City of Winnipeg’s construction chief eyes AI to guide work

The city’s chief construction officer plans to tap artificial intelligence to help keep future projects on track and on budget.

Tom Sparrow, who took on the newly created position April 1, said efforts are underway to gradually introduce AI programs to evaluate reports, construction schedules, and ensure quality control.

“(This) is going to be able to enhance our ability to ensure we’re getting it right,” said Sparrow.

For example, he said “360 high-definition cameras” could be paired with programs to detect potential construction risks that staff might not otherwise see.

“They can actually take a picture and (a program) can analyze to see if there’s areas of concern that you’re shown in the picture,” said Sparrow.

The technology could help prevent cost hikes by keeping better track of each step of a construction process, while computer programs can analyze ample data in seconds, replacing the much slower human process, he said.

“On a month-to-month basis on some of my previous projects, because we track this with our project management software, we could get 70,000 to 80,000 links related to pictures, to data, to emails, to… requests for information,” said Sparrow.

AI programs can assess the data quickly and also run scenarios on how long it should take to build a specific project, which would help the city set realistic targets, he said.

“We’re looking at applying it in a variety of areas as we speak… it’s going to help with our reporting and our oversight on projects and give us a lot more detailed information,” he said.

Sparrow said work is underway to review an audit of the $3-billion north end sewage treatment plant upgrade, the city’s most expensive infrastructure project.

He also plans to apply multi-year tenders to some city contracts, so the city no longer needs to complete a new tendering process for them each year.

He hopes to create a joint infrastructure group with officials from the city, Manitoba Hydro, the provincial government and other municipalities to better co-ordinate projects, to help avoid tearing up the same street multiple times.

Sparrow said more overnight construction could be considered as a method to speed up some projects, but only in areas where the noise and bright spotlights wouldn’t disrupt residents.

“If it’s an area… where we’re not building something around a neighbourhood, then that certainly opens up opportunities (for overnight work),” he said.

The addition of a chief construction officer was proposed by Mayor Scott Gillingham during his 2022 election campaign. Gillingham said the new officer would add oversight on major projects, give council expert advice and help ensure the city attracts competitive bids for projects.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga