Challenges and Opportunities for Automating Physical Compliance on Construction Sites

The construction project lifecycle includes several compliance requirements that need to be checked at multiple levels and at different phases of the project. Inability to comply with these regulations due to lack of time and resources or human oversight can affect the project throughout its service lifecycle with the potential for severe outcomes. Following a number of high-profile failings and owing to the high stakes nature of compliance, digitalisation has been introduced in this field of construction over the past few decades to reduce mistakes and neglect. Although the compliance checking process in the design phase has seen significant digital advancement with artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing, the physical compliance checking process on construction sites still remains largely manual. This paper will present academic research on the industry challenges faced in automating site compliance checking process based on literature studies done in the past. The study highlights the need to address the different challenges and barriers of physical compliance from a more structured construct. The opportunities for process improvement, behavioural change, and technological intervention to improve or in some cases replace manual oversight were also explored. A thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data of barriers to chronicle the list of challenges that need to be addressed. Findings from this study will help highlight the pressure points faced while conducting compliance checks at sites. This research aims to reduce the knowledge gap between the ailment of checking compliance on construction sites and the tools that can help fix the issue.