ENR FutureTech: A Brief Recap

For those who didn't attend, here are a few things that you missed from ENR FutureTech this year:

Process Optimization is a Journey:

Several of the sessions from this year focused on the digital transformation of construction, from disparate/siloed workflows to a cohesive/integrated environment. Builders shared about why they started this journey, how they executed on their strategic visions, and what they hope to achieve next. Here are a few key points of what they shared:

• PERSPECTIVE: The process to achieve workflow efficiency varies from builder to builder, however, it will require the cooperative efforts of end-users and leadership groups. It is important to understand the incentives and values of each internal group in order to create the requisite buy-in. The messaging of any solution shouldn't be one-size-fits-all, but tailored towards the dominating personas and perspectives within the organization.
• TIME: Do not underestimate the time required to optimize any process. Construction is a complicated and fragmented industry. We all recognize that a "silver bullet" solution doesn't exist that will solve all your problems, however, even with the right solution, implementation and adoption takes time. Every builder will need to consider all the areas in which they work: project types, contract types, project delivery methodologies, project locations, jurisdictional requirements, owner requirements, etc. Understanding the nuance of your own company and how it operates is the first step in implementing any solution.
• BE SPECIFIC: Process optimization must always be specific. Goals should never include vague, immeasurable platitudes, such as "be better' or "waste less". It must always start with the problem, and it should be painfully specific.
• START WITH THE PROBLEM: Before looking at any process improvement or technology deployment, first identify the problem you're looking to solve. Or the value you're looking to capture. Once that is identified, THEN figure out what solutions can be deployed to solve for that problem or fulfill that value. Never deploy a solution without first doing the legwork of knowing your goals.
• VALIDATE, VALIDATE, VALIDATE: Once you arrive at your problem statement, validate this with process stakeholders. Once you find a solution, validate this with stakeholders and end-users. Once you deploy a solution, validate your results against your original hypothesis. Never make a decision in a vacuum - always validate your ideas against a larger audience of internal stakeholders.
• CASE STUDY: In ENR's first keynote, Ryan Companies US, Inc. demonstrated a 7-year journey for standardizing and optimizing project schedules. Their 5 steps for digital transformation included: Siloes (disparate software, standards and data), Transition (developing a standardized approach), Enhancement (defining benchmarks), Transparency (improving clarify and removing "gamification"), and Automation (can the processes be automated?). Be mindful of two things here: A) It took 7 years, and B) They had a regimented process for digitization - they weren't undergoing this blindly.

The Push for Robotics

Moreso in this conference than any other #contech conference I've attended (including previous gatherings of ENR FutureTechs), there was a strong emphasis placed on robotics. I've grown accustomed to robotics being represented as futuristic tools for the affluent builder in a one-off session here-or-there, however, there were several keynote and breakout sessions dedicated to robotic technology, making a strong case for the everyday builder.

• SPOT: Ryan Companies US, Inc. discussed their partnership with FieldAI for the Boston Dynamics Spot, which enabled autonomous site mapping and reality capture. In their business case about terrestrial reality capture (360 photos), leveraging robotics improved the time to capture (+96%), area of visual capture (+52%), and frequency of capture (+4,739%).
• DRONES: Skanska discussed their usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to perform safety and quality work on their behalf for large format projects - think high-rise or infrastructure work. For heavy civil (runways, roads, etc.), they deployed #drones to inspect sections of the project that would've normally required significant point-to-point travel for a superintendent. They also deployed drones to inspect building fa?ades where there was no scaffolding or effective line-of-sight from ground-level. Additionally, they leveraged infrared technology with drones to perform building envelope scans.
• DRONES (cont): AI Engineers, Inc. (structural, bridge engineers) presented on the topic of drones and artificial intelligence. In their case study about bridge inspections, the amount of human capital required to count, map, and identify the severity of cracks in a bridge from the ground or lift was virtually eliminated by using AI. Their partnership with AI solution, Aren , provided them the ability to visually scan, identify, and map these cracks in a fraction of the time - quantifying the scope/severity 1,300 structural cracks in a matter of moments.
• ROBOTICS FOR TRADEWORK: Admittedly, I didn't catch the entire session, however, OES Equipment discussed their deployment of Canvas , a robot that automates drywall finishing. What would normally require 5+ days to deliver Level 5 finishing for drywall, Canvas is executing in 2 days.
• ROBOTICS FOR LAYOUT: Outside of Spot, Dusty Robotics is becoming a household name in robotics. In addition to having a booth at the event, Dusty was put on display by Truebeck Construction , demonstrating how automated wall layout is improving efficiency and accuracy for construction operations.
• VITA: This might be better suited for another category, but for the sake of argument, I'll just add it here to "robotics". DPR Construction shared about their partnership with crane hardware/telematics company, Vita Industrial . In this case study, DPR was able to mitigate the impacts of congested jobsites and gusty wind conditions by using crane accessory, Vita. This hardware was built to navigate precarious jobsite and environmental conditions, allowing for simple, stable, and efficient pick-and-place crane activities

Bullish on AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) made its grand entrance on the conference stage. With the recent introduction of ChatGPT and similar consumer-facing products, builders and technology companies alike are leveraging this category of innovation to work smarter and faster within their respective construction organizations.

• AI FOR SAFETY: Austin Industries is leveraging #AI with their heavy equipment-mounted video cameras through their partnership with LivNSense GreenOps Private Limited . In their case study, whenever an equipment-mounted video camera witnesses a "dangerous construction situation" (as trained by their AI), the camera automatically records and immediately shares that visual information to senior safety officers. That information is then incorporated into their ongoing safety training and continuing education. The overarching result of this technology has been a heightened awareness and a marketable drop to near misses and safety incidents on active jobsites.
• AI FOR ROBOTS: As noted in earlier in the case study with Ryan Companies US, Inc. , FieldAI is deploying their AI engine into robotics. With FieldAI, no BIM model or data needs to be ingested in order for Spot to successfully navigate a project site. As Spot wanders around the site, it is mapping/indexing the visual data it receives, creating a 3D model of the site.
• AI FOR VISUAL INSPECTIONS: As noted earlier with AI Engineers, Inc. and Aren , AI was trained to detect, map, and identify the scope/severity of structural cracks in bridges. This allowed the engineers to reduce inspection times and focus their efforts on priority issues.
• AI FOR UNDERGROUND: I didn't attend this session, however, Exodigo and Charge EPC shared how they were finding, identifying, and mapping underground/hidden utilities with an expanding degree of comprehensiveness and accuracy using AI.
• AI FOR KNOWLEDGE SHARING: PCL Construction shared about their recent initiative involving Slate Technologies Inc. that included using AI to ingest "seas of internal, and external, dark data." By ingesting and indexing corporate data, formerly hidden and unactionable, PCL team members can now query information about project schedules, pursuits, policies (and more) to receive PCL-specific answers and insights through generative AI.

Making an Appearance

As always, there were alot of technology companies present. Here are a few that particularly grabbed my attention (in alphabetical order):

• Aren : AI intelligence for infrastructure
• Canvas : Robotics for drywall finishing
• Document Crunch : AI for contract review
• FieldAI : AI software for robotics
• Formant : Cloud platform for robotics
• LivNSense GreenOps Private Limited : AI for construction operations, including carbon and safety
• Slate Technologies Inc. : AI-enabled virtual assistant for construction
• Vita Industrial : Crane telematics that ensures stabilized lifting operations.

Special Thanks

And thank you to all the other construction innovators I met with this past week. Your compelling dialogue, vision, and thought leadership gives me all the confidence that construction has a bright future. Tim Gaylord Lucas Manos Jesse Jones Jennifer Suerth, LEED AP Kaushal Diwan Jacob R. Ankoor Amin Cutler Knupp Aaron Toppston Parker Mundt Jon Pahl Gene Hodge Misha Nikulin