b'CONSTRUCTION PRIORITIES: TECHNOLOGYis costing too much time, it likely isntPCL has also explored AI applications for consistent, clean and complete. Whentracking concrete trucks and improving I present an AI solution to my boss or asite safety with NLP and predictive WE HAVE TO USEclient, I always present the issue or theanalytics, and Barnaby believes AI has opportunity, because theres definitelymany other useful functions for the EVERYTHING IN THEa cost component. You need to find theconstruction industry.value of that opportunity, and theres TOOLBOX TO OVERCOMEno point in implementing AI if youre not To address the challenge of finding CHALLENGES LIKE THEgetting a return. skilled craft workers, AI tools can enable the existing workforce to do their work At PCL Construction, centralized LABOUR SHORTAGE. AImanagement of clean, trusted data wasmore efficiently, he says; for example, by being able to scan an RFP, identify the championed by our CEO Mark Bryant CAN HELP US WHEN WEover 10 years ago, says Tom Barnaby,requirements and transfer them to an existing template.CANT RELY ON THE TOOLSPCLs manager of enterprise intelligence.Another would be with putting new WE HAVE HISTORICALLYPCL was the first Canadian companyhires in touch with the knowledge thats to be involved in the Microsoft 365readily available. It wont replace the RELIED ON. early-access program, so Copilot Webexperts who need to be there, but it can is enabled throughout our system,help them get up to speed faster,he says. It allows employees to findsays Barnaby.-TCA president and efficiencies, summarize long documents and improve searches without CEO John Mollenhauer compromising the security of Our industry has been historically slow proprietary content. to evolve and adopt new technology; we dont spend money on R & D. As a PCLs industrial construction group hasresult, we spend most of our time putting developed software called HeaviLift,out fires and not enough time thinking which helps our teams optimizestrategically, says Mollenhauer.from past projects, it will eventually belife sequences. It lifts cranes at the right time and recognizes potentialAs the world becomes flat, our able to predict and prevent problemscomplications around boom clearancecompetitors come from all over the ranging from health and safety risks toand tail swing, Barnaby says. Inworld, and some of these companies greenhouse gas emissions over a partnership between its solarthat are coming in are using more tools target levels. department and tech firm AI Clearing,than we are, he says. We have to use PCL has created a tool called AI Surveyor.everything in the toolbox to overcome Not every company has the resourcesIts used with drone imagery to identifychallenges like the labour shortage. AI to take advantage of AI solutions, Dewhats been completed and whatcan help us when we cant rely on the La Torre warns: If capturing that dataremains to be built. tools we have historically relied on.BUILDERSDIGEST Quarter 2202429'