Catching the wave of design automation

Design technology has changed a lot in the construction industry since I began working on the masterplan for Delhi Airport in 2006, my first project at Mott MacDonald . Advances in automation are replacing repetitive tasks and freeing up time for designers and engineers to focus on high-skilled work that uses their mind power and creativity.

Back in 2006, things were different. One of my tasks on the Delhi Airport masterplan was to check that all the drawings and reports we produced incorporated the latest changes and that different versions tallied. I remember thinking there must be a better way than doing this manually – and there is.

If you visit any of our offices today and walk through our #DigitalHub, you will witness the miracles of modern technology in engineering solutions. On one screen you will come across automated embodied carbon calculations, on another screen you’ll see a bridge simulation.

By automating repetitive tasks, we can not only reduce hours of effort to a few minutes, we can lower the chance of manual errors. This creates opportunities for massive time and cost savings in the design of airports, metros, hospitals and other vital infrastructure.

Standardising processes and ways of working is also improving quality control, ensuring the same outcome no matter who is carrying out the task. This is helping new recruits to gain confidence working on projects within clearly defined parameters without being afraid of making the wrong decisions.

Automation in metro design

Our global design services team recently completed an exciting project to identify where process automation can be applied when designing any metro station, anywhere around the world.

The starting point was to document every design process involved in a generic metro station, which included 14 engineering disciplines. The next step was to create a visual map connecting all the steps together. Then it was easy to identify repetitive processes that could be automated and other processes, which could not.

Beyond BIM and Digital twins

The next step for BIM is to move it into the fourth dimension i.e. time. Before the construction process starts on site, a digital rehearsal of the construction process can be programmed to mitigate unforeseen circumstances that may cause delays. It has the added advantage of increasing safety at the site too. Hence, by linking the BIM model with the primavera/Microsoft project schedule we can simulate a visual construction sequencing which can be seen over a timeline video.

Digital twins are the new buzzwords in the industry. It is the connection of a physical asset with its digital representation using sensors, which use a backend algorithm to send alerts via SMS or through a dashboard at defined scenarios. Some examples are: sensors inside a building that can record indoor conditions, cameras that can record or sense human presence in space. The data stream is crunched by algorithms on a smart infrastructure platform and the real-time scenario is made accessible for relevant authorities. Many such applications can be useful to manage assets or sites. One such application which we are pioneering is detecting the use of personal protective equipment at sites to ensure the safety of construction workers.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)

We have made tremendous progress in harnessing the ability of AI/ML to create scalable and adaptable solutions using computer vision for services that required the presence of an on-site engineer for inspection. We use datasets from previous inspections and train a model to recognise any pattern or configuration in an automated manner for large amounts of data in a real-time scenario. This saves time and money and, allowed inspections to continue through cameras mounted on sites even during the peak of the pandemic when movement was restricted due to lockdowns. We have developed these solutions for road and bridge inspections as well as for ecology projects. Other uses of AI/ML include the ability for predictive analysis and scenario forecasting using the power of past data and advanced analytics.

We continue to lead the design, construction and operations of built assets by accelerating the pace of digital transformation and adding benefits of cutting-edge technology to our rich legacy of proven solutions.

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