UPM Presentations

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Let's explore how AI is transforming civil engineering and what it means for your future career.

By Agus Setiawan

​Growing as a Civil Engineers in the AI Era

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How do you feel today?

​What comes to your mind when you hear 'AI in Civil Engineering'?

Poll

I scare that AI might replace civil engineers someday.

• Strongly agree

• Agree

• Neutral

• Disagree

• Strongly disagree

The Shard, the tallest building in the UK, employs AI-powered structural monitoring to maintain its integrity. The system monitors factors like wind loads, temperature changes, and vibrations, providing real-time insights for building engineers.

Thanks to AI, the management team has been able to maintain the structure more efficiently, achieving a 30% reduction in maintenance costs while enhancing the safety of the building’s occupants.

​Case Study: AI in Building Health Monitoring

The Ir. Wiyoto Wiyono Toll Road, an elevated expressway connecting Cawang and Tanjung Priok, is vital for Jakarta's economy and was Indonesia's first flyover toll road (est. since 1989). It implements a Structural Health Monitoring System (SHMS).

This system uses sensors to continuously monitor the structural integrity of the bridge in real-time, detecting potential damage from traffic loads or natural events. The SHMS enables proactive maintenance and rapid response to issues, significantly enhancing user safety and structural longevity.

​Case Study: AI for Bridge Construction

Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) uses AI and data analytics to create smarter, greener city plans by analyzing how public spaces are used, optimizing infrastructure, managing traffic, and improving energy efficiency. This data-driven approach helps the authority make informed decisions to meet the city-state's long-term planning needs for sustainability and resident well-being.

​Case Study: AI in Sustainable Urban Planning

Poll

Which area of civil engineering do you think AI will impact the most?

• Structural design and analysis

• Construction Management

• Transportation Planning

• Environmental Engineering

• Geotechnical Engineering

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What skills do you think civil engineers need to work effectively with AI?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity and autonomy.

(Cole Stryker, Staff Editor, AI Models, IBM Think)

​What is AI?

• AI helps automate design and analysis tasks.

• AI improves construction project management and safety.

• AI enables smarter infrastructure monitoring and maintenance.

• AI supports sustainable and efficient resource use.

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​How AI is Changing Civil Engineering

Poll

Prioritize these AI-driven changes by their impact on civil engineering careers.

• Automation of routine tasks

• Data-driven decision making

• Improved safety and risk management

• Sustainable design and construction

• New roles and job opportunities

Reorder

Rank these skills from most to least important for future civil engineers working with AI.

• Analytical thinking

• Creative thinking

• AI and big data

• Leadership & social influence

• Resilience & Flexibility

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

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What challenges do you foresee for civil engineers adopting AI technologies?

• Learn basics of AI and data science relevant to civil engineering.

• Develop skills in programming and software tools.

• Stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies.

• Cultivate ethical awareness and critical thinking

​Preparing for the AI Era

• 1950s: Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Human intelligence exhibited by machines.

• 1980s: Machine Learning - AI systems that learn from historical data.

• 2010s: Deep Learning - Models that mimic human brain function.

• 2020s: Generative AI (Gen AI) - Deep learning models that create original content.

AI has evolved from rule-based systems to advanced, learning models capable of generating new, human-like content

Starting with AI (Artificial Intelligence) itself, a broad concept originating in the 1950s focused on machines mimicking human intelligence. This was followed by Machine Learning (ML) in the 1980s, which is a subset of AI where systems gain the ability to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. ML then gave rise to Deep Learning (DL) in the 2010s, a more advanced subset utilizing complex, multi-layered neural networks. The latest stage is Generative AI (Gen AI) in the 2020s, which uses Deep Learning models (like Large Language Models) to create new and original content, such as text, images, or code.

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are the fundamental for modern Generative AI​
An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is a computing model inspired by the human brain. It uses interconnected layers of artificial neurons (nodes) to process vast amounts of data. By adjusting the weights of these connections through training, the network learns to recognize complex patterns and make intelligent predictions or decisions.

The use of AI in civil engineering applications is broadly categorized as structural analysis, concrete technology, transportation engineering, water management system, green buildings, and construction management.

AI in mix design of concrete

• ​The compressive strength of concrete is the nonlinear function of its ingredients.

• Compressive strength of concrete plays an important role in the durability

• The artificial intelligence provides both the optimized and predictive results of the compressive strength.

​The artificial intelligence helps in various sectors of construction management such as generating project plan, site layoutmodeling, to predict the estimation cost of the project, to improve the critical path,labor productivity, to prevent the collapse of scaffolding structures and estimation of completion of the project.

​The problems related to transport arise when the existing behavior of a system is difficult to execute as per the predicted pattern. The factors responsible for this may include human errors, traffic, or road accidents. For such cases, the use of AI helps us in correcting the predictions as this technique uses the existing data for further analysis

• ​In green buildings, the most usual resources are renewable resources of energy.

• Buildings consume 60% of global electricity.

• The artificial intelligence plays an important role to check & control the real-time consumption of the electricity in the building.

AI in Green Building Monitoring

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What excites you most about the future of civil engineering with AI?

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What concerns do you have about AI's impact on civil engineering jobs?

• Automation of routine tasks

• The widening skills gap

• The shift in human responsibilty

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​AI's impact on CE Jobs

Poll

Upon graduating from Civil Engineering, I aim to become a/an ....

• AI specialist for infrastructure system

• Data analyst for construction project

• Automation engineer for building process

• Sustainability consultant using AI tools

• Safety and risk assessment expert with AI

• Bias and fairness in AI algorithms.

• Data privacy and security.

• Accountability for AI-driven decisions.

• Impact on employment and workforce.

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​Ethical Considerations in AI for Civil Engineering

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How can civil engineers ensure ethical use of AI in their projects?

Poll

What mindset is most important for civil engineers to thrive in the AI era?

• Lifelong learning

• Adaptability and flexibility

• Collaboration and communication

• Innovative problem solving

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What is one action you will take after this session to grow as a civil engineer in the AI era?

​Summary and Takeaways

• AI is transforming civil engineering across many areas.

• New skills and ethical awareness are essential.

• Opportunities abound for those who adapt and learn.

• Your mindset and preparation will shape your future career.

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