Innovation trends in the construction sector deciphered in an observatory and a first guide

Réalisé par l'OPPBTP, le CCCA-BTP et Impulse Partners, l'observatoire des tendances détaille plus de 40 champs d'innovation ainsi que leurs impacts sur les métiers, la sécurité, la prévention et la formation.

Backacia is a marketplace for the re -use of construction materials from demolition or order surplus.© Backacia

CCCA-BTP and OPPBTP (1) organizations have teamed up with Impulse Partners to decipher innovation trends in the construction industry, by mapping a large ecosystem of startups in their network.The result is detailed in a first guide published in October 2021 and presented on October 21 in the Parisian premises of Cap Sma.

The activities of more than 200 startups of all geographic origins are grouped in the guide and organized in 41 main fields of innovation which are evaluated by experts from large building companies.Business productivity, work quality and site safety stand out as the three major engines stimulating innovation.

Productivity: secure the margin of companies

The observation is that productivity has not increased for 20 years in the construction sector.In order to secure the margin of companies, an issue is to reduce costs with better organization of upstream and downstream projects.The three most dynamic fields of innovation in this sector are digital twin sharing tools, digital site monitoring and site management tools, more downstream, tools for managing equipment.

Thiébault Clément, directeur R&D chez Bouygues Construction, a souligné le travail d'inventaire passionnant effectué dans le guide.A particularly rich example is the digital twin which plays a role somewhat similar to a site cockpit, making it possible to reassemble the information of the site and to automatically publish the progress plans.

But to pass the use of these new tools requires to treat two points: the prerequisites and the correlation elements."To use a new tool, a number of subjects must generally be resolved beforehand.For example to operate a robot, you need a digital model up to date on the site.Moreover there is no added value if each information remains isolated.The correlation of information makes it possible to remove doubts and biases, ”says Thiébault Clément.

Robots, exoskeletons: no major role to play in the short or medium term

The reliability and collaborative management of the data is essential.An example is given by the publisher Saqara which offers server software (in SaaS mode) aimed at simplifying the management, monitoring and analysis of tenders.Its president Alexandre Brochot, explains that "the objective of our company is to make the data speak, to bring it together in the right place, to synthesize it in order to capitalize the experience of one site on another.We have developed several collaborative software bricks User Friendly with the idea that all users must be able to use it.For example, the purchase tool is used by management, but agencies on the national territory must participate in providing data ”.

On the side of innovative equipment, solutions with very high potential are found such as those for off -site and prefabricated construction with for example for wood, corner and blokiwood startups.For large 3D printing there are known actors like Cybe, Xtreee, Batiprint3D or MX3D but a significant brake lies in the heavy investments requested.

Another family brings together exoskeletons, robots and cobots on site like Painup for cleaning or building facades or Q-BOT for projection of insulating foam.These automation and robotization materials are a fundamental trend but are not intended to play a major or medium term role.

Paintup has developed an autonomous robotic solution to clean, strip, paint or pierce on building facades © Paintup

A global approach for quality

The most dynamic advances in quality come from advancement and compliance monitoring tools but also solutions for air quality (and acoustic comfort) and very important, solutions for the use of new energieson site, in particular the electrification of tools.In addition, innovation also comes from solutions of new bio -based or low carbon materials, modular and evolving constructive solutions, those incorporating the circular economy and others more prospective such as hydrogen energy...

At Eiffage, the project manager innovations sustainable, François Dapilly, highlighted the flagship project of the company, the eco-district Lavallée in Châtenay-Malabry on the old site of the Paris School, where aImportant work was done on the circular economy, with the production on site of recycled aggregates, of better quality than those coming from career thanks in particular to very homogeneous concrete and excellent quality of the large teaching building, as well ason other advances such as the recarbonation of concrete and selective deconstruction.

"Another example is given with nature in town and its contribution for islets of freshness.We have worked with researchers on this subject and the result is that well-being comes from a little domesticated nature.This is what we are trying to promote, with a reasoned maintenance of vegetation and a frugal approach by avoiding multiplying the sensors that consume.You have to put it simple with clay and a little water, ”describes François Dapilly.

Eco district La Vallée in Châtenay-Malabry © Eiffage

"Work on lifting tools related to the development of prefabrication"

On the startup side, Technocarbon founded in 2018 develops new composite materials based on biosourced stone and carbon fiber in order to replace steel and concrete.The director of external relations, Laure Monnoyer, confides: "We work on two axes in terms of performance, physical performance with a material which must be at least equivalent to what we replace, and environmental performance.

A new product must be compatible with today's regulatory requirements (RE 2020) and tomorrow.The approach involves a set of actions on energy consumption in manufacturing, on the fact of not drawing on the resources, on the longevity of the works carried out, etc..

If innovation is dynamic on subjects such as the quality of works in design with design tools for design and eco-design advances, Paul Duphil, secretary general of the OPPBTP, notes "that the offer isless rich for example concerning quality on site.Another subject is deconstruction.Certainly there are many companies but we must exceed the stage at all manual and resourcefulness.We should also work on lifting tools due to the increasingly massive recourse to prefabricated and modular elements ”.

The safety of men on the site goes through digital

Regarding security, the fields of innovation both the most dynamic and the most transformers are the PPE (personal protective equipment) connected, the accident detection devices and the digital tools for the training of professionals.

"On this subject there are many startups from other sectors, for example an automatic translation startup, initially intended for health professionals and then diversified to the building sector where the staff working on site comes from horizonsvaried.This is also the case for startups acting on real-time detection of the state of health of individuals or to take care of the post-accident, ”says Paul Duphil.

Again, digital changes the game for as well for security aid by making it possible to capture a lot of information on the field as to integrate security from the design in a process called "Safe by Design".For the training component, many are done with virtual aid and the use of modules in virtual reality (RV) or increased (RA), promotes the appropriation of good gestures.Thus Soletanche Bachy relies on RV to train their staff at major risks on site, by putting the learner in virtual either in accidents, or as an accident witness.

Legend: Marmelad App is a digital training organization for distance training for temporary labor professionals, building public works and fiber optics.A mobile application allows you to train remotely.

An intelligent bracelet to detect heat strokes

Alexis WaeSelynck is responsible for security and innovation mission at Léonard, the prospective and innovation platform of the Vinci group."Regarding security, the question arises of climate change and what to be put in place to manage this development in 10 years on our sites.

A Japanese start-up, Biodata Bank, has developed a bracelet that measures and analyzes body temperature in order to detect heat strokes in workers.This question of health will take on more and more importance.Another startup works on a noise reducing helmet that filters the dangerous sounds of the environment without removing voices ”.At the same time, this PPE captures information on the noise of the site, whose collection will help prevention.

A Japanese start-up, Biodata Bank, has developed a bracelet that analyzes body temperature in order to detect heat strokes in workers © OPPBTP

(1) Concertation and coordination committee for building and public works and professional work organization for building and public works prevention

Source: Batirama.com/ François Ploye