The Next Evolution in Engineering Design

For years, engineers have told computers what to draw. Now, we tell them what to solve, and they produce thousands of solutions we never thought of, all of which are perfect. This change is more than just a new version; it is the next step in our work.

At its core, AI-assisted design utilizes machine learning and algorithms to make the design process faster. It is not to take the place of the human engineer, but to make their work better with the superhuman power of math. Think of it as having a tireless, very fast junior engineer who can look into billions of design options in the same time it takes to get a drink. This allows our human engineers to focus on the big-picture plan and creative ways to solve problems.

We are moving from Computer-Aided Drafting to Computer-Augmented Design, where artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a tool—it’s a working partner in creation.

How HS Group Leverages AI-Assisted Design?

At HS Group, we have integrated AI-assisted designs to unlock efficiency, innovation, and enhance performance in our projects. This is how we are creating the future, today.

Generative Design for Optimal Solutions

The real magic lies here. Once we start, we give the AI the rules and requirements rather than a blank sheet. For example, we tell the AI to maximize strength, utilize the least number of materials, and stay within the limits of fabrication and space constraints. Then AI searches through every possible combination and comes up with thousands of options.

For a project on a pedestrian bridge, we created over 5,000 designs in only 48 hours by using AI. One of those designs, with an organic, beautiful look, used 40% less steel and had a 15% greater load capacity than the design created by humans. There’s no way to get that kind of optimization.

Predictive Performance Simulation

Traditional simulations can take days or even weeks to run, limiting the number of scenarios an engineer can test. Our AI-assisted design simulates thousands of real-world conditions—from wind and seismic loads to traffic patterns and thermal stress—in minutes. This allows us to predict and eliminate potential failure points long before construction begins.

For a high-rise façade, our AI-assisted design identified a critical vortex shedding risk that traditional analysis had missed. By pinpointing this issue in the design phase, we were able to make an inexpensive adjustment that saved millions in potential retrofit costs down the line. It’s a powerful way to make a comprehensive AI-assisted design feasibility study, guaranteeing the final structure is not only sound but optimized for real-world performance.

Automated Compliance & Code Checking

The process of managing the complexities of global building codes involves time and has the potential to be flawed. Our AI-assisted design software will automatically conduct a complete compliance review of the design against relevant codes (e.g., IBC, Eurocode), including any specific requirements your client may have indicated. It quickly highlights non-compliant things and offers a solution. This process saves an astonishing 90% of compliance review time and nearly eliminates the risk of expensive compliance errors, causing costly interruptions in construction.

The Tangible Benefits: Beyond the Hype

The real effectiveness of AI-assisted design is not in the technology itself. The effectiveness is in the project results we deliver to our clients.

• Fastest Time-to-Market: Automating the tedious process of design iterations and compliance checks allows us to compress all design months into weeks. This fast-tracking results in speed to market for the entire project, from concept to completion, much faster and with increased efficiency.
• Radical Cost Savings: AI optimization will drive down material usage exponentially. Less steel, concrete, and lumber mean less money spent on materials. This will provide enormous savings, not incremental ones.
• Radical Innovation: AI can explore patterns of optimized architecture and structures that no human brain could even think of by hand. With AI, data and geometry can result in a project that is stronger, lighter, and wildly beautiful.
• Enhanced Sustainability: From the outset, we drive down embodied carbon and energy use by developing inherently efficient designs. Our AI-Assisted designs will be lighter and use fewer resources than contemplated, making your project environmentally responsible.

A Peek into Our Process: From Problem to AI-Optimized Solution

At HS Group, our process represents the seamless harmony between human intelligence and computational intelligence. So, how does AI assist designers at HS Group? The answer lies in a simple four-step process.

• Define: The process begins with our partnership with you. Our engineers will partner with your team to narrow down specific design objectives and constraints so that AI works towards your vision and project demands.
• Generate: Our powerful AI engines will then create a broad solution space of options under the previously defined constraints.
• Evaluate: Now is the time for our human intelligence to help. Our senior engineers can parse through the thousands of possibilities created by the AI, filtering down options and then selecting the most promising and implementable design ideas and options.
• Refine & Deliver: The selected design is then refined to ensure manufacturability and is inserted into the final construction documents to make that project a reality.

The outcome? The best of both worlds: infinite creativity and speed from an AI and wisdom, experience, and lived knowledge from a human engineer. For more information, you can contact HS Group or Infra Construction.

FAQs

How does AI help engineers design?

AI-assisted designs help engineers in various ways, including automating repetitive processes, performing complex simulations in shorter timeframes, and generating nearly limitless design alternatives based on specific parameters. It operates as a co-pilot, allowing engineers to devote more energy to high-level creativity and strategic thinking.

Is AI design software replacing engineers?

No, it’s augmenting them. AI tools are not a replacement for a professional engineer’s human intuition, experience, and ethical judgment, but rather automate the calculation-intensive work of engineering, thereby allowing engineers to develop safer, more efficient, and innovative designs.

What is generative design?

Generative design is a method in which engineers input goals and constraints, and an AI-driven program generates a wide range of high-performance design alternatives. The AI investigates alternatives that a human would likely never have considered, resulting in an ultralight design that is structurally sound and well-optimized.

How can AI optimize structural design?

AI-assisted designs utilizes sophisticated simulations to identify the optimal ratio of weight, strength, and amount of material used in structural design. It finds weak spots and removes them, shows how the structure will behave under stress, and offers a design that utilizes as little material as needed.

Does AI conduct a design feasibility study?

Yes. AI can conduct an all-encompassing AI-assisted design feasibility study by simulating thousands of real-world scenarios in just a few minutes, measuring performance in a wide range of conditions, and highlighting risks or failures. This functionality allows engineers to examine the feasibility of a design unlike anything previously seen in terms of speed and accuracy.