Tapping into the possibilities of construction technology
The construction industry is evolving at a rapid pace, driven by innovative technologies that enhance safety, productivity and efficiency on jobsites. At Skanska, team members across the U.S. are at the forefront of this transformation, leveraging cutting-edge tools to shape the future of construction. In this conversation with six Skanska trailblazers, we explore how technology unlocks new possibilities in our industry.
For Anna Behringer, field engineer I and rotator in Skanska’s Core Competency Training Program (CCTP), technology isn’t just part of her job, it’s shaping her entire career. “I began using AutoCAD to perform quantity takeoffs during my CCTP estimating rotation, which made the process significantly faster and more accurate,” says Anna. “That experience led me to Skanska’s Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) group, sparking a deeper interest in how we’re using technology both during pursuits and in the field.”
What technology are you currently using?
We use AutoCAD Civil 3D with designers and the construction team to identify potential risks, improve efficiency and plan construction activities. I model design drawings in 2D or 3D to map out operations, sequences and scenarios, helping the team develop the safest and most efficient plan.
How does technology help your day-to-day?
3D modeling lets us “build the job virtually” before work begins, improving communication across the team – from estimators to foremen. While models can’t capture every field constraint, it helps us plan safer and more productive operations.
Where is the future of construction technology headed?
As we test and find success with new tools, our trust grows, leading us to explore more applications. It also creates opportunities for employees to build skills and step into specialized technology roles, which is especially exciting for young professionals in the industry.
On any given day, you’ll find Danielle O’Connell, senior director of emerging technology, helping Skanska teams and customers explore the adoption of new technologies. “I’ve always been excited about technology’s impact on construction projects, and I’ve spent a lot of my career in a VDC role,“ says Danielle. “Currently, I help Skanska teams and customers with innovation through the use of new tools.”
What technology are you currently working with?
One of the vendors we work closely with is Nextera Robotics, whose product, DIDGE, includes robotic data collection and analysis using AI. DIDGE helps us collect 360-degree photos and videos across our jobsites and analyzes both progress and safety data.
Where is the future of construction technology headed?
I’m really excited about robotics and automation and think we’ll continue to see more tools in this space. With labor shortages persisting, I think we will see more opportunities to use robotics and streamline our daily systems. I’m also excited to follow the progress of less common tools like 3D printers and explore how they can be piloted on our projects.
As a field engineer II on Skanska’s Portage Bay Bridge project, Thin Nyo sees how leveraging drones can benefit both clients and project team members. As part of the new drone program dedicated to the project, Thin and team have biweekly scheduled drone flights that maintain consistent capture of aerial video and photography of the entire project. This allows the team to track and plan work internally, as well as share updates with Skanska’s client, Washington State Department of Transportation, and at community meetings. “The flights became a regular part of our operations as we saw the benefits of photo overlays in tracking progress and planning our work,” says Thin.
What technologies are you working with now?
I'm working with the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, Mavic 2 Pro and Insta360 X4. Our DJI drones are used for mapping and photo overlays, while the Insta360 is used to provide a 360-degree walkthrough of areas hidden from higher elevations, such as under bridges.
What’s the biggest benefit technology brings to the industry?
The biggest benefit is in planning our work safely and efficiently. An easy example is how project photos quickly show the team any changes to access and site conditions, and they also highlight our operations and capabilities for current and future clients.
How does technology help your day-to-day?
Project photos can be provided to teams in a matter of hours. Having an understanding of jobsite conditions promotes awareness of hazards and risks, which can then be mitigated. These drone flights and video walkthroughs also help our surveyors with their modeling.
“My career path was carved by curiosity,” says Emerging Technology Manager Lisa Neal. After starting out as a project engineer, Lisa was drawn to VDC. Today, her curiosity has led her to partner with Skanska IT and Data Solutions teams to help project teams explore new tech solutions.
What technology trends are you seeing at Skanska?
I’m seeing a lot of practical use cases and a growing exploration of the latest advancements in technology. For example, drones are common on our projects now, but in addition to standard aerial drones, we’re seeing thermal imaging drones, underwater drones and more advanced post-processing of footage.
I’m encouraged by what feels like a natural transition from pragmatic to leading-edge. And it’s being driven by our project teams—by people in the field—not just by the Emerging Tech team. Our innovators are everywhere.
What’s the biggest benefit technology brings to construction?
The portfolio of technology available to us today, especially when coupled with advancements in data and AI, can support the entire project lifecycle. It’s now a matter of discernment: how do we monitor the technical landscape, vet potential partners, pilot new tools efficiently and share that information with the rest of the business so we all benefit?
From Penn Station to LaGuardia and now South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT), Tarah Driver, assistant project manager, has seen firsthand how reality capture can streamline projects. “When I started at LaGuardia, my first big undertaking was to capture weekly progress photos using the Drone Deploy video walk tool. That’s when I became curious about reality capture and began applying what I learned to nearby Skanska projects,” she says.
What technology are you working with now?
On SBMT, we have a drone pilot team that conducts daily flights to capture pictorial and topographical data that’s used for progress tracking and material quantification.
How does technology improve your day-to-day?
Technology lets us merge parallel workflows to reduce the administrative burden for our teams and trade partners. We’re close to fine tuning this process and it’s exciting to be at that tipping point. More time saved means more time in the field with the people building our projects.
Where is the future of construction technology headed?
I’m excited to see construction technology empower our skilled craftspeople. With a major workforce shortage, partnering with trades to create digital tools and training makes technology more accessible to those who know building best.
Project Engineer Kara Fragola has been flying drones for almost a decade. “I started flying in 2016 and was always interested in how emerging tech could improve construction,” she says. “Over time, I helped build and expand Skanska’s drone and reality capture program, and it’s now a routine part of my day-to-day.”
What technology do you work with?
I’m working with a range of construction technologies, with a focus on reality capture through drones, photogrammetry and LiDAR scanning. Our drone program supports a variety of field and project management needs from topographic surveys and cut/fill analysis to progress documentation, quantity verification and inspection of hard-to-access areas. We use drone-captured data to generate high-resolution orthomosaics, 3D models and point clouds.
What’s in store for the future of construction technology?
The future of construction technology will be driven by how we harness the data we’re already capturing. Reality capture tools give us a wealth of information, but AI will take it further by identifying patterns, highlighting risks and uncovering insights about the data.
