'Disperse’s hybrid human-AI model is a great example of how AI can be used most effectively in construction to build “faster, cheaper, and better,” without sacrificing the deep human expertise that is so essential to any human endeavor.'
The word Innovation seems to be at the forefront of many business conversations these days, but how are we really transforming and advancing the way we operate as a company? In construction, we are frequently being pitched with tech-based solutions that promise to advance our operations.
Mace has become the latest contractor to adopt an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered issue detection system which tracks onsite progress. The move comes after construction tech start-up Disperse piloted its product concurrently with Canary Wharf Contractors (CWCL) and Kier.
The industry has a bad name when it comes to adopting new tech, but as far as Disperse’s Felix Neufeld is concerned, that isn’t fair. Felix Neufeld, CEO of AI specialist Disperse, whose digital tools have recently been used by Mace at One Crown Place, has found construction a great environment for tech startups.
Artificial intelligence can save hours of leg-work on big projects, as Canary Wharf Contractors has found. Lisa Russell reports. Popping out of the site office to check a detail isn't a two minute job when the building you're working on is tens of storeys high.
It’s important we examine the basis of key construction challenges, writes Disperse. It’s time to take a deeper and more comprehensive look at construction’s productivity challenges.
Felix Neufeld is founder and CEO at Disperse, in this feature for UKCO, he writes about the Coronavirus pandemic, and what it means for the construction industry, and the green shoots coming through the pandemic.
Better risk management, legal compliance and increased project efficiency are among the gains Sir Robert McAlpine is enjoying from a range of digital tools rolled out by the contractor over the last two years.
Work was already underway on Lodha’s No 1 Grosvenor Square flagship project when the lockdown and then social distancing added to the normal construction challenges. • Client: Lodha • Main Contractor: Mace • Balancing the many requirements of a building project – cash flow, cost, quality, and timelines – is always a significant challenge for project leadership. The Covid-19 pandemic made the balancing act even more intense, costing projects valuable time at the start of lockdown and requiring adjustments to ensure the health and safety of all personnel on site as production restarted.
Being able to harness the power of digital tools is vital to a project’s success, these finalists have all shown the way in which technology can be used as a powerful force for good.
This year’s finalists in the Best Use of Technology category are testament to the huge impact and transformative effect technology is having on the construction industry.
London-based Disperse uses AI to improve the workflow of construction sites. Disperse captures on-site visuals through a 360-degree camera and helps project managers spot issues before they escalate. The Disperse platform essentially creates what it calls a “digital twin” of a construction site by combining schedules, 3D models, drawings, and weekly snapshots captured on-site.
The COVID-19 outbreak is disrupting our industry and there is uncertainty ahead for all of us across construction. The keys to getting through this crisis will lie in our willingness to work together: now more than ever, we need to learn quickly from one another, focus on what we can actually control, and prioritise ruthlessly to take decisive action. There are choppy waters ahead and we need to navigate them together.
At Mace this stuff is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s embedded across our business: from our design teams using generative tools to speed up the delivery of design for major Government clients, to our site teams using digital tools such as Disperse to precisely measure the actual delivery of construction on complex and challenging sites across London.
