Digital Concrete: Productivity in Infrastructure Construction

Productivity in UK construction has flatlined despite the growing adoption of advances in digital technology and increased outsourcing. We examine the evolution of the UK infrastructure construction industry, describing the changing industry structure and the range of digital technologies being adopted. We consider the implications of technological innovation for productivity, both actual and measured, focusing on two possible explanations for this particular piece of the broader productivity puzzle: time lags in technology adoption and potential sources of mismeasurement. While delays in adoption may account for disappointing productivity performance to date, the progressive use of digital technologies both upstream and downstream will exacerbate potential mismeasurement.