Investigating the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Construction Engineering an‎d Management Education an‎d the Construction Industry: A Comparative Case Study of Iran an‎d Australia

1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM

The construction sector is one of the most crucial industries in any country. Its significant impact on a nationʹs economy has been repeatedly emphasized in various sources. Even minor growth in this sector can substantially contribute to a countryʹs economic prosperity. In this context, the concept of Construction 4.0 has emerged to bring the transformations introduced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution in other industries into the construction sector through modifications in tools an‎d processes. At the core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution lies artificial intelligence (AI), which, through a set of tools, can exert a significant influence on the construction industry. The objective of this study is to assess the current state of AI-enabling tools in the construction sector. To achieve this, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to determine the scope of applications, publication patterns, an‎d leading countries in this field. A systematic literature review was then employed to identify academic applications of AI-enabling tools globally an‎d within Iran, while industrial applications were gathered from Australia. Additionally, expert interviews were conducted to explore industrial applications an‎d assess the maturity level of AI adoption in Iran’s construction sector. Ultimately, the identified applications were classified into functional groups based on construction management concepts, leading to the development of a final framework. By comparing Iranʹs position in this domain with that of leading countries, existing practical gaps were identified as a guide for researchers an‎d industry professionals. The findings of this study indicate that China ranks first in terms of research output, contributing 56% of the reviewed publications, followed by the United States an‎d the United Kingdom as leading countries in this field. Furthermore, the annual number of published articles has shown an upward trend since 2014. The construction phase of project lifecycles accounts for an average of 38% of identified applications, with Building Information Modeling (BIM) tool receiving the highest attention at 29%, followed by Machine Learning (ML) at 15% an‎d the Internet of Things (IoT) at 11%. In particular, robotic tools an‎d IoT require greater attention in Iran, especially during the construction phase. Challenges related to organizational culture represent the most significant barrier to the adoption of these tools in Iran, comprising 21% of identified obstacles. Additionally, the maturity level of each toolʹs adoption in Iranʹs construction industry was determined using the Gartner Hype Cycle model, revealing that BIM has reached the highest maturity level, whereas Blockchain technology remains at the lowest. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the advancement of Iranʹs construction industry by assessing the current state of AI-enabling tools, comparing it with global trends, an‎d categorizing their applications within this sector.

هوش مصنوعي , به‌كارگيري , كاربردها , صنعت ساخت , بلوغ

Artificial Intelligence (AI) , Adoption , Applications , Construction Industry , Maturity

Alireza Zarezadeh Mehrizi

Dr. Parviz Ghoddousi, M. Reza Hosseini