Construction companies are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to efficiently manage the quality of projects and monitor the sites to ensure the safety of both workers and equipment.

Figure 1: AI adoption in construction field.

Figure 1 shows that Though AI adoption by construction firms is still at a nascent stage, industry executives said the technology has helped reduce wastage and pilferage of resources, track on-site visibility, and increase safety and efficiency.

To improve resource utilization, Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Tata Projects have turned to emerging technologies. “Our project sites, manufacturing bases, and more than 250,000 workers are now digitally connected,” said Anup Sahay, head, corporate strategy and special initiatives, L&T. [1]

AI has also led to faster turnaround time for transit mixers, which are used to mix cement etc., besides AI-enabled cameras are helping track workers who are not following proper safety protocols, such as wearing shoes, jackets, helmets and face shields. The cameras use computer vision technology to detect on-site aberrations and alert the project supervisors, Sahay said.

It is also important to know how many vehicles entered a construction site, and what raw materials were they carrying, which can help avoid pilferage and wastage, said Atul Rai, chief executive, Staqu, an AI solutions provider.

An AI-based software, Jarvis, to Tata Projects, allowing it to track the movement of vehicles and raw materials, besides workers’ safety. Image analytics using cameras monitor both vehicle types at construction zones, besides analyzing the materials.

L&T, too, has launched similar initiatives using technology to automate number plate recognition (ANPR) and vehicle detection models to receive materials at project sites without manual intervention. [2]

The cameras on site use facial recognition software to recognize workers, and keep a count of how many workers are being employed. Staqu is also in talks with two other construction companies to deploy Jarvis right now.

“Use of AI/ML is now coming in factory construction, or commercial building and commercial construction,” said G. Sundararaman, Wipro. Smaller construction companies are also showing interest in using these technologies since the pandemic.

“The project delays are enormous and there is no transparent digital record that can pinpoint the weaknesses. These new technologies will help in bringing in that level of accountability to organizations,” Sundararaman said. [3]

References:

1. https://techiai.com/smart-construction-ai-drives-on-site-safety-quality-lower-wastage/
2. https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/smart-construction-ai-drives-on-site-safety-quality-lower-wastage-11655227367639.html
3. https://www.techcircle.in/2022/06/14/construction-firms-turn-to-ai-cameras-software-to-track-projects-across-india

Cite this article:

Sri Vasagi K (2022), AI Drives a Vital Role in Smart Construction Field, AnaTechMaz, pp.120