Building the Future: Hitesh Dewan on Navigating New Frontiers in Construction

In the ever-evolving world of construction, staying up to date with technological advancements, economic shifts and innovative strategies is crucial for success. Hitesh Dewan, an associate senior project manager at Stantec with an extensive background in both the construction and design side of the industry, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role as an instructor in UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Construction Management Certificate Program. So, we reached out for his thoughts on the transformative trends sweeping through the industry. 

In this conversation with Dewan, he discusses the significant impacts of AI and automation in construction, the challenges posed by global economic factors and the sustainable practices shaping the future of building design. From the integration of cutting-edge technologies to strategies for risk mitigation and the importance of resilience in construction practices, he provides valuable insights that are indispensable for professionals looking to navigate the complexities of today’s construction landscape. 

What are the most significant trends currently shaping the construction industry? 

The most significant trends in this industry right now revolve around AI and automation. Nothing has stuck permanently, but there are a lot of impressive use cases for construction. 

We’re seeing the automation of the work we do from the soft sides of things—measurement, verification, 3D scanning, things of that nature—and automation of data capture, such as drones that are integrating data into ground vehicles. There are also automated robots that are running around job sites now at Stantec. Many companies are going down this path, because automation of this data provides flexibility and consistency, and the data capture is just amazing. It's very accurate. 

How are these technologies impacting the day-to-day lives of project managers and other construction professionals? 

Automation is having the biggest impact. We're finding ways to get our work done faster or get our work done more effectively and a little easier, simply by being able to automate our workflows. 

Tools such as Microsoft Power Automate and co-authoring PDFs allow you to take forms you're filling out and send them around the job site, get sign offs and have it done by the end of the day. No more chasing people around for signatures. The ability for everybody to essentially meet around a digital light table is the fastest way to get work done. I work in three different time zones on projects that aren't even in this state. It's amazing that we can effectively get that work done because we can capture reality and then shuttle that information around in an effective way. 

How are economic factors or global events affecting the construction industry, and what strategies can managers use to navigate these challenges? 

There are a lot of global factors going on right now that are affecting this industry mostly from the raw material supply side. Many companies are looking to either accelerate work so that they can beat escalation costs or they're deferring work until they can compact the project in such a way that they don't have to worry about escalation during the financing of a project. 

Another factor is the labor pool. Everybody is finding a way to move to different locations. When that happens, the labor pool starts to shift. As it shifts, finding effective labor in different locations is tough to do, especially if you're trying to find somebody with seasoned skill and expertise. Being cognizant of these factors allows us to do our best to account for these variables. 

Sustainability and resilience are concerns in construction. What practices are being implemented to account for these challenges?

We all know that the construction industry is among one of the largest waste producers. But it's gotten better over the years simply with the advent of agencies that are helping us with green building initiatives and energy efficient designs. What we’re seeing is that we need to design projects that are efficiently using our materials, meaning compartmentalized buildings and unitized construction, and finding ways to amend the design of the building material so we can use a repetitive fastener or repetitive type of paint, for example. 

When it comes to rebuilding efforts, we’re seeing an opportunity to rethink the way the existing space was built and design it for better resiliency. Nature is not something that we can just create impediments for. We must build our buildings in such a way that they can dynamically take the loads of nature and still be resilient. In fire prone areas, for example, using different types of exterior materials, having better defensible space and having systems that can wet the area and keep humidity in the air—these are not things that were thought of before. So, from the design side, there's a much higher responsibility to ensure that the design for the area can sustain these major natural events. 

At Stantec, the healthcare team that I am a part of, went to Maui to help after the fires. We were rebuilding emergent care facilities in pop-up container units. People needed shelters. They needed a place to stay, and they needed care. So, we had to act fast. That doesn't mean that construction is rushed in a haphazard way, but it forces you to think differently about how to repurpose a strong structural element and make it repetitive. Unitized construction, using something like a shipping container, is rapidly deployable, even if it's a temporary solution. And so that became essentially the cornerstone of this design element to make sure that we could create spaces for people to get healthcare quickly, effectively and economically to serve the people of Maui. This has changed everyone's minds about what quick and efficient construction can be. And the industry has changed too. I think people are becoming more cognizant of the work that we do and how it affects people. 

Risk management is crucial in construction. How can managers mitigate risks effectively? 

Risk mitigation has changed dramatically over the last decade. One of the things that we've started to realize with AI and automation is that while AI is faster, it is also faster at taking input and making output. And bad input is bad output. So, we've seen reasons to be cautious. You can't trust it without human intervention. Somewhere there has to be a check and balance, especially in this industry where lives are at stake. If we need to crunch calculations, sure save time. Get some options. Do some design iteration. Do simulations. But error checking needs to exist. 

What innovation do you find most exciting and how do you see it playing out in the construction industry? 

Innovation is when effective change becomes transparent. It's when a paradigm shift happens. There are amazing technologies out there, but does everybody have access? Is it effective? Is it economical? These are tough questions to ask. But if I had to pick something innovative that this industry is coming up with, I would it's the adoption of digital twin modeling or digital twin creation. 

In the construction industry, we can retroactively model a building using photogrammetry and laser scanning data analysis with Building Management Systems (BMS). You can literally create a SIM City-style 3D building that also operates. But we are just catching up with the rest of the industries who have been using this stuff for a while. 

The construction industry has a very diverse workforce and many variables. The site changes. People change. The materials and the environment change. So, it's going to be very tough for us to catch up with all the other industries. 

So, what essential advice would you give to people entering the field or looking to move into management to keep the construction industry moving forward? 

One of the most important things I've learned so far is the fact that this industry is ever changing, and we are pulling information from every industry around us. I think it's important to keep your head on a swivel. Look around at the industries that are adjacent to us. See what they're doing and see what we can adapt. Bring in those innovations, and don't be shy to talk about them honestly. 

Materials are going to get scarce. We're seeing that happen. Labor forces are going to change. We're seeing that happen. So, if we don't learn to grow with that, we're just going to be stagnant. Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.