Why the construction industry can build on Autodesk’s AI

Governments across Latin America are increasingly requiring the use of building modeling technologies for projects that are put out to tender in order to collect more information and reduce risks.

These technologies have advanced significantly, but more work is needed to integrate data throughout the construction value chain and facilitate decision-making aimed at increasing efficiency.

On the sidelines of the Santex Week event in Argentina, Ivana Kermen, technical sales specialist team leader at engineering software company Autodesk, talks to BNamericas about how AI can support the construction industry.

BNamericas: How is digitization in the construction industry progressing?

Kermen: Metrics indicate that construction is behind in technology adoption, as seen in Latin America and around the world. But today we see there is progress, construction is adapting…. Although there’s still a long way to go, the cloud and technologies are increasingly being used, so construction isn’t quite so disconnected from design.

BNamericas: Where is it most advanced?

Kermen: A lot of progress has been made regarding BIM [building information modeling].

Today, digitization is the fundamental piece of this; being able to have digital twins, being able to build virtually before real construction accelerates the decision-making process.

The challenge is to be able to change the mindset and make companies understand that, if they want to be competitive, they have to adopt technology and new processes. We can’t build in the same way we have been doing.

On the other hand, cloud and digitization mean that we’re constantly generating data. But it’s communication, how is it being done today? If there are seven different paths, it’s inefficient; if you have to make three phone calls, it’s inefficient.

So, today we’re working on this concept of a common data environment. Autodesk has a platform called Autodesk Construction Cloud, which unifies this and eliminates information silos, which is the great challenge to centralize data and share it. In the not-so-distant future, this data will be analyzed with artificial intelligence.

BNamericas: And how is adoption going in Latin America?

Kermen: In Latin America, there’s a significant trend of adoption. One of the first countries to begin adopting this was Chile, which, if I’m not mistaken, announced in 2015 that by 2020 all projects put out to tender had to incorporate this BIM methodology and comply with certain standards and information in order to be approved. That paved the way.

Then Argentina, Mexico and Brazil followed suit. Today, Peru is also adopting this process and technology.

Here in Argentina, all associations and companies related to the construction industry are making this shift. But it’s a path, it’s still a period of transition.

BNamericas: How do you see regulation generally in the region?

Kermen: It was a long road to be able to convey the awareness that this [technology] makes you more transparent and efficient regarding public budgets. Public regulations were achieved that help make this easier to navigate.

Today, Colombia has adopted a BIM methodology for infrastructure projects such as subways, trains and rail lines. In Argentina, the BIM methodology is also being requested a lot. In San Juan, in Mendoza, large-scale public projects such as schools, hospitals and other infrastructure projects such as roads are requesting this methodology.

BIM isn’t associated with a brand but with a methodology and a way of delivering information that makes the project more efficient.

Today, when a project client, whether public or private, requests this information, it helps not only in construction but also throughout operation and maintenance.

If you start involving those who will be part of the project at an early stage, you will gain efficiency, time and costs. In addition, uncertainties are reduced and risks are eliminated.

BNamericas: Is the halt of public works due to federal austerity measures affecting business?

Kermen: There’s no direct impact. Our clients are looking at where they’re going, and for us it’s an opportunity to get closer, to see what their challenges are and where they can be more efficient and competitive.

There isn’t really a direct impact on us. Our clients do have our support to be able to overcome these types of situations.

BNamericas: How do you plan to advance and how will you involve artificial intelligence?

Kermen: Autodesk’s vision of artificial intelligence is to be able to optimize all developments. What does that mean? That [AI] can be an assistant that can optimize the reading of data and not have to spend so much time with a professional collecting and analyzing data.

Artificial intelligence can be that assistant that allows data analysis to be done to make better-informed decisions.

Finally, it’s attracting most attention in testing, to what extent artificial intelligence can help. Autodesk has a team working on projects where artificial intelligence can be a modeling assistant.

Work is being done to create a model, a first base of what you want to build with artificial intelligence, based on an instruction. It’s not something that is being integrated yet, but there is a team thinking about it and looking for alternatives so that technology can be an ally in the processes in search of efficiency.