Advances in Engineering

New Tech Applications A Game Changer For Industry

Acoustical Designer Sam Underwood said a major benefit is an ability to use state-of-the-art university equipment; for instance, an acoustic camera and sound-intensity camera tracking system to detect leaks in “sound-isolating” partitions, to troubleshoot the source of excessive noise and to visually communicate such info to clients.

“Traditional methods of measuring sound isolation produce numbers that tell us how well a partition is performing — but they can’t show us why a partition is performing the way that it is,” he explained. “ …. historically, we would often have to make educated guesses about the controlling factors. Is it the lack of seals on a door? Is something hidden above the ceiling or buried within the wall? Multiple factors, both obvious and obscure, can be present, and it isn’t always easy to rank factors by importance.”

In turn, he continued, acoustic imaging techniques capture “heat maps” of sound that clearly illustrate sources of sound transmission.

Tomorrow’s Tech, Today’s Best Practices

Going forward, Thiele Geotech’s Lapke referenced the promise of AI.

“Although artificial intelligence has been under recent scrutiny, I do think it will continue to change the way engineers evaluate and solve complex problems,” he said.

And, when asked to share his wisdom or “best practices” associated with new tech-driven investments, Lapke added: “After going through this platform change and embracing new technologies, we have learned that it is important to stay on top of and embrace systems that increase efficiency and provide better service for our customers.”

Miller of Benesch also had a take on AI, specifically in a format like chatbots, as a game-changing technology.

“Professionals can work more efficiently and effectively by using this technology to find precedents for a particular engineering project type, for example, what are the names of bridges that used a particular structural design of interest? Or cost estimating, rendering and visualization, researching, writing emails, and taking notes,” he said.

Asked about tech that is being considered or monitored closely, Miller referenced wetland identification (or wetland predictive) modeling, which uses light detection and ranging (LiDAR) returns to create high-resolution digital elevation models. Such “DEMs” are then used to derive topographic metrics that indicate wetlands by describing the likes of near-surface soil moisture.

Field software, he added, includes automated wetland delineation to complete forms using tablets or handheld devices.

He urged those considering their own investments to not rush the process.

“Research the technology on your own, have the company selling equipment provide a demonstration and allow you to test products,” Miller noted.

Geier of Snyder & Associates referenced the industry’s quick movement toward a world where an infrastructure project’s “digital twin” exists in a virtual world.

He described this concept as such: “The digital twin will be used, not only by the contractor to construct the project but will be used by maintenance staff to maintain the project. Engineers need to be willing to grow and learn how to utilize the new technologies to have proper oversight over the design process.”

Engineering is not unlike other industries, following the “exponential increase” in AI.

“It seems it was only a short time ago we talked about it as a future technology that was in movies and now it has real-world implications in our daily lives: Can AI optimize traffic signal timings in real-time based on changes in traffic? Can AI use maintenance data to prioritize when a bridge will need to be rehabilitated or replaced?” Geier remarked.

He noted the upfront investment – in terms of both employee time and upgrades. After all, to deliver on the digital, Snyder & Associates not only paid for the software but also completely revamped the standards and workspace set-up to effectively use the software. Also, Geier noted the initial hit to efficiencies as the technology is used to develop projects.

Jennifer Epstein, acoustical designer at IP Design Group, took a step back when asked to delve into future technologies; she said the organization asked two groupings of clients to its office to participate in an “ears-on experience.”

“ … we quite literally had them listen to our office walls,” she explained. “So, they could experience different levels of sound isolation in order to make informed decisions on their respective projects.”

Epstein noted how they found “great value” in the experience; however, she acknowledged it isn’t always feasible to experience different levels of sound isolation or different reverberation times in real-world situations.

“Auralizations – or audio simulations that are produced in order to demonstrate the effects of different acoustical treatments – are a newer technology that allows us to help clients make informed decisions, without having to travel to multiple spaces to have these different experiences,” she stated.

BY DWAIN HEBDA

The newest transformative technology – artificial intelligence, or AI – is here and it’s transforming businesses and industries across the board. Once found only in the pages of sci-fi novels, artificial intelligence is changing the way companies assess their processes and serve their clientele but also brings myriad new challenges as far as security and the long-term implications of a brave new world.

“There’s a quote I keep seeing which is, paraphrased, ‘AI will only replace you if you don’t figure out how to use it,’” said Bobbi Christensen, chair of IP practice at Koley Jessen. “The use of AI should, in a perfect world, free up the time of a professional to provide higher-level services to their clients.

“At the same time, every ‘pro’ that I can list can also, in the wrong hands, be a ‘con’ and many of them will arise from simple laziness or carelessness on the part of the user.”

Christensen said in the legal world, AI offers the opportunity for significant time savings while delivering greater accuracy in document creation.

“Some of the most positive applications in the AI field for legal purposes are the ability to automate routine work that consumes time,” she said. “It also has the potential to reduce or eliminate human error.

“An AI application that can scan a document and summarize its terms, as well as look for inconsistency in provisions or missing provisions, has the potential to provide great efficiency. It can also serve as the second pair of eyes for a document that a legal professional has been drafting or reviewing.”