CI Blog

It’s time to stop asking how AI is or will be used in the design and construction industry. The
answer is that AI is already ubiquitous. AI is embedded in work in systems we use every day -
Google maps, digital voice assistants, online search engines, anti-spam filters and anti-virus
software, to name a few. According to Vantage Market Research, the global “AI in Construction
Market” was valued at $594.6 Million in 2022 and is projected to reach a value of $ 4.9 billion by
2030.

As a tool, AI allows us to collect and analyze data much more rapidly, which reduces error,
increases efficiency, enhances our ability to make good decisions and frees us up to perform tasks
requiring creativity and ingenuity.

If you ask BARD (Google’s conversational AI) to tell you what tasks AI is best suited for in the
design and construction industry, here’s what it will tell you. (1) Automating repetitive tasks like
scheduling, planning, and inventory management. (2) Improving safety on construction sites by
detecting potential hazards, monitoring workers' health and fatigue levels, and to providing real-
time alerts if there is a risk of injury. (3) Optimizing the use of materials and resources on
construction sites. For example, AI can be used to predict the demand for materials, to optimize
the routing of deliveries, and to track the use of materials throughout the construction process. (4)
Improving quality control by detecting defects in materials and workmanship and monitoring the
progress of construction projects, and to provide early warnings of potential problems. (5)
Generative design AI can be used to innovate new designs for buildings and infrastructure and can
simulate the performance of new designs, and to test them for safety and efficiency.

Of course, these are the first areas where we are seeing AI developed in our industry. The list of
examples is too long for a single blogpost. If you want to learn more, listen to the Institute’s
webinar – Artificial Intelligence: A Force Multiplier for the AEC Industry.

​BRIDGEPORT, CONN., (June 15, 2023) – Students who are or will be studying for a career in a construction-related field now have a chance to receive financial support thanks to the Viking Construction Education Scholarship.  The $4,000 scholarship, which is open to any graduating high school senior or college student who has declared a major relating to the construction industry, provides $1,000 annually for up to four years of study, assuming the student maintains a 2.7 grade point average.  

There is no fee to apply for the scholarship, and applications are available online (https://www.vikingconstruction.net/viking-scholarship/).  Completed forms must be submitted to Viking Construction by June 30, 2023. In July, semi-finalists will be selected from the qualified applications and will be invited to have a personal interview with Anthony Gaglio, Sr., president of Viking Construction, Inc.  A winner will be selected after the interview.

“We are a family business with roots stretching back nearly a century, with a great team of employees who work hard every day at what they do,” said Anthony Gaglio.  “This scholarship is our salute to their efforts to our company, to our community, and to the construction industry as a whole.  It is important to us to support the next generation of construction professionals, the same way so many professionals have supported us.”

Founded in 1991, Viking Construction, Inc., (www.vikingconstruction.net) is a family-owned company of craftsmen in all areas of construction.  The company strongly believes in personal involvement, quality control, and sound financial management.  Its award-winning portfolio includes historic renovations, wastewater treatment facilities, pharmaceutical plants, churches, schools, assisted living facilities, office buildings, industrial manufacturing plants and large-scale affordable housing projects throughout Connecticut and New York.