Augmented Reality (AR) in construction bridges the gap between digital planning and physical execution, enhancing on-site decision-making, reducing costly rework, and improving operational efficiency. It offers tangible benefits in coordination, quality assurance, and project management, putting the decision maker on the field in the spotlight and thereby complementing other technical solutions which address design-phase challenges or site documentation.
Construction has always been centered on efficiency, risk management, and stability. And with our industry being the backbone of the rapidly growing real economy, these aspects are more critical than ever, presenting both opportunities and challenges for the sector. The construction industry faces a severe labor shortage, with the U.S. alone needing an additional 546,000 workers in 2023 (nearly 7% of the total construction workforce). Moreover, despite technological advances, rework remains a persistent problem affecting operational efficiency and profitability. A study by Autodesk and FMI in 2022 estimated that annual rework costs exceed $65 billion in the U.S., accounting for about 5% of the country’s construction spending, with some estimates reaching as high as 30% .
The design phase has seen advancements with Building Information Modelling (BIM) enhancing document management, project management, and precise planning.
Nevertheless, the execution phase in construction has not benefited equally:
Advancements need to translate into tangible execution benefits, requiring further innovation and technology integration.
Construction professionals today have access to a suite of advanced technologies, from robotics to laser-equipped tablets and AI-driven networks. These tools, along with cloud-based management and reality capture, enhance data flow and documentation throughout the value chain and even beyond the construction process (e.g. digital twin space).
And while all these solutions improve efficiency at various parts of the process, they do little to address the key driver of inefficiency, delays and budget overruns: building something wrongly in the first place is costly. Therefore, additional focus should go to enabling construction professionals to make the right decisions at the right time on-site. And this is exactly where augmented reality solutions excel and can make an outsized impact.
In the construction field, information overload can lead to confusion and mistakes. AR cuts through the clutter by projecting digital designs onto the physical workspace, providing a clear, interactive guide for workers. This real-time visualization ensures tasks are performed correctly the first time, minimizing costly do-overs. As workers interact with digital blueprints in their actual environment, their trust in digital processes deepens. Ultimately, AR empowers teams to build with confidence, ensuring the digital precision of BIM models translates into real-world construction excellence.
While it might seem complex in theory, implementing AR in practice is surprisingly straightforward. Collective wisdom based on feedback from hundreds of client projects:
For effective tech implementation, especially with augmented reality, setting clear, intentional expectations is crucial. This involves defining specific use-cases with measurable KPIs, such as the number of RFIs, PCOs, deviations identified, time spent on QA/QC, and tracking any prevented delays.
Every project is different, even for companies with well-established workflows. Therefore, it is important that peers share experiences made with tested technology – good and bad.
To effectively break down barriers to tech adoption, it’s essential to involve end-users throughout the process, from problem identification and tool selection to implementation and results analysis. Two aspects are vital: firstly, users must perceive the technology’s direct value, and benefits captured elsewhere in the process should be communicated to them for a holistic view.
However, their experience greatly influences their perception; no one appreciates extra effort for others’ sole gain. Secondly, hands-on experience is paramount. Theoretical training like webinars and demos pales in comparison to giving them a tablet and letting them experience first-hand how easy it can be to leverage augmented reality and reap its benefits. That’s how you get buy-in and quick results.
And while the most powerful impact of augmented reality lies in rework prevention (which is challenging to quantify given that it contributed to a cost not materializing), some other improvements are tangible and well reflected in the statistics that are shared with us by customers:
On a residential high-rise, while over 2,000 mistakes were identified and corrected during model federation in the design phase, 873 deviations were still identified with GAMMA AR during project execution in the field, of which nearly 100 had major cost implications.
In sum, AR is not merely an innovative tool; it’s a necessary evolution in construction technology. As we embrace digital transformation, AR stands out for its direct impact on-site, enabling professionals to execute designs precisely and intuitively, thereby preventing costly mistakes before they occur. With each AR implementation, the construction industry moves closer to a future where digital accuracy and real-world execution align, ensuring quality, reducing waste, and ultimately reshaping the way we build.
