International Construction: Wood and Concrete as Construction Materials

This report discusses wood and concrete as international construction materials, their positive and negative aspects, commonly used construction techniques, and their impact on the environment and lifestyle. It also highlights the reasons behind the use of wood and concrete in Australia and India.

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INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION
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Date of submission

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Executive Summary
This report discusses wood and concrete as international construction materials. It gives the
background information on the materials. Both concrete and wood have been used in
construction for many years. Wood has a positive impact on the environment and lifestyle of
people. It is environmentally friendly. It has a positive psychological effect on people.
Concrete manufacturing industries produces carbon dioxide that pollutes the environment.
Concrete can be used to control flooding.
The reasons behind the use of a particular construction material in a particular country are;
availability, the climate of the country and security. Wood is used in Australia because it is
readily available and the climatic conditions are suitable for wood construction. Concrete is
used in India because the components of concrete are readily available. The climatic
conditions in India require the use of concrete for construction.
Positive aspects of wood construction include; time-saving, aesthetic value, thermal
properties, acoustic properties, electrical properties, wide variations, sustainability, wood is
renewable, wood is good for health, less carbon dioxide, durability, and structural strength.
The negative aspects of wood construction include; lack of fire safety, warping, damage from
moisture and damage by insects. The positive aspect of concrete construction is; availability,
durability, strength, low maintenance cost, high aesthetic value, fire safety, wind and water
resistance, and heat resistance. The negative aspects of concrete construction include; the cost
of formwork, ductility, weight and low tensile strength.
The commonly used construction techniques in the construction industry today are;
prefabrication, building information technology, virtual and augmented reality, permeable
concrete and fly ash brick. The paper highlights how these techniques have been adopted in
Australia and India.

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The paper also discusses how construction techniques affect the environment. The paper
discusses how these construction techniques affect international construction. Prefabrication
construction technique makes the construction process faster. Building information modelling
and virtual reality techniques both impact international construction positively.

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Table of Conten
t
Introduction.........................................................................................................................6
How Construction Materials Affect Construction Techniques, Lifestyle, and
Environment........................................................................................................................6
Reasons behind Use of Wood in Australia.........................................................................8
Availability..........................................................................................................................8
.Climate...............................................................................................................................8
Reasons behind the use of Concrete in India......................................................................8
Availability..........................................................................................................................9
Climate................................................................................................................................9
Security...............................................................................................................................9
Positive and Negative Aspects of Wood Construction.......................................................9
Time-Saving........................................................................................................................9
Aesthetic Value.................................................................................................................10
Thermal properties...........................................................................................................10
Acoustic properties...........................................................................................................10
Electrical Properties.........................................................................................................10
Variation...........................................................................................................................10
Sustainability....................................................................................................................11
Wood is renewable............................................................................................................11
Less carbon dioxide production........................................................................................11
Wood is good for health and wellbeing............................................................................11
Durability..........................................................................................................................12
Structural strength............................................................................................................12
Negative aspects of wood construction............................................................................12
Fire....................................................................................................................................12
Warping............................................................................................................................12
Moisture............................................................................................................................13
Durability..........................................................................................................................13
Insects...............................................................................................................................13
Positive and negative aspects of concrete construction....................................................13

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Positive aspects.................................................................................................................13
Availability........................................................................................................................13
Durability..........................................................................................................................13
Structural strength............................................................................................................13
Maintenance cost..............................................................................................................14
Aesthetic value..................................................................................................................14
Fire safety.........................................................................................................................14
Wind and water resistance................................................................................................14
Heat resistance.................................................................................................................14
Skill...................................................................................................................................14
Negative aspects of concrete construction........................................................................14
Mixing, Casting and curing..............................................................................................14
Cost...................................................................................................................................14
Ductility............................................................................................................................14
Weight...............................................................................................................................15
Tensile strength.................................................................................................................15
Commonly used construction techniques of Australia and India.....................................15
Construction techniques in Australia................................................................................16
Construction techniques in India......................................................................................17
How housing techniques affect the environment and lifestyle.........................................18
Effects of construction techniques on local and international companies........................19
Conclusion........................................................................................................................21
References.........................................................................................................................23

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Introduction
Wood has been used as a construction material for more than a thousand years. Today wood
is still being used as a construction material. Wood construction is gaining more popularity in
certain countries (Ahuja, Jain, Sawhney, & Arif, 2016). There is a wide variety of wood. This
makes wood a favourable construction material. Wood is more economical in countries that
have vast forests.
A case study of global use of wood as a construction material is the Liina transitional shelter.
This is a temporary structure that can be used in cold seasons. It can also be used during a
crisis anywhere in the whole world. The building was designed by a group of international
students. Liina is mainly made up of wood materials and wood finish. It is designed to be
built in an efficient and fast way. It uses a system of prefabricated panels of timber. These
panels can be fabricated anywhere in the world because they are simple. All the components
needed to build Liina shelters can fit in common international shipping containers. It can
house a family of five members for a period of five years following a disaster.
The use of concrete as a construction material dates back to 6500 BC (Aleem and Arumairaj
2012). Many ancient structures were built of concrete. Concrete as a material has evolved
with time to become one of the most preferred material for construction due its flexibility and
compressive strength (Aleem & Arumairaj, 2012). Today strength is easier to achieve in
concrete as compared to those ancient times. Technology has also made the mixing of
cement, sand and water to make concrete less tedious through the use of rotary concrete
mixer machine made of an inclined conical drum shape made of blades at different angle and
position to ensure mixing is done in the right proportion (Aibinu & Venkatesh, 2013).
Reinforced concrete is concrete that has steel reinforcements to increase its strength.

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The international market for concrete I expected to grow rapidly. This is because of the
growth of improvement of infrastructure all over the world (Naik 2008). Countries like India,
China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia offer a great potential for concrete market to grow.
Awareness of concrete roads and prefabrication is rising. This is increasing concrete demand
globally. China is the largest producer of cement followed by India in the global market.
How Construction Materials Affect Construction Techniques, Lifestyle, and
Environment
Wood construction today is characterized by shorter time for construction, prefabrication is
used more, a more thorough process during the planning and also an assurance for quality
production (Abdullah, Kassim, & Sanusi, 2017)... Wood has been concluded to be an
environmentally friendly construction material due to its low carbon content and less
embodied energy (Aye, et al., 2012). This characteristics result into low emission of
greenhouse gases.
According to studies carried out in Canada, Norway, Japan, and Austria, wood has a positive
effect on the emotions of people (Ayinla and Adamu, 2018). Environments built with wood
cause people to be calm. Wood houses also reduce the blood pressure of people (Ayinla &
Adamu, 2018). This is because wooden surfaces usually feel cosier and warmer than other
materials. Concrete is another widely used construction material due to its environmental
benefits of sustainability (Ayinla and Adamu, 2018). Concrete primarily consists of
aggregate, water and Portland cement. All these are mixed to get a paste that hardens slowly
Concrete needs very good workmanship and proper methods of construction. Poor
construction techniques can cause curling, scaling, crazing, crackling and discoloration in
concrete. Concrete impacts the environment both positively and negatively. Cement is a
component of concrete and it has its own effects on the environment. The cement
manufacturing industry produces a lot of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is one of the gases

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that cause the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gasses affect climate change negatively
(Blismas, et al., 2010).
Concrete damages topsoil. Surfaces made of concrete are hard and impervious to water. They
cause water run-off. This water runoff results in erosion that carries away the fertile topsoil
(Azhar, et al., 2008). The runoff also causes pollution of water bodies and even flooding in
some areas. This is possible because the runoff water picks up oils, trash, and many other
pollutants along its way (Babu, et al., 2018).
On the other hand, concrete can be used to control floods and help in building of dams. The
dams collect water that would otherwise flood an area. Concrete can be used to create
diversions for water to prevent flooding.
Dust, produced by cement during construction works, causes air pollution. This cement dust
is produced mostly during the demolition of concrete buildings (Babu, et al., 2018). There are
some radioactive and toxic substances in concrete (Bari, et al., 2018). When released into the
environment, these substances can cause health problems.
Reasons behind Use of Wood in Australia
Availability
In Australia wood is the readily available material. This is because a large part of Australia is
covered by huge trees. Therefore, it is more reasonable to use wood for construction rather
than looking for other materials like concrete (Blismas, et al., 2010).
.Climate
The climatic conditions in Australia are mostly made up of snow, storms and long winters
(Blismas, et al., 2010). Houses built of wood are generally warmer than concrete houses.
Therefore wood is the appropriate building material in Australia.

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The US usually experiences a lot of tornadoes and cyclones (Abdullah, et al., 2017). They use
wood for construction because wood houses are easy to move in case of these adverse
weather conditions. The process of restoration is also faster for wood houses than concrete
houses (Ahuja, et al., 2016). They use wood because it makes the restoration of destroyed
houses fast following a disaster. By using wood, the people save on time and cost.
Reasons behind the use of Concrete in India
With the kind of heat in most parts of India, wood is not a suitable construction material. In
such an environment, materials that conduct heat faster are needed in order for the houses to
have cooler environments (Aibinu & Venkatesh, 2013).
Availability
The component materials used to make concrete are readily available in India (Bhattacharjee
2010). The skill and technology required for the production of concrete are also readily
available. This makes concrete the suitable construction material. India does not have vast
forested areas like Australia (Ahuja, et al., 2016). Therefore acquiring construction timber
would not be as easy as in Australia.
Climate
The climatic condition in India is hot (Ahuja, et al., 2016). The houses should be built with
materials which will result in a cooler indoor environment. Buildings made of concrete are
usually very cool inside (Kallel et al 2018). In light of this, concrete is the preferred
construction material.
Security
India is densely populated. In populated areas security is a big issue. Buildings made of
concrete are generally more secure and safer than houses built with wood. Houses built of
concrete are more stable (Aleem & Arumairaj, 2012). In line with this, concrete is a more
suitable construction material in India.

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Positive and Negative Aspects of Wood Construction
Time-Saving
Wood takes much less time to be prepared for construction as compared to concrete.
A100m*100m house can take about seven days to construct. This is quite fast. When using
wood for construction, construction process continues even in adverse weather conditions.
The fact that wood construction is not affected by weather saves construction time (Ayinla &
Adamu, 2018). These harsh weather conditions include snow, icy and heavy rain conditions.
Wood framed buildings are also easy to modify during the construction process or even after
the process of building is finished.
Aesthetic Value
The grains on wood are usually a sight to behold. The different hues of color form interesting
dance-like patterns (Azhar, et al., 2008). Because of these patterns, wood has been used a lot
in architectural designs to achieve desired aesthetics. Apart from the grains, wood can be cut,
curved, nailed and glued. This makes it pretty much possible to achieve imagined delightful
designs. Wood can be varnished, waxed and painted in different colors as well.
Thermal properties
It has been observed in many materials that they expand and contract with changes in
temperature. This expansion and contraction affect the strength of building materials
negatively. Wood does not expand when heat increases in a building. Heat causes wood to
dry and gain more strength (Babu, et al., 2018). Wood transmits heat at a very minimum
speed. This makes it a suitable material for wall and ceiling covering. Wood requires a lot of
heat for its temperature to rise. Concrete just needs half the heat wood requires.
Acoustic properties
Wood absorbs sound. Because of this property, it is a solution to noise and echoes. The
structure and lightness of wood make a sure loss of sound energy through friction is avoided

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(Ayinla & Adamu, 2018). These acoustic properties make wood suitable for construction of
theatres and concert halls.
Electrical Properties
Wood is resistant to electricity. This makes it suitable for construction. Dry wood is safe in
case of electrical leakage.
Variation
There is a wide variety of wood all over the world (Ritter, Skog and Bergman 2011). There
are five thousand different types of wood. All these variations of wood have different
acoustic properties, electrical properties, thermal properties, and mechanical properties. The
wide variety of wood makes it possible to choose wood that has properties that are suitable
for a particular design.
Sustainability
When compared to concrete or steel, wood as a construction material is friendlier to the
environment (Khatib 2016). This has to do with wood absorbing carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere. Wood is the only construction material that is carbon neutral.
Wood, absorbing carbon dioxide, affects the change of climate positively. Cutting older trees,
which absorb lesser carbon dioxide, and planting a new tree, which absorbs more carbon
dioxide, in its place is quite beneficial in maintaining sustainability (Bari 2018). The cut older
trees are used for construction purposes.
Wood is renewable
When wood is cut well, it regrows over time into another huge tree (Ramage et al 2017).
Apart from that, decades after a building has been constructed, it can be demolished and the
wood that was used to construct it can be reused for other purposes.

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Less carbon dioxide production
Lesser energy is used for wood processing and production as compared to other construction
materials (Buchanan 2007). This results in the much lower production of carbon dioxide.
When one cubic meter of wood is used instead of using one cubic meter of concrete,
production of a thousand kilograms of carbon dioxide is avoided (Lehmann 2013).
Wood is good for health and wellbeing
Research on how wood affects the health of people has shown that it affects people
positively. People seem to be happier in environments surrounded by wood. In hospitals with
wood finish, patients get well faster. In office settings with wood finishes, the employees are
more productive and exhibit no symptoms of stress. In schools built with wood, the students
enjoy learning more.
Using wood in a building’s interior is a way of bringing nature into the room. This is good,
especially in places like hospitals where other things like plants cannot be brought in. Natural
environment usually calms people.
Durability
Wood has the ability to last for more than a hundred years when maintained properly. Today,
there are also wood preservatives that enhance the durability of wood (Wang et al 2017).
Wood is resistant to corrosion, pollution, and frost. Care should be taken to avoid exposing
wood to direct sunlight and moisture.
Structural strength
Wood has a high structural strength and can, therefore, be used for the structural frame of a
building. With the modern technology, timber is used even for high rise buildings (Ximenes
and Grant 2013).

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Negative aspects of wood construction
Fire
Wood has no resistance to fire. Wood is made up of hydrogen and carbon which easily burn
when exposed to temperatures as high as two hundred and seventy degrees Celsius. This
makes buildings built of wood very unsafe for fire outbreaks (Babu, et al., 2018). Some
chemicals used for the treatment of wood can also produce harmful chemicals when heated.
A good example is arsenic. These chemicals are fatal, especially in a closed environment.
Warping
Factors such as environmental humidity, age, and high temperatures, can cause wood to
warp. When exposed to different conditions, wood may swell, twist or even shrink. All these
are part of warping in wood (Skovsted 2011). This means that the environmental conditions
must be considered in the design.
Moisture
Wood when exposed to conditions that have high moisture content, it might not withstand the
conditions. When wood absorbs moisture it can have fungus growing on it (Ximenes,
Gardner and (Cowie 2008). Wood may also rot because of the wetness caused by moisture.
These problems can be very costly to treat.
Durability
There are some areas in buildings where wood cannot be used. These areas include areas that
are needed to sustain very high weight. All buildings are designed according to how much
load every part of the building is expected to carry (Bari, et al., 2018). Weight affects the
durability of wood. Wood exposed to too much weight cannot last long.
Insects
There is termite that attacks both dry and wet wood. Even though the ones that attack wet
wood affect wood faster, the ones that attack dry wood are a danger too. Powder post beetles
also attack wood. They attack hardwood and softwood as well as dry seasoned wood and wet

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wood (Azhar, et al., 2008). Carpenter bees create tunnels in wood that has not been painted.
They use these tunnels as a place to lay eggs.
Positive and negative aspects of concrete construction
Positive aspects
Availability
The component materials mixed to get concrete are readily available in most countries (De
Brito and Saikia 2012).
Durability
Concrete lasts for thousands of years when maintained properly (Khodabakhshian et al 2018).
Structural strength
Concrete can be made to fit the strength desired for a particular project. The manufacturer has
control over the strength of concrete.
Maintenance cost
The cost of maintaining concrete is very low such that it is negligible.
Aesthetic value
Concrete can be made into different shapes. This moulding is possible because of the fluidity
of concrete at the beginning. This makes it possible to implement aesthetically pleasing
projects.
Fire safety
Concrete is highly resistant to fire. Using concrete to build makes buildings safe from fire
(Naik 2008).
Wind and water resistance
Concrete is not affected by wind or water. Therefore, concrete can be used to build structures
in a stormy area.
Heat resistance
Concrete withstands very high temperatures (Babu et al 2018).

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Skill
The erection of reinforced concrete structures does not require as much skill as required in
construction with other materials.
Negative aspects of concrete construction
Mixing, Casting and curing
All the steps must be carried out with care as they all affect the strength of concrete when it is
ready for use.
Cost
The forms that are used for concrete casting are relatively costly (McNeil and Uttal 2009).
Ductility
Concrete is much less ductile as compared to other building materials
Weight
The weight of concrete is much higher than its strength.
Tensile strength
The tensile strength of concrete is lower compared to the tensile strength of other
construction materials
Commonly used construction techniques of Australia and India
The construction techniques that are popular in the market today include; prefabrication,
building information modelling (BIM), virtual reality, permeable concrete, fly ash bricks and
solar roads and materials.
Prefabrication involves the production of construction elements outside a building site. A
good example is making columns in a factory (Blismas, Wakefield and Hauser 2010). These
elements are then transported to the construction site. This technique is gaining more
popularity with time. This is because it is cost effective for the projects on a tight budget. It
requires fewer workers as compared to onsite production. The technique also saves time
during construction.

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Building Information Modeling, is a process where a 3D model representation of a project is
created. Project information management is done using this model. The technology is
commonly used during the design stage. Building information modeling can be used before
construction, after construction and also during construction. The BIM technology has been
improving over the last decade (Azhar 2011). Today both project owners and contractors find
building information modeling very useful. The building information modeling technique
allows the project designers to produce 3D representations of projects. This allows them to
subject the representation to different conditions and materials. It helps in calculating the cost
of building as well as the environmental impact of the project.
Virtual reality technology is being used in the construction industry to enhance the training of
workers (Abdullah, Kassim and Sanusi 2017). A visual environment is created such that the
workers virtually experience the dangerous construction situations. This helps workers learn
better than just reading from books.
A combination of BIM and virtual reality techniques, enable project owners and contractors
to have a virtual walk through a project even before completion (Kensek 2014). This makes
the contractors and owners make more reasonable design decisions.
Permeable concrete is made using larger stones and lesser sand as compared to the traditional
way of making concrete. The larger stones ensure that the final product has some holes. This
permeable concrete is used for pavements. Water sips into the pervious concrete pavement.
Therefore runoff water is controlled.
The design of roads and other structures with the traditional concrete that is not porous has
caused local government a lot of money. This is because when it rains the water is bocked
from seeping into the ground. The government spends a lot of money to build proper sewer
lines and on runoff water mitigation.

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When permeable concrete is used, the pressure of runoff water is taken off the sewer systems.
Therefore there will be no need of upgrades, fewer or no repair cost. The life of the sewer
systems is extended.
The fly ash bricks are mostly made in India. In India, the coal-fired plants' expansion
resulted in large amounts of coal ash (Kuzman, 2018). Making fly ash bricks solved the
problem. Apart from that, they are stronger and lighter than other materials. They are also a
cheaper solution to building sustainable houses.
Ash being a dangerous waste material, is commonly referred to as ash pond. In most cases,
stored ash pollute the ground water with a number of residents raising concern on its
environmental effects. The residents had to develop ways of managing the large heaps of coal
ash located on the mountain tops. Making fly ash bricks helped solve the problem, this cheap
bricks were also advantageous for cheaper construction dwelling (Babu, et al., 2018). The
fight for cheap housing strategies have been fostered by the rapid increase in the Indian
population hence the need for faster and cheaper construction technique.
The solar roads and materials technology is still quite costly. The technology is not yet
perfect as well.
The solar roads and materials is about roads that allow electric vehicles to gain charge while
on these roads.
Buildings made of solar-capable materials will provide a cheaper source of energy. These
materials may be important in achieving buildings that are energy efficient. This technique. If
developed will help in building commercial buildings that are cheaper because of the
alternative source of energy. The fossil fuels are quite expensive compared to solar energy

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that is readily available (Aibinu & Venkatesh, 2013). Especially in places like India where
the sun is not a problem.
Construction techniques in Australia
Building information is in use in Australia. It is established firmly in the construction
industry in Australia. Building information modelling is being used in Australia to improve
construction designs (Aibinu and Venkatesh 2013). BIM enables a wide range of information
to be transferred to all the stakeholders. Changes in the design are also made easier as the
project progresses.
Prefabrication construction technique is also in use in Australia. The wood construction
elements are made in a factory of the construction site and then transported to the site for
assembling (Wood, Lenze and Foran 2009.).
The construction industry in Australia has adopted the use of virtual reality technique. They
have implemented the use of virtual reality in the universities. The students learning courses
related to construction industry now use the technique. The students walk through both failed
projects and successful projects in a virtual sense (Sampaio and Martins 2014). They are able
to identify bad and good aspects of a design. This is improving the training of these students
in the construction industry.
According to Zhang et al (2013), augmented reality is also being used in construction sites. A
good example is during excavations, the people carrying out excavation use augmented
reality to see how deep they are. They see in 3D how deeper they need to go and how far they
are from utilities and underground pipes.
In other places like Hong Kong virtual reality is being used to train construction workers on
safety at construction sites. The virtual videos feel real to people, therefore, are likely to stick
in their minds for a long time.

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Construction techniques in India
In India the materials that are being prefabricated include; insulating concrete forms,
prefabricated foundation systems and precast concrete (Ahuja et al 2016).
A good example is the Instacon building in Mohali, India. The building was completed within
forty-eight hours. Ninety percent of the works were done in a factory setting (Aleem &
Arumairaj, 2012). The different units, for example, columns and wall panels which were used
to build this building, were prefabricated in the factory (Luthra 2010). They were then
transported to the construction site. In the construction site, the work that was done was just
installation of these building elements. The building is ten storeyed.
In India there only about thirty thousand to forty thousand people who are using building
information modeling. Most of those who are using BIM are using it for international
construction projects (Ayinla and Adamu 2018). The local investors in India are not yet open
to the use of building information modeling. Building information modeling is still used just
at the design stage. India has not yet incorporated it throughout the construction process.
Virtual reality technology is already in use in India by some companies. It is being used in
real estate to provide the clients with a virtual view through a property. A good example of a
company using virtual reality technique in India is SmartVizX (Aibinu & Venkatesh, 2013).
The company was created by architects. They use virtual reality to explain their designs to the
clients.
How housing techniques affect the environment and lifestyle
Several constructions works usually affect the environment negatively. There are processes
that produce carbon dioxide in the environment.
The prefabrication technique has both positive and negative environmental effects (Li, Shen,
and Xue 2014). The good aspect of prefabrication is that the construction elements are

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produced in a controlled environment. The waste is managed. At the construction site, there
is no waste released to the environment.
Prefabrication done in closed factories ensures that both dust pollution and noise pollution is
controlled (Vieira, Amado and Pinho 2017). Air pollution is almost impossible to control in
cases where all the construction work takes place in the construction site.
As for prefabrication processes done in open places, the prefabrication site should be in
isolated areas. It should be this way so that air pollution does not affect the lifestyle and
wellbeing of people.
Many buildings are coming up in the densely populated areas in the city. The construction
activities in such areas can disrupt the lifestyle of the people living around the area.
Prefabrication helps to shorten the time for construction (Azhar, et al., 2008). Therefore, the
lifestyle of these people is affected for a shorter time.
The prefabrication plants produce carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas (Aye
et al). Greenhouse gasses cause global warming which affects the environment negatively
(Upton et al 2008).
Building information modeling technique helps designers come up with buildings that are
environmental friendly (Azhar et al 2011). The building information modeling helps assess
the impact a designed project might have on the environment. This helps prevent the negative
environmental impacts of buildings and other constructed structures.
Use of permeable concrete technique also affects environment positively (Dimoudi and
Tompa 2008). The porous concrete allows for water to slip through into the ground. This
prevents flooding caused by runoff water.

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Effects of construction techniques on local and international companies
These construction techniques are making the construction process much easier for both local
and international construction companies. They are able to work faster and save on the cost of
construction.
Local construction industries can use prefabrication to enable them to work faster (Smith and
Narayanamurthy 2009, July). In developing countries, the main problems experienced in the
construction industry are a lack of enough capital and longer time of completing a project.
With the use of prefabrication, the local companies will save on cost.
When the local construction companies are able to complete projects faster, they will be able
to compete with the international construction industries (Blismas, et al., 2010). The
international construction companies can also use prefabrication to further improve their rate
of production.
The virtual reality technology can be used by international construction companies. They can
use virtual reality to train their employees, especially the local people (Li et al 2018). The
international construction companies are usually expected to employ some workers from the
locals in the host country. Most of the time, these workers need training. Virtual reality
technology makes it easier and faster for them to learn. This saves on time.
The local construction industry should also use virtual reality in marketing their design to
give them a competitive edge against international companies. They can use virtual reality to
walk potential investors through a project. This makes it easier for the client to understand
and decide on the project.
Both the local and international construction companies can use augmented reality
technology to improve operations on site. This makes work easier for the workers to carry out
their tasks.

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Building information modeling has gained popularity in the international construction
industry over time (Azhar et al 2008). With building information modeling, the international
construction companies are able to share large amounts of information to all the stakeholders.
Building information modeling enables changes to be made on the design even when the
participants are in different geographical areas. It has improved the international construction
industry to a great extent (Kumar and Mukherjee 2009).
Developing countries like India need to adopt building information modeling fully into their
construction process. This will play part in the growth of the local construction industry. It
will also enable them to be able to compete with the international construction industries.
Building information modeling can be used in the construction industry to have better
communication (GU and London 2010). It also improves collaboration among the team
members who are involved in the building information modeling projects.
It is the role of international construction companies to introduce these modern construction
techniques into the local market (Hong et al). The international construction companies do
this by undertaking a particular project and involving a local construction company in it.
The local construction companies are able to benchmark and learn these construction
techniques from the international companies. When the local construction companies
implement these techniques, growth in the construction industry takes place.
Conclusion
Wood and concrete are materials that are used widely for construction. International
construction companies should introduce wood as a construction material in developing
countries. This will help reduce too much use of concrete. Concrete is less friendly to the
environment compared to wood. More use of wood will have a positive impact on the
environment.

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Training for the use of construction techniques such as building information modeling and
virtual reality should be introduced in universities in developing countries. This will enable
the student to be equipped for the international construction market.
The countries that use concrete as their main construction material should adopt
prefabrication technique. This will reduce environmental pollution. Sustainability is a major
global issue. Prefabrication is a way of having sustainable construction.
The governments of developing countries should have construction policies that favour
building information modeling. The construction policies should state that the use of building
information modeling is compulsory. The policies should clearly outline the areas where this
technique is to be used in the construction process.
International construction industry should be encouraged in all developing countries. This
will result in the growth of the local construction industry. The international construction
companies import skilled labour. The locals can learn these skills from the imported workers.
The international construction companies also bring with them new construction techniques.
They introduce these techniques in the local market thus improving construction.

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References
Abdullah, F., Kassim, M.H.B. and Sanusi, A.N.Z., 2017. Go virtual: exploring augmented
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