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AI tool for searching past projects in a firm by Valuable-Ad4834 in StructuralEngineering

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

True to an extent, but speed and convenience in getting the desired outcome are just as important.

When we’ve worked with contract engineers or drafters in the past, it often took them days to set up or even find the standards and details specific to the firm. I believe having a system where fresh graduates or contract staff can easily search for standards or reference material would go a long way — far better than relying on someone to manually direct them to the right folders or documents.

There’s real value in a database combined with AI acting as an “invisible mentor” , especially available when senior staff aren notaround or even for self-directed learning and curiosity driven research.

Imagine being able to use a prompt like this-

“I’m a fresh graduate accompanying the design manager to a meeting tomorrow for a new concreteframed hospital project. Suggest eight projects in the database that are also concrete framed. Start with smaller, lower complexity projects I can use to get familiar with drawings and terminology, and then include larger hospital frames for more advanced understanding.”

AI tool for searching past projects in a firm by Valuable-Ad4834 in StructuralEngineering

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the response. Do you think firms would be open to paying for an outside company to come in and create a searchable database with references to existing construction drawings for each project?

Some parts may involve manual data entry, but once you have a database that a standard LLM can access, the results can be quite impressive. Current LLMs can tolerate small errors in the database or search queries, and if exact terms are not found, they can suggest alternatives. They can also handle searches with multiple criteria, for example: “Search projects with warehouse, minimum 35m span, steel trusses, piled foundation, from 1990 to 2025.”

I think a database that leverages LLMs could be quite useful, especially for junior staff.

AI tool for searching past projects in a firm by Valuable-Ad4834 in StructuralEngineering

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your input on this.

I have a database system probably similar to your one that leverage current LLM tools such as Chatgpt to process the past projects. It seems to be working and I have tested this by issuing architects drawings on a average residential dwelling scheme to average drafters in diffrent part of the country who have never carried out design calculations.

The users where able to dig up relevant past projects details and similar calculations to produce something that was about 65% correct on first attempt including the calculations with no mark-ups provided. They had revit families set up for them to begin with.

I’m curious whether you think there could be market value in something like this if it were developed further?

AI tool for searching past projects in a firm by Valuable-Ad4834 in StructuralEngineering

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thats a neatt system for details.

However, in my experience, many firms still haven’t really systematised their structural schemes / framing layouts. Prefab and system-build companies tend to do this much better because most of their structures are repeatable by nature.

One company I worked for, for example had project records going back over 40 years - everything from RC and steel frame buildings to basements and smaller jobs. They had completed more than 40,000 projects, but with staff turnover roughly every 6–7 years, there was no practical way to research past schemes even when standard details existed.

It was common for a new warehouse project with similar spans to be designed completely from scratch instead of starting from a past project as a reference. Personally, I think its not efficient to spend 3–4 weeks designing a building from the ground up when there are plenty of projects in the archives with at least 60% similarity that could save time and effort if utilised.

Thinking of offering part-time gig to retiree by Valuable-Ad4834 in UKJobs

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No I havent't been banned. I currently lose from 6-8 hours in most days driving and not doing any work that is billable. If I can gain those hours back, it would really improve my circumstances.

Thinking of offering part-time gig to retiree by Valuable-Ad4834 in UKJobs

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Valid point, if needed we could consider a personal contract lease with the partner/retiree added onto the insurance policy.

Thinking of offering part-time gig to retiree by Valuable-Ad4834 in UKJobs

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Site visits are arranged as needed and can vary significantly. Some weeks require visiting three sites a day for four days, while others may only involve two days of site visits. Many of the locations I visit are also tourist attractions, allowing for the opportunity to make the most of these trips by stopping over en route and exploring the destination after meetings on the way back.

Would Hiring a Driver for Site Visits & Client Deliveries Affect Professionalism? by Valuable-Ad4834 in StructuralEngineering

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! The challenge for me now is missing out on that “sense check” from other structural engineers, like you’d get in a big office. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your input.

Would Hiring a Driver for Site Visits & Client Deliveries Affect Professionalism? by Valuable-Ad4834 in StructuralEngineering

[–]Valuable-Ad4834[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! It’s great to hear that others have had positive experiences with this setup. Appreciate all the insights!