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Source research, document analysis, writing, scripts or images: assess how well a tool fits your task, file formats and requirements.
Engineers · Architects · Technicians
AI can help you with your design work.
This guide shows you how.
Calculation reports, design reports, technical documents and tenders: learn to bring AI into your projects with more than 80 practical applications.
- 80+ practical applications for your design work, deliverables and project assignments.
- Ready-to-use prompts to adapt to your own projects.
- A real project, step by step, including the engineer’s corrections and decisions.
English edition in preparation.
By Amos Houewatonou · No programming experience required.
THE PRACTICAL GUIDECONSTRUCTION / AI
FROM YOUR DOCUMENTSTO YOUR DELIVERABLES
80+practical applications throughout the guide
22chapters to put AI to work
3parts, from first steps to AI agents
1real design consultancy case study
From general-purpose tools to professional workflows
Which should you choose for your construction projects?
Choose according to your task, source documents, expected outputs and working environment. Then learn to give each tool your project context and organise its contribution.
Adapt AI to your practice
Prepare your company information, instructions, templates and project documents in an environment approved by your organisation.
Make the tools work together
Allocate tasks, share sources and assumptions, and compare proposals. Agreement between several tools is not professional validation.
Define your agents and review process
Set the task, expected outputs and professional checks: sources, units, assumptions, revisions and decisions requiring approval.
The workflow illustrated · A plan, a 3D view, a section
See how to turn project documents
into a tangible result.
Starting with a roads and utilities plan, prepare a 3D illustration to explain buried services and communicate your design. The guide shows you what data to provide, how to write your instructions and what to check.
Fictional project · AI-generated images, localised for this page. The 3D view is an illustration, not an editable BIM model. The section is indicative and has no defined cut location on the plan; dimensions and depth references require reconciliation before technical use.
Learn to do this, and much more: analyse project documents, compare bids and prepare your deliverables.
Explore the guide · €49 incl. taxYour everyday work, supported by AI
Calculation reports, design reports, technical documents:
move your projects forward with AI.
Learn what data to provide, what to ask AI to produce and how to check its response before using it in your project.
CONCEPT MODEL · TWO-STOREY OFFICESSTR-DDC-01
From nodes to column loads.
| Columns | Tributary area A | N = A × 8 × 2 |
|---|---|---|
| P01, P03, P07, P09 | 6.00 m² each | 96.00 kN each |
| P02, P04, P06, P08 | 12.00 m² each | 192.00 kN each |
| P05 · central | 24.00 m² | 384.00 kN |
| Total across 9 columns | 96.00 m² | 1,536.00 kN |
Assumptions: two identical full floors; Gk = 6 and Qk = 2 kN/m². Tributary-area distribution excludes column self-weight, openings and horizontal actions. This is not a frame analysis or member design.
MODEL + ASSUMPTIONS + TRACEABLE RESULTS
Prepare your calculation reports
Organise assumptions, prepare calculation scripts and present results for checking and interpretation.
CALCULATIONS · ASSUMPTIONS · RESULTSIMAGE OBSERVATIONS · SIMULATIONDIA-F03
Crack at a window corner — observe and comment.
| Reference | Draft observation |
|---|---|
| F-03 | Diagonal trace from the upper right-hand corner of the window opening. |
| E-01 | Local chipping and deterioration of the render along the trace. |
| Record on site | Crack width, length, continuity into the substrate and changes over time. |
| Investigate | Construction details, moisture, history and monitoring. |
AI-generated image, fictional scenario. An image alone does not establish the cause of a crack or whether it is active.
Write your design and investigation reports
Turn surveys, observations and results into a structured report: diagnosis, analysis, conclusions and recommendations.
DIAGNOSIS · REPORTS · RECOMMENDATIONSDESIGN OFFICE · FICTIONAL TWO-STOREY OFFICESTEC-COMP-004 · REV. A
Floor system — comparing options
| Criterion | RC slab | Composite solution |
|---|---|---|
| Reference span | 6.00 m | 6.00 m |
| Concept thickness | 0.20 m | 0.13 m + beams |
| Self-weight per unit area | 0.20 × 25 = 5.00 kN/m² | Manufacturer’s data required |
| Interfaces to review | Service openings · downstand beams | Connectors · fire · acoustics |
| Cost information | Concrete + reinforcement + formwork quantities | Decking + concrete + structural steel quantities |
Weight and performance data for the composite solution are missing: the comparison remains open.
DECISION TO PREPARE: complete the data before selecting an option.
COMMON BASIS · same grid and use, explicit assumptions
Build your technical notes
Explain a solution, compare alternatives and prepare a justification supported by project data.
OPTIONS · ANALYSIS · JUSTIFICATIONDESIGN OFFICE · FICTIONAL TWO-STOREY OFFICESSPEC-03 · § 3.4.2 · REV. B
Slab over ground floor — RC works
3.4.2.1 — Scope of works
Solid slab in zone A1–B3, geometry as shown on formwork drawing STR-102-B. Nominal thickness: 0.20 m. Service openings must be coordinated with the building services coordination drawings.
3.4.2.2 — Data to confirm
Concrete grade, exposure class, cover and fire resistance requirements: confirm against the calculation report and approved documents. No values are assumed by default.
| Related document | Consistency check |
|---|---|
| STR-102-B | Extent, levels and thickness |
| SYN-102-B | Openings and interfaces |
| PRICE SCHEDULE · 03.04 | Unit, quantity and included scope |
SPECIFICATION · illustrative extract to complete and coordinate
Prepare specifications and tender documentation
Draft specifications for each work package and cross-check them against drawings, quantities and scope boundaries.
SPECIFICATIONS · TENDER DOCUMENTS · CONSISTENCYFORMWORK PLAN + QUANTITY TAKE-OFFQTO-D01
From dimensioned plan to traceable quantity.
| Reference / item | Calculation detail | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| D01 · gross footprint | 12.00 × 8.00 | 96.00 m² |
| O01 · opening | −2.00 × 2.00 | −4.00 m² |
| D01 · net concrete | 92.00 × 0.20 | 18.40 m³ |
| Net soffit area | 96.00 − 4.00 | 92.00 m² |
Geometric take-off for the slab only, excluding beams and downstands; opening O01 is deducted once. CAD-style preview drawn for this fictional example, with no source DWG file.
Prepare quantity take-offs and estimates
Use spreadsheets and BIM exports to organise quantities, prepare estimates and investigate differences.
BIM · QUANTITIES · ESTIMATESDESIGN OFFICE · FICTIONAL TWO-STOREY OFFICESREVIEW-OBS-007 · REV. A
Opening R17 — review comment sheet
| Item | Document / information |
|---|---|
| Structural construction drawing | STR-EXE-102-B · opening 300 × 200 mm |
| Building services drawing | CVC-EXE-102-C · duct 400 × 250 mm |
| Observation | Bare duct section exceeds the opening size |
| Further information required | Insulation, installation clearance, penetration detail and level |
OBS. V-07 · Coordinate the route with the HVAC and structural designers before updating the formwork drawing.
Status: response pending. Increasing the opening requires a structural review.
DOCUMENT REVIEW · draft comment for professional review and approval
Prepare document reviews and technical assessments
Review construction documents and bids, identify discrepancies and organise your comments.
DOCUMENT REVIEWS · BIDS · COMMENTSFictional illustrative scenarios: a 3D concept model and tributary-area calculation, an AI-generated crack image, and a formwork view prepared for a take-off. These are not construction-ready designs or reproductions of book pages.
Develop your business · Prepare your next appointment
Find the right tender opportunities.
Build a persuasive response with AI.
From opportunity monitoring to the technical proposal, structure your approach to select relevant projects and address the client’s requirements.
FICTIONAL TENDER · DESIGN SERVICESAO-26-014
Refurbishment of an occupied office building.
OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT · CONDITIONAL GO
| Decision point | Scenario findings | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Expertise | Architecture, structures, HVAC, power and low-current systems | Confirm HVAC partner |
| Track record | Two comparable projects identified | Verify scope and reference evidence |
| Resources | Proposed project manager | Confirm workload over the project period |
| Constraints | Occupied site · phased works | Prepare methodology and interfaces |
Conditional GO: confirm the HVAC partner and the project manager’s availability before committing.
Fictional sources: tender instructions § 4 · project brief § 2.3 · reference sheets · resource schedule.
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL · RESPONSE STRUCTUREMT-01 · REV. A
From evaluation criteria to evidence.
| Fictional tender criterion | Response to develop | Supporting evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology · 30% | Diagnosis, occupied-site phasing, coordination | Programme + phasing diagram |
| Team · 20% | Roles, availability and interfaces | Organisation chart + relevant CVs |
| Environment · 10% | Method for comparing design options | Indicator matrix |
| Price · 40% | Consistency between workload, fees and scope | Fee breakdown |
PRE-SUBMISSION CHECK: address every criterion, substantiate every commitment and invent no project references.
Fictional example · Weightings apply only to this scenario.
Tender monitoring
Define the assignments you want and prepare a summary of opportunities to assess.
Document analysis
Identify required expertise, deliverables, selection criteria and deadlines.
Go / No Go
Compare requirements with your track record, resources and availability before deciding to bid.
Qualification submission
Organise project references, team profiles and supporting documents.
Technical proposal
Build a tailored response: understanding of the assignment, methodology, team, organisation and programme.
Pre-submission review
Cross-check your response against the tender requirements and list items to correct or complete.
Look inside before you decide
80+ practical applications
for your construction projects.
Explore English working adaptations of six examples from the 30 practical worksheets: inputs, prompt, expected output and professional checks.
English working adaptations based on French manuscript examples, with source illustrations and new schematic visuals. These are editorial previews, not pages from a completed English edition. Final wording, illustrations and pagination may change.
Real projects, real contradictions
Follow the use of AI
on a real design consultancy assignment.
The refurbishment of a workplace restaurant for a local authority in the Île-de-France region: a site partly in use, conflicting source documents and changing assumptions.
Read the full case study in Chapter 22.
- What the engineer asks
The instructions, source documents and context given to the agent.
- What AI produces
Proposals checked against project documents and requirements.
- What the engineer corrects and decides
The errors, rejected proposals and trade-offs that form part of real project work.
An anonymised case study documented in the book, including the limitations encountered.
A guide to use throughout your projects
From your first AI request
to your own project agents.
Three parts to establish your method, apply it to design work and organise your agents.
Get your first applications right
Understand the tools, protect your data, organise a project and prepare your first outputs.
View the 5 chapters
- What AI really changes in your work
- How AI works
- The three rules that protect you
- Your first project with AI
- Diagrams and images
Deliver your project assignment
Existing-condition assessment, design, estimating, tender documents, bid assessment, document reviews, changes, handover and as-built records.
View the 11 chapters
- Starting the assignment
- Diagnosis and existing conditions
- Concept design and the project brief
- Preliminary design: calculate and compare
- Rechecking compliance when the project changes
- Costing the design
- Producing consistent tender documentation
- Tendering and bid assessment
- Reviewing construction documents
- Managing changes during design and construction
- Handover and as-built documentation
Organise your practice with AI agents
Prepare company information, configure a project agent and develop your tender responses.
View the 6 chapters
- Recording your company information
- The project agent: one agent per assignment
- Winning project appointments
- Agents for tender responses
- Organising your agents
- A real design consultancy case study
Your expertise stays in control
AI prepares.
Your expertise makes the difference.
Learn to delegate a task, verify the response and decide what to use.
- You define the task.Specify the data, assumptions and expected output.
- The tool prepares a draft.It proposes an analysis, text, table or file.
- You check and decide.Return to the sources and verify anything that affects your professional work.
A Practical Guide for Engineers, Architects and Technicians
Put the methods to work
on your own projects.
- A method for organising your AI environment.
- 22 chapters, from first steps to AI agents.
- 80+ practical applications throughout the guide.
- A detailed case study from design consultancy practice.
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Before you get started
Is this the right guide for you?
I already use AI. What will this book add?
A method for moving from occasional requests to structured project work: choosing inputs, preparing deliverables, tracing sources, checking results and organising agents.
I am a complete beginner. Can I use it?
Yes. Part One covers the foundations and guides you through a first project. You can then turn to the chapter relevant to your assignment. No programming experience is required.
Which professions and projects does it cover?
Engineers, architects, technicians, cost consultants and CAD/BIM designers. The project workflow uses building examples, while applications also cover utilities, roads, earthworks, structures and BIM.
Is this just a book of prompts?
Each prompt comes with a workflow: what data to provide, what output to request, how to use the result and what to check. The guide also follows project stages and includes a real case study.
Do I need to buy software with the book?
The book uses conversational assistants that can work with documents and files. Software and subscriptions are not included in the book price. Required features depend on the application you want to reproduce.
How should I handle confidential project data?
Part One addresses data protection. Use an environment approved by your organisation and prepare the documents before sharing them with a tool.
How will I receive the book?
It is a digital book: a printable PDF of 333 pages, with the prompt collection (Word and PDF) and the Excel workbooks of the plates, in a single zip file. After payment you receive the download link by email. No delivery charge. The examples originate from French practice; applicable local requirements must be checked for your projects.