AI for Construction: Smart Site Monitoring & BIM Progress Tracking
Learn how to use AI in the daily work of a construction project: site reports, RFIs and NCRs, progress tracking, quality control, and project dashboards. In this hands-on 30-hour program, every participant works on the same sample construction project from the first session to the last, so each exercise builds on the previous one and the final presentation is assembled from real work.
This is a practical construction technology course, not a programming course. Everything you practice uses tools that small and mid-size firms can afford and use from the next working day: AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT, Revit, Excel, Microsoft Forms, Power BI Desktop, and a 360-degree camera. The course also shows how Autodesk Forma Build (formerly Autodesk Construction Cloud) brings these workflows together on one platform.
Duration: 30 hours (15 sessions x 2 hours)
Teaching Methodology: Hands on
Course Schedule: Schedule
Fees: $750
Course Mode: Blended – Face-to-face or online via Zoom
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OVERVIEW
This course focuses on the construction and site-execution phase. Participants receive a sample project pack on day one: a Revit model, a construction schedule, site photos, inspection records, and site reports. Over 15 sessions they use AI to write site reports, RFIs and NCRs, analyze site photos, extract data from site documents, track progress against the BIM model, run digital inspections, and build a construction dashboard in Power BI.
The course also teaches participants to judge AI output critically. Every AI exercise includes verification: where the AI was right, where it was wrong, and what a professional must check before a report, NCR or progress figure leaves the site office.
AUDIENCE
Civil engineers, structural engineers, site engineers, BIM coordinators, architects, project managers, contractors, construction consultants, quantity surveyors, and construction company owners who want to apply AI and digital tools in site monitoring, QA/QC, and project reporting.
PREREQUISITES
Basic construction knowledge is required. Basic Revit and Excel knowledge is preferred but not mandatory. No prior AI or programming experience is needed. Participants need a Windows laptop able to run Revit and Power BI Desktop, and a smartphone.
TOOLS USED
AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT), Autodesk Revit, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Forms, Power BI Desktop, an Insta360 360-degree camera, and Autodesk Forma Build.
WHAT PARTICIPANTS WILL CREATE
- Data inventory and AI data-handling rules for the sample project
- Plan-referenced 360-degree photo log of a real space
- Color-coded BIM progress views in Revit
- Verified AI photo observation log
- Planned vs actual progress tracker with S-curve and delay flags
- Digital inspection form and NCR register
- AI-assisted daily report, weekly summary, RFI and NCR
- Structured project dataset extracted from PDF site documents
- Construction KPI dashboard in Power BI
- Final AI implementation proposal for a contractor or consultant
TOOLS IN THIS COURSE
Click a category below to see the tools used in each construction workflow.
AI & Digital Tools for Construction
AI Assistants
Reality Capture
360-degree capture of a real space, export, and organization of captures against floor plans.
BIM Progress Tracking
Construction zones, progress status parameters, color-coded progress views, and progress schedules for export.
Field Management & QA/QC
Mobile inspection checklists completed on site, feeding responses directly into Excel.
Formerly Autodesk Build, part of Autodesk Forma (formerly Autodesk Construction Cloud). Issues, photos, daily reports, forms, inspections, punch lists, and RFIs, with AI features such as AI-assisted RFI creation and Autodesk Assistant.
Reporting & Dashboards
Planned vs actual tracking, S-curves, inspection and NCR registers, and structured site data.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain where AI adds real value on a construction project, and where it does not.
- Prepare construction data for AI use and apply confidentiality rules to project information.
- Plan and execute a 360-degree site capture and organize it against floor plans.
- Track progress against a BIM model in Revit.
- Use AI to analyze site photos and verify the results against the model and drawings.
- Build a planned vs actual tracker with S-curve and delay flags.
- Run a digital inspection and NCR process with a complete record.
- Produce AI-assisted daily reports, RFIs, and NCRs that are checked and defensible.
- Extract structured data from PDF reports and forms using AI.
- Build a construction KPI dashboard in Power BI.
- Assess whether a company needs a platform such as Autodesk Forma Build, and prepare an implementation plan with ROI justification.
RECOMMENDED LEARNING PATH
For a stronger professional workflow, we recommend the following learning path:
- Revit (BIM) - before this course
- Microsoft Excel - before or alongside this course
- Primavera P6 - after this course
Frequently Asked Questions
What will I learn in the AI for Construction course?
You will learn to use AI and digital tools in daily construction work: writing site reports, RFIs and NCRs with AI, analyzing site photos with AI, capturing sites with a 360-degree camera, tracking progress against a BIM model, running digital inspections, extracting data from site documents, and building construction dashboards in Power BI. You will also see how Autodesk Forma Build organizes these workflows on a real project.
Who should take this course?
This course is ideal for civil engineers, site engineers, BIM coordinators, architects, project managers, contractors, and construction consultants who want to apply AI and digital tools in site monitoring, QA/QC, and project reporting.
Do I need previous AI experience?
No previous AI experience is required. Basic construction knowledge is sufficient. Basic Revit and Excel knowledge is preferred but not mandatory.
Do I need expensive construction software to apply what I learn?
No. The course is built on tools that small and mid-size firms can afford: AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT, Revit, Excel, Microsoft Forms, and Power BI Desktop, which is free. Autodesk Forma Build is covered as the next step for companies that want a full construction management platform.
What is Autodesk Forma?
Autodesk Forma is the new name of Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). Autodesk Build is now Forma Build and Autodesk Docs is now Forma Data Management. The course explains how Forma Build handles issues, photos, daily reports, inspections, and RFIs, including its AI features.
Is the course available online?
Yes, the course can be attended face-to-face at ETC in Dbayeh or online via Zoom in a blended format. The 360-degree capture exercise is done on site at ETC; online participants complete it with a smartphone panorama or with capture files provided by the instructor.
How long is the course?
The course is 30 hours of hands-on practical training, delivered across 15 sessions of 2 hours each.
Do you provide certificates?
Yes, participants who successfully complete the course receive a Certificate of Completion from ETC Expertise Training Center, a licensed school accredited by the Ministry of Education.
Can I try the first session before registering?
Yes, you can attend the first session as a free trial before officially registering.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes, installment payment options are available.
Do you offer onsite training for companies?
Yes, ETC offers onsite training for construction companies, contractors, and consultants throughout Lebanon and internationally upon request. Company training can be built around your own project data.
COURSE CONTENTS
Part 1 - Foundations and Site Capture
- Session 1 — AI in Construction: Value, Limits and the Course Project
- What AI can do on a construction project today: reading photos, reading documents, writing, and analyzing data
- Where AI saves real time on site, and where vendors overpromise
- The technology ladder: AI assistants and office tools, then construction platforms such as Autodesk Forma, then enterprise systems for large contractors
- Introduction to the course project pack: Revit model, schedule, site photos, inspection records, and reports
- Practical output: AI use-case map for the course project
- Session 2 — Construction Data and AI Confidentiality
- BIM data, schedules, BOQs, site reports, photos, RFIs, NCRs, and punch lists as AI inputs
- Data quality: naming, structure, and gaps that make AI output unreliable
- What project data can and cannot be shared with public AI tools: contracts, client data, and drawings
- Writing effective prompts for construction tasks: context, constraints, and required output format
- Practical output: data inventory and data-handling rules for the course project
- Session 3 — Reality Capture with a 360-Degree Camera
- Capture methods compared: smartphone, 360-degree camera, drone, and laser scanning by cost, accuracy, and use case
- Hands-on 360-degree capture of a real space at ETC with an Insta360 camera: capture points, camera height, and walk path
- Exporting and organizing captures in Insta360 Studio: naming conventions, dates, and floor plan references
- Capture routines on real sites: frequency, responsibilities, and consistency between visits
- Practical output: plan-referenced 360-degree photo log and a site capture routine
Part 2 - Progress Monitoring
- Session 4 — BIM-Based Progress Tracking in Revit
- Setting up construction zones, levels, and work packages in the course model
- Adding progress status parameters to model elements
- Color-coded progress views with view filters: planned, in progress, complete, delayed
- Exporting progress data from Revit schedules for analysis
- Practical output: color-coded BIM progress views and exported progress schedule
- Session 5 — AI Analysis of Site Photos
- Using AI to identify installed elements, visible defects, and safety issues in site photos and 360-degree captures
- Comparing AI findings with the BIM model and drawings for the same zone
- Testing AI accuracy: false positives, missed items, and confident wrong answers
- Prompts that produce structured, verifiable observations
- Practical output: verified photo observation log feeding the progress tracker
- Session 6 — Planned vs Actual and Schedule Analysis
- Linking progress data to schedule activities from a P6 or MS Project export
- Building a planned vs actual tracker and S-curve in Excel
- Delay flags, lookahead planning, and identifying critical zones
- Using AI to summarize schedule status for owners and stakeholders, and checking the summary against the figures
- Practical output: planned vs actual tracker with S-curve and delay flags
Part 3 - Digital QA/QC and Site Documentation
- Session 7 — Digital Inspections and NCR Management
- Inspection test plans (ITPs), hold points, and witness points
- Building a mobile inspection checklist in Microsoft Forms, linked to zones and elements
- Completing an inspection on a smartphone with photos, and collecting results in Excel
- NCR register, defect tracking, closure workflow, and approval flow between subcontractor, contractor, and consultant
- Practical output: working digital inspection form and NCR register
- Session 8 — Autodesk Forma Build: Construction Management on One Platform
- Autodesk Forma explained: the new name of Autodesk Construction Cloud, Forma Build and Forma Data Management
- Live walkthrough: issues pinned to sheets, photos, daily reports, forms, inspections, and punch lists
- RFIs and submittals in Forma Build, including AI-assisted RFI creation and Autodesk Assistant
- Mapping the course workflows to Forma Build, and when a company has outgrown Excel and Forms
- Practical output: Forma Build project setup plan for the course project
- Session 9 — AI for Daily and Weekly Site Reports
- Professional site report structure: progress, manpower, equipment, issues, weather, and safety
- Feeding AI structured site data, inspection results, and photo observations for consistent output
- Turning daily reports into weekly summaries for project managers and owners
- Checking AI reports for invented facts, wrong quantities, and missing issues
- Practical output: AI-assisted daily site report and weekly summary
- Session 10 — AI for RFIs, NCRs, Submittals and Contracts
- Drafting RFIs and NCRs with AI from site evidence
- Locating and summarizing relevant contract and specification clauses
- Building a submittal log from specifications with AI
- Limits: what AI can and cannot support in delay notices and claims
- Practical output: AI-assisted RFI, NCR, and submittal log, checked against the source documents
- Session 11 — AI Document Intelligence
- Extracting structured data from PDF reports, inspection forms, and delivery notes
- Converting unstructured site records into clean tables for analysis
- Validating extracted data: spot checks, totals, and cross-references
- Preparing the course project dataset for the dashboard sessions
- Practical output: structured project dataset ready for Power BI
Part 4 - Dashboards and Implementation
- Session 12 — Power BI Construction Dashboard I: Data Model
- Construction KPIs: progress %, open issues, NCR status, delayed zones, and rework
- Importing and cleaning the course project data in Power BI Desktop
- Building relationships between progress, inspection, and issue tables
- First visuals: progress by zone, open issues, and NCR aging
- Practical output: Power BI data model with first dashboard page
- Session 13 — Power BI Construction Dashboard II: Executive Reporting
- Writing KPI measures with AI assistance and verifying the results
- Executive dashboard design for owners and project directors
- Filters by zone, trade, and period; updating the dashboard with new site data
- Sharing options: PDF export, PowerPoint, and Power BI service licensing
- Practical output: complete construction KPI dashboard
- Session 14 — Implementation Strategy and ROI
- Choosing the right level for a company: AI assistants and office tools, Autodesk Forma Build, or more
- Selecting a pilot project, team roles, and data preparation
- ROI calculation: hours saved on reporting, faster NCR closure, fewer site visits
- Change management: getting buy-in from site teams and subcontractors, and company AI usage rules
- Practical output: AI implementation plan and ROI estimate
- Session 15 — Final Workshop and Presentation
- Participants assemble their course outputs into an AI implementation proposal for the course project
- Presentation covers: workflows, tools, data required, dashboard, and expected ROI
- Peer review and instructor feedback
- Certificate assessment
- Practical output: final AI implementation presentation