AI, 3D printing, IoT to disrupt UAE construction industry

dubai - The construction sector is still widely considered a late technology adopter

Artificial Intelligence (AI), 3D printing and the Internet of Things (IoT) will be critical in transforming the construction industry in the UAE, by improving efficiencies, reducing costs and minimising risks, experts at the Big 5 International Building & Construction Show said.

The 39th edition of the event was officially opened by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, and will run at the Dubai World Trade Centre until November 29. The event has drawn the participation of over 2,500 global exhibiting companies.

A recent study by Mena Research Partners shows that the GCC construction market recorded a 30 per cent pickup till the fourth quarter of 2017; and, despite the drop in oil prices, the region witnessed $130 billion of completed projects during 2017, versus $100 billion for the full-year in 2016. According to The Big 5's intelligence partner, BNC Network, over 23,000 construction projects are currently active in the GCC and worth more than $2.3 trillion.

Logging in at 18,000, the urban construction sector has the highest number of projects, with the most significant segment coming from residential, commercial and hospitality developments. With the sector having expanded by 4 per cent in terms of value and 15 per cent in terms of total active projects in the first half of 2018, the outlook for the GCC construction industry remains positive.

This growth has created a fertile landscape for companies in the region to adopt new technologies that will transform the industry.

"Innovation and technology are considered key elements also to realising the UAE Vision 2021. It is therefore of essence for the regional construction sector to embrace innovation and the vast development opportunities offered by technological innovations," said Josine Heijmans, portfolio director at dmg events. "In a world where innovation and technology are more and more crucial to remain competitive, the construction sector is still widely considered a late technology adopter. Yet, technology has an enormous potential within the sector."

Rima Semaan, AI technical lead at Microsoft, said that AI is already adopted by many companies across the world to improve efficiencies and reduce operating costs.

"Imagine how much more efficient you will be if you have a working AI system in your office," she said. "You can walk into your office and ask the system about how your project is doing. The AI system will be able to sift through all the data that it has been fed and then give you concise answers about the state of operations. It can tell you if your deliveries are on time, which phases are due for completion and which segments are falling behind when it comes to meeting deadlines. It can also tell you how many workers you have on site and how many you will need in the coming months."

She also explained that AI technology can help with eliminating project delays, which are extremely expensive for developers. "An AI system will also help you with forecasting your risks because of predictive maintenance. Projects in the past were always silent, but once you connect your site through sensors and an AI system, then you have a holistic approach. You can better manage your assets with drones, image recognition devices, sensors and IoT devices. This will help improve safety for your workers and help expand security on site by initiating alerts in case of emergencies."

Dominic Wright, co-founder and business development director at Generation 3D, spoke about using 3D printing on construction sites to pour concrete. The process will help to reduce waste and speed up operations on site.

"One of the challenges with adopting such technology involves keeping careful track of external factors such as the weather and climate changes. In addition, there is a large amount of collaboration that will be necessary between developers, providers and various government bodies," he said.  

However, he noted that Dubai is a very forward-thinking city, so it is only a matter of time before such technology is approved and extensively used at sites around the city.

- rohma@khaleejtimes.com