The field of traffic engineering, a subcategory of civil engineering, can actually be extremely high-tech depending on what you are doing. Data collection in traffic engineering is now employing radar, image recognition, and many other methods to make things easier and less dangerous than they used to be with speed tubes.
Traffic modeling helps traffic engineers make decisions for intersection and signal configuration. As well as to decide if certain types of developments should be allowed in parts of town that are already busy.
Optimization is the name of the game and traffic engineering is an extremely data driven field. AI will make processing a lot of traffic data easier.
AI is also slowly starting to affect CAD softwares used by transportation, land development, and water resources engineering.
Generally, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) is super tech. Lots of systems engineering, can also get into software or electrical. AI, machine learning, image processing....lots of opportunities.
Using AI to prioritize water, sewer, and other underground utility replacement with asphalt and concrete road rehabilitation. It's a constantly moving target that requires useful life analysis on multiple data sets. I wish I was 10 years younger, I would pursue it myself.
Yes. It also has to account for inputs from different work areas, usually managed by different work groups. I don't know a whole lot about this subject, it just seems to me something that could be streamlined now.
Seems like its something the CE field should have by now (given this is practically already done in finance and tech) but I just realized how slow we move. Quite interesting.
There's been some stuff done in teh "asset management" area, but most of these solutions revolve around a software package that requires, at minimum, one additional employee to manage. A lot of smaller municipals are NOT going to add positions in public works / public utilities for any reason, so they are non-starters from the beginning.
We just had a workshop on using AI for doing sewer video inspection it was really neat... Hope it dosent take jobs though... But I think there still needs to be a human element to look at the data
I'm not sure imagine recognition is quite good enough yet for this to be super accurate. It might be able to spot an anomaly and ask for a classification, though.
Is this something that could be developed, or do you know of an asset owner that has rolled this out?
I'd be very interested in reading more about this.
It's not anything I've heard about from any vendors, but I don't get a lot of time to research this kinda stuff or go to conventions. We had a (brief) safety training course from IT regarding email safety and they covered the very basics, but something said during that meeting kinda put the thought in my head.
Such a program could pretty easily be tied to a CIP to assist with long term financial planning, it would seem.
I just don't know what the actual capabilities AI / machine learning capabilities are now. Or rally how to leverage such a program.
I'm sure something like this is used to curate social media recommendations, it would be kinda similar in my head.
AI is being used to conduct pavement condition assessments for resurfacing of roadways.
Stringless paving machines are also on the tech side of pavement.
It’s not a new technology, but mass-tuned dampers are still a very advanced technology which takes an incredible amount of work by structural engineers to get right. All those ridiculous spindly towers on billionaire’s row would be falling over without them. Taipei 101 has an iconic one which also looks a lot cooler than most.
Also, a lot of work is being done with machine learning and data set building and manipulation to try to reach compliance with new lead an copper regs. That might interest you.
The field of traffic engineering, a subcategory of civil engineering, can actually be extremely high-tech depending on what you are doing. Data collection in traffic engineering is now employing radar, image recognition, and many other methods to make things easier and less dangerous than they used to be with speed tubes. Traffic modeling helps traffic engineers make decisions for intersection and signal configuration. As well as to decide if certain types of developments should be allowed in parts of town that are already busy. Optimization is the name of the game and traffic engineering is an extremely data driven field. AI will make processing a lot of traffic data easier. AI is also slowly starting to affect CAD softwares used by transportation, land development, and water resources engineering.
I vote traffic engineering as well.
Generally, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) is super tech. Lots of systems engineering, can also get into software or electrical. AI, machine learning, image processing....lots of opportunities.
>AI is also slowly starting to affect CAD softwares used by transportation, land development, and water resources engineering. How?
Using AI to prioritize water, sewer, and other underground utility replacement with asphalt and concrete road rehabilitation. It's a constantly moving target that requires useful life analysis on multiple data sets. I wish I was 10 years younger, I would pursue it myself.
How is AI used in such cases, is it just gathering data and making using of machine learning?
Yes. It also has to account for inputs from different work areas, usually managed by different work groups. I don't know a whole lot about this subject, it just seems to me something that could be streamlined now.
Seems like its something the CE field should have by now (given this is practically already done in finance and tech) but I just realized how slow we move. Quite interesting.
There's been some stuff done in teh "asset management" area, but most of these solutions revolve around a software package that requires, at minimum, one additional employee to manage. A lot of smaller municipals are NOT going to add positions in public works / public utilities for any reason, so they are non-starters from the beginning.
What’s the tech called?
Dude Solutions has one, I think it's called Facility Manager? Not sure about specific names because I've never really fleshed it out as a project.
We just had a workshop on using AI for doing sewer video inspection it was really neat... Hope it dosent take jobs though... But I think there still needs to be a human element to look at the data
I'm not sure imagine recognition is quite good enough yet for this to be super accurate. It might be able to spot an anomaly and ask for a classification, though.
Is this something that could be developed, or do you know of an asset owner that has rolled this out? I'd be very interested in reading more about this.
It's not anything I've heard about from any vendors, but I don't get a lot of time to research this kinda stuff or go to conventions. We had a (brief) safety training course from IT regarding email safety and they covered the very basics, but something said during that meeting kinda put the thought in my head. Such a program could pretty easily be tied to a CIP to assist with long term financial planning, it would seem. I just don't know what the actual capabilities AI / machine learning capabilities are now. Or rally how to leverage such a program. I'm sure something like this is used to curate social media recommendations, it would be kinda similar in my head.
AI is being used to conduct pavement condition assessments for resurfacing of roadways. Stringless paving machines are also on the tech side of pavement.
Designing water treatment plants
It’s not a new technology, but mass-tuned dampers are still a very advanced technology which takes an incredible amount of work by structural engineers to get right. All those ridiculous spindly towers on billionaire’s row would be falling over without them. Taipei 101 has an iconic one which also looks a lot cooler than most.
I’ll be honest I have NO clue what that is but that’s exactly the type of tech I was talking about even if it’s not as new thank you
Big Shake Weight cancels out the building wiggle :)
This comment has not been appreciated nearly enough. I lol'd, thanks.
Signal disaggregation via machine learning
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and pipeline hydraulics + monte carlo flood simulations.
Digital twin
Any sort of instrumentation.
Well, anything that is related to design aspects, i guess.
Also, a lot of work is being done with machine learning and data set building and manipulation to try to reach compliance with new lead an copper regs. That might interest you.