More than 150 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers professionals experienced innovative technology as the Construction Management Community of Practice unveiled their new lab at a workshop, held at the Kansas City District in early April.
The technology is part of the community’s Construction Management Innovation Lab, which provides hands on tools like virtual reality for visualization and training, unmanned aircraft systems for construction progress tracking and quality control in a hands-on, interactive setting.
The lab is the brainchild of the USACE Headquarters Construction Branch and was developed through its innovation and technology modernization offices in collaboration with USACE’s Engineer Research and Development Center to bring these technologies to the field.
“USACE construction management professionals have told us they want tools that increase efficiency, improve quality, and grow collaboration,” said Darrick Godfrey, USACE Headquarters Construction Management Innovation Officer. “The lab allows us to deliver these tools, while also providing a place to engage with them in a meaningful way,” he continued.
The lab’s purpose is to enhance design and construction coordination, optimize the design review process, validate constructability and operability, as well as create baselines for acquisitions and develop benchmarks for districts in design and construction reviews.
The lab’s initial sessions included several technologies the Construction Management Innovation Office has been developing and testing, including site-capturing technology using 360-degree cameras, the Jobsite Assisted Quality Intelligence Tool (a large language model used to synthesize construction management information), construction applications for mobile devices and an online hub for construction management knowledge called the Construction Management Administration Application (CMA2).
The April debut is just the beginning for the Construction Management Innovation Lab. Moving forward, the lab will serve as the home of Construction Management Innovation initiatives, and a space where construction management professionals can test drive and train on the latest offerings.
“We’re excited to get these tools into the hands of our construction management professionals,” said Alexandra Henderson Connors, Construction Management Technology Modernization Officer. “Our workforce deserves the best, and we’re working to get them just that.”
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