Construction is not an industry where assumptions, personal opinions, or "I think this should work" are acceptable substitutes for engineering principles, established standards, and proven methods.
Every specification, method statement, inspection, calculation, and safety procedure exists because someone, somewhere, learned a lesson often through failure, injury, or loss of life.
A few examples (actually real ones):
- A supervisor decides that temporary bracing is "strong enough" without following the engineer's design. The structure collapses during installation.
- A worker skips soil testing because the ground "looks solid." Unexpected settlement causes a retaining wall to fail.
- A contractor reduces reinforcement because "it has always worked this way."
Years later, cracks develop and the structure's integrity is compromised.
A site team ignores the specified concrete curing period to save time. The concrete fails to achieve its intended strength, increasing long-term structural risks.
I've also come across explanations that were clearly 100% AI-generated. While AI is an excellent assistant, it should never replace engineering judgement or site verification. In one instance, the explanation contained numerous technical inaccuracies because it relied entirely on AI-generated content without validation.
The person responsible should have visited the site, verified the actual conditions, identified the correct gridlines from the approved construction drawings, and confirmed the physical dimensions before providing any technical explanation. None of this was done.
That is not only poor engineering practice, it is EMBARASSING (to say the least) for the profession. AI can draft documents and organise information, but AI CANNOT inspect a site, verify dimensions, interpret site conditions, or exercise professional accountability. Those remain the responsibility of competent personnel.
These are not simply technical mistakes, they can result in injuries, fatalities, project delays, litigation, financial losses, and lasting reputational damage.
Not to mention, deviating from contractual requirements, approved drawings, specifications, or method statements may constitute a breach of contract. Such deviations can lead to:
- LAD arising from delays.
- Rejection of the works and costly rework.
- Non-Conformance Reports (NCRs) and withheld payments.
- Professional negligence claims.
- Investigations or enforcement actions by authorities such as DOSH, local authorities, or other regulators, depending on the nature of the non-compliance.
Innovation is always welcome in construction, but genuine innovation is supported by engineering calculations, risk assessments, testing, validation, and compliance with applicable codes, standards, and contractual obligations. It is never based solely on personal belief, anecdotal experience, or an unverified AI response.