Inteligencia Artificial: Sí, cambia las reglas del juego de la construcción
Anirban Basu es Presidente y Consejero Delegado de Sage Policy Group y Economista Jefe del Modular Building Institute.
Esto es real
In 2023, the U.S. construction industry, valued at nearly $2 trillion, began embracing artificial intelligence (AI) in building construction to tackle several of its most pressing challenges. These include labor shortages, increasing efficiency, and enhancing worker safety.
Much like other sectors of the economy, AI is reshaping construction, revolutionizing how projects are planned and executed across the country. While it is obvious that AI in building construction cannot do certain things by itself, like laying bricks, paving roads, or shingling roofs, its impact stands to be both massive and positive. Specifically, by integrating AI into project management, safety monitoring, autonomous machinery, and supply chain operations, the industry is positioned to boost productivity while cutting costs. America needs that as resource availability dissipates and need expands. Projections estimate that AI’s footprint in construction will grow from a bit more than $200 million in 2023 to more than $1.1 billion by 2028.
Where it has been introduced, AI for building construction is already generating significant impact on project management and planning. In the U.S., approximately 75 percent of construction projects experience delays, typically extending timelines by approximately 20 percent. These delays are often caused by factors beyond contractors’ control, including unpredictable weather, hiring challenges, unanticipated subcontractor capacity limitations, or material supply issues. AI’s predictive capabilities help mitigate these disruptions by analyzing historical data and comparing it to current conditions. This proactive approach allows stakeholders to adjust schedules and reallocate resources as needed, reducing delays by up to 25 percent in certain instances.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is currently utilized in more than 60 percent of large-scale construction projects. AI-powered BIM enables teams to simulate the entire project lifecycle, reducing rework and enhancing design accuracy. Studies indicate that AI-enhanced BIM systems can reduce design errors by up to 40 percent. Additionally, real-time data analysis, combined with AI for building construction, helps track project progress and optimizes scheduling, cutting overall project time by 10 to 15 percent, allowing contractors to meet deadlines and stay under budget.
While that has obvious industry-wide implications, there are also implications at the microeconomic level. All things being equal, those contractors that strategize around AI and actually integrate it as fully as possible in product design and executions are likely to be more profitable, prestigious, enjoy greater pricing power for their services, and quickly acquire market share. But many contractors are likely to lack an AI for building construction strategy, in large measure because the technology can presently be characterized as esoteric and intimidating.
Hacia lugares de trabajo más seguros
Worker safety remains a critical concern in the construction industry, where risks are substantially higher than in other segments. Nearly 1,000 construction-related deaths occur annually in the U.S. Predictive safety models powered by AI in building construction analyze data from past incidents, taking into account environmental conditions and worker behavior to flag potential hazards. This proactive approach significantly reduces the risk of accidents, with industry estimates suggesting workplace accidents could decrease by as much as 25 percent.
También se están popularizando los wearables con IA, que controlan en tiempo real las constantes vitales y los niveles de fatiga de los trabajadores. Esto permite a los supervisores tomar decisiones con conocimiento de causa sobre la conveniencia de retirar a los trabajadores de sus tareas si corren el riesgo de lesionarse por agotamiento u otros factores. Pasha Ameli, asesor principal del Berkeley Research Group, señala: "Las herramientas de seguridad basadas en IA ayudan a reducir los accidentes relacionados con la fatiga, que se encuentran entre las principales causas de lesiones en el lugar de trabajo". La relevancia de la IA en este contexto se extiende mucho más allá de la construcción, abarcando a los departamentos de obras públicas y a quienes trabajan en diversos aspectos de las cadenas de suministro.
On projects associated with substantial scale, including large-scale public works, AI-powered drones provide aerial inspections, helping supervisors identify potential problems before they put workers or deadlines at risk. These drones ensure safety compliance and allow for real-time monitoring of hazardous areas. As AI in building construction advances, its ability to quickly detect and analyze risks makes projects safer while chiseling away unnecessary costs. By leveraging these tools, the construction industry is poised to make gigantic strides toward a safer, more efficient work environment, saving lives and reducing injury-related expenses in the process. Safer, more predictable work environments will also inure to the benefit of industry recruitment.
La necesidad es la madre de la invención o, en este caso, del cambio de procesos. La escasez de mano de obra y de personal cualificado ha llevado a muchos contratistas a adoptar soluciones basadas en IA, como maquinaria autónoma para realizar tareas repetitivas o peligrosas. En las obras ya se utilizan excavadoras, bulldozers y camiones controlados por IA, lo que reduce la necesidad de trabajadores que desempeñen funciones peligrosas y aumenta la productividad. Los estudios indican que la maquinaria autónoma podría reducir los costes laborales hasta un 30% en la próxima década.
La IA también está transformando la construcción robótica. Se están utilizando robots con IA para tareas como albañilería, vertido de hormigón y demolición. Estos robots ofrecen mayor precisión y velocidad que los métodos tradicionales, lo que permite terminar los proyectos más rápido y con menos errores. Atul Khanzode, Director de Tecnología de DPR Construction, subraya: "La IA y el aprendizaje automático ayudarán a automatizar los procesos que generan despilfarro, mejorando tanto la productividad como los resultados de los proyectos en los próximos cinco años."
When combined with 3D printing, AI in building construction presents a game-changing solution to the housing crisis. The technology enables the rapid construction of affordable homes with minimal waste, reducing building time by up to 60 percent and labor requirements by 70 percent. AI optimizes material use, automates design, and predicts potential construction challenges, ensuring efficient and sustainable projects. This technology allows for the creation of customizable, energy-efficient homes, addressing both cost and supply issues, particularly in regions facing severe housing shortages.
Última palabra
AI in building construction is also able to contribute to mitigating the types of problems that has characterized construction delivery during the pandemic and immediate aftermath. AI can forecast disruptions in materials and equipment delivery, enabling contractors to adjust orders and timelines accordingly. Critically, AI can monitor global supply chains and weather conditions, forming predictions that help construction companies avoid bottlenecks. This can be the difference between a happy client and an unhappy one; between a lawsuit and idle attorneys. As if all this were insufficient, AI can be and is used to analyze supplier performance based on pricing, delivery speed, and reliability, supporting more timely materials delivery at the most advantageous prices. In short, the AI revolution is real and not to be ignored.
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