As the demand for infrastructure, commercial, and residential construction increases, technological innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) are quickly becoming critical. Especially for complex and larger-scale projects, the use of AI in the construction industry will soon be an industry norm.
Due to its dynamic usefulness, construction firms that play a significant role in building the world’s future infrastructure are increasing their adoption of (and funding for) innovative AI construction tools.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of using AI for construction, how it’s transforming the construction industry, and how ALICE, the world's only construction optioneering platform, can help you optimize your large and complex projects.
The benefits of AI in construction
The use of AI in construction not only increases accuracy, productivity, and efficiency through enhanced tracking and monitoring, but it also helps the industry overcome some of its most prominent issues, such as the persistent construction labor shortage, the common tendency of firms to exceed their predetermined budgets, and constant delays in project progress.
Changing circumstances are a regular occurrence in the industry. An AI-driven system that tracks, monitors, and accounts for these adjustments can help users identify risk, maximize value, and discover new ways to optimize construction processes and operations throughout the project’s life cycle.
AI-driven technology also provides project managers with deeper insight into important changes and outstanding issues, so they can proactively address them without losing valuable time.
Project stakeholders benefit in many ways from implementing AI in construction. The following are just a few of the highlights.
Overrun prevention
No matter how qualified or talented the team, most large projects significantly exceed cost and time budgets.
Artificial intelligence in construction can forecast (and therefore help prevent) overruns based on a project’s size and contract type. It may also help with training by providing easy and remote access to systems and materials, speeding up the time it takes to onboard labor.
Greater risk mitigation
Safety hazards, quality issues, time compromises, and excessive costs are daily challenges for any construction site. Larger projects are exposed to even higher levels of risk—and that exposure increases exponentially, as additional teams and subcontractors are added to the mix. Consolidating planning and oversight of construction’s many moving parts into one unified platform can help manage and mitigate risk.
Some AI platforms can assess detailed site-specific requirements and parameters, indexing them against historical data, downtime, weather patterns, and more to identify risks early during planning. Reviewing this data provides project managers with the insight they need to proactively address potential issues during the planning and preconstruction phase.
The best AI-powered platforms also help project teams prioritize risk effectively, and use this data to develop a solid project recovery plan.
Better project planning
Project planning plays a major role in ensuring that construction projects are delivered on time and within budget. Leveraging AI in construction for project planning can be helpful for streamlining the creation of a realistic construction timeline, as well as simulating the best possible options and outcomes, based on available resources and other relevant data.
It can also optimize onsite application and the use of resources, and provide project managers with accurate, up-to-date insight on changes occurring throughout the project, supporting preparedness for any possible contingencies.
Platforms like ALICE help general contractors create ideal construction schedules in record time, by streamlining all of the phases of the construction planning process. ALICE not only allows you to proactively manage construction timelines and stay on top of daily progression, but it can help you prepare for the unexpected. Analyze changing conditions in real-time, and adopt the best course of action for your current state.
How are AI construction tools transforming the industry?
Though there are countless ways in which AI construction tools are transforming the industry, these are a few we find noteworthy.
Optimized resource utilization
Bigger projects often result in substantial waste. Accurately calculating how many resources are needed (and where) with AI designed for construction can help cut back on waste, potentially changing how the industry operates.
The best AI-powered systems assist with resource allocation and waste reduction by simply having you input the project’s available resources, and then tracking that information in a unified platform.
ALICE is a great example of AI designed for construction efficiency, as ALICE optimizes resource management, reducing waste by efficiently organizing labor, equipment, and materials. It then generates a detailed, resource-loaded schedule that allows project managers to follow along, and adjust as needed.
Improved collaboration with BIM
AI platforms that leverage Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology benefit from enhanced communication and teamwork.
BIM is an inherently collaborative process that integrates data from multiple sources (such as architects, engineers, and electricians) to generate 3D models that assist professionals in planning, designing, and managing projects.
AI construction software that leverages BIM allows firms to explore possibilities while avoiding a common (and expensive) issue: duplicate or clashing work, which requires rework and can result in wasted resources.
Improved collaboration also streamlines project completion—which, in the larger picture, helps the construction industry shift perceptions and outlooks on industry productivity.
Easier progress tracking
Effective AI software for construction simplifies progress tracking, providing real-time updates on progression by measuring advancements against a project’s planned and projected timeline. This is especially useful for project managers who need to monitor larger projects, which tend to have many milestones.
Insights should include financial and budgeting information, whether the project is on schedule and adhering to the project’s timeline, and risk identification. This helps GCs and their project managers decide whether or not risks can be avoided, prevented, or otherwise mitigated.
ALICE, the world’s best AI-powered platform
Considering its many benefits, it’s clear that artificial intelligence in construction is here to stay. Digitizing construction has the potential to positively impact and revolutionize the industry.
When it comes to AI-powered construction technologies, ALICE is the world’s first and best optioneering platform for construction project simulation and resource optimization.
ALICE helps you plan, develop, design, and schedule projects faster than ever—harnessing the power of AI to digitize and unify physical construction with powerful BIM, and simple block and logic diagrams, GCs and project managers can easily create a construction plan by inputting rules and parameters into the system. ALICE then analyzes millions of possible pathways forward, providing you with the best possible strategies and scenarios for building.
With AI-powered modeling and calculation, ALICE analyzes the time and cost impact of different possibilities, so you can select the best option available for your project, and spend more time focusing on what’s important.
Unsure about the plan proposed to you? No problem! You can always explore and compare ALICE’s results, by adjusting parameters manually to view the outcome.
Curious about the transformative impact of AI in construction? Book a demo today, and see ALICE in action!