Pomerleau and Zetane Systems to bring AI to construction sites
By Adam Freill
Construction SoftwareAI project to expedite the development of more accurate and automated assessments for complex construction projects.
Construction firm Pomerleau and software and services company Zetane Systems have announced a corporation-startup partnership to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the construction industry.
Major construction projects require diligent oversight and planning to ensure safety and to adjust estimated project costs and engineering specifications. By training algorithms to identify patterns in information, Pomerleau aims to automate some of these oversight tasks and equip its teams with better decision-making tools.
One area of focus is the extraction of information from voluminous documents outlining client specifications and subcontractor quotes. Of broad benefit to all stakeholders in the pre-construction phase of a project will be a more rapid reassessment of changing construction plans, made possible through the use of AI.
The project, which has received financial support from the INVEST-AI co-investment program managed by IVADO Labs, Zetane will now scale and deploy the technology to provide new means to avoid costs, reduce risks and optimize pre-construction planning.
“This project is yet another example where Pomerleau is at the forefront of innovation by leveraging the technological prowess of the Montreal startup ecosystem and the generous support of IVADO Labs’ INVEST-AI program,” stated Pomerleau’s vice-president of innovation and technologies, Eric Lessard. “We chose Zetane based on their unique methods and tools, and our specific needs, for producing AI solutions for industry by their team of skilled industrial AI specialists.”
“We know, first-hand, that AI is transforming the construction industry for the better,” said Guillaume Herv, CEO and co-founder of Zetane. “Zetane is already working on cutting-edge AI projects that range from simulations for training construction crane operators to optimizing the production of lumber-based construction materials, so the potential for the technology to cut costs and increase efficiencies is multifold.”
