Artificial Intelligence & Technology in Construction

Technology has been progressively utilised in a variety of ways to make building more efficient and innovative in recent years. Machine learning networks crunch data, data gathering computer vision sensors, and the occasional physical robotics performing simple and repeatable manual tasks, such as placing bricks, are all common uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in the construction sector. Construction projects and processes benefit from AI to increase their safety and efficiency.

In 2019, Larsen & Toubro unveiled L&T-Nxt, a new strategic initiative focusing on Artificial Intelligence

(AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), among other cutting-edge technologies, to accelerate the transformation in the construction industry’s use of technology. The number of technology suppliers concentrating on the architecture, engineering, and construction industries has increased by more than 600 per cent globally in the last three years alone. Computer vision, artificial intelligence (AI), mixed and virtual reality, robots, and building information modelling (BIM) are just a few of the major technologies and processes on which these firms are banking. Modern business software from some large tech companies, including Google, Microsoft and Oracle, and Trimble already incorporates machine learning and artificial intelligence.

What is the use of AI in construction?

Currently, scheduling labour for projects and risk assessment are two of the most prevalent uses for AI in construction. These are the building industry’s most troublesome areas. Innovative solutions, such as risk assessment, could help them.

AI Scheduling for Employees:

Machine learning algorithms can use available data on a project’s current and potential workforce to identify which employees may be working temporarily, forecast an upcoming low point in the available workforce, identify specific individuals best suited for a job based on their skill and experience, and even identify who may be potential leadership/management material. This enables project managers to better analyze the value of placing the right individuals in the correct tasks in order to enhance their workforce’s productivity. The application of artificial intelligence in construction to schedule and evaluate talent retention could lead to long-term changes in the sector.

• https://www.kronos.com/products/ai/aimee
• https://neilpatel.com/blog/best–employee–scheduling–software/

Risk Assessment With AI:

There are numerous dangers associated with the construction industry. There are a few risks that are more harmful than others. Organizations can reduce and, in some cases, eliminate hazards by using AI to identify dangerous situations before they cause problems. There are AI arrangements that can screen and focus on surrounding threats, just as there are AI arrangements that can inspect designs and plans before building begins. AI algorithms may filter and generate building plans and plans to assist in surveying where configuration plans may not function and recommend how to alter them in a way that reduces hazards in a number of situations.

https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-analytics/our-insights/derisking-ai-by-designhow-to-build-risk-management-into-ai-development

Cloud-Based Technology:

Cloud-based technologies enable users to make changes in real-time because documents and information are kept in a central location to which all users have instant access. Here are some of the advantages of cloud technology and how it might help you reduce risk at work:

1. Visibility: Plans and other materials are accessible to the entire team, not just one or two persons. They may make updates and watch them unfold in real-time.
2. Security: Because it is secure, your documents are always safe.
3. Accessibility: The cloud is available to you as long as you can connect to the server or receive an Internet signal. For project teams operating in faraway or difficult-to-reach places, cloud technology is great.

• Construction organizations can eliminate on-site risks while improving worker safety using AIpowered solutions like drones and image recognition. As a result, there will be fewer on-the-job injuries and fatalities. Contractors can also use AI to identify potentially dangerous spots and create procedures to improve safety in those regions.

Artificial intelligence is without a doubt the construction industry’s future. Despite AI’s shown ability to provide significant returns on investment, many engineering and construction firms have yet to use the technology. As a result, it’s critical for construction managers to stay up to date on the latest AI breakthroughs.

3D PRINTED HOUSE BUILT BY IIT-M START-UP

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman officially opened the house. She stated that India urgently requires solutions that do not take a long time to implement. In India’s first 3D printed house, Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, a deep tech firm founded by three IIT Madras alumni, has made history. Hopes are raised for India’s cheap housing project with this one-storey, one-bedroom structure.

Start-up from IIT-Madras Tvasta has built a 3D-printed residence on the campus of the university. The single-story home, which has a built area of about 600 sq. ft., has a functional space consisting of a single bedroom, hall, and kitchen, with the entire ensemble being designed, developed, and realized using Tvasta’s “Concrete 3D Printing” technology.

Using this technology, the entire construction cost can be lowered, as well as the construction time. It also reduces the associated carbon footprint. The house on the IIT campus was built in collaboration with the Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter, a Habitat for Humanity affiliate.

Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, who virtually inaugurated the initiative, stated that India needed such quick-fix solutions.

“This technology is the first to be beneficiary-led in the construction industry,” stated Bhaskar Ramamurthy, Director, IIT Madras. Just as how Borewells are rented by farmers, and the machine used to build this house can be rented as well. It ensures large-scale production, great quality, and price certainty for customers.”

“This technology can enable deep personalisation of building for the ultimate target segment – the individual,” Adithya V.S., Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, said.

Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions announced in a blog post on its website that it has developed its own material mix, which is an extrudable concrete made of cement, sand, geopolymers, and fibres. It mixed the raw materials in a huge hopper to create the final material mix. The construction was purposely constructed hollow during 3D printing to provide allowances for wiring and plumbing without damaging the wall. The use of such locally sourced materials would also eliminate the need to ship concrete over vast distances, lowering the environmental effect.

Future of A.I. in India:

With the debut of a unique cloud-based and artificial intelligence-powered big data analytics platform – Data Lake – and project management software, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has gone ‘Fully Digital.’ NHAI’s full project management workflow has been converted from manual to online, with complete project execution procedures such as “workflow with deadlines” and “alert mechanism” implemented. The site is currently the exclusive source of project documentation, contractual decisions, and approvals. The Data Lake software will estimate delays, likely disagreements, and send out advance alerts using advanced analytics. Apart from speeding up decision-making, the system will also make it easier to make proper and timely decisions by predicting the financial consequences of various options based on historical data. Many conflicts will be avoided as a result of this.

The single most essential use for AI in construction is project management, which is the Achilles heel of practically every participant, regardless of size. Schedule optimizers may analyze historical data and assess tens of thousands of permutations to identify the best execution scheduling, which can lead to the most efficient usage of high-value construction equipment. One of India’s largest construction companies, for example, formerly used 25 graders on an airport construction project. It now employs only nine people because the project has been streamlined and controlled using technology, and the resources that have been freed up may be put to better use on other initiatives.