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Why Singapore's Construction Industry is in Urgent Need of AI-Enabled Automations?


Due to limited space and workforce crunch especially in the Construction Industry of Singapore, the development of highly sophisticated technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and computer vision became much needed. It aims to become a regional AI hub, leveraging its existing capabilities. It is a modern country, open to the world, with strong commercial ties and an important business ecosystem for research and entrepreneurship. Among its strengths for the development of AI are a favorable environment for companies, its reliability, political stability, regulatory and standards development, its physical and digital infrastructure, digital talent, the promotion of R + D + I, technology consumers, and an open data environment.


According to research by McKinsey, construction companies that invest in technology are 50% more likely to make a profit, if they have tools to collect and process the data.

It was also observed that organizations with AI capabilities register a higher annual growth rate than their competitors.


In an age when humans are increasingly creating data every day, AI provides an endless resource for machines to learn and adapt. But how does that translate to the construction industry especially for a country like Singapore? The volume of data generated on an average construction site is growing, from images captured via mobile devices to drone video, safety sensors, machine telematics, building information modeling (BIM), and more.


However, the main challenge is not to capture all the data from any construction site, but to implement a system capable of managing the information, which allows construction companies to get the most out of it in terms of construction worker safety and productivity.


Cost Saving for Construction Projects


Most of the construction projects go over budget despite employing the best project teams. Artificial neural networks are used in projects to predict cost overruns based on factors such as the size of the project, the type of contract, and the level of competence of the project managers. Predictive models use historical data, such as planned start and finish dates to visualize realistic schedules for future projects. AI helps staff remotely access real-life training material that helps them improve their skills and knowledge quickly. This reduces the time required to incorporate new resources into projects. As a result, project delivery is accelerated.


Major expenses for any construction project also include the expenses borne for accidents and injuries and the same could be avoided with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Vision (CV) which we are going to discuss going further in the blog.


Do you know Artificial Intelligence (AI) can prevent accidents and even save human lives on construction sites? Let’s see how.


viAct’s AI-enabled tools provide accurate data and insights, helping construction contractors maximize job site safety, value, and productivity. viAct uses AI to examine massive amounts of images and videos taken on a construction site and detect potential hazards. The software uses image recognition algorithms to identify specific search criteria, such as helmets, safety vests, and high-visibility colors, so you can dig up images and highlight construction workers who are not wearing the proper safety attire, or possibly they are violating safety guidelines. In a matter of minutes, search results are collected, collated, and delivered to a site supervisor - a task that would otherwise take several hours or days to complete.


In these environments, it is a priority to maintain excellent attention to the correct use of protective equipment. Failure to comply can lead to serious legal problems for the organization and, much more serious, pose a risk to the lives of employees. Manually checking the correct use of PPE usually requires the dedication of staff, which not only implies a cost but also opens the doors to human error. It is a complicated task and there are many reasons why an accident or breaking the law can occur. Either because the PPE is being used incorrectly or discontinuously, it is the supervisor’s job to check that the regulations are always complied with and that the life of any employee is not being put at risk.


These solutions can use the video cameras that companies usually install to monitor their facilities in real-time. Based on the information obtained from the cameras, breaches and risks can be automatically detected, in addition to preparing reports that help to improve the PPE policy. Today, there are artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions of viAct that construction companies use to monitor processes and avoid risks at the construction sites, so the project team can focus their limited time and resources on other tasks. AI is also used to automatically prioritize issues and subcontractors are scored based on a risk score so construction managers can work closely with high-risk teams to mitigate risks.


Boost productivity at Construction Sites


Companies are beginning to offer autonomous construction machinery to perform repetitive tasks more efficiently than their human counterparts, such as concrete pouring, masonry, welding, and demolition. Excavation and preparation work is done by autonomous or semi-autonomous excavators, which can prepare a job site with the help of a human programmer to exact specifications. This frees up human workers for the construction work itself and reduces the total time required to complete the project. Project managers can also track work on the job site in real-time. They use facial recognition, on-site cameras, and similar technologies to assess worker productivity and compliance with procedures.


viAct’s AI-enabled tool offers a sophisticated and easy-to-use system to enable even the micro-level tracking of construction workers from activity tracking to smoking detection to make construction sites more productive and safer.


Check out case studies here that how viAct can get more done in less time for your construction project.



Singapore authorities have recently pointed out and are being very mindful of the labor crunch construction companies are facing. In A statement they said, “We encourage businesses to retain their existing migrant workers and tap on other workers that are already here in Singapore”, they stated. How can AI help overcome this issue? Most of the Manpower shortage was due to COVID-19. With AI, site officers can track productivity, analyze worker's behavior while making sure safety measures are being implemented during COVID-19. Apart from that companies are increasing the automation in the construction process to have fewer workers and social distancing as per the guidelines.


On the other hand, there's so much buzz regarding self-driving vehicles in the market, but autonomous-driving technology could revolutionize the construction industry as well and when the industry is facing workforce shortage implementation becomes essential. As per McKinsey & Co., the construction industry contributes 13% of the world’s GDP. However, productivity growth has increased only 1% over the past 20 years.



Interestingly introduction of advanced autonomy can add-up $1.6 trillion of additional value via higher productivity by overcoming the workforce crunch.


Contact us now to jumpstart your next construction project with higher productivity and returns with viAct’s AI-enabled automation tools in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, or anywhere in Asia.

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