Overcoming Delays in Critical Infrastructure with an AI tool

Summary: 

A leading engineering firm in Latin America, faced potential delays on a significant infrastructure project involving extensive earthworks, drainage, and viaduct construction. To mitigate a projected one-month delay and avoid substantial liquidated damages, the firm implemented ALICE Core. This AI-driven platform enabled the team to generate optimized schedules rapidly, resulting in a 16% reduction in project duration and improved crew utilization without additional resources.

Client: 

Andrade Gutierrez is a leading engineering firm in Latin America.

Problem Statement: 

The project was at risk of a one-month delay, which could lead to liquidated damages exceeding 6% of the total project value. Strict resource constraints prevented the addition of more equipment or increased costs, necessitating an innovative solution to meet the contractual milestone.

This infrastructure project involved a significant stretch of construction, including clearing, earthworks, drainage, and the building of viaducts.

Results:

• Time Savings: The optimized schedule reduced the overall project timeline by 16%, saving 27 calendar days compared to the original plan.
• Improved Crew Utilization: Crew utilization improved from 84% to 91%, ensuring optimal performance without additional resources.
• Cost Avoidance: By completing the project ahead of schedule, the team avoided potential liquidated damages of up to 6% of the project value and saved approximately 2.7% in overhead costs.

AI Solution Overview: ALICE Core, an AI-driven construction platform, was utilized to generate and evaluate multiple recovery scenarios efficiently. Within three hours, the team produced ten potential schedules, allowing for rapid assessment and selection of the most effective strategy. Adjustments included removing non-essential dependencies, recalculating task durations based on production rates, and testing various calendar configurations to enhance scheduling flexibility.

References:

1. How Andrade Gutierrez Overcame Delays on a Critical Infrastructure Project Using ALICE Core. https://blog.alicetechnologies.com/case-studies/how-andrade-gutierrez-overcame-delays-on-a-critical-infrastructure
2. ALICE Partners with Andrade Gutierrez to Optimize Industrial Construction, https://blog.alicetechnologies.com/news/alice-technologies-partners-with-andrade-gutierrez-to-optimize-industrial-construction-in-latin-america
3. Case Studies: AI in Construction – ALICE Technologies. https://blog.alicetechnologies.com/case-studies

Industry: Infrastructure Construction

Vendor: ALICE Technologies

Client: Andrade Gutierrez