This keynote will focus on recent developments in utilizing blockchain and multimodal AI tools for data analytics to digitize the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry. Evidence underscores that the construction industry's transformation toward Industry 5.0 relies on integrating advanced technologies like Blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) as crucial prerequisites for automating value-added tasks and data acquisition systems. My team developed multimodal data-driven digital twins for the management and predictive maintenance of large infrastructure. We also developed blockchain-based solutions to digitize the financial management processes of construction projects.

 

This keynote will provide insights into combining IoT, blockchain, and BIM for circular supply chains in existing building stocks. Furthermore, I will utilize this opportunity to showcase our efforts in adopting a software development process to create an open web-based prototype, addressing existing gaps in semi-automated tools such as COBie. The prototype underwent testing using three case studies, revealing challenges in its application and emphasizing the necessity of replicating IFC-extracted data to the cloud server via linked servers in SQL.

 

With the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), advanced learning, transfer learning and deep learning (DL)-based crack detection techniques have garnered increased attention as a solution to issues faced during manual inspection. A prevalent deep learning technique for computer vision applications is the CNN. Finally, I will delve into our research on using deep learning to detect distress in highway pavements. For instance, our paper compares eight CNN models for crack detection, optimizing the detection process.

 

The keynote will also cover how we used scare learning and few-shot learning applications to facilitate AI-assisted decision-making in heritage assets with limited data-gathering access.

 

This keynote is timely as several applications of digital technologies are emerging in AEC, and a holistic view gained from a portfolio of projects can be insightful for researchers who are willing to embark on this journey.