The AI bot that has now become the center of attraction over the internet is ChatGPT. With its surprisingly human-like output many experts are using it to reduce labor on repetitive works, fetching data, and generating plans. Construction management is no exception and we will see here how can we get the advantage of using ChatGPT in construction. Let us don’t discuss theory and just jump in to the practical examples.

Table of Content

• Your New Contract Administration Associate
• Consult ChatGPT before a Meeting with a Stakeholder
• Use ChatGPT as Your Technical Assistant in Construction
• Preparing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) with ChatGPT
• Get an Idea from ChatGPT to Use it in Construction
• Check if You’ve Listed All Terms in an Work Order
• More Use of ChatGPT in Construction Management
• Word of Caution
• Future Expectations for Use of ChatGPT in Construction

Your New Contract Administration Associate

I considered an imaginary case of a project where the client is not fulfilling their responsibility of giving drawings on-time. The project is delayed and we need to write a letter to the client. I summarized the case to ChatGPT, and asked for a draft letter. Here is the command I provided:

In the next 10 seconds ChatGPT prepared me the following draft letter:

Well, not bad as a first draft. Considerable time is saved as all you need to do is editing it for a full-proof contractual letter to record the issue.

Ask ChatGPT to Re-draft a Matter

You can prepare a draft yourself and feed the text to ChatGPT to ensure the correctness of spelling and grammar, better vocabulary, changing the tone, and if required, re-drafting the whole thing to the next level.

Ask for Information at Hand

You can ask ChatGPT for information regarding the contract clauses and references. For example, check what you get when you provide this input to the bot:

You will get a reply somewhat like the below. You can utilize this as a reference for further contractual communication.

Consult ChatGPT before a Meeting with a Stakeholder

We have a meeting with a consultant whom we have hired for Project Management of a new industrial project. This is the first meeting with the Consultant, and you want to decide what to discuss with them. You can take help from ChatGPT regarding this.

ChatGPT replied with many points that you can use for the meeting with the Project Management Consultant. Obviously, the Chatbot often gives a lot of options which you must filter out before you use it.

At present, you can use ChatGPT as a reference tool. It is not advisable to depend on it blindfolded. It is a great tool to fire up your creative side and get information off the hand, and that you must go through and apply your own brain before putting those to use.

Use ChatGPT as Your Technical Assistant in Construction

You have a client and one morning they demand you to submit the method statement of PU membrane waterproofing! All on a sudden, you start searching over the internet and call friends, but neither of those give you a satisfactory answer. Before you faint, you can try ChatGPT. Here is the command I put to it.

And my friend replied in no time. The answer is so detailed I could not get it in a single screenshot. You can ask the question anytime so I am not flooding the post with unnecessary screenshots.

The best part is, if you’re not satisfied with the answer you can ask ChatGPT to regenerate the response, change the tone, and ask to elaborate. At the same time, you can put your brain to use to give the essential human touch to the replies from ChatGPT and make those a bit more useful.

Get an Idea from ChatGPT to Use it in Construction

Often, you can get an idea from ChatGPT, and can use it in the construction project you are dealing with. For example, if you need an idea of probable means for the roof waterproofing work you can ask ChatGPT for help. Below is the output when I asked it the same question.

On any or all of the above options provided by ChatGPT you can ask it to further elaborate and it will provide you with a detailed methodology with the quality and safety parameters, if you want. With a bit close look-ups you can place it on the table as a technical proposal.

Preparing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) with ChatGPT

For a project, small or big, WBS is the most important and the starting point for planning the project. For projects in which you don’t have any solid experience, you can strive to prepare the WBS without expert knowledge. So, ChatGPT can be of instant help in this case.

Below is an example of WBS I got prepared with the help of ChatGPT.

This is a framework over which you can build the schedule further if you’re an expert on this type of a project. Or, you can ask ChatGPT to work further in detail and it will do.

Check if You’ve Listed All Terms in an Work Order

Well, I asked ChatGPT to frame the terms and conditions for the Structural Glazing work subcontractor and it did well. The screenshot is in part here to avoid unnecessary length of the post, and you can try it any time.

More Use of ChatGPT in Construction Management

The above points are only a few among the vast potential of ChatGPT in construction management. You can use it for the following as well (try your hands on):

• Framing the basics of planning a project to reduce the risk of missing an important point
• Framework of a presentation with creative ideas
• Summarizing and simplifying a critical idea
• Redrafting a letter or report
• Risk assessment of any activity
• Build a complete minutes over the short notes taken during a meeting

Word of Caution

Yes, you need to be skeptical a bit, at least as on date, about ChatGPT. My disclaimer is, ChatGPT is still not very much efficient on calculations. I asked it about the manpower requirement of a specific task, and it replied considering an abnormal labour productivity leading to erroneous results. So, for now, do your calculations as you’re doing it.

Also, you must remember the fact that ChatGPT is not aware of any real-time fact. Its database is as old as of September 2021, although it is being updated. Hence, you can’t reply on information it provides to your queries starting with “What is the latest….”.

Also, for any output received from ChatGPT, it is strictly advised to apply your brain or other sources to justify the applicability, and not just play blindfold to use it in a real-time, practical project or similar purpose. It is new and exciting, and a lot more experiments are required before accepting it in totality.

Future Expectations for Use of ChatGPT in Construction

Now ChatGPT is all text. But in near future it has potential to come with charts, graphs, images, and other visuals. Already there are a few simple Excel and Word add-ons of ChatGPT, not producing any great result though. It can be expected to get more useful add-ons for processing more complicated data to get useful analysis of it.

How you are using ChatGPT? Let us know in the comment box.