7 TRENDS IN CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING FOR 2016

As 2015 draws to a close, it's time to take stock and look steel framing systems ahead to the trends that are driving the construction industry into 2016. It's no surprise that sustainability and technology continue to top the list, but others may surprise you.

Here's a look at seven trends that will impact construction in 2016.

SUSTAINABILITY
There's no doubt about it; sustainability continues to be the leading trend for all aspects of construction - from design to actual installation. Prior to the past several years, sustainable features, like solar panels and water-saving plumbing fixtures, were added as retrofits. Now, both developers and building owners recognize that it's more affordable to integrate sustainable features into the design at the outset.

Building materials are also assessed for their "green factor," and builders look to green building certification programs like LEED when making their selections. The market share for products such as steel and metal building components, cool metal roofs, green roofs, renewable energy sources and other energy-efficient materials are continually increasing. However, sustainable tenets go beyond the actual physical components that go into a building. Contemporary building designers are eliminating paper by utilizing digital technology in all aspects of the building's design. This includes:

Online permit application and inspection sign-offs through many municipalities.
Construction document management platforms.
Computer aided design (CAD) software.

Computer-based billing, invoicing and corrugated roof sheet making machine contracts that can be instantly received, edited and amended by clients and vendors. In addition to being more earth friendly, these changes are also more budget friendly, eliminating paper waste, administrative costs, postage and shipping, and wasted time trying to hunt for paper documents.

TECHNOLOGY RULES
The construction industry was slow to jump on the technology bandwagon but it's sure making up for it now. From construction management software programs to smartphone apps that make it easy - and instantaneous - to access communication, photos, plans, details and so on - even small builders are taking advantage of this trend. Perhaps one of the most universally appreciated innovations is Building Information Modeling (BIM), which provides 3-D representations, facilitating project managers and crews as they assess risks and plan the most efficient way to scaffold and stage jobsites.

TINY LIVING
Tiny living. Perhaps one of the most surprising trends is the tiny living movement. Until recently, the square footage of American homes, as per census.gov, has moved along a steady upward trend. From the 1950s through 2014, American homes have gotten bigger and bigger - averaging about 1000 square feet in the 1950s to a whopping 2500+ square feet in 2014. Sandwiched in between this steady increase, however, is another trend: the desire for tiny homes that allow for simple, mortgage-free living.

The tiny house movement includes micro-apartments that provide affordable living in dense, popular cities where housing is notoriously un-affordable for the average up-and-coming adult or working family, as well as independent tiny homes that are built on mobile trailers and installed on a piece of property for just a fraction of the price of a typical single family home - According to the The Tiny Life, average cost to build a tiny home is around $23,000.

This trend appeals to forward-thinking adults of all ages, from college grads that want to escape the burden of inflated housing markets to retirees who want something that is easy to maintain and close up when they are ready to travel or hit the road to visit the grandkids. Small living spaces are not only more economical at the outset, they're also incredibly efficient - often powered by renewable energy sources -which makes for minimal utility expenses.

EQUIPMENT SHARES
Equipment shares. In the past, construction firms put an emphasis on purchasing, rather than renting or leasing equipment and tools. Now, as the result of changes in tax laws and in order to conserve liquid cash flow, contractors are finding it makes more sense to rent or lease any equipment that isn't used on a regular basis.

QUALIFIED LABOR SHORTAGES
Unfortunately, it's becoming increasingly difficult for construction and manufacturing companies to find qualified labor. The 2008 housing collapse put many construction firms out of business and made the construction industry less appealing to educated and experienced candidates who began to look for more secure employment opportunities elsewhere. This has left the construction sector with a tangible lack of qualified candidates. According to recent reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as many as 143,000 construction positions were "unfilled" as recently as June.

Other contributing factors include congress's inability to pass bills for adequate funding for long-term highway construction projects as well as the mass exodus of the Baby Boomer generation as they head into retirement. Contracting firms may find it wise to shift their traditional modus operandi if they want to attract qualified candidates for the next generation of construction workers>

WOE FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if all that much was learned from the 2008 housing collapse. Sure, there is a movement towards smaller and simplified living, but now that the housing market is recovered, low-income and first-time homebuyers are being rapidly shoved out of the market as the result of big-time investors - many of them foreign - who make inflated, all-cash offers to seal the deal. More than a quarter of the metropolitan areas analyzed by Black Knight Financial Services back in August were determined to have "peak" housing prices. Also, Lawrence Yun - chief economist for the National Association of Realtors was quoted in August saying that these rising housing prices are exacerbating the nation's inequality problem. In other words, it is once again a "seller's market."

FOCUS ON SAFETY
The BLS considers construction to be the 10th most dangerous job in America. While jobsite safety should always be a priority, business owners should be aware that juries have reduced tolerance for accidents they feel could have been avoided. Just this year, east coast and west coast court room sentences included stiff financial penalties and jail time, respectively, for jobsite accidents that resulted in fatalities.

Paying attention to this year's most prevalent trends will ensure your construction firm remains on the cusp of the market, heeding the practices and solutions that will make your company more productive, profitable and safe in 2016.