Contractors tout tech as AI arms race continues

Dive Temporary:

• As synthetic intelligence continues to realize prominence within the building world, two massive builders are touting their new options as efficient instruments of the commerce.
• Granite Building and Skanska have shared in-house instruments that the constructing companies are making use of to present jobs, generally known as Asphalt Guru and Security Sidekick, respectively.
• Watsonville, California-based Granite’s Asphalt Guru is an artificial intelligence learning platform. Swedish builder Skanska introduced the launch of its Security Sidekick utility, an AI-powered assistant designed to remodel job website security, in keeping with an April 24 news release.

Dive Perception:

The rollouts mark a continuation of a broader pattern throughout the constructing trade since AI entered the world stage slightly over two and a half years in the past — contractors are searching for methods so as to add AI to their workflows, and hope to capitalize on the tech with a purpose to gain an edge over the competition.

As AI turns into extra extensively used and bucks its fringe standing, that edge can result in tangible, publicized advantages. Granite, for instance, just lately took house the Innovator of the 12 months award from the Related Basic Contractors’ annual convention for its use of its Asphalt Guru platform.

Asphalt Guru makes use of 900 pages of interview transcripts and 1000’s of paperwork, mixed with exterior information like OSHA accidents, DOT requirements and trade articles, to assist practice its asphalt paving group, in keeping with the information launch. Greater than 400 Granite staff have already used the platform, which has answered greater than 1,000 questions, per the information launch.

“It’s an honor to be acknowledged for a instrument that preserves the experience of our paving professionals,” mentioned Daniel Mekis, Granite CI challenge supervisor, within the information launch.

It’s now built-in into the corporate’s Asphalt Fundamentals E-Studying program, and obtainable by way of cellular units within the discipline.

On Skanska’s aspect, Security Sidekick serves as a digital companion for staff and leaders at each stage by consolidating Skanska’s EHS Guide, OSHA building requirements and supplemental security documentation into one streamlined, simply accessible useful resource obtainable on each cellular and desktop platforms. 

A extra basic variation of the tech, recognized solely as Sidekick, has been in use at Skanska since December 2023. The Security Sidekick falls beneath the builder’s suite of Skilled Sidekicks, that are instruments constructed with particular info for every goal.

“These instruments empower our individuals to show information – together with our enterprise data – into actionable insights that higher assist our challenge groups and ship extra worth to our prospects,” mentioned Anita Nelson, chief technique officer at Skanska USA Constructing, within the information launch.