The construction industry generates more data than ever, but much of it is disorganized and not standardized, according to panelists at this year’s New York Build Conference, held March 12-13 at the Javits Center in New York City.
One of the key themes throughout the conference: While the construction industry produces enormous amounts of data, much of it remains siloed and inconsistent across projects.
Standardization is a challenge, leading to inefficiencies and lost time, said Charlie Portelli, digital innovation strategist at Perkins&Will, a Chicago-based global design firm.
“There’s data all around us, from our models, spreadsheets, contract documents, email communications, teams, chats, but it’s not really organized,” said Portelli. “If you don’t normalize it, you’re just going to get spotty gibberish.”
Many firms still struggle to turn raw data into actionable insights, said Satoshi Kiyono, a virtual design and construction project manager at Turner Construction, a New York City-based general contractor.
“Data is around us everywhere. Now, there’s also a lot of data that is not collected, it’s not digitized,” said Kiyono. “But if you start understanding what is that digital information and how you can connect that information — that’s good data. How do you start measuring and connecting data that is noise versus what is valuable?”
For starters, construction firms can start using AI to validate data, automate workflows and improve overall decision-making, according to panelists.
“You’re really talking about sharing data in a way that can inform decisions,” said Sheena Shook, director of business development at Modulus Consulting, a San Francisco-based construction consulting firm.
Onsite tools
While cleaning up the data that’s available is still an issue, advancements in robotics and reality capture tools are pushing innovation around jobsite efficiency and capturing data in the first place.
From mobile scanning to AI-driven site analysis, these tools are rapidly changing the way contractors monitor and execute projects, said Salvatore Cali Jr., deputy commissioner of public buildings at the New York City Department of Design and Construction.
“We go in with a 360 camera and we actually survey the entire facility and that will be used to document the current conditions. That is being done monthly,” said Cali. “It’s used for change orders, payment, progress and assists with scheduling. That’s something brand new that we just started.”
Boston Dynamics’ Spot, a robotic dog used for site capture and safety monitoring, is making construction jobs safer by taking on high-risk tasks, said Shook. The robodog automates progress tracking and inspects hazardous areas, according to the Waltham, Massachusetts-based robotics company.
Over time, tools like these will allow for easier data collection, said Cali. That will ultimately provide AI the framework to spot patterns.
Nevertheless, mass adoption remains a work in progress, said Benjamin Friedman, lead data scientist with DLR Group, an Omaha, Nebraska-based design firm. That’s because all stakeholders, from general contractors to field workers, need to not only introduce these tools, but stick with them over time.
“Build it, don’t buy it,” said Friedman. “Clean data is required [and] is very hard work. None of this is a ‘pull it off the shelf and it’s going to solve all your problems.’ AI does not work that way.”
