Paper is still popular, but software, hardware, and hearts are changing.
If tech visionaries had their way, we’d be living in a paperless world. Newspapers, magazines, mail and books have all made headway towards this vision. Putting up more resistance are the documents used in AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction). Much of the industry remains fond of 2D drawings printed on big sheets of paper.
But this industry has its visionaries as well, and there are those that have embraced new technology. Technology like the tablet, a sheet-sized mobile computer that can display not just drawings but 3D models and even AR (augmented reality).
Tablets have become ubiquitous in our personal lives, and many of our working lives as well. But what will it take to make them ubiquitous on our construction sites?
Tablets in the Field
Tablets are not a rare sight on site. The industry may be slow to change, but it’s not that slow. Paper drawings are common too, of course. The mix depends on the project and on the company—paper is anathema to AECOM, for example, the giant design and construction firm which has gone all-in on BIM (building information models)—though that’s easier said than done.
But tablets aren’t just paper replacements. Forward-thinking companies can also use them to navigate 3D BIM models, document the progress of a project with pictures and video, or visualize a process and collaborate with others in AR.
“With a world-facing camera that a tablet has and a laptop lacks, customers would opt for the tablet for AR functionality,” says David Plourde, business development consultant for Dell’s Rugged division. “You might want to pull up some instructions like connection points—A goes to B and B goes to C and so on and so forth.”
Tablets are also being used in more mundane ways. A common use case for these devices on construction sites is as a time tracker, according to Plourde. Rather than punching a clock, workers these days will clock in and out on an iPad (or their personal smartphones). Plourde is also seeing tablets being increasingly used in the permitting process, lessening approving authorities’ reliance on paper files.
Is The Software There?
Tablets are only as good as the applications that run on them. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of AEC software made for tablets, which most commonly run on iPadOS or Android. Some CAD, BIM, and construction software is available on these platforms, such as Onshape, Shapr3D, SketchUp, AutoCAD Mobile, and Procore, but a lot of professional software remains Windows-only.
Some tablets are Windows-based, which means they’re compatible with many more AEC applications. Still, the limitations of the tablet form factor mean that these devices generally can’t offer high specs, and they may fall short of system requirements for certain applications.
Apart from these software limitations, most tablets are simply not made for construction sites. Most tablets are used with gloveless fingers in a dry and temperate indoor environment, from a couch or at a desk, their screens shaded from the bright glare of the sun. Construction sites have somewhat different conditions.
Field-Ready Tablets
An evolution of the tablet, the rugged tablet provides additional features and durability to cater to users in the field. A rugged tablet offers protection from the environmental conditions of many construction sites, with water resistance (ingress protection ratings of IP65 or higher), operation in extreme temperature ranges and survival assured from passing drop tests.
A high-luminance display of a rugged tablet will let users see the screen even with the bright sun overhead. While an iPad Pro has a max brightness of 600 nits, rugged tablets get much brighter—as high as 1200 nits. Rugged touchscreens also work with a variety of gloves, from thin rubber to thick winter gloves. Many rugged tablets include physical buttons (often user-programmable) to give users easier access to industry-specific functions or applications.
Rugged tablets are often equipped with hot-swappable batteries, which lets users stay charged through the shift and avoid downtime. Most also offer a wider selection of ports than conventional tablets, such as USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and Ethernet. Some rugged tablets include serial ports for direct connections with diagnostic equipment.
Many rugged tablets are effectively 2-in-1 devices, designed to accommodate keyboards that attach magnetically or mechanically. These devices can also typically be equipped with rugged handles or shoulder straps for hands-free portability.
More Tablets in Construction
What will it take to see more tablets used in construction? Short answer: time. The hardware is perfectly ready for use in the field, with rugged tablets offering the requisite durability for almost any construction site. The software is still limited, especially on iPads and Android tablets, but most developers of AEC software appear to be heading towards tablet-friendly cloud software.
Finally, the industry itself is primed for technological innovation. We’ve seen countless tech companies launch themselves at AEC with the goal of disruption, whether with 3D printing, artificial intelligence, or digital twins. It may be slow-going, but changes are happening.
“There’s a lot of technology that’s making life simpler,” Plourde says. “There is a younger workforce coming up, and they’re a little bit more familiar with the technology.”
