Skanska, a global leader in construction and development, has integrated various AI-driven solutions to enhance project efficiency, safety, and decision-making. Leveraging advanced robotics, AI-driven safety analytics, and proprietary tools like Skanska Sidekick, the company has pioneered a forward-thinking approach to innovation in construction. These initiatives, part of Skanska’s overarching data and innovation strategy, streamline operations, elevate jobsite safety, and enhance project communication, all while establishing Skanska as a leader in AI adoption within the industry.
Skanska’s AI strategy involves implementing both third-party and proprietary AI tools to address critical operational needs, including safety, quality control, and project management. They partnered with Nextera Robotics to deploy autonomous robots, tested Smartvid.io for photo and video tagging, adopted human detection technology by Spillard Safety Systems, and developed Skanska Sidekick, a secure AI chatbot for internal use. These technologies address different facets of Skanska’s operations while supporting its commitment to data security and safety.
Skanska implemented AI solutions across four key areas: autonomous image capture, safety analytics, human detection, and internal knowledge management. To enhance project monitoring, Skanska deployed two Didge robots from Nextera Robotics at the Kaye apartments in Seattle, which autonomously capture high-resolution, 360-degree images to track progress, ensure quality, and verify safety compliance. These images are integrated with Skanska’s Building Information Modeling (BIM) to ensure project fidelity.
For enhanced safety analytics, Skanska employs Smartvid.io, a machine-learning platform that automatically tags jobsite images for safety hazards, such as missing PPE. This technology is integrated with Autodesk’s BIM 360 to enable synchronized safety reporting and training.
Cementation Skanska also introduced Spillard Safety Systems’ Human Detection System on heavy machinery to reduce the risk of accidents. This system, equipped with 360-degree cameras and AI, pauses machinery when individuals enter exclusion zones, providing real-time alerts to operators and a central control hub.
Finally, Skanska Sidekick, an internally developed AI chatbot powered by Microsoft Azure and GPT-4, provides employees with secure, on-demand access to Skanska’s knowledge base, facilitating content creation, document summarization, and cross-team collaboration while safeguarding proprietary data.
Skanska’s AI implementations have yielded significant efficiency and safety improvements across projects. The deployment of Didge robots has reduced labor demands by automating the capture and analysis of site images, allowing engineers to focus on higher-value tasks. Smartvid.io and Spillard’s Human Detection System have significantly improved jobsite safety by enhancing compliance and reducing the risk of incidents. Skanska Sidekick has accelerated access to information, enabling teams to collaborate more effectively and offer timely insights to customers. Overall, these technologies have contributed to a streamlined, data-driven approach that enhances both safety and productivity across Skanska’s operations.
Despite these advancements, Skanska faced several challenges during implementation. Data security remained a primary concern, especially given the sensitivity of proprietary and customer data. To address this, Skanska deployed Sidekick on a secure, private cloud, ensuring strict data protection measures. Additionally, integrating diverse data sources from Skanska’s global projects required significant investment in data standardization and accessibility, which remains an ongoing focus for the company. Finally, introducing employees to AI tools, particularly for safety and documentation, required substantial training and change management efforts to build familiarity and trust in the new technology.
Looking ahead, Skanska’s AI roadmap includes further enhancements to Sidekick, incorporating more project-specific data and insights from smart buildings and construction machinery into its AI platforms. The company is also focused on strengthening its data strategy, particularly in risk management and sustainable design, while pursuing greater automation across its workflows.