Many commercial construction sites naturally produce data.
Equipment is moved from one worksite to another, materials arrive in shipments, and project timelines dictate the rhythm of work.
However, collecting data does not always contribute meaningful information to a commercial construction project.
Workers and managers need accessible and interpretable data that can guide the operations on site, and artificial intelligence can assist in that process.
What Is AIoT?
In general, artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) refers to the connection between the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
IoT devices generally refer to physical objects that contain sensors or other data collection mechanisms.
These collect and relay information through software systems and connected services such as RFID tags and beacons, GPS positioning, and camera surveillance.
AI typically involves algorithms that analyze information, detect anomalies, recognize patterns, and provide other insights.
In the context of commercial construction, IoT and AI can work in tandem to track equipment, manage and organize materials, observe general progress, and potentially detect issues or inconsistencies in the workflow.
Essentially, IoT enables an interconnected ecosystem while AI assists in analyzing this information to generate actionable insights.
How Does AIoT Work in General?
For the purposes of discussion, consider a general scenario in which a construction company invests in several pieces of heavy commercial equipment.
An AIoT system would allow for the collection and analysis of information pertaining to their general whereabouts and utilization.
The process would usually involve the following steps.
First, data is collected from sensors, beacons, cameras, or other IoT devices.
This information is then transmitted, usually through an available network, to an edge computing system. Edge computing generally refers to data processing that occurs closer to the source rather than a distant server.
After that, the software system identifies discrepancies, analyzes the information, flags issues, and generates alerts.
Finally, the identified problems are brought to the attention of human operators who can confirm and address them.
Using the example of commercial construction equipment, an alert would be issued if a particular machine was not utilized on a certain day or during specific hours.
This might be because the equipment was waiting for repairs, or it was determined to be unneeded for the day’s work.
This information, combined with work schedules and utilization data, could help to determine whether this is an issue and what it might need.
With that in mind, here are a few of the key applications for AIoT in commercial construction work.
4 Applications for AIoT in the Office and Jobsite
Equipment Usage
Commercial construction equipment can be expensive and difficult to acquire.
Moreover, there are often various tools and machines, and they may be utilized at a different rate.
In certain cases, equipment tracking might show that a particular tool sees excessive idle time or is regularly tied up, precluding its utilization at other parts of the worksite.
Analytics and AI can help recognize patterns in equipment usage and enable informed management decisions.
Visibility into Materials and Inventory
Materials are often at the center of commercial construction work and are required to complete a project.
A shortage of certain parts or supplies can delay an entire operation, or materials might not be appropriately organized or stored.
In addition, inventory might fluctuate throughout the course of a project depending on the stage it is in.
Therefore, AIoT’s potential to assist in organizing and navigating inventory needs is very attractive.
This likely goes hand-in-hand with maintaining good material records and practices across the different aspects of a project.
Tracking General Progress and Possible Delays
There are several interrelated threads to commercial construction in that progress at all stages needs to be considered.
For instance, deliveries of materials can enable certain aspects of the work, the preparation or allocation of equipment can be affected by delays, or an installation might require permits.
In theory, one of the applications for AIoT in commercial construction is that it might help tie these operations together by assisting in anticipating and detecting delays.
If a particular stage requires another element to be completed, AIoT can flag when or if that condition can occur.
In another instance, an analytic system might be able to recognize that certain equipment has not arrived yet to make a specific part of construction possible.
This system will likely not completely eliminate delays; however, it provides information that can guide further decisions at a manager’s discretion.
Assist in Workforce Organization and Access
In many cases, commercial construction involves multiple companies or contractors working at the same time.
These are generally contracted for specific tasks, areas, or parts of a larger project.
Digital access systems and records might be able to help coordinate and organize workers and enable them to recognize problems, such as when authorization or the necessary resources are not given.
The use of AIoT technologies in this instance could optimize general organization at the jobsite.
However, such a system would necessarily provide privacy and the ability to restrict or modify access and would need to be sensitive to both rules and regulations as well as general sensibilities regarding personal information.
Difference Between AIoT and “Regular” IoT
At its simplest, IoT refers to interconnected devices, while AIoT refers to IoT with the added aspect of analytics.
Therefore, regular IoT is primarily about collecting and transmitting data, while AIoT also analyzes it to recognize patterns and identify problems.
This can be likened to IoT indicating that something went wrong, while AIoT has the ability to recognize that something did go wrong.
However, there are also situations in which a basic analytics system or even one based on specific rules might be more cost-effective, straightforward, and accessible.
The choice of which system to utilize ultimately depends on the situation, scope of work, and other factors.
Issues to Consider Prior to Implementation
Beyond the question of whether IoT in construction will provide a benefit, it is necessary to carefully consider what options are available.
A few of the possible issues to evaluate include general compatibility, connectivity, and data quality, security, and privacy, adoption and interpretation, costs and measurement, and related concerns.
IoT and AIoT both require hardware that can collect or convey information, and not all options may be compatible with or useful for an application.
Likewise, IoT applications are generally only viable on sites in which there is some degree of connectivity, and data quality can be an issue if there are missing or questionable entries.
Security and privacy should be of particular concern in the context of construction projects; the use of such systems should entail appropriate safeguards.
Beyond that, employees and operations will need to understand how this technology affects their work, and an appropriate business plan and system should be in place.
The benefits should definitely justify the expenditure and any other commitments.
How Can Construction Tech Experts Get Started?
One viable method is to choose a problem space to test at an appropriate scale.
While it might be ideal to optimize all possible applications simultaneously or at least at the same general time, there is more practical starting points.
Select one area of concern or interest and determine the current state of operations.
Decide what technology is most appropriate for the task and establish general expectations.
Choose a course of action, and evaluate results by comparing a test period with the prior performance.
Then, based on observations, consider if and how this might be applicable on a wider scale.
For example, a company may be concerned with excessive amounts of underutilized equipment.
It can set up tracking and analytics systems, assess overall utilization per specific tool, and determine whether certain items should be restricted, limited, or replaced based on the findings.
Summary: AIoT for Construction Projects
Commercial construction projects have a variety of data-driven applications in the fields of equipment tracking, material or inventory usage, and other areas of organization and planning.
The use of AIoT enables organizations to connect aspects of construction and optimize them.
However, AIoT is not necessarily definitive; in other instances, a simpler analytics system or a specific rule-based system might be more appropriate.
Finally, while artificial intelligence can potentially benefit a broad variety of applications, the most compelling areas of interest should be selected first.
For this question, readers are invited to share their thoughts and identify the area of more concern: equipment tracking, materials, project delays, or other factors, or the integration of these elements in combination.
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