A mixed industrial jobsite with drones surveying, a large gantry 3D printer producing concrete walls and data center buildings under construction.
Boise, Idaho, September 6, 2025
The construction sector is moving from pilots to routine use of advanced tools as drones, large-scale 3D printing and data‑center builds reshape jobsites. Drones and AI deliver georeferenced models, thermal inspections and automated volumetrics for progress tracking and safety. Gantry and robotic 3D printers cut stages, reduce waste and speed low‑rise and repeatable projects. Meanwhile, resilient data center construction demands tighter sequencing, redundant utilities and specialized MEP work. A major $15 billion semiconductor expansion in Boise, Idaho exemplifies how industrial-scale projects accelerate demand for technology, skilled crews and integrated site infrastructure.
Builders and state transportation departments are moving fast to put new tools to work on job sites. At the top of the list are drones, large-scale 3D printing systems and modern methods for building data centers. These changes aim to speed projects, cut costs and tighten safety and quality control. A separate major development in Boise is a $15 billion chip plant expansion that will be one of the state’s largest construction efforts ever.
Projects are getting more complex and timetables are tighter. That is pushing contractors and owners to test and adopt tools that were once experimental. Drones and artificial intelligence are now used daily on many sites. 3D construction printing is growing quickly, and data-center work is one of the busiest parts of commercial building right now.
Drones are used for high-resolution imagery, mapping and real-time visual intelligence from pre-construction through closeout. Collected aerial photos and models help managers see progress, check measurements, and show work to stakeholders. When drone footage is combined with professional photos from image banks, it can improve project marketing and make progress easier to share in reports, ads, pitch materials and client portals.
Modern drone systems can make georeferenced site models for measurements and volumetric checks. AI-powered tools perform cut-and-fill analysis, track material stockpiles, and check alignment. That reduces repeated site visits and helps speed approvals in owner-architect-contractor reviews. Drones also let inspectors look at risky areas remotely, such as facades, scaffolding, roofs and deep excavations. Infrared sensors on drones find thermal problems in mechanical systems and detect weaknesses not obvious to the naked eye.
State departments of transportation report wide construction use of drones, particularly for roadwork, stockpile monitoring and bridge projects. Examples include programs that flew thousands of construction flights in a year, daily progress flights where weather allows, and mapping for interchange and lane work. Most DOTs use camera packages and some add LiDAR for precise topographic data. Many rely on popular drone makes while navigating federal rules about allowed models and connectivity precautions.
Builders are experimenting with large gantry systems and robotic arms that extrude concrete or geopolymer material directly from digital models. The 3D construction printing market was valued at about $37 million in 2023 and is projected to grow rapidly — roughly doubling each year under current forecasts and heading toward billions by the end of the decade. Printing is especially useful for low-rise housing and repeat-layout projects like schools, hospitals and shelters.
3D printing can produce walls, structural cores and façade parts in days, cutting formwork, framing and finishing. Printing software helps reduce waste and supports just-in-time material delivery. The approach can be valuable in places with labor shortages, in disaster response, or in areas where speed and repeatability are important.
Data-center construction is one of the most active commercial sectors. New facilities must meet strict uptime and resilience requirements, including concurrent maintainability and fault-tolerant systems. Developers add layers of resilience such as diverse fiber and satellite links, perimeter security, diesel generators for long runs, and solar backup where useful. Location choice is driven by fiber access, energy supply, safety and tax incentives. Major cloud and AI firms are heavily investing in new centers nationwide.
In Boise, a large memory-chip maker has begun a $15 billion expansion that will add fabrication and research space. The project will use about 8,000 tons of steel to build 15 new structures, plus a large office, a 2,800-space parking garage, a water treatment plant, and other infrastructure. The new fab will be roughly 12 times the size of the site’s existing facility. At the time of reporting, 11 cranes were already on site; the peak build will use more than 30 cranes and up to 4,000 construction workers. On-site concrete batching and rock-crushing support will be part of operations.
The wider use of drones, 3D printing and data-center methods is expanding how builders plan and execute projects. These tools increase flexibility and efficiency, raise expectations for safety and quality, and create new workflows that blend physical work with digital models and data services.
Drones capture high-resolution images and make maps and 3D models. That helps with site surveys, progress tracking, volume measurements, safety checks and remote inspections. They also speed reporting and improve stakeholder updates.
Yes. Many state departments use drones for road projects, bridge work, stockpile counts and site documentation. Some fly daily when weather allows and record thousands of flights each year.
3D printing is used to print walls, cores and facade elements. It cuts the number of construction stages, reduces formwork and waste, and speeds up repetitive projects like housing or schools.
Data centers require high reliability and resilience. Builders must design for constant uptime, backup power and diverse connectivity. That drives specialized structures, security measures and new site-selection rules.
The expansion is a $15 billion project that will add 15 buildings, a large office, a 2,800-space parking garage, a water treatment plant and other infrastructure. It will be one of the largest construction efforts in the state.
| Feature | Why it matters | Typical use cases |
|---|---|---|
| Drones | Fast visual data, remote inspection, mapping | Progress tracking, stockpile volumes, thermal inspections, site models |
| 3D construction printing | Speed, waste reduction, complex shapes | Low-rise housing, prefab components, emergency shelters |
| Data-center construction | High reliability, specialized infrastructure | Cloud and AI facilities, fault-tolerant systems, secure connectivity |
| Large industrial projects | Scale, local economic impact, complex logistics | Chip fabs, major campus builds, large manufacturing sites |
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