a16z Podcast

a16z Podcast: Construction Under Tech -- The Build

9 snips
Jun 14, 2018
Martin Fischer, a Stanford civil engineering professor, Saurabh Ladha, CEO of Doxel, and Christopher Rippingham from DPR Construction explore how technology is reshaping the historically rigid construction industry. They discuss the vital feedback loops created by AI for real-time monitoring, the importance of targeted data delivery to navigate chaotic job sites, and the shift towards data-driven decision-making. They also highlight the role of automation in enhancing planning efficiency and building trust among project stakeholders through improved communication and transparency.
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INSIGHT

Pre-Construction Data Overload

  • Construction data from pre-construction (BIM, RFIs, specs) gets dumbed down or dumped on workers as huge document sets.
  • Martin Fischer and Saurabh Ladha note this amplifies uncertainty and forces field crews to filter irrelevant info manually.
INSIGHT

Design Uncertainty Multiplies In Field

  • Design uncertainty multiplies during construction as trades, sequences, and site logistics add variability.
  • Martin Fischer explains this compound uncertainty produces the unproductive chaos seen on job sites.
ANECDOTE

Onboarding Chaos For Field Workers

  • Field crews must onboard to each site and dig through documents to find usable details before starting work.
  • Saurabh Ladha recounts RFIs and back-and-forth with designers when field methods clash with drawings.
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