“Artificial intelligence (AI) will become a key component of collaboration and continuous improvement in construction,” Heather Pettijohn, knowledge manager at Barton Malow, told attendees at the March 6 virtual conference "AI Excellence in Construction.” She was part of a panel whose session, "Construction Field and Project Use Case for AI," examined the most impactful elements of AI in construction and where it might be going. 

At Barton Malow, they are handling the adoption of AI using an approach of “plan, do, act, check." AI allows Barton Malow to analyze the volume of information they collect, including materials and cost schedules, to expose similarities and allow for cross-examination of like projects, Pettijohn said. 

She added, "We continue to improve our decision-making confidence" by helping our team members connect with pertinent information and “our internal network of individuals” who have similar experience based on team member resumes and the attributes of the jobs they've worked on in the past and where they are currently. 

The hope is that utilizing AI this way will help Barton Malow to be more flexible and proactive when developing and implementing construction projects. They hope that future completed projects will look more like a "list of acceptable outcomes" based on leveraging data creatively rather than the result of relying on passive standard practices and being strictly prescriptive about how individual project teams manage their projects. They also hope to use AI to tap into unique opportunities to advance the efficiency and efficacy of projects.

We are seeing a rapid rise in AI automation tools. For example, Microsoft Power Automate automates tasks and lists of contacts with a scope-of-work package. AI is also already helping in more menial areas, such as taking meeting minutes. It can summarize meeting minutes and provide generally effective "to-do" items, she said.

“These are really exciting times for some of the more manual and labor-intensive tasks to be simplified,” Pettijohn stressed.

“We’re leaning into AI for efficient decision-making, aiming to be the industry’s best and consistently meet our clients' expectations,” Zach Noonan, superintendent, Hourigan, told attendees.  

Hourigan has been compiling and centralizing data previously "scattered all over the place" and leveraging AI to make more informed decisions. "We want to utilize the power of AI," he added. "Right now, we're in the process of building a database," Noonan said.

"We want to bring in AI smartly," he said, not in a hodgepodge manner just to plug holes. "If you don't do a lot of homework and vetting," the payoff is much less. Hourigan expects to have a better idea over the next two to three years about how AI will ultimately improve efficiencies and make operations more cohesive. 
Other panelists echoed a generally bullish view of AI’s future impact on the construction industry. 

“The estimator’s future is bright with AI, offering opportunities for growth and innovation,” said Kyle Bonde, senior estimator with Hensel Phelps. 

"While AI may not change every aspect of our lives, it will improve the way we inform ourselves and answer the questions of others by allowing us to stand on the shoulders of the giants in our industry," said Tyler Hatton, project manager at Barton Malow.