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Highlights:

Artificial intelligence has become a common term in many industries. Many professionals worry about how Ai will disrupt their careers, and whether it will take away their job. Perhaps you are in the construction field and wondering, “is AI already here and how will it affect my work”. The construction industry, it is definitely a complex one that is also difficult to penetrate. Construction projects involve heavy budgets and if something goes wrong, the losses registered can be devastating. Contractors will not just adapt a new tech idea just because it sounds exciting. Even then, tech and AI powered tools are slowly penetrating the market and more innovations are on the way. Below are a few of the most notable AI applications in construction:

Automated progress tracking

One of the most tedious and time consuming tasks on a construction project involves going on site to check progress. Many project owners who build remotely (including those working in diaspora) demand images from their contractors as proof of progress. But good quality images take time to capture and sometimes you don’t get the angles you’re looking for. Besides, big projects with tens of floors require hours of inspection to stay on track with every tiny construction details. Openspace, a tech company that focuses on tech tools for the construction industry came up with a device that tracks progress effortlessly. A gadget with a high quality camera lens is mounted to an Openspace helmet and as the construction manager moves around the site, data is captured and fed into a software system, installed on their phone. The data can then be accessed remotely by relevant team members. The data, not only comprises of images or videos, but it also includes progress estimates of individual elements of the project. For instance, the data might state that flooring is 50% complete or the columns are 86% done. It also helps those tracking the project to identify issues and fast track their work.

Smart Helmets for Safety

DFKI, a german based company is focusing on a different segment of the construction industry with their innovation, ConwearDi. “The ConWearDi project focuses its efforts on improving efficiency of smaller constructions, e.g. interior work, painting of houses, and craftsman businesses. Challenges included for such businesses are different than those a big multinational corporation with thousands of workers has to face. Most construction projects are small projects,” a part of its whitepaper on the project reads. One of their projects is a smart helmet fitted with different sensors to help keep construction workers safe. The helmet can alert the construction worker when temperatures are too high outdoors or when they experience too much UV exposure, given the outdoor nature of construction work. The smart helmet will also warn them of objects coming in from behind, thus preventing collisions and accidents. The company is also experimenting with sensors in common construction machines to improve efficiency among skilled workers.

Driverless trucks and machines

For a while now, the construction industry has anticipated the possibility of driverless trucks and robots that can perform repetitive and tedious tasks such as laying of bricks, pouring concrete, ground breaking (soil excavation) or plastering. Demolitions, which tend to be relatively unsafe could also use driverless trucks. Though such an innovation is yet to hit the market, progress has been made in other industries with similar demands.

Waymo, for instance, a subsidiary of Google is a leader in self-driving cars and is set to launch its first commercial taxi service. The company has driven over ten miles without a single driver in any of their cars, proving that self-driving is the next frontier in the automobile industry. There are several other companies that have achieved significant success in other sectors, like the China based Baidu which is breaking into bus service industry. Perhaps, soon the construction industry trucks and machines will attract some attention too.

ChatGPT for Construction

Togal.AI, a US-based company recently launched their AI chat tool for construction professionals in partnership with ChatGPT. Unlike the regular open AI platform which scours the internet to provide users with answers. TogalGPT only provides answers that have been fed into the system by construction professionals. This way, it prevents misinformation, given the sensitive nature of construction work and the unique nature of each project. The platform allows professionals to feed all their relevant data concerning a project into the system, before they begin to key in inquiries. Such data could include, building designs, floor plans or budgets. With this data, the users will ask questions about the project and receive relevant answers based on the data they uploaded. The company calls this “talking to one’s project and the project answering back”.

3D Modelling

Traditionally, construction work began with lots of pencil and paper work at the design stage. Design drawings would then be followed up by meetings as engineers, architects, contractors and other professionals tried to get on the same page. Building Information Modeling (BIM) came in to save the day. BIM is a virtual 3D modeling system that brings all pre-construction professionals together on one platform. It is one of the oldest and most accepted tech innovations in the industry. Architects and Engineers can easily collaborate on projects, make changes on the 3D model and identify errors before breaking ground. The models also provides visual representations of the project which fast tracks approvals as the client is able to see what the building will look like from a 3D angle, request for changes or approve.

Some companies have taken 3D modeling to the next level by using advanced modeling systems, which not only capture the basics, but go further to model the finer details of a project such as interior fittings and electrical equipment. Suffolk Construction, a US based company used such advanced 3D modelling in one of its largest residential buildings to be completed in 2025. The modelling helped them save time and reduce the possibility of errors or buyer dissatisfaction.

Do you have insights on other AI applications in construction, don’t be stingy, share information. If you found this article, informative, share with your network too.