Construction isn’t an industry an average consumer thinks of when discussing the implementation of new technology.
Suffolk Construction is trying to change that by redefining what's possible in the construction industry — from AI-driven safety algorithms to robotics and advanced data dashboards.
But that wasn’t always the case.
“Construction companies were a bit slower in adopting different technologies,” Suffolk’s Director of Emerging Technologies Joshua Weyand said. “You started seeing construction companies, specifically Suffolk, start to take an interest right after the big ’08 crash.”
According to Weyand, it was then that Suffolk realized that to succeed in the next market, the national contractor—with active sites in Tampa Bay—must stay ahead of the game.
“Construction is also very administrative heavy. When we think of construction, we don't oftentimes think about the folks behind computers,” Weyand said. “We think about the folks with hard hats, and they're out there in the field, but the reality is, there are so many more things happening behind the scenes where this technology could impact workflow significantly.”
Some examples of Suffolk's latest technology use are WINT, a “water intelligence” platform that uses AI to detect and stop leaks during and after construction, and Predictive Safety, Suffolk’s proprietary safety platform and algorithm that works to predict safety incidents on job sites before they happen.
The firm has even begun testing robotic prototypes like Spot the Robot Dog. Created by Boston Dynamics, the robot walks job sites and completes image capturing and laser scanning, allowing teams to understand and visualize job sites in a safer, more efficient way.
AI and time savings
For administrative work like creating cost estimates, which would take months for a human to complete, Weyand said AI can do the same thing in a fraction of a second.
The impact can be seen locally. There are 19 active projects in Florida, including a landmark project on 400 Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg. Suffolk Construction uses artificial intelligence and 3D modeling to help prevent mistakes in the field before the building is entirely built.
Chris Lewis is a project executive with Suffolk and has been in the construction industry for 18 years. He oversees the construction of the Residences at 400 Central.
“We're able to perform tasks with a higher degree of precision in a shorter amount of time, which aligns with a project's fast-paced schedule,” Lewis said. “We can use technologies such as GTs, positioning, satellite positioning, drones and cameras, things of that nature that allow us to perform tasks in a fraction of the time.”
Lewis gave an example of how Suffolk can be alerted before big mistakes happen.
On a tower like the one being built at 400 Central, the floors are post-tension construction. A series of post-tensioned, high-tension cables run through floors in a grid pattern, he said.
"Those cables are then pulled to high tension and under a lot of pressure. And if you were to later, come back and put a drill hole or put a screw into the slab where you couldn't see those cables, and you hit it, it will rupture,” Lewis said.
On top of this risk, one must go around and verify the 550 penetrations, meaning places for pipes, ductwork and openings, all of which must be checked off before the floor is poured with cement.
“You're talking days on a project like this. [So instead] we've used a software, or a technology called Site Aware,” Lewis said. “As all those individual components enter it, you fly a drone over the depth. It takes imagery of all the slab penetrations we've overlaid onto the model, and it picks up any inaccuracies, meaning dislocated items within a fraction of an inch.”
Lewis said a full report with photos and grid line coordinates is also created, which can be done within hours. Thus, workers can adjust with a high degree of accuracy, knowing that what they’re putting in place is correct.
Construction on the 46-story building is expected to be finished in 2025. According to the company, it will be the tallest residential building on the Gulf Coast.
“I'd say there's [Suffolk] and four other companies that have been early adopters of this world of construction technology, data and AI,” Weyand said. “But we’re taking it a step further with our Suffolk tech group in the form of an accelerator program to help mentor companies trying to enter this market, for example. It's what else Suffolk Tech's doing which is the most exciting thing in construction right now.”
Unit identifies smart building themes
Headquartered in Boston with 11 regional offices across the U.S., including a Tampa office, the company’s Suffolk Technologies arm identifies useful technology and AI that drive capital efficiency and productivity in the built environment focused on automation and robotics, supply chain marketplace, sustainability, financial technology and smart building themes.
Suffolk has over 50 full-time employees working in data technology, AI, and its digital engineering group. Weyand said it’s an investment in being the best possible and combining that need with good resources and support.
“I think AI is going to be the focus. I think that's a needle mover for our industry,” Lewis said. “Even within the short amount of time that AI has become available, we've seen tremendous strides. And I think that's just going to continue to grow exponentially year over year.”
Weyand said 90% of all Suffolk site projects currently use AI.
“The reality is we can't use certain technologies in certain scenarios, and we know that,” Weyand said. “So, we may have a building owner that we're working for that has an NDA. Well, if they have an NDA, we likely can't use certain AI products, but the reality is that Suffolk has a unique proposition about how we use all those things all at once.”
Some of Suffolk’s other notable Tampa Bay projects include Ybor City’s Gasworx, The Residences at 400 Central in St. Pete, Tampa International Airport Airside A and E Expansion, and The Tampa Edition Hotel on Water Street.
