A TOTAL of 24 Chinese cities including Shenzhen, Beijing, and Guangzhou will pilot smart construction to explore new paths for the transformation and development of the construction industry, according to a notice released by China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development recently.

The major task is to promote the deep integration of the construction industry and digital economy, develop new intelligent construction models and solve existing engineering construction problems like labor shortages.

The goals take up three aspects, and the first is to step up sci-tech innovation to promote the development quality of the construction industry.

Efforts are urged to develop a batch of classic applications around six fields — digital design, smart production, smart construction, construction of industrial internet, construction robots and smart supervision to enhance projects’ safety and quality and to form new construction methods featuring high quality, low consumption and emissions.

The second is to build a smart construction industrial cluster and cultivate new models.

The pilot plan specifically states that cities including Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Suzhou must promote the construction of several intelligent construction industrial bases, accelerate the integration and development of the construction industry with advanced manufacturing technology and new-generation information technology, and drive the development of emerging industries such as independent innovation software, AI, IoT, big data and high-end equipment manufacturing.

The third is to cultivate top construction enterprises with core technologies and system solution capabilities and enhance the international competitiveness of construction enterprises, according to the pilot plan.  (Wang Jingli)