UK consulting engineer Mott MacDonald has partnered with Brisbane-based technology firm Endeavour Programme and construction company WT Partnership to use AI to cut time and costs for large developments.
The alliance plans to adopt Endeavour’s "Octant AI" – a system that uses historical project data combined with AI and machine learning to help project managers "make informed, unbiased and timely decisions", according to the company’s website.
David Porter, Endeavour Programme’s founder, said in a press statement: "Large projects have become so complex, with so many interdependencies and stakeholders, that managing them with tradition methods is ever more challenging.
"Through our alliance we’re aiming to lead the way in adapting this new technology, and we are seeking to make a measurable change to the performance of some of our biggest projects." Â
Octant has already been tested on some civil work, and has achieved "remarkable results", according to Porter. The alliance now intends to use it on a wide range of projects.
Dan Phillips, Mott MacDonald’s global practice lead, said: "There is a huge amount of money and time invested in the delivery of major projects, and despite this, they continue to underperform, deliver less than budgeted benefits and inevitably become the focus of political and media scrutiny.
"The construction industry lags behind other industries in the use of data, and adoption of AI technology will play a big part in helping us achieve better outcomes for project teams, clients and ultimately the end users who feel the effect of project delays and cost overruns the most."
Image courtesy of Mott MacDonald
