer drills. He was already advanced with technology in the efficient, technological construction life, and he didn’t even notice!

Technology created a new way of life.

Some of the kids my age today wonder how our parents made it without technology. But, do today’s construction workers ever wonder how previous generations of construction workers made it without technology? They just used the good old fashioned way!

Technology Increased Efficiency

Improvements in technology used by construction companies has decreased time demands and increased flexibility.

In previous times, to lay out a building you had to measure the distance with a tape measure. Depending upon how cold it was or how hard you pulled the tape, what was measured at one time might not have the same measurement a second time.

Now there are total station instruments that allow for better efficiency and accuracy. You can set one up at any point on the job site and identify any point, how far away it is and where it is geographically. Talk about a huge difference!

Let machines do the work.

Like I started to mention before, equipment has changed too.

Before power tools, there were hands. Once upon a time, on big jobs, there were people hired on full time just to sharpen tools. Imagine if MayeCreate had a full time position for someone to sharpen pencils for us. It’s kind of comical to think about.

They also used to have to tote things like drywall and lumber by hand, instead of maneuvering a forklift truck. Imagine those people just wishing for machines to do the heavy manual labor for them. Now they have machines to do any heavy manual labor on the job site.

More Technology, Less People

The amount of technology on the job site also affects the amount of people on the job site. Think about the tool sharpening guy. He definitely doesn’t have a job on today’s job site.

A construction company’s payroll during WWII could have been 1,000 people. Now there are about 150 people or less on a construction company’s payroll thanks in part to technology.

There is also a decline in the amount of interest in the industry, which also leads to the decline in people.

OSHA to the rescue.

The construction industry is still a dangerous one, but it has become safer over the years thanks to OSHA.

The game changed in 1971, when OSHA started enforcing new rules and regulations for job sites. It created safety in dangerous places, like roofs, for construction workers. And OSHA is still in the game today. You may remember this summer they released a heat safety app for summer weather.

“You’re welcome,” says technology.

My dad repeatedly tried to get out of evolving with technology, but he was unsuccessful. He was part of the technology changing process in construction. Now he is a tech-guru (at least that’s what we tell him). He realized how technology makes processes more efficient for everyone. It’s awesome to see how far the construction industry has evolved over the years with technology.

So if technology can do this much for the industry as a whole, just imagine what it can do for your marketing! Now whenever you’re ready to combine your commercial construction company with marketing and technology, you know where to find us!

Who Manifested This Madness?

Monica Maye Pitts

This fabulous human, that's who.

Monica Maye Pitts

Monica is the creative force and founder of MayeCreate. She has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with an emphasis in Economics, Education and Plant Science from the University of Missouri. Monica possesses a rare combination of design savvy and technological know-how. Her clients know this quite well. Her passion for making friends and helping businesses grow gives her the skills she needs to make sure that each client, or friend, gets the attention and service he or she deserves.

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