Accelerating the Shift Toward Data-Led Construction Excellence

Shawn Phillips, Principal in Charge, Operations, WT Group AEC

I wrote this article five years ago but it got lost in the COVID shuffle of 2020! I believe it’s still relevant today with a few minor tweaks so, let’s ask the question, can technology save the construction industry? Has it already started? Is it fair to put the burden of 50 years of decreasing productivity on the shoulders of technology? In a word, yes! The assembly line revolutionized the auto industry. The McCormick Reaper revolutionized farming and, contrary to its name, the personal computer revolutionized business. The construction industry is one breakthrough away from dramatically increasing productivity.

Productivity is a function of the amount of goods or services produced per unit of time, so to truly increase productivity we must strive to find more efficient ways to produce as opposed to simply working more hours and putting more strain on our laborers. As with many other industries, a successful construction project depends on several people working in a variety of settings. Field operations are just the visible component, but much of the work happens in the office, or the job trailer. In all cases, technology presents us with a multitude of opportunities to improve.

The ability to conduct work online has been a game-changer for all business but we have only scratched the surface of what is possible in construction. Take for example cloud-sharing services. They have certainly reduced the amount of time it takes to transmit files from one office to another, but platforms like Autodesk Construction Cloud™ Cloud have taken it way beyond just transmitting files. They provide a way to share projects in real-time with outside offices so all team members are working on a live model at the same time. Cloud Sharing eliminates the need for robust servers and an over-dependence on network speed. The emphasis is now more on internet speed and bandwidth. Further, instead of holding weekly, day-long clash detection meetings, the software includes analytics that detect clashes as the models are loaded so they can be quickly remedied on the fly. Advancements like this have sped up the everyday process of design and construction, but what about work in the field?

We could start by saying that technology like Autodesk Construction Cloud™ Cloud have made it possible for project teams to review specific situations on a tablet or that Bluebeam has revolutionized the way project personnel manage their construction document sets…but let’s think bigger. Ask yourself, where does this data come from? How can we use it in a way that is truly revolutionary? Ahh, now we’re getting somewhere. Yes, those micro-solutions make the existing processes more efficient but to really take that quantum leap, the industry needs to start thinking big, as in Big Data. We need to start thinking about our acronyms like AI and IoT.

"Productivity is not just about making things but also how it’s done, the efficiency of the process, the well-being of the workers involved and the impact of the process on the environment."

Have you ever used the Starbucks app on your phone? Personally, I love how the minute I am in range of a store a notice pops up letting me know that the delicious Caramel Macchiato I just can’t live without is close by. Now imagine THAT technology applied to the construction field. Imagine an excavator about to dig a footing but an alarm goes off in the cab notifying her that, in fact, there is a gas line right below her. The alarm occurs because ten years earlier, when the line was installed, the contractors programmed its location into a mapping software that, together with the excavator’s built-in GPS, triangulates the position of the gas line and alerts the operator when she’s close. Besides improving worker safety, technology is coming online that can monitor that gas line, detect anomalies and drops in pressure, providing data that can quickly identify issues and tell us exactly where to look for them.

Combining data that is generated by the Internet of Things (IoT), survey data we collect from the field and other sources, can be interpreted through the analytical technology known as AI, or Artificial Intelligence, and used to maximize efficiencies. IoT has been revolutionary in and of itself over the last decade providing cities and facility owners with much needed information about utility issues, energy consumption and transit/traffic control. The concept of designing software that can interpret the data and automatically adjust system controls to maximize their efficiency could easily be applied to construction. When workers are busy going about their everyday assignments it’s easy to miss subtle changes that could signal a problem. Though the concept of AI may conjure up visions of machine uprisings, the reality is that AI can interpret changes in an environment that may predict a developing problem or help in determining the most efficient and safest way to install a large piece of equipment. Catching the signals early and either adjusting automatically or alerting the team of an impending emergency could be the difference between another productive day versus a tragedy.

Productivity is not just about making things but also how it’s done, the efficiency of the process, the well-being of the workers involved and the impact of the process on the environment. Technology such as Big Data, IoT, AI and the Cloud can and will increase productivity for the construction industry. It’s only a matter of time and the dedication of those who believe in it.