ALICE Technologies today announced that Takenaka Corporation – one of the five largest general contractors in Japan – has selected ALICE for use on a number of essential projects. ALICE Technologies’ construction optioneering platform helps general contractors worldwide to leverage the power of artificial intelligence to plan, bid, and build their large-scale infrastructure and commercial projects more efficiently and with reduced risk.

Since its founding in 1610, Takenaka has adhered to toryo (master builder) spirit, a spirit in which its team members are dedicated to building the best possible architectural works for its customers. The company has brought this commitment to quality to major projects worldwide, from the development of airport terminals to stadiums. Around 70 percent of Takenaka’s projects are design-build, an approach to construction that closely aligns the interests of the company with those of its customers.

Takenaka and ALICE first worked together on the development of One Bangkok, a major multi-use project in Bangkok, Thailand. One Bangkok combines hospitality, retail, art and cultural experiences, together with the city’s finest offices, hotels and residences. With the ALICE platform, Takenaka generated more than 300 different ways to build one of the project’s large mixed-user towers as it explored solutions that would reduce risk and drive efficiency. Not only was Takenaka able to de-risk the project by confirming its baseline schedule, it was also able to identify an opportunity to trim more than 30 days from its original schedule through the judicious use of overtime.

Building on its initial success with ALICE, Takenaka now plans to use the ALICE platform on key projects from preconstruction through project delivery. During preconstruction, Takenaka team members will use ALICE for “optioneering” – to explore the scenarios that make the most efficient use of project resources (labor, equipment, and materials) and to test the impact of changes in key variables on project outcomes. For example, a manager might use ALICE Precon to determine how the number of cranes, manpower, or the order in which zones are being worked on could affect the speed and cost of the project. The rigorous use of ALICE to create and test options will enable Takenaka to submit the best solution for the project. When it comes to the execution phase, Takenaka will then use ALICE Manage to control its project schedule and budget. If circumstances change – as they inevitably do on most construction projects – the Takenaka team can then use ALICE to quickly update project plans and recover from project delays.

“ALICE gives us an entirely new capability: to explore numerous potential ways to build a project before we ever break ground. We see many potential opportunities to put the ALICE platform to work and are pleased to be expanding our use with such an innovative partner,” said Takao Tamotsu, General Manager, Construction Planning, Asia Region, Takenaka Corporation.

“Across the globe, Takenaka is building the large-scale projects that are ideal for ALICE,” said ALICE Founder and CEO René Morkos. “Through smart application of generative construction and artificial intelligence, ALICE enables our customers to create and evaluate myriad construction options, and then to successfully deliver on their ideal construction plan. We’re confident that ALICE can have a big impact on this business and are looking forward to working with Takenaka to make construction optioneering a global operational advantage for the company.”