Tip of the spear. Cutting edge. Vanguard. These are not words anyone would associate with the construction industry. And when it comes to the nascent technology of artificial intelligence, the construction industry is right near the bottom for both current and future AI adoption.
According to a McKinsey & Company report, only the travel and tourism and professional services sectors have a lower percentage of firms adopting one or more AI technologies at scale or in a core part of their business. When it comes to the average estimated percentage change in AI spending over the next three years, it only gets worse for the construction industry: it’s dead last.
Being last isn’t always such a bad thing, however. Just like how the youngest child gets to watch their older siblings grow up and learn from their mistakes and capitalize on their successes, the construction industry can look at how other industries are leveraging AI, what works and what doesn’t, and take the fast-track to AI dominance.
The McKinsey report identified five current AI applications being used by other industries that could cause an immediate impact in the construction sector:
• Transportation route optimization algorithms for project planning optimization
• Pharmaceutical outcomes prediction for constructability issues
• Retail supply chain optimization for materials and inventory management
• Robotics for modular or prefabrication construction and 3D printing
• Healthcare image recognition for risk and safety management.
In each of these instances, the construction sector would benefit from the work other industries and sectors are putting in to develop the technology. All construction firms would have to do is swoop in and perfect the technology for their own purposes—easier said than done, but still a better option than starting from scratch.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
ASHRAE releases free BIM introductory guide
A newly released guide from ASHRAE on building information models and building information modeling (BIM) serves as a resource for professionals considering BIM tools and applications for their businesses. According to "An Introduction to Building Information Modeling," BIM is “a digital representation of the physical and the functional characteristics of a facility.” Unlike 2D or 3D CAD, BIM software utilizes intelligent objects to create models.
| Aug 11, 2010
BIM research: New IPD document quantifies savings, shows obstacles
The American Institute of Architects and the AIA California Council have released the results of “Integrated Project Delivery: Case Studies,” a collection of six studies that showcases the process changes and efficiencies of completed building projects that utilized and implemented IPD. IPD is a construction project model in which owners, design professionals, and general contracto...
| Aug 11, 2010
Take the hassle out of managing subcontractors
As general contractors look to technology for an edge in the slowing commercial construction market, Web-based bidding programs are helping them to connecting bid information, subcontractors, and proposals. A 2008 survey by the Construction Financial Management Association found that 62% of general contractors participated in Web-based construction bidding vs.
| Aug 11, 2010
Wisconsin becomes the first state to require BIM on public projects
As of July 1, the Wisconsin Division of State Facilities will require all state projects with a total budget of $5 million or more and all new construction with a budget of $2.5 million or more to have their designs begin with a Building Information Model. The new guidelines and standards require A/E services in a design-bid-build project delivery format to use BIM and 3D software from initial ...
| Aug 11, 2010
News Briefs: GBCI begins testing for new LEED professional credentials... Architects rank durability over 'green' in product attributes... ABI falls slightly in April, but shows market improvement
News Briefs: GBCI begins testing for new LEED professional credentials... Architects rank durability over 'green' in product attributes... ABI falls slightly in April, but shows market improvement
| Aug 11, 2010
Luxury Hotel required faceted design
Goettsch Partners, Chicago, designed a new five-star, 214-room hotel for the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The design-build project, with Saudi Oger Ltd. as contractor and Rayadah Investment Co. as developer, has a three-story podium supporting a 17-story glass tower with a nine-story opening that allows light to penetrate the mass of the building.
| Aug 11, 2010
Architectural Visualization Rendering the Future
Three-dimensional design tools have revolutionized the way architects and engineers design buildings; in recent years, parametric modeling has enabled Building Teams to impart weight tolerances and other intelligent information to a finished design. Yet many designers say they use 3D most in the conceptual design stage, when detailed building information is not necessary and can actually encumb...
