Published December 11, 2024
Artificial Intelligence seems to be finding its way into every aspect of life. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s already widely used in the construction industry.However, while AI’s potential impact on the jobsite is dramatic, it provides the most benefit today through software used for engineering, architecture and back-office functions.
Further, large companies tend to be the early adopters of these tools. Smaller builders and subcontractors may struggle to achieve the early benefits of AI for a few reasons, including:
Cost: The tools that incorporate AI can be expensive. Smaller outfits may struggle with the up-front cost and may not have the volume of work needed to achieve a reasonable rate of return on such an investment.
Expertise: Implementing AI technology and getting the most out of it often requires technical expertise that small companies don’t have in-house.
Change management: Integrating AI technologies with existing business processes, paperwork and workflows may take more time and cause more disruption than owners of small businesses are prepared to undertake.
With that said, it takes time and lots of trial-and-error before any new technology finds its rightful place in our lives – and still more work before it becomes simple enough for people to use without specialized knowledge.
So it seems likely AI’s presence in construction will only grow over time as it becomes better, cheaper, simpler and more familiar.
Here are some ways AI is already at work in construction, and some that are still more developmental.
Design and Planning
Established design and engineering tools like Autodesk and Rhino are using generative AI to help create designs built around such parameters as desired materials, structural requirements and environmental conditions.
AI is also essential to Building Information Modeling (BIM) systems, sophisticated software used to create three-dimensional virtual models of projects that incorporate details from drawings, schematics diagrams and other documentation to improve collaboration around planning, scheduling and sequencing, material sourcing and logistics; and upon completion can be used to support building repair and maintenance. Examples include Autodesk Construction Cloud, Plannerly, Trimble and Revizto.
Estimating, Bidding and Takeoff
The most accessible application off AI for smaller builders and contractors may be the category of construction project management software. These tend to be integrated software platforms like Monday, with modules for estimating, bidding, takeoff, sequencing, managing change orders, budget tracking and other essential functions.
AI is deployed through chatbots and drag-and-drop tools that allow users to ask questions and receive insightful answers based on collected data. It can do things like review project data to predict potential delays and recommend sequencing changes to keep projects on schedule.
Some of these tools, like Buildertrend, are designed and priced specifically to serve smaller companies.
Togal.AI is an example of collaborative estimating software that uses AI to scan electronic files of architectural plans to automatically detect, measure, compare and label project spaces – promising faster and more accurate takeoff planning and material ordering. KREO claims its project management and estimating platform includes AI-supported predictive maintenance for heavy equipment to avoid delays from unscheduled downtime.
Site Safety and Monitoring
AI-driven safety systems like Openspace and Procore’s jobsite safety app use computer vision to analyze images from workers, drones and mounted cameras – helping to detect potential safety hazards on construction sites, such as workers who aren’t wearing proper safety gear, or areas that have inadequate safety barriers.
Artificial intelligence also promises to change the nature of PPE – though it’s happening at a slower pace.
What was once passive protection, like a hard hat, can now be activated with sensors to monitor heart rate and body temperature, and provide health alerts and fall detection and reporting. Most of the products today that are marketed as “smart helmets” are simpler devices. They can be equipped with helpful safety add-ons like cameras, lights, Bluetooth ear protection and cooling fans, but those fully connected Internet-of-Things helmets remain impractically expensive for most laborers to buy for themselves.
Other categories of internet-connected safety equipment are vests, glasses and even connected work boots with pressure sensors to detect dangerous movements and falls. As with smart helmets, these technologies already exist but have yet to achieve widespread distribution.
Construction Robotics
AI-powered tools are already in wide use for surveying, site mapping and layout. These include AI-supported drones and three-dimensional laser scanning. Jobsite layout printers, such as those from HP and Dusty Robotics, can print construction layouts for multiple trades on a concrete slab 10 times faster than with traditional methods, according to promotional literature.
Another application that’s already in practical use is cobotic assistance for heavy jobs like bricklaying and concrete pouring. These collaborative robots, or cobots, are designed to work safely in close proximity with humans to reduce repetitive motion, fatigue and lifting heavy materials. Examples include Mule from Construction Robotics, a commercially available lift-assist device with a rotating arm that a worker can use to grab heavy materials and place them precisely where needed without muscle strain. The company claims it can cut production time by up to two-thirds, while reducing fatigue and injury.
The same company offers a robotic bricklaying system. Operated by a skilled mason, it can apply mortar and place bricks along a straight course at up to five times the speed of a person.
Autonomous Vehicles
Self-driving machinery, such as bulldozers, excavators and cranes, use AI to navigate and perform tasks with minimal human input, increasing precision, reducing labor costs and mitigating safety risks. A range of such equipment is under various stages of development from large manufacturers. In July 2024, Komatsu announced that it had 750 autonomous hauling trucks in operation around the world for the surface mining industry. In 2022, Chinese manufacturer Shantui claimed credit for the first fully autonomous bulldozer. But so far, in construction, fully robotic vehicles remain largely experimental.
Software like Samsara’s construction fleet management tool provide visibility of all vehicles in a company’s construction fleet, and tap AI to prevent theft, provide predictive maintenance instructions, and collect data for use in functions like mapping progress and billing. Such software is being adopted faster than autonomous vehicles for the obvious reason that it doesn’t put tons of unmanned steel in motion at a crowded job site.
Note: The references to brands and products in this article do not represent endorsements or assurances of their performance, and Best Supply does not stand to benefit financially or otherwise from mentioning them.
Give Our Human Intelligence a Test Drive
Our mission is to provide unsurpassed customer service, product offering and competitive pricing. Let us help you specify the materials for your next job and deliver them exactly where and when you need them. Request a quote today.