Using AI And 3D Technology, Checktobuild aims to improve construction efficiency
By Yousra Benkirane
For general contractors, the process of getting an inspection done can be long and arduous, involving time, money, and a fair dose of faith. Miami-based CheckToBuild is out to change that. The brainchild of entrepreneur Alejandro Ruiz Lara, the tech startup has created an innovative construction management solution, using artificial intelligence (AI) and 3D models to fast-track the process; while it cannot grant an inspector’s approval, it can ensure quality and avoid any slowdowns from requested changes. It can also catch costly mistakes.
CheckToBuild’s CB2 platform, a construction analysis engine, compares the original design of a construction project with video taken by the contractor at the site, and, within minutes, can provide an overview of any potential geometric deviations from the original blueprints.
The technology does this by building a 3D model from the designs, instantly overlapping the model with the construction design to compare every element in reality versus its architectural intent. After this “inspection,” the platform provides results of what is working, what is not, and potential costs for the builder.
CheckToBuild’s technology mitigates two of the biggest issues in the construction management industry, those of delays and cost overruns. A formal inspection process can take days or longer to complete, but the process is reduced to minutes with CheckToBuild’s technology.
For example, its software was used to inspect the progress in a 232,737-square- foot, $16.5 million office building project in Madrid. During construction, the client noticed an area where water did not drain properly. Knowing this would represent a safety concern, the client wanted to know if there were any deformations in the floor’s structure, so videos were taken by CheckToBuild and compared with 3D models. It was soon clear that a 30-square-foot area was uneven, causing an accumulation of water. An inspection by traditional methods would have taken several days.
“CheckToBuild provides a key tool in the digital transformation of construction,” says Óscar Liébana, project coordinator of Spain’s FCC Construcción. “Its automation technology improves, speeds up, and brings accuracy to some tasks that have historically been slow and expensive.”
Originally based in Madrid, CheckToBuild began working on pilot projects in 2020, with its team continuing to design and patent the technology. Using comparative models, Ruiz Lara concluded his software could save builders up to 37 percent in wasted materials and become 87 percent more efficient in the inspection process. He then dedicated four months to testing the international waters by offering CheckToBuild’s services in Chile, Peru, Colombia, the U.S., and the UK. By February 2022, it was clear the U.S. would prove most fruitful.
Ruiz Lara partnered with the University of Miami in a start-up program designed to generate business, securing an account with Moss & Associates Construction, one of the southeast’s largest privately held general contractors. “Real estate in Florida is rapidly growing, so it only made sense for us to establish [in Miami],” he explained. By May 2022, CheckToBuild became a U.S.- based company with international outreach.
Since relocating to Miami, the company has raised $1.5 million in an initial investment round, and is continuing to develop both its technology and business model. “Since we moved to Miami, we have increased our number of customers and created revenue of $120,000, but we are still selling in a controlled way to strategic customers so that when we are finished with our product by June 2023, we will be able to scale our sales process and system,” Ruiz Lara said.
As for relocating from Madrid, “Miami has this perfect mixture between Latin culture and American business,” according to Ruiz Lara. “I have the best of my country [Spain] and the best of the U.S. in terms of business opportunities, open-mindedness to new technologies, and investments in new projects.”
