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Where Do Preconstruction Schedules Go Off Track? An Evidence-Informed Industry Commentary

Rebecca Kassa, PhD; Brian Lines, PhD; Jake Smithwick, PhD; Kenneth Sullivan, PhD | Dec 30, 2025

Preconstruction schedules most often go off track in eight recurring domains, including vendor information and equipment, permitting and regulatory pathways, utilities and power availability, site due diligence, workforce capacity, owner planning discipline, community engagement, and contracting strategy timing. This commentary provides early warning signals and practical controls teams can implement to reduce preconstruction variance, based on interviews and a targeted practitioner survey triangulated with literature.

Permitting • Planning • Preconstruction • Risk Management • Scheduling • Supply Chain • Utilities • Workforce

Togal.AI vs On-Screen Takeoff: A Comparative Analysis of Time Efficiency and Accuracy

Victoria V. Marulanda S., MS; Brian Lines, PhD; Rebecca Kassa, PhD; Jake Smithwick, PhD; Kenneth Sullivan, PhD | Dec 30, 2025

Using Togal.AI delivered about 70% time savings for common takeoff tasks while keeping accuracy within ~5% compared to On-Screen Takeoff, with the biggest discrepancies showing up in smaller quantities. The paper emphasizes that AI improves productivity when paired with human review and manual adjustments, rather than replacing professional judgment.

AI Tools • Construction Education • Construction Technology • Estimating • Productivity • Quantity Takeoff

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