Owners-operators and developers are putting AI to work at the construction site.

Following in the footsteps of fintech and proptech, construction technology (contech) is now working its way into the multifamily housing universe. 

Owners and operators that are exploring a value- adding renovation or dabbling as developers are now tapping technology that does everything from tracking plumbers to printing out scale models of door handles. The future of construction technology and the multifamily housing industry is already here. 

“For Rookwood Properties, the size and scale of the project dictates the type of technology that we use, as well as how much time and money we decide to invest in a technological solution to aid in the completion of a project,” said Chrissie Valdini, Development and Project Manager, Rookwood Properties, based in Cincinnati.

“Rookwood has been approached by a few construction technology companies, mainly larger construction management software companies that have owner-operator modules,” said Valdini. “In the end, we determined that we did not have the necessary buy-in internally and we were not planning enough annual projects of the size and scale needed to justify the hefty price tags. Instead, we use a combination of smaller technological solutions used in a more strategic way, to fit the needs of each specific project.” 

Suppliers, stakeholders and partners are leveraging construction technology designed to simplify project management tasks or help visualize what a major construction project will actually look like before it’s finished.  

“We’re so familiar with 3D computer renderings and computer drawings,” said Alan Barker, Residential Market Leader, Lamar Johnson Collaborative, an architectural firm based in Chicago. “We can get so photorealistic with these renderings but there is something about a physical model that you can hold, put your face into and build at different scales, which is different from just flying around on a screen.” 

To help clients visualize what a building and its components will look like upon completion, the firm has made a sizable investment into a 3D printer that produces building models—a high-tech throwback to how architecture used to be, Barker said. 

“We can build them at different scales and spin them around,” said Barker. “This is not new to anyone, but when you pair that with the computer model and a hand sketch, it gives the full breadth of the idea. You can talk about goals in a different way.” 

Barker’s model shop has one full-time employee who prints out miniaturized versions of facades, building masses and window placements rendered in plastic or gypsum powder and glue. The model shop is booked weeks in advance and is also used for finessing smaller interior details, including front door pulls. 

“We’re able to hold the piece, tweak the geometry and make sure it fits in our hand,” said Barker. “Then we can hand it to the developer and say, ‘this is what we imagined here.’ Those are for very special instances where there’s a ton of engagement. Everybody’s going through the front door.”   

Once the design phase concludes, the project goes out for bids, a time when con-tech serves development departments and construction firms tasked with estimating building costs.   

“For preconstruction, we utilize estimating software with integrated takeoff tools for more accurate input and a quicker turnaround for budget updates,” said Greg Sherwin, VP of Preconstruction, The Annex Group, based in Indianapolis. 
“We have used a few different types of technology and software to help with task management, oversight and record keeping, as well as time tracking and billing,” said Valdini. 

Tracking who is working and for how long on a busy construction site has spawned several time and attendance tools that allow construction managers to monitor their workers’ movements, typically through a phone app. Sometimes referred to as “geofencing,” the app provides supervisors with real-time data to make worksites safer and more productive. “This is a program that our construction department uses every day, on every project and our accounting department uses monthly to bill owners for construction supervision,” said Valdini. 

While owners and operators are tracking time and attendance, the construction companies are also watching what’s going on. “We utilize site cameras for 24/7 access to monitor quality, safety and schedule,” said John Whiteley, VP of Construction, The Annex Group. “Our construction arm operates in con-junction with construction software that allows us to produce daily reports, process submittals and requests for information and keep our project documents in a cloud-based system.” 

A new generation of 3D cameras plays a vital role in allowing designers, builders and developers to keep track of progress on new construction projects or renovation projects. “This is a technology that we utilize when running fire- or flood-related rebuilding projects, as well as any new development projects,” said Valdini. The cameras can be mounted on a perch or walked through a site. The images are typically uploaded to the cloud so everybody on the team has access. Some systems allow the im-ages to integrate with construction drawings to provide clients and builders with a real-time look at what stage the project is in and what remains to be finished.

Enabling drones extends the range of cameras on larger sites where topographic mapping and land surveys are critical. Drones are also being used to track equipment and as security devices on active construction sites. The trend is spawning a new wave of companies that connect drone pilots to construction managers. 

Modular buildings and panelized construction in multifamily continue to spur imaginations about building pieces of buildings in a controlled, indoor environment and then assembling the pieces on a job site. At this point, the consensus remains stuck with the equation that modular offers savings in time but still not enough to counter the added expense of building indoors, trucking and assembling onsite. Stick building is still winning that battle. 

Rather than the rare exception, the new construction monitoring and measuring techniques are becoming a rule required by owners and operators that are expanding their range into supervising renovations or through new construction. “We expect any general contractor bidding on a development project, anything with over a $1 million budget, to have a construction management software solution in order to pro-vide more transparency and to most effectively track all major aspects of the project start-to-finish,” said Valdini. 

Builders are also fully embracing the new ways of doing things. “Quality control technol-ogy systems allow us to tailor our wants and needs of the project for efficient quality control processes which increases quality, production and schedule,” said Whiteley. “Construction specific accounting technology allows us to be efficient with billings, which in turn allows us to process payments to subcontractors and vendors quicker and keep accurate accounting data for all of our projects.”
Contech is here to stay because it provides real cost advantages for building and renovating multifamily buildings. “Technology, when used strategically and consistently, has the ability to make a tremendous positive impact on both the field teams working on a project and ownership groups,” said Valdini. “Field team members are able to improve efficiency by setting up automated notifications, having centrally located, cloud-based record keeping for easy access on any device, simplified time-tracking per project and by having clear and concise task and deadline tracking.”  

The old ways of doing things are quickly giving way to better cameras, phone apps and cloud-based software, just like everything else. “New technology improves relationships with our subcontractors and vendors,” said White-ley. “It allows us to streamline the submittal and RFI process and quickly and easily convey any deficiencies to the project team, which works much better than the paper and pencil days of construction.”  

An active construction site is a barely con-trolled ballet of chaos populated by subcon-tractors, tradesmen, supervisors and laborers. Getting a handle on all that remains an area of interest for the ones paying the bills. “Communication to owners and other stakeholders is simplified with technology by giving access to real-time billable hours and GPS activity, visibility to the physical site regardless of location and allowing as much or as little participation in day-to-day communication and task management as they prefer,” said Valdini.  

“In my experience, the keys to seeing the best ROI when investing in construction- related technology is total buy-in from the field team, consistent usage by all stakeholders and realistic expectations of what that particular program or tool can and cannot do for an organization.”  

 

Scott Sowers is a frequent contributor to units.