ontractors in the construction industry are driven to keep projects on track, on time, and within budget. And lately there have been additional challenges for the construction industry, including labor shortages, heightened HSE requirements, and the rising cost of lumber.

“Alaska challenges are like any other state, but bigger,” says Nelson Hays, a construction technology engineer with Accupoint, which specializes in construction technology solutions. “The short construction season and challenges of remote work demand innovation to deploy and operate a system with minimal downtime.”

Technologies and techniques have been (and continue to be) developed to streamline processes and procedures, improve communication, build efficiencies, and reduce or mitigate challenges that a construction project may face. Below Accupoint, PDC Engineers, Drake Construction, NANA Construction, Cornerstone General Contractors, and Remote Alaska Solutions share some of their insights and solutions for Alaska’s construction industry.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the process of creating and managing a digital representation of a project. It can be used for scheduling, decision making, cost estimation, and operations maintenance and sustainability. BIM allows engineers, architects, contractors, and other construction professionals to collaborate on a 3D model of a project. With BIM, when one aspect of a design is changed, the software updates to reflect that change—so everyone involved with the project is in the know. According to the Ernst & Young report Construction Technology Trends to Watch, the estimated savings of project cost using BIM is typically between 4 to 6 percent. And according to a Dodge Data & Analytics report, 73 percent of US contractors are using it.

Augmented reality (AR) is a mixture of digital and real world, while virtual reality (VR) creates an entirely new digital world. AR and VR allow customers and companies to envision a project through design, build, and post-construction. Working with one or both, companies can provide a 3D view of building exteriors and interiors, providing a final vision of what a project will look like. For example, Trimble SiteVision “uses augmented reality to help show inspectors and foreman on site the vision of the project without the need of survey stakes,” says Hays. “It also facilitates communication between the contractor, engineers, and project owner with a clear visual progress on the project or changes that need to be made.”

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) use cameras and sensors in the pre-planning stage of construction to obtain data and measurements in order to develop existing conditions for construction sites. Later, they can be used to provide builders and clients with real-time status reports, as well as provide monitoring for safety, efficiency, productivity, and waste avoidance. “The use of RTK-GNSS drones, or UAVs, for survey applications is a game-changer,” says Hays. “Large areas can be surveyed in a fraction of the time, allowing for precise quantity estimates of material, progress tracking, and limiting costly mistakes.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is advanced computer software that uses algorithms to solve problems, recognize patterns, and make decisions based on data inputs. AI can sift through data and alert project managers to potential issues. It can also be used to prevent cost overruns, for project planning, and for a variety of other applications.

PDC Engineers is currently using AI in conjunction with drones “to transform point cloud data into 2D and 3D line work that qualifies as survey grade as-built or topographic CAD file,” says Chris Settle, chief drone pilot for the company. “With this post process data, we can design construction projects—for example, a commercial building—in a three-dimensional environment, which can help clients and the public visualize what the building is going to look like in the real world… It helps designers design in a 3D space, reducing conflicts and ultimately saving the client time and money.”

Site grading is a crucial step in preparing a site for construction, and grade control systems allow contractors to bid on a project competitively without the added expense of paying for a topographic survey. On the job site, they reduce the number of passes that need to be made to successfully complete a job, lowering or eliminating the need for grade stakes and reducing the number of workers needed.

“Grade Control systems, where heavy equipment is outfitted with GNSS [Global Navigation Satellite System] guidance and automatic hydraulics, has been the single biggest boon to construction in the last few years by far since it both speeds up production and reduces the need for outside help from surveyors and grade checkers,” says Hays. “This helps us in Alaska both from a schedule perspective, with our exceedingly short work season, and the project budget, as moving dirt twice [or more] is expensive.”

A secure, decentralized database where all transactions in a construction project can be stored in virtual “blocks,” blockchain allows for greater transparency and efficiency on projects. Utilizing blockchain technology allows for better project management and oversight because parts of a project are confirmed and recorded once they are complete. With blockchain, companies can use smart contracts, reducing the use of intermediaries, track information for ease of payment, and track items from point of origin to point of destination to keep a project running smoothly.

Top: A handheld SiteVision device that uses augmented reality to display a finished design on a project site.

Bottom: A Level Best grading attachment equipped with Earthworks 3D GPS machine control.

Accupoint

Many construction companies are leveraging everyday electronics with the help of 5G and WiFi services to work efficiently in remote areas. “iPhone, iPad, laptop—ubiquitous in society, without even thinking about it, these are the heart of a mobile office in remote Alaska,” says Toby Drake, president of Drake Construction. “Scanning apps on an iPhone replace large office document centers. Cameras on new iPhones are so good they replace traditional digital cameras. Pictures taken on an iPhone are already on a device that can be instantly uploaded to cloud-based project management software for daily reports or communicating changing conditions on the job site.”

Cloud technology allows all necessary parties access to remote resources to modify, use, and manage data stored in remote servers. This allows for data sharing in real-time, providing better opportunities for collaboration and improving production. “Through our use of mobile devices for ‘anywhere access,’ remote collaboration, and cloud technology, we provide our customers streamlined and secure project document processes,” says NANA Construction General Manager Fred Elvsaas.

For example, Cornerstone General Contractors uses Procore to manage every aspect of a project, from finance to daily operations to redline as-builts, says Pearl-Grace Pantaleone, Cornerstone’s business development and marketing manager.

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes the growing network of “things” equipped with technology to monitor, record, or communicate data—for the construction industry, information like GPS tracking, fuel consumption, and how long a machine has been in use is invaluable. The information is automatically collected, uploaded to a server, and then analyzed. The data can then be used to schedule maintenance or to make sure machines are being used correctly.

“Emerging opportunities include installing monitors at the beginning of a construction project to analyze output [energy, utilities, labor] and optimize supply chain interaction and jobsite conditions,” states the Construction Technology Trends to Watch report. “Predictive maintenance programs can also be established with IoT. When fitted with sensors, construction equipment can automatically send notice if any abnormal patterns are detected. This alerts workers to intervene early in order to avoid critical downtime.”

The fabrication of components off-site is a growing trend in the construction industry, one of particular benefit in Alaska as it allows construction and progress to continue outside of the construction season.

NANA Construction is on board with that trend. “By investing in a 100 percent in-house fabrication process, NANA Construction utilizes over 32 acres of secure workspace and 105,000 square feet of heated shop space to complete year-round fabrication services for our customers, even in Alaska’s cold winter months,” says NANA’s Elvsaas.

In concrete work, the use of insulated concrete forms on concrete structures is allowing work to continue even in Alaska’s harsh winters. The technology uses foam blocks that act as a forming mechanism to keep the concrete in place as it dries. Once dry, the forms become the studs, cutting the labor involved in stripping to a minimum. And the forms give an insulation value of R46 or better, an STC rating of 54, and a 250 mile per hour wind rating. “We can build all winter long using this technology,” says Seth Kroenke, owner of Remote Alaska Solutions. “As soon as the walls are poured, we have an insulated shell to be able to do our inside work.”

Developing tech never stops, and there are already additional exciting developments world-wide that could be implemented in Alaska.

“Other parts of the world have fully-automated equipment that runs without an operator on site,” says Hays. “Trimble is working with Caterpillar, Dynapac, HORSCH, and dozens of others to bring autonomous tech we have seen in agriculture, Australian mines, and self-driving cars to construction sites. A remote workforce for a project in a remote part of Alaska changes things dramatically by reducing so many expenses.”