Construction’s next big innovation is the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to collect and visualize data from construction sites to track productivity, project timelines, and anticipate and stay ahead of challenges, says Rawle Sawh, Lecturer for Columbia University’s Construction Administration M.S. program. In a recent blog post which he co-authored with Gilbane Building Company’s Vice President Peter Mulcahey, Sawh says that technological solutions won’t and shouldn’t end with 360° visuals of job sites; technology is now combining visuals with frequently-updated to help project managers make strategic decisions for near- and long-term milestones.
“We stay focused on delivering top quality from the moment we’re on a project, and that includes pre-construction. The delivery data that we’re collecting feeds directly back into our processes around estimation, procurement, requisitions and payments, which means we’ll continue to work smarter and guarantee a new level of accuracy across many of our functions. When we engage with a client, we want them to know that their investment is protected,” says Sawh, who is also the Director of VDC at Gilbane.
