Artificial intelligence- the future of construction

Across the World recent ILO predictions reveal that future of jobs is changing. It has been envisaged that by 2040, 40 percent of the traditional job sectors will become obsolete which will be replaced by technology based jobs. This requires appropriate innovation. Technologies like AI will emerge as one of the potential areas which can transform construction and infrastructure sectors across the World.

Construction industries across the World are on the verge of digitalization, which is disrupting traditional processes and also holds many opportunities. Technologies like Artificial intelligence, Machine learning, drones, robotics and their applications are expected to increase efficiency throughout the entire value chain – from the production of building materials to the design, planning and construction. Designers, engineers and architects regularly spend many hours working on designing the building. AI can be used for ideation, design and planning processes which are critical in a construction project's lifecycle. This will help to finish any project on time with quality and on budget.

An AI based system, with access to database of many plans of buildings is able to develop design alternatives. Designers and engineers can simply input design goals together with parameters such as spatial requirements, performance, materials, cost constraints and many more into the generative design software. Enabled by artificial intelligence, the software then explores all possible permutations of a solution, generating design alternatives that meet all previously specified requirements. The AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) industry, designers and engineers are currently starting to adopt generative design which can increase creativity and enables the design and planning to be timelier, of higher quality and cheaper.

          The productivity output of the whole construction industry has been improving marginally because of logistical inefficiencies. It can be considered in two ways. First, at construction sites approximately one third of the time is spent on transports, rearrangements, downtimes and the search for materials. Second, construction projects often have to deal with challenges arising from delays in construction. Around 90% of megaprojects are significantly delayed, over budget or display other deviations from planning. All of these issues cause unnecessary costs for the companies involved in the construction process.

     AI can improve construction execution planning, the updating of construction sequences and task management, while keeping all stakeholders always informed. Moreover AI can also increase the productivity within construction execution itself. AI based tools could detect possible clashes, delays and changes within the construction process by comparing the digital twin of the building that is present in the Building Information Modelling (BIM) cloud against the actual physical representation. Robots and drones can already be used for frequent image recording and 360 degree laser scans. Those images and measurements provide the necessary input so that the AI can track the timely progress of the physical building against the plan stored in the BIM cloud.

The advantage of AI over sensors/IoT is that it is much more flexible. Once the cameras are installed, every object can easily be found. Real-life examples indicate the potential for a 40% increase in labour productivity combined with project completion at more than 10% below budget as the time of the construction workers and machinery can be used more efficiently. Another advantage of the AI based solution over sensors/IoT is that it can also be taught to inform staff whenever it detects possible safety hazards.

AI can also support operators of heavy and mobile machinery at the construction sites. A company specializing in the control and automation of machinery claims that the productivity of mobile machinery could be increased by up to 60% using AI. AI enables facility managers to reduce costs by ensuring more efficient facility management. AI can also be an enabler for the next big step in the digitalization of construction material producers and distributors. It would increase efficiency along the value chain in functions like procurement, marketing and sales, manufacturing, logistics, customer service and after sales of building material producers, merchants as well as building companies. Artificial intelligence identifies the best means of transportation and also the best routes based on information on times and dates, addresses, traffic, costs, speed, etc. AI supports and relieves the staff by answering customer inquiries automatically. Start implementing small AI projects and move towards people centred applications. Need of the hour is to accept the change towards technologies, since many people AI are more as a threat than an opportunity. Then try to use AI on a small scale. Rank them according to the main criteria like core vs. non-core business, ease of implementation and scale up further.