Innovative Construction Management expert, Christian Abugu has stressed the need to address the issue of obvious slow adoption of advanced technology in Nigeria and United States of America’s (USA) construction sector, to enable the sector tap into the digital transformation today’s industries are presently witnessing.
Abugu, who is determined to change the narratives by revolutionising the space, shared his insight on why the global construction industry should embrace the digital technologies.
He argued that, with a solid foundation in structural design and construction principles, his passion to assess the economic aspects of construction projects has set him on a unique path to unravel the potential cost savings that could be achieved through efficient construction management techniques and advanced digital technologies.
According to him, a staggering 91 percent of construction projects in the US suffer from cost overruns due to inadequate planning and inefficient resource management.
One of the groundbreaking innovations he is therefore championing, is the implementation of Digital Twin technology, a dynamic digital replica of a physical construction project that evolves throughout its lifecycle, in construction.
This innovative technology, he stated, provides project stakeholders with real-time data and insights, enabling informed decision-making, progress monitoring, delay prevention, and cost savings.
Abugu believed his work as a project estimator, at one of Florida’s largest construction companies, has placed him at the forefront of investigating the costs and benefits of utilizing Digital Twin technology in construction.
His recent paper on “The investigation of costs and benefits of Digital Twin in Construction”, therefore, focused on identifying the major cost drivers of implementing Digital Twin technology in construction.
Through industry expert interviews and comprehensive project specific assessments, he has been able to expose some of the challenges faced by the industry.
His findings have been instrumental to generating implementation guidelines for developing this transformative technology in construction projects.
These guidelines, he stated, serve as a blueprint for current and future adopters of not only Digital Twin technology but also other advanced technologies in the construction environment.
Abugu’s work is paving the way for a digital revolution in the construction industry, promising to transform every aspect of the built environment.
As a project estimator with one of Florida’s biggest construction companies, Christian Abugu is strategically positioned to meet and collaborate with key stakeholders who share his vision of advancing the construction industry, with his role allowing him to actively investigate and demonstrate the tangible benefits of DT technology in real-world projects.
By also promoting the adoption of key components of DT technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Abugu aims to address the industry issues head-on.
BIM allows for the creation of detailed digital models of buildings, facilitating seamless collaboration among architects, engineers, and contractors.
“The technology helps identify and resolve potential problems early in the design phase, ultimately saving time and money. AI, on the other hand, offers a multitude of applications in construction, from optimizing schedules and predicting maintenance needs to monitoring worker safety on job sites,” he stated
By integrating AI into construction projects, Abugu envisions a future where construction processes are streamlined, costs are minimised, and safety standards are elevated.
By leveraging his achievements and position in one of US construction, Abugu believed he is well-equipped to drive change; since his work not only transforms construction practices in the United States, but also holds immense potential for revolutionizing the construction landscape in his home country Nigeria.
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