Augment It: How Architecture, Engineering and Construction Leaders Leverage Data and Artificial Intelligence to Build a Sustainable Future

Do you want to increase efficiency and productivity to meet demand, but find you’re struggling with low budget and resources?
As a manager or executive working in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, you’re under pressure to do more with less, reduce waste, produce faster, AND still turn a profit.
The solution?
In the past, technology has helped AEC companies to gain efficiency and become more productive. Artificial intelligence is one of the most under-utilized emerging technologies in the AEC industry, but when understood and used correctly, it improves efficiency, empowers creativity, and improves bottom-line results.
There is a lot of misleading and confusing information out there about AI, and none specific to the AEC industry – until now. Unlike other, more technical or generic books, Augment It is written for you, the AEC professional.
You will learn:

• what AI is and what it can and cannot do
• what data is and how it can help your organization
• how to find a good AI problem with a high return on investment
• how to plan and execute your first AI project
• how to build and scale AI projects in your company
• how to define your AI strategy

"My biggest AI challenge is calibrating my roadmap. Adoption of AI into business sits between hype and reality: are we doing enough, are we progressing fast enough? Or are we being dragged into an expensive distraction by talented influencers? Building a proportionate roadmap is the biggest challenge of every leader and every individual when confronted with a new technology with so much promise. I am concerned about this and need answers, but after reading this book I have greater confidence in being able to create an agile roadmap to de-risk our future progress. Augment It is "straight from the horse's mouth," and allows you to get your knowledge straight from the applied research teams in leading AEC firms. If we are going to discuss AI in AEC, read this book before we talk. This is going to save a lot of time for everyone in AEC who wants to mobilize technology. If you want to look ahead, stand on the shoulder of your peers to see further."

Alain Waha, CTO of Buro Happold

"Like many in AEC, we struggle with the erosion of profit margins, or 'write-downs, ' due to uncertainty and lack of predictability in our industry. The erosion of our profitability is an ongoing frustration, because other industries also face risks associated with lack of certainty but have been able to mitigate those risks in ways that few do in AEC. When AI is appropriately applied, it can help AEC firms mitigate risks and unpredictability by leveraging historic project data for reliable predictive analytics. Mehdi explains a potentially daunting topic in an approachable way. Pick this book up and learn a thing or two about what AI can do specifically for our AEC industry!"

Dace Campbell, Director of Product Management in Construction at McKinstry

"AI is quickly gaining traction, and even more quickly gaining hype in the industry. It is difficult to keep track of the emerging methods, how they might apply to different aspects of our business and, frankly, where to start. Mehdi's book is an engaging and informative guide to the different kinds of AI, how to think about the value of each to your specific business, and how to start and scale successful AI projects. The book is a surprisingly entertaining read with helpful mnemonics and memorable anecdotes that help you retain and reapply the content. If you are looking to better understand how AI can impact the industry and your firm, this is the book for you."

John Haymaker, Director of Research at Perkins & Will

"Construction has always been a single-item production, and as the business expands, the more complex the performance requirements become and the more manpower is needed. But AI has the potential to overturn that idea. Also, until now, most of the knowledge and experience accumulated by architects/engineers was lost with the death of the individual, but now we can think of it as being renewable at any time. In other words, AI can come alongside you as a digital architect/engineer. Augment It contains concrete cases and covers a wide range of applications from upstream to downstream in the construction industry, making it easy to apply to your own situation. This book will provide a comprehensive view of the changes that AI is bringing about in the construction industry, an industry that has been around for a long time but is not familiar to the general public. In addition to the use of AI, the construction industry is experiencing a variety of digital transformations. However, it always starts with planning. AI will be used to plan a wide range of tasks."

Yoshito Tsuji, General Manager of the Design Department at Obayashi Corporation

MEHDI NOURBAKHSH, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, and the CEO of YegaTech, a technology consulting company. He's devoted to helping CEOs, CTOs, innovation directors, and executives to grow their business and differentiate themselves and their companies via AI technology and innovation.