AEC Industry Predictions for 2025 — vGIS

By Alec Pestov Founder, vGIS

Alec Pestov

Predictions for the 2025 AEC Sector

In 2025, the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector will continue to evolve—not through sudden disruption but through the steady refinement of specialized tools. These advancements won’t replace the tried-and-true methods but will work alongside them, enhancing efficiency and streamlining processes. Real progress comes not from adopting tools for the sake of innovation but from rethinking how we use them to tackle longstanding challenges.

Here’s what we expect in the year ahead.

Custom AI: Practical Applications, Real Results

AI has steadily made its way into construction workflows, addressing specific challenges with focused tools. From automating permit submissions to tracking tasks and verifying data quality, these purpose-built AI solutions simplify processes and provide users with immediate insights.

What’s changing now is the emergence of comprehensive platforms that combine multiple AI functions. These platforms have the potential to unify fragmented tools, making it easier to connect workflows and create broader efficiencies across projects. The cumulative effect is already evident: repetitive tasks are automated, human error is reduced, and professionals are freed to focus on solving more complex problems.

In 2025, we anticipate more examples of AI and machine learning showcasing their value in real-world applications. Tools like vGIS’s trenching solutions will demonstrate how AI can solve specific challenges while delivering measurable results. The goal isn’t about sweeping changes but about practical improvements that make daily operations smoother and more efficient.

3D Scanning: Making Job Sites Smarter

3D scanning is no longer a specialized tool for surveyors—it’s becoming a practical solution for on-site crews. In 2025, we’ll see 3D scanning tools becoming more portable, practical, and accessible, allowing construction teams to handle tasks like asset documentation and volume measurements with ease.

This shift enables crews to take on tasks that once required surveying expertise, such as documenting as-built conditions or calculating material quantities. Surveyors, in turn, can focus their time on higher-value tasks like regulatory compliance, complex site modelling, and solving design challenges.

The integration of 3D scanning into daily workflows is less about disruption and more about natural evolution. By redistributing workloads, these tools allow teams to work smarter, ensuring specialists are available where they’re most needed.

Augmented Reality: A Practical Pivot

Augmented reality (AR) has received significant attention over the years, but only a handful of applications have meaningfully improved workflows. In 2025, AR in construction will pivot toward practical, task-oriented solutions.

Rather than ambitious, wide-reaching use cases, AR will focus on enhancing site coordination and communication. For example, real-time overlays can help teams visualize project data and detect potential conflicts, simplifying complex decisions. When paired with 3D scanning and digital twins, AR becomes an effective tool for improving day-to-day operations.

This pivot toward practicality signals a maturing of the technology, making it more useful and reliable for real-world applications.

Digital Twins: Bridging the Gap Between Field and Office

Digital twins have often been described as a “single source of truth” for projects, but their true strength lies in their ability to connect the field and office in real-time. By integrating data from sources like point clouds, BIM, GIS, and IoT devices, digital twins ensure that all stakeholders—from site managers to design teams—work with the same, up-to-date information.

This connection reduces delays caused by outdated plans or communication gaps, enabling teams to respond quickly to changes on the ground. In 2025, digital twins will go beyond data aggregation to become tools for streamlining collaboration and minimizing rework. By closing the gap between planning and execution, digital twins will continue to improve efficiency and keep projects on track.

Looking Ahead

In 2025, the construction industry won’t undergo a revolution, but it will see smarter, more deliberate use of tools that are already proving their value. By integrating AI, 3D scanning, AR, and digital twins into daily workflows, we can address specific challenges, improve efficiency, and meet the demands of tomorrow’s projects while staying grounded in today’s realities.

About Author:

Alec Pestov is the Founder of vGIS and has extensive experience developing technology that changes how the AEC world operates. He is a recognized leader in the augmented reality space and has incorporated these learnings into vGIS’s core offering.

Tags: 3D scanning tools, AEC sector innovation, AI in construction, augmented reality, construction technology trends, digital twins

Category: Industry Predictions

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 18th, 2024 at 12:27 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.